India’s middle class tightens its belt, squeezed by food inflation

Shoppers are reflected in mirror inside a shopping mall in New Delhi, India, December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

India’s city dwellers are cutting spending on everything from cookies to fast food as persistently high inflation squeezes middle class budgets, threatening the country’s brisk economic growth.
Slowing urban spending over the past three to four months has not only hurt the earnings of largest consumer goods firms, it has raised questions about the structural nature of India’s long-term economic success.

Since the end of the pandemic, India’s economic growth has been driven in large part by urban consumption, however, that now seems to be changing.
“There is a top end – the people with money are spending like that is going out of style,” Nestle India Chairman Suresh Narayanan said.
“There used to be a middle segment, which used to be the segment that most of us fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms used to operate in, which is the middle class of the country, that seems to be shrinking.”

Nestle India, which makes Kit Kats and other well-known goods, reported its first quarterly revenue drop since the COVID-hit June quarter in 2020.
While there is no officially defined income bracket for Indian middle class households, they are broadly estimated to account for a third of India’s 1.4 billion people.
They are considered a key demographic both economically and politically, with middle class frustration seen as a significant factor behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s weaker election performance this year.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-middle-class-tightens-its-belt-squeezed-by-food-inflation-2024-11-13/

Spanish flood-hit towns brace for another storm

A general view of debris and sludge filled Barranco del Poyo ravine as it passes through the town of Catarroja, which was seriously affected due to severe flooding, in Valencia, Spain, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Eva Manez Purchase Licensing Rights

Flood-hit towns near the eastern city of Valencia were rushing on Tuesday to clear the sewage system of mud and debris, pile sandbags and cancel school classes as they prepared for another approaching storm.
Two weeks after the worst floods in Spain’s modern history killed more than 200 people, national weather service AEMET issued an orange alert, the second-highest, for strong or torrential rains expected on Wednesday in the same area.
AEMET forecasts as much as 120 mm (4.7 inches) of rain in 12 hours. While the storm is not expected to be as powerful, it could be devastating for the towns that are still recovering.
The impact of the rain could be severe because of the quantities of mud already on the ground and because of the condition of the sewage system, Rosa Tauris, a spokesperson for Valencia’s emergency committee, told reporters.

Thousands of workers are cleaning buildings while removing the mud that accumulated on roads and sidewalks and clogged the sewage pipes and drains in towns and suburbs around Valencia.
The emergency committee issued a special warning requesting that municipalities and organisations take preventive measures, including closing schools.
Tauris recommended citizens work remotely when possible, avoid non-essential travel and follow emergency services’ updates.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/spanish-flood-hit-towns-brace-another-storm-2024-11-12/

British author Samantha Harvey wins Booker Prize 2024

Harvey’s book Orbital takes place over a 24-hour time frame as astronauts orbit the Earth 16 times. It was described by the judges as having “beauty and ambition”.

Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey. Pic: PA

British author Samantha Harvey has won this year’s Booker Prize with her book Orbital.

The novel, which is about astronauts on the International Space Station as they orbit the Earth, was announced as the winner at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in the City of London on Tuesday.

It has sold around 29,000 copies – more than the last three Booker winners combined had managed before they won.

Accepting the trophy, Harvey dedicated it to everybody who “speaks for and not against the earth” and “for and not against the dignity of other humans, other life and all the people who speak for and call for and work for peace”.

The former museum worker turned author said before winning that she would like to spend the £50,000 prize money on taking time out of her job to sculpt, and waste some of it on buying “expensive Danish liquorice”.

Harvey, who was longlisted for the prestigious literary prize in 2009 for her debut novel The Wilderness, is the 19th woman to win since the first award in 1969. There have been 36 male winners.

Admitting that she nearly gave up writing the novel altogether, Harvey said: “I lost my nerve with it.

“[I] originally thought, ‘Why on earth would anybody want to hear from a woman at her desk in Wiltshire writing about space, imagining what it’s like being in space when people have actually been there’.”

Taking place over a 24-hour time frame as astronauts orbit the Earth 16 times, Orbital is the second-shortest book to claim the prize at 136 pages long.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/british-author-samantha-harvey-wins-booker-prize-2024-13253404

Azerbaijan president hails oil and gas as ‘gift from God’ as he lambasts climate activists in COP29 opening speech

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev kicked off the climate conference with a wide-ranging speech in which he hit out at critics of his country’s fossil fuel industries.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during his speech at COP29. Pic: Reuters

The president of Azerbaijan, who is hosting climate summit COP29, has hailed oil and gas as “a gift from God” as he lambasted Western media and climate activists.

President Ilham Aliyev kicked off the conference with a wide-ranging, critical speech in which he hit out at those opposed to his country’s oil and gas industries.

In his keynote address at COP29, where nearly 200 nations are negotiating global action on climate change, president Aliyev described his country as a victim of a “well-orchestrated campaign of slander and blackmail”.

Within moments, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres took to the stage to say that doubling down on fossil fuels was an absurd strategy.

But president Aliyev said: “As a president of COP29 of course, we will be a strong advocate for green transition, and we are doing it. But at the same time, we must be realistic.”

Referencing gas and oil resources, he added: “Countries should not be blamed for having them, and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market, because the market needs them. The people need them.”

The Azerbaijan government relies on fossil fuels for 60% of its budget and 90% of exports.

President Aliyev said it was “not fair” to call Azerbaijan a “petrostate” because it produces less than 1% of the world’s oil and gas.

He singled out the US, the world’s largest historic carbon emitter, and the European Union for particular criticism – accusing them of double standards.

President Aliyev’s speech underscored the challenge at the heart of the climate negotiations: while all nations are urged to shift to green energy sources, many, including wealthy Western nations, continue to rely on fossil fuels.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/azerbaijan-president-hails-oil-and-gas-as-gift-from-god-as-he-lambasts-climate-activists-in-cop29-opening-speech-13253258

Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt leaves 11 injured after turbulence

Five passengers and six crew members suffered minor injuries after the Boeing 747-8, which was travelling from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt, experienced severe turbulence.

A Lufthansa 747-8. File pic by Reuters

Eleven people have been left injured after a Lufthansa flight was hit with severe turbulence while en route from Argentina to Germany.

The Boeing 747-8 was travelling from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt when it encountered a brief period of severe turbulence over the Atlantic on Monday.

Five passengers and six crew members suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident.

The injured received medical treatment immediately after the aircraft landed safely at Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday at 9.53am (GMT), according to the airline.

Lufthansa said the turbulence was “brief” and occurred in an “intertropical convergence zone”, which is a band of low pressure around the Earth.

There were 329 passengers and 19 crew members on board and Lufthansa’s special assistance team has been providing support to the affected passengers.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/lufthansa-flight-to-frankfurt-leaves-11-injured-after-turbulence-13253260

John Krasinski named People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’

John Krasinski has been named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2024.

The big announcement was made during Tuesday’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

The “Jack Ryan” star confessed he thought he was “being punked” when he learned he won the title.

“Just immediate blackout, actually. Zero thoughts,” he told the magazine in his cover story, adding, “You guys have really raised the bar for me.”

John Krasinski was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2024.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The news was announced during Tuesday night’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

As for his wife Emily Blunt’s reaction to the honor, Krasinski said she was “very excited.”

“There was a lot of joy involved in me telling her,” he said.

Additional men featured in this year’s issue include music producer Benny Blanco and the male stars of “New Girl” — Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr. and Lamorne Morris.

Last year, actor Patrick Dempsey took the top spot, telling the outlet he was excited to have “the platform to use it for something positive” — like raising awareness for the Dempsey Center.

The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum, 58, has been providing free programs, counseling and support for cancer patients through the care center since founding it in 2008. Over $1.8 million was raised for those impacted by cancer in 2023 alone.

While the Hollywood heartthrob also admitted that scoring the honor did, in fact, help boost his ego, he confessed in this year’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issue that it made him “more anxiety-ridden.”

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/11/12/celebrity-news/peoples-sexiest-man-alive-2024-revealed/

Mike Tyson-Jake Paul: How to watch the fight, time, odds

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul had to wait an extra four months for his high-profile match with 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

The delay from the original plan for July was caused by Tyson having a medical episode on a plane and needing time to recover from a stomach ulcer.

The rescheduled bout is set for Friday night at the $1.2 billion retractable-roof home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. The state has sanctioned it as a pro fight with some modifications.

Here’s a guide for watching the fight:

When is the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight?

It’s hard to give an exact time for the main event Friday night, but it could approach midnight EST. The telecast starts at 8 p.m. EST.

Is the Tyson-Paul fight free on Netflix?

While this isn’t the more common, and more expensive, pay-per-view format followed by most major boxing events, it does require a Netflix subscription. Netflix reported more than 280 million subscribers worldwide at the end of the third quarter in 2024.

Public mourns 35 killed in attack at sports complex in southern Chinese city

Members of the public paid their respects Wednesday to people killed by a driver who rammed into people exercising a sports complex in southern China, as the country mourned, but little information was available about the suspect or the victims in the attack.

The crash Monday night in Zhuhai killed 35 people and severely injured 43 others, and the driver was detained as he was trying to escape. Authorities said the 62-year-old man with the surname Fan was upset over his divorce settlement.

Members of the public had started bringing flowers in honor of the victims Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday.

There was a light police presence in the morning at the Zhuhai sports complex, which was closed until further notice, but the number of officers increased as the morning passed.

A security guard looks at inside the barricaded entrance to the “Zhuhai People’s Fitness Plaza” where a man rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, in Zhuhai in southern China’s Guangdong province on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Sign in white reads “Temporarily Closed”. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

While police allowed people to leave bouquets of flowers in memory of the dead just outside the entrance of the sports complex, volunteers then quickly moved the flowers inside to the sports center.

“May there be no thugs in heaven,” said the message on one bouquet. “Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished.”

The attack on occurred on the eve of the Zhuhai Airshow, an aviation exhibition sponsored by the People’s Liberation Army that is held every two years.

China authorities often make extra efforts to tightly control information around major or sensitive events like the airshow. Censors also take extra care around major catastrophes or violence, often censoring eyewitness accounts. Clear information on the death and injury toll was not available for almost 24 hours after the attack.

Videos were quickly censored inside China, though they circulated outside the Great Firewall. They were posted by Teacher Li, an artist turned dissident who runs a X account with 1.7 million followers that posts crowdsourced videos about news in China.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/china-car-crash-attack-crowd-zhuhai-d4ceca9ec301d768257f8e6ef0b9368a

VW launches $5.8bn tie-up with Tesla rival Rivian

The two firms will share EV technology at a time of slowing global demand

Volkswagen Group (VW) and Tesla rival Rivian have launched a joint venture, with the German car giant increasing its investment in the partnership.

The two companies say the deal is now worth $5.8bn (£4.55bn) – up from an initial pledge from VW of $5bn.

Shares in the US electric vehicle (EV) maker jumped more than 9% in after-hours trading following the announcement.

The tie-up will see the firms sharing critical technology at a time of slowing global demand for electric cars and increased competition from Chinese rivals.

The joint venture provides loss-making Rivian with a crucial source of funding as it prepares for the launch next year of its R2 model – a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that is smaller and more affordable than its current offerings.

It also means VW will be able to use Rivian’s technology in its own range of vehicles.

The first VW models equipped with Rivian technology are expected to be available to customers as early as 2027.

“By combining their complementary expertise, the two companies plan to reduce development costs and scale new technologies more quickly,” the two companies said in a statement.

Under the plan, developers and software engineers from both firms will initially work side by side in California, while three other facilities in North America and Europe will be set up.

It comes as expectations have grown that VW, Europe’s biggest car maker, is planning to announce major cost-cutting measures.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yr90lmjpno

Inside the secret summit that tried to stop deadly rap wars

Tupac Shakur was shot dead in 1996 at the age of 25

Before the east and west coast rap beef of the 1990s boiled over with the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG, legendary producer Quincy Jones called a secret meeting at which he appealed for an end to the violence.

As hip-hop rose from the streets to the mainstream in the 90s, the rappers and hustlers that broke through had few role models who had trodden that path before them.

There was one man, though, who had been there, and done pretty much everything.

Quincy Jones had been in gangs and had been stabbed at the age of seven in 1930s Chicago, before becoming a major force in American music thanks to his work with legends like Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.

He was at the heart of revolutions in jazz, swing, soul, funk, disco and pop – but one aspect of his career that got less attention when he died last week at the age of 91 was his place in hip-hop.

Jones was revered in all corners of music, including rap. Unlike most in the old guard and the media, he immediately realised the scene’s artistic and cultural importance.

Hip-hop reminded him of the bebop jazz of his youth. “I feel a kinship there because we went through a lot of the same stuff,” he said.

“Quincy understood it and got it right away,” says pioneering artist, rapper and presenter Fab 5 Freddy.

Jones worked with leading rappers in the 80s, and in the 90s he recognised risks including a volatile rivalry that had begun to erupt between competing labels and stars.

So he brought artists, executives and elder black American statesmen together for a secret summit in 1995, hoping it would be a turning point.

The east coast was hip-hop’s spiritual home. In 1992, Sean Combs – then known as Puffy and later as P Diddy – launched his Bad Boy record label in New York with artists including Notorious BIG, aka Biggie Smalls.

Meanwhile, across America, Los Angeles was coming into its own as the capital of gangsta rap, led by menacing mogul Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, which had Dr Dre and Tupac.

In 1994, Tupac was shot and injured during a robbery in the lobby of a studio. He later implied that his former friend Biggie may have known about the attack in advance. Biggie then released the track Who Shot Ya?, which Tupac thought was about him.

The beef continued at the Source magazine awards on 3 August 1995, when Knight goaded Combs and Bad Boy Records from the stage.

Jones, who had his own magazine, Vibe, held his summit three weeks later.

The brewing east-west beef wasn’t the only reason Jones called it – it was mainly intended to discuss the state of hip-hop and let the new generation hear life and business advice from a group of highly successful black executives.

But rap’s negative image and the burgeoning tensions were a big talking point.

“He knew this was a bubbling issue, and so his idea was to bring together a symposium,” says Fab 5 Freddy, who was hosting Yo! MTV Raps at the time and was the event’s moderator.

Jones told the summit: “The thing that really provoked me to say it’s time to pay attention now is Tupac.”

Tupac was missing, however – he was in jail for sexual assault at the time. Suge and Dre were there, as were Combs and Biggie.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czr7pnx6d08o

Lights under surfboards could deter shark attacks – study

Science Photo Library

Fixing LED strip lights to the bottom of surfboards could deter attacks by great white sharks, Australian scientists say.

A study conducted in Mossel Bay, South Africa involved towing seal-shaped boards fitted with different configurations of lights behind a boat to see which attracted the most attention.

The researchers from Macquarie University in New South Wales say the lights distorted the silhouette of their “decoys” on the ocean’s surface and limited the ability of the great whites to see against the sunlight.

Lights could prove a non-invasive means of shark restraint, unlike nets or drones, they added.

Great white sharks are the species responsible for most human shark-bite fatalities, and often attack their prey from underneath, lead researcher Laura Ryan said. This means that sometimes the sharks mistake a surfer’s silhouette for the outline of a seal.

Researchers say it is also important to see whether the LED lighting is effective in deterring other shark species known to attack humans, including bull sharks and tiger sharks.

Most attacks are associated with people surfing and participating in other board sports. There were 69 unprovoked shark bites in 2023, most in the US, Australia and South Africa, 10 of which were fatal, according to statistics.

The Australian study, published in the journal Current Biology, involved testing three different intensities of LED lights.

Ms Ryan said the study showed the brightest horizontal-aligned lights were less likely to be targeted.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2k0pk378kzo

 

Bali flights cancelled due to dangerous volcanic ash

The volcano spewed a 9km (6.2 miles) ash column into the sky over the weekend, one week after a major eruption killed 10 people

Several airlines have cancelled flights between Australia and Bali due to dangerous ash clouds from a volcano near the Indonesian holiday island.

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia advised passengers of the disruptions on Wednesday, saying the ash from Mount Lewotaobi Laki-laki made it unsafe to fly.

The volcano spewed a 9km (6.2 miles) ash column into the sky over the weekend, one week after a major eruption killed 10 people.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has also warned that the volcanic ash might drift to parts of the country’s north on Wednesday.

Jetstar said all flights to and from Bali until 12:00 Australian Eastern Daylight Time Thursday (04:00 GMT) have been cancelled. Virgin Australia cancelled all its flights to and from Bali on Wednesday.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ced9xy368x6o

‘Squid Game’ Creator Actually Lost ‘Eight or Nine’ Teeth Filming Debut Season, Says ‘Money’ Convinced Him to Do a Second One: ‘I Didn’t Make Much’ the First Time Around

Getty Images

“Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said money was his main motivation for making Season 2 of the hit Netflix series, despite losing “eight or nine” teeth from stress while filming the show’s debut.

In a June 2022 interview with Variety after the roaring success of “Squid Game” Season 1, Hwang revealed that six of his teeth fell out during the initial production. However, speaking to the BBC ahead of Season 2’s premiere next month, Hwang clarified that it was actually “eight or nine.”

Due to the series’ adverse effects on his stress levels and health, Hwang said he at one point swore off making another season. But he eventually changed his mind due to the payday another go at the survival horror series could give him.

“Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly I didn’t make much. So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too,” he told the BBC, adding that he also “didn’t fully finish the story.”

Hwang has said before that he was paid upfront for “Squid Game,” and was not offered a “bonus” for the show’s success. In response, a spokesperson for Netflix told the BBC that it offers “competitive” compensation, and guarantees creators “solid compensation, regardless of the success or failure of their shows.”

Season 2 sees Seong Gi-hun, aka Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae), reenter the Squid Game after winning at the conclusion of Season 1. Now armed with the knowledge of what the game is really about, he seeks to save the lives of other players while trying to convince them to opt out and end the game once and for all.

Source: https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/squid-game-creator-lost-nine-teeth-season-2-money-1236206385/

Trump names Elon Musk to role leading government efficiency drive

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Elon Musk to a role aimed at creating a more efficient government, handing even more influence to the world’s richest man who donated millions of dollars to helping Trump get elected.
Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, an entity Trump indicated will operate outside the confines of government.

Trump said in a statement that Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
Trump said the new department will realize long-held Republican dreams and “provide advice and guidance from outside of government,” signaling the Musk and Ramaswamy roles would be informal, without requiring Senate approval and allowing Musk to remain the head of electric car company Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab, social media platform X and rocket company SpaceX.

The new department would work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach” to government never seen before, Trump said.
The work would conclude by July 4, 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Musk, ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world, already stood to benefit from Trump’s victory, with the billionaire entrepreneur expected to wield extraordinary influence to help his companies and secure favorable government treatment.

With many links to Washington, opens new tab, Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump’s presidential campaign and made public appearances with him.
Adding a government portfolio to Musk’s plate could benefit the market value of his companies and favored businesses such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.
“It’s clear that Musk will have a massive role in the Trump White House with his increasing reach clearly across many federal agencies,” equities analyst Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities said in a research note.
“We believe the major benefits for Musk and Tesla far outweigh any negatives as this continues to be a ‘poker move for the ages’ by Musk betting on Trump,” Ives said.
The move was criticized by Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights NGO that challenged several of Trump’s first-term policies.
“Musk not only knows nothing about government efficiency and regulation, his own businesses have regularly run afoul of the very rules he will be in position to attack in his new ‘czar’ position,” Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, said in a statement. “This is the ultimate corporate corruption.”

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk speaks as Donald Trump looks on during a rally at the site of the July assassination attempt against Trump, in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

MAXIMUM TRANSPARENCY PROMISED
Trump likened the efficiency effort to the Manhattan Project, the U.S. undertaking to build the atomic bomb that helped end World War Two, while Musk promised transparency.
“All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency,” Musk said on X, inviting the public to provide tips.
“We will also have a leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” Musk said.
Musk said at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in October that the federal budget could be reduced by “at least” $2 trillion. Discretionary spending, including defense spending, is estimated to total $1.9 trillion out of $6.75 trillion in total federal outlays for fiscal 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“Your money is being wasted and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that. We’re going to get the government off your back and out of your pocketbook,” Musk said at the rally.
The acronym of the new department – DOGE – also references the name of the cryptocurrency dogecoin that Musk promotes.
In August Musk and Tesla won the dismissal of a federal lawsuit accusing them of defrauding investors by hyping dogecoin and conducting insider trading, causing billions of dollars of losses.
Dogecoin has more than doubled since Election Day, tracking a surge in cryptocurrency markets on expectations of a softer regulatory ride under a Trump administration.
Shares in Tesla fell on Wall Street ahead of the announcement but are up about 30% since the election.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-will-lead-department-government-efficiency-2024-11-13/

Why thousands are gathering around a rancid ‘dead whale’ by the world’s biggest lake

A beached whale installation by the Belgian art collective Captain Boomer lies on the embankment during the COP29 United Nations climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 11, 2024. Aziz Karimov/Reuters

An enormous, rancid-smelling, 52-foot sperm whale has lain beached on the shoreline of the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest lake, since Monday.

It’s a jarring sight; no sperm whales live in this vast body of water. Many of the people who gathered to see the giant marine mammal on the coast of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku have never seen a whale like it.

This dead whale, however, is not real. It’s a hyper-realistic model made by an organization called Captain Boomer, a Belgian-based collective of actors, sculptors and scientists, who are trying to raise awareness of global ecological destruction, including the human-caused climate crisis.

It was created using molds from real whales and its smell comes from buckets of rotting fish hidden nearby to add to the illusion.

Since it was created a decade ago, the model whale has been touring cities and coasts, from Europe to Australia. “When we think the story is right, we pop up in a city,” said Bart Van Peel of Captain Boomer.

Now, the collective has decided to “beach” the whale on the shores of Baku, as global leaders gather in the city for the UN-backed climate summit COP29, where they will discuss how to tackle the escalating climate crisis.

The aim is to play with fact and fiction, to challenge people’s beliefs and make them think, Van Peel told CNN. This incongruous animal makes “people feel that their bond with nature is disturbed,” he said.
The beached whale installation lies on an embankment as a collective member hoses it down. Aziz Karimov/Reuters

The whale’s journey to Azerbaijan from its home in Belgium was long. Members of Captain Boomer loaded it onto a truck and drove through Europe, Turkey and Georgia, before finally arriving in Baku two weeks later.

The group got approval from Azerbaijani authorities for the installation, with help from a local activist Adnan Hussein who started the FINS initiative, which works to protect marine species. They plan to keep the whale there through the whole of the climate conference.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/12/climate/whale-baku-cop29-azerbaijan/index.html

Father-Daughter Duo Decodes Mysterious, Alien-like Signal Sent From Mars

The message that was transmitted from Mars had travelled for 16 minutes through space before being received by three observatories in the US and Italy.

The Chaffins found out that the message had some biological references. (Representative Image)

A confusing alien-like signal was beamed from Mars in May last year. It featured an underlying message which was sent by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a spacecraft of the European Space Agency orbiting the Red Planet. The mysterious transmission was picked by three observatories in the US and Italy. The data was also shared with the general public via an online portal. Many citizen scientists and space enthusiasts took up the challenging task of cracking the message. They had to extract the signal first by using the raw data before decoding it.

A father-daughter duo from the US was the first team to decode the alien-like signal. Ken and Keli Chaffin had been working on the “A Sign in Space” project for more than a year. This exercise would help them determine whether humans were capable of making first contact with an alien civilisation.

According to the European Space Agency, Ken and Keli succeeded in decoding the transmission on October 22. While working on the project, the father-daughter team experimented with multiple ideas for thousands of hours. They put the signal into mathematical simulations on computers in an attempt to solve the cosmic puzzle.

The Chaffins found out that the message had some biological references. It looked like clusters of white pixels appearing on a black background. The signal had five configurations, referring to amino acids– the building blocks of life. “I knew I had the skills to decode the message,” said Ken Chaffin who has decades of experience in cellular automata.

The project designers have also admitted the biological connection, with the message in motion. Despite cracking the signal, Ken and Keli were unable to decode the inner meaning of it. The citizen scientists who discuss the topic with each other through a Discord channel have not put their focus on determining the meaning of the cryptic signal.

Source: https://www.news18.com/viral/father-daughter-duo-decodes-mysterious-alien-like-signal-sent-from-mars-9117980.html

Europe’s richest man sues Elon Musk’s X

Bernard Arnault’s French newspapers claim they are due payment from social media site

Bernhard Arnault and Elon Musk have traded places as the world’s richest man numerous times in recent years

Europe’s richest man is suing Elon Musk’s social media network X, claiming the platform is using his newspapers’ content without paying for it.

Bernard Arnault is taking the social media site to court as part of legal proceedings jointly brought by Le Parisien and Les Echos, the French daily newspapers which are owned by his luxury empire LVMH.

The lawsuit, which is also supported by Le Figaro and Le Monde, claims the newspapers are due payment under rules that allow news outlets to receive remuneration from digital platforms for the distribution of their content.

The titles said that X, formerly known as Twitter, had never agreed to open negotiations with French news publishers, unlike Google and Facebook owner Meta.

The lawsuit, which will be heard in Paris next May, sets up a courtroom showdown between the world’s two richest men.

Mr Arnault, who heads brands including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Givenchy, has traded places with Mr Musk as the world’s richest man numerous times in recent years, though the Tesla and Space X boss currently holds the title.

The French magnate’s fortune has plunged by $36bn (£28bn) so far this year to $171.5bn amid weakening demand from China for luxury goods.

Conversely, Mr Musk’s wealth has surged, particularly since the election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. The billionaire was a prominent supporter of the Republican candidate and is tipped to have a senior role in his top team. His wealth has climbed by $105.5bn this year to $334.5bn.

The legal action from Mr Arnault’s newspapers follows a ruling in their favour by a Paris judge in May.

The Paris judicial court ruled that X had two months to provide commercial data to the group of French publishers, which also included Télérama, Courrier International, Le Huffington Post, Malesherbes Publications and Le Nouvel Obs.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/11/12/europes-richest-man-sues-elon-musks-x/

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite falls to Earth but it is nerve-racking for Americans

The American Meteor Society received 36 reports of a fireball in the skies over four states. An expert says it was probably a Starlink satellite disintegrating in the atmosphere

The American Meteor Society received 36 reports of a fireball in the skies over four states (Image: AMS/Jim Saueressig II of Burlington Kansas)

A dazzling fireball that lit up the sky over four US states is thought to be caused by the fiery reentry of a SpaceX Starlink satellite.

Dozens of people reported seeing a meteor on Saturday, November 9, shortly after 10 PM Central Standard Time. The American Meteor Society received 36 reports about the bright fireball as it blazed a path over Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. Most sightings were near Oklahoma City and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. However, contrary to popular belief, the unidentified aerial phenomenon wasn’t a meteor at all.

Source: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/us-news/elon-musks-starlink-satellite-falls-34089969

‘Shocked’ husband speechless as wife files for divorce after he voted for Trump

Donald Trump’s victory has divided opinion (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A man has said he can’t believe his wife was ready to “throw away our entire life” after filing for divorce over his vote for Donald Trump.

The distraught husband wrote on social media that he has been left without words that the marriage could fall apart over politics – and that the divorce papers could be served so quickly.

It is only a week since Trump dramatically won the US Presidential election in a bitterly fought contest first against Joe Biden and then Kamala Harris after he stood down.

There was plenty of mudslinging from both sides as Democrats pointed to Trump being a convicted felon and claimed he was against women’s rights over abortion. At the same time the Republican leader wildly claimed that Harris was a “communist”.

The man shared his disbelief on social media

The result from the election came a lot quicker than expected with a much bigger majority for Trump than opinion polls suggested. And for one American the divorce papers have also come extremely quickly. He wrote online: “I voted for Trump, my wife sent me divorce papers. What do I do? I didn’t even know it was possible to be served divorce papers this quickly.”

His post has been shared widely and has more than 12.5 million views on X and sparked a fierce debate. The man also wrote: “I don’t even know what to say. I’m shocked I married somebody willing to throw away our entire life over politics. Last week we were happy, today we’re getting divorced.

“She won’t have a discussion, she says nothing will change her mind Insists she is going to report my parents because they live off of disability but my dad does some cash work auto repair, so now I’m worried for my while family (sic).”

It clearly seems that the relationship has quickly become acrimonious with a vicious argument now over possessions. He continued in his post: “She wants me to buy her out of the house, we have $300k in it plus built a 4-bay garage since we bought it 3 years ago. I can’t afford that.

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/shocked-husband-speechless-wife-files-34087645

Russia Issues Ominous Warning About Undersea Internet Cables

An ally of Vladimir Putin has accused the U.S. and the U.K. of intending to sabotage underwater internet cables and planning to destabilize the maritime energy trade.

In reporting the comments by Nikolai Patrushev, the Telegram channel Crimean Wind posted, “it would be funny, but such statements often sound like a cover for their own intentions.”

When contacted for comment, a British Foreign Office spokesperson told Newsweek on Tuesday: “We are not going to provide a running commentary on Russia’s conspiracy theories.”

Citing U.S. officials, CNN reported in September that Russia was developing a sabotage unit with submarines and drones to target underwater infrastructure by order of the defense ministry’s Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research (GUGI).

Nikolay Patrushev, a key aide to Vladimir Putin is pictured at the SCTO Summit on November 23, 2023, in Minsk, Belarus. He told Kommersant on November 11, 2024 that the U.S. and U.K. were planning underwater sabotage attacks. Less

Patrushev is considered one of the key drivers of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and served as secretary of Russia’s Security Council before being moved to the position of Putin aide. He is also chairman of Russia’s maritime board.

He told the newspaper Kommersant the U.S. and the U.K. were behind the September 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines which are still shrouded in mystery—and were planning others.

In the interview published on Monday, Patrushev said, “American and British special services” would have the equipment and personnel required to carry out such an operation as a means “to promote their economic interests.”

A Swedish investigation found evidence of sabotage on the pipelines between Russia and Germany. Moscow had initially accused the U.S. Probes by Sweden and Denmark were closed in February 2024 without identifying those responsible, although a German investigation is ongoing.

German authorities had reportedly issued a European arrest warrant in June for a Ukrainian national suspected of sabotaging the pipeline along with two others, using a yacht called Andromeda.

But Patrushev that the Ukrainian Navy “neither the equipment nor the trained specialists to carry out a deep-sea terrorist attack” and said that “only special forces units of NATO countries could carry out sabotage of this scale.”

He said that in future, new infrastructure, including marine fiber-optic cables that provide connectivity around the world, could come under attack.” The move would have the goal of sowing “chaos” in the global energy market, “including by destabilizing maritime transportation.”

Patrushev said this was the intention behind U.S. strikes against the Houthis in the Persian Gulf, which Washington has conducted in response to attacks by the Iranian-backed Yemeni group against shipping in the region.

Source: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-pipeline-gas-patrushev-putin-1984215

Why is assisted dying so controversial – and where is it already legal?

The issue has come to the fore again amid campaigning by Dame Esther Rantzen and while some countries already have assisted dying legislation, the issue is deeply divisive with strong opinions on both sides.

Pic: iStock

Details have been revealed of a planned assisted dying law that supporters say would offer the toughest safeguards in the world.

It could mean people in the UK with terminal illnesses can end their lives “on their own terms”, according to Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the bill.

The list of proposed safeguards includes a life expectancy of six months or less, the ability for the patient to take the fatal drugs on their own, and the sign-off of two doctors and a judge.

However, some are still firmly against changing the law and believe it’s a step too far.

Why is assisted dying controversial?

A key concern is the so-called “slippery slope” argument.

Opponents argue a law might initially have strict criteria (for example, restricting it to terminal illness and excluding mental health conditions), but that over time these could be eased.

MP Kim Leadbeater said this hadn’t happened in countries that have brought in assisted dying laws.

“Where there are countries where the law is broader, that was always how it started,” she told Sky News last month.

“So I think there is a perception around the slippery slope concept, which actually isn’t reality.”

But there is one example of this: Canada has changed its laws.

It no longer requires the presence of a terminal illness – only a chronic physical condition. It had also been due to expand the laws to mentally-ill people this March, but the move has been delayed until 2027.

Other frequently-cited worries are that people could be pressured to end their life – perhaps by a relative who would benefit financially; that people might act because they don’t want to “burden” others; or that they could make an irrational decision while depressed.

Some opponents also say it’s against their religion or unethical for doctors and that the focus should be on improving palliative care to ease suffering.

However, those who support a law change, such as Dignity in Dying, insist “everybody has the right to a good death” – rather than suffering for months or years with a very poor quality of life.

The group says it should be an option for terminally-ill adults who are mentally competent.

It claims more than eight in 10 people favour changing the law and that currently some people are forced to choose “a lonely and perhaps violent death”.

Where else is assisted dying legal?

Among places to have a form of assisted dying law is Switzerland, where it’s been legal since 1942 to help someone to die as long as the motive is not “selfish”.

The country’s Dignitas group has become well-known as it allows non-Swiss people to use its clinics.

New Zealand brought in a law for terminally-ill people with fewer than six months to live following a 2020 referendum.

Every state in Australia also has some kind of assisted dying law. Victoria was the first to pass such legislation in 2017.

The Australian laws allow a person to self-administer life-ending drugs, or get a doctor to do it if they aren’t physically able.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/why-is-assisted-dying-so-controversial-and-where-is-it-already-legal-13252755

Russian navy warship carrying hypersonic missiles conducts drills in English Channel, state media says

The Russian Navy frigate Admiral Golovko firing a missile during a naval exercise in September Pic: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service/AP

A Russian navy warship equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles has conducted drills in the English Channel, Russian news agencies have reported.

The ship – the Project 22350 frigate Admiral Golovko – passed through the channel to carry out tasks in the Atlantic Ocean, according to state news agency TASS.

It is reportedly equipped with Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missiles.

While in the Channel it conducted counter-terrorism drills and training on avoiding dangerous targets, Russian state agencies reported, citing the northern fleet’s press service.

On Sunday, the Russian ministry of defence said that the Admiral Golovko had crossed the narrowest part of the Channel – Pas de Calais – having left the fleet’s base in Severomorsk, Russia, on 2 November.

It said the “main task of the mission” was to “demonstrate the flag and ensure the naval presence in important areas of the off-shore maritime zone”.

The frigate was the first Russian navy warship to be equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles. It is fitted with 3S14 VLS cells, which can launch Kalibr, Oniks, or Zircon anti-ship cruise missiles.

The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 900 km (560 miles), and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.

In 2023 President Putin ordered the mass production of Zircon missiles as part of the country’s efforts to boost its nuclear forces.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/russian-navy-warship-carrying-hypersonic-missiles-conducts-drills-in-english-channel-state-media-says-13252935

North Korea ratifies mutual defence treaty with Russia

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un attend a state reception in Pyongyang, North Korea June 19, 2024. Sputnik/Vladimir Smirnov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

North Korea has ratified a mutual defence treaty with Russia signed by the two countries’ leaders in June, which calls for each side to come to the other’s aid in case of an armed attack, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.
The report came amid international criticism over increasing military cooperation between the two countries, with North Korea having sent tens of thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a decree to ratify the pact on Monday, KCNA said, adding it takes effect when both sides exchange the ratification instruments.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also signed the treaty into law, which stipulates that the two countries should “immediately provide military and other assistance using all available means” if either side is in a state of war.
Kim clinched the accord with Putin at a summit in June, touting it as a step to elevate bilateral ties to something akin to an “alliance”.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/north-korea-ratifies-mutual-defence-treaty-with-russia-2024-11-11/

‘Gladiator II’: Denzel Washington Dominates This Thrilling Sequel

Washington deliciously steals every scene in this rousing heir to the Oscar-winning classic, with director Ridley Scott doing some of the best work of his storied career.

Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Paramount Pictures

Ridley Scott may never stop making movies, and on the basis of Gladiator II, that’s a very good thing.

Following two imposing historical epics (The Last Duel, Napoleon), the prolific 86-year-old auteur delves even further back in time for a sequel to his 2000 Best Picture winner. He comes up with a massive, rugged 200 A.D. tale of honor, treachery, idealism, and bloodshed that makes up for the absence of Russell Crowe with grander set pieces and a phenomenally devious turn by Denzel Washington.

There’s no question that, in most respects, Scott’s film, which hits theaters Nov. 22, in theaters, is an elaborate imitation of its predecessor. If little more than a cover song, however, it’s a majestic and malicious one that reaffirms its maker’s unparalleled gift for grandiosity.

Sixteen years after the events of Gladiator, Lucius (Paul Mescal) lives with his wife in the coastal city of Numidia. When the Roman Empire comes calling with conquest on its mind, Lucius and his bride take up arms to defend their home. Regrettably, they’re crushed by an army led by general Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), who returns home to be feted by Rome’s corrupt sibling emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), the former cruel and the latter—a leashed monkey wearing a dress often perched on his shoulder—crazy courtesy of syphilis.

Denzel Washington as Macrinus, Pedro Pascal as General Acacius and Connie Nielsen as Lucilla

Geta and Caracalla opt to celebrate Marcus’ North African triumph by hosting a round of Colosseum games, and though the military commander would prefer to spend time at home with his partner Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), the daughter of deceased emperor Marcus Aurelius and the lover of Crowe’s fallen Maximus, he’s given no choice but to attend.

The participants of these games are gladiators supplied by Macrinus (Washington), a cunning politician who instinctively identifies Lucius—who’s been taken prisoner and brought to Rome in the aftermath of Numidia’s defeat—as a promising prospect.

While Lucius doesn’t know the full details of his lineage, Gladiator II provides enough early parallels between him and Maximus to make it quite clear, and at least at outset, his primary goal isn’t securing his freedom by prevailing in Colosseum combat but avenging his spouse by slaying Marcus. Macrinus is happy to strike a deal with the warrior so that they both get what they want, and it turns out to be a fruitful one, with Macrinus currying favor with the emperors thanks to Lucius’ prowess with a blade, and the enslaved protagonist inching his way closer to a showdown with the man he blames for his misfortune.

Gladiator II complicates Lucius’ mission by revealing that, far from a heartless warmonger, Marcus is a noble soldier who’s grown weary of ceaseless carnage, and plots with Lucilla to to overthrow the emperors and achieve Marcus Aurellius’ dream of a democratic Rome governed by the Senate and dedicated to serving all its citizens equally.

This is the same thing that motivated Maximus to rebel in the first film, just as Lucius’ ascension from lowly, disrespected gladiator to rousing rebel leader more or less mirrors his dad’s evolution. In case Lucius’ connection to Maximus and Lucilla wasn’t obvious enough from the get-go, David Scarpa’s script has Lucius recite a Virgil poem that adorns his mom’s bedroom wall and recognize the quote (“What we do in life echoes in eternity”) that’s inscribed above his pop’s tomb, thereby additionally rendering Scott’s latest a straightforward like father, like son rehash.

But what a rehash it is! No one directs large-scale warfare like Scott, and he demonstrates that peerless skill during Marcus’ opening siege on Numidia.

With thrilling intensity, Gladiator II conveys the weight of Rome’s ships, the wildness of the ocean, the heat of flaming catapult projectiles, the arduousness of men pulling ropes and rowing oars, and the brutality of swords clashing and arrows piercing flesh. Everything resounds with ferocity, not to mention overwhelming scale, whether the director is staging titanic conflicts on land and sea, one-on-one brawls in the gargantuan Colosseum, or conspiratorial conversations between power players in ornate chambers. Better still, Scott’s CGI vistas of his enormous locales are an improvement over those found in Gladiator, lending the material an extra measure of lavish authenticity.

Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/gladiator-ii-review-denzel-washington-dominates-thrilling-sequel/

‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Trailer: Tom Cruise Returns for ‘The Final Reckoning’ in Action-Packed First Footage

Paramount

The title for Tom Cruise‘s eighth “Mission: Impossible” movie has finally been revealed, along with the first trailer.

“The Final Reckoning” is now the official title for “Mission: Impossible 8,” which was originally slated to be the “Part Two” to 2023’s “Dead Reckoning.” It’s scheduled to be released on May 23, 2025. The film originally was set for 2022, but was delayed multiple times by the pandemic and SAG-AFTRA actors strike.

Cruise revealed the title and a poster Monday morning, along with the caption “Every choice has led to this.”

In the action-packed trailer, Cruise scuba dives and explores a wrecked submarine, flies and falls out of a biplane and does a lot of running. Angela Bassett is also revealed to be back as CIA Director Erika Sloane, after she first appeared in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.”

In “Dead Reckoning,” Cruise’s Ethan Hunt finds himself up against a dangerous AI program called The Entity that seems to predict his every move and could cause disaster if it falls into the wrong hands. After escaping a calamitous train crash in the ending of the movie, Ethan realizes The Entity is stashed aboard an old Russian submarine, but a foe from Ethan’s past named Gabriel (Esai Morales) is also on the trail.

Source: https://variety.com/2024/film/news/mission-impossible-8-trailer-title-the-final-reckoning-1236184948/

NO BREAKING BARD Calls to scrap Shakespeare from schools are slapped down by the Education Secretary

A FRESH push to scrap Shakespeare from schools has been slapped down by the Education Secretary.

Bridget Phillipson blasted a top teacher’s suggestion that the Bard be replaced with works Gen Z pupils can relate with – like studying Instagram posts.

Freddie Baveystock, the head of English at Harris Westminster, said “our obsession with Shakespeare needs discussion” and was open to it being pulled as a compulsory curriculum.

He said teenagers were being “turned off” studying literature by “forcing them to read an entire Shakespeare play”.

He said it was “cramming other things out of the curriculum that might be more exciting for them.”

Mr Baveystock added in The Times: “I am also hoping we can expand our definition of what a text is. Teenagers write a lot on social media.

“They post long screeds on Instagram. Communication on WhatsApp, Instagram — this form of writing should be on the English-language syllabus at GCSE.”

It marks the latest attempt to banish Shakespeare from schools following a series of woke campaigns to remove him over the years.

But a defiant Ms Phillipson told The Sun: “Mark my words: Shakespeare is staying put. He is one of our most celebrated writers and his works will proudly remain a fixture in our classrooms for every child to study.

“At the same time, we want to change parts of the school curriculum, so it better prepares youngsters for the world of work and gives them the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/politics/31645988/calls-to-scrap-shakespeare-from-school/

Dozens of flights, ships disrupted after North Korea jams GPS signals, Seoul says

It comes as tensions between the two countries soar, with the North flying thousands of trash balloons into the South in recent months.

South Korea’s Incheon Airport. (Image: Getty)

South Korea has accused North Korea of disrupting GPS signals from border areas, affecting dozens of flights and ship operations.

North Korea’s GPS signal jamming took place on Friday and Saturday and was detected from around the cities of Kaesong and Haeju, officials said.

“We urge North Korea to stop GPS interference provocations immediately and strongly warn that it will be held fully accountable for any resulting consequences,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

South Korea’s military did not specify how Pyongyang was interfering with GPS signals or the extent of disruptions.

Last month, North Korea blew up sections of its unused road and rail routes linked with the South, days after the North claimed that the South flew drones and dropped leaflets over its capital Pyongyang.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry described the North’s explosion as a “regressive” measure that violated previous inter-Korean agreements.

North Korea has sent thousands of balloons carrying bags of rubbish like plastic and paper waste into South Korea since May.

Last month, a North Korean balloon filled with trash fell on the presidential compound in Seoul for the second time, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean sites.

North Korea said it was retaliation against South Korean activists launching anti-Pyongyang leaflets via their own balloons.

In January, Northern Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for the rewriting of his country’s constitution to eliminate the idea of a peaceful unification with the South and to designate its neighbor as an “invariable principal enemy.”

Source: https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/154196/dozens-of-flights-ships-disrupted

ROUND THE BEND Crazy plan for world’s longest skyscraper ‘Big Bend’ – and there is a very good reason for its odd U-shape

CRAZY plans for the longest skyscraper have been revealed and show an odd-looking U-shaped building that would overcome the “limit of the skies”.

The proposed “Big Bend” in Manhattan, New York, plans to become the longest building in the world at a staggering 4,000ft in one continuous upside down U.

The U-Shape is fitted with windows on its frontCredit: oiio

The bizarre shaped building has been designed this way to find a clever cost solution to strict planning laws.

The taller the skyscraper is the more expensive it is, so curving it is provides a unique loophole.

Real-estate companies are capitalising on a planning law that allows them to buy air rights from neighbouring buildings.

By implementing a curve design, the building can occupy more space in the sky without paying more for height.

If the tower wasn’t curved, it would make it much harder to get approved.

This also allows them to build taller and taller towers on small plots, saving money.

This vision would make the audacious building 1,000ft longer than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the current tallest tower in the world.

The dazzling concept would see the building curve mid-air and come back down, revolutionising the world of skyscrapers.

The building design boasts a futuristic-looking grid of windows on both sides.

Even crazier, the lifts can travel in curves, horizontally and in continuous loops.

The building, if completed, would stand 200 feet taller than One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, the current tallest building in New York City.

US architectural studio Oiio came up with the bold design for the conceptual skyscraper.

Designer Ioannis Oikonomou said: “There are many different ways that can make a building stand out, but in order to do so the building has to literally stand out.

“If we manage to bend our structure instead of bending the zoning rules of New York we would be able to create one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan.

“The Big Bend can become a modest architectural solution to the height limitations of Manhattan.”

Oiio echoed the desire to stand out, stating: “There’s an obsession that resides in Manhattan.

“It is undeniable because it is made to be seen.”

Despite the proposed innovation, the Big Bend has drawn criticism for its size and scope of the project.

According to De Zeen, external, some of New York’s biggest architects have spoken out against the number of super-tall skyscrapers in the city.

The site said: “[Architect] Steven Holl said the buildings symbolise inequality in architectural form, while Liz Diller said that the city is at risk of being “consumed by the dollar”.

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31632864/u-shaped-skyscraper-plan-new-york/

Paris will deploy 4,000 police officers for France-Israel soccer match following Amsterdam violence

FILE – Police officers stand guard ahead the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Denmark at the Stade de France in Saint Denis near Paris, France, Friday, June 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)

Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for a France-Israel soccer match to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transportation a week after violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.

France and Israel are playing in a UEFA Nations League match on Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron will attend, the Elysee presidential palace said.

Israel’s National Security Council, in a statement Sunday, warned citizens abroad to avoid sports and cultural events, specifically the match in Paris, and be careful of violent attacks “under the pretense of demonstrations.”

“There’s a context, tensions that make that match a high-risk event for us,” Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez said on French news broadcaster BFM TV, adding authorities “won’t tolerate” any violence.

Nuñez said that 2,500 police officers would be deployed around the Stade de France stadium, north of the French capital, in addition to 1,500 others in Paris and on public transportation.

“There will be an anti-terrorist security perimeter around the stadium,” Nuñez said. Security checks will be “reinforced,” he added, including with systematic pat-downs and bag searches.

Nuñez said that French organizers have been in contact with Israeli authorities and security forces in order to prepare for the match.

Israeli fans were assaulted last week after a soccer game in Amsterdam by hordes of young people apparently riled up by calls on social media to target Jewish people, according to Dutch authorities.

Five people were treated at hospitals and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe. Before the game, large crowds of supporters of the Israeli team could be seen on video chanting anti-Arab slogans as they headed to the stadium, escorted by police.

On Sunday, Dutch police detained several people for taking part in a demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed following the violence targeting Israeli fans, a local broadcaster reported.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed Friday that the France-Israel match would go ahead as planned.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/france-israel-soccer-match-police-violence-amsterdam-b8af08c49988d19eb1daa7ae935f0597

Travel Company Invites Americans to ‘Skip’ Trump Presidency with 4-Year Cruise Around the World

The company also named it’s two-year package “Mid-Term Selection”, referring to the upcoming 2026 midterm elections

The cruise line company has offered other packages addressing current events as well. They recently began offering an “Endless Horizons” package aimed at customers affected by inflation. Villa Vie Residences

Just days after President-elect Donald Trump emerged victorious in the 2024 elections, a cruise line company is offering a four-year package that would allow customers to “Skip Forward”.

“Residents have the flexibility to join their customized journey at any port during the continuous global adventure for up to 4 years,” said the company, Villa Vie Residences.

The company announced their “Skip Forward” program, priced at around $40,000 a year, last Thursday, one day after Trump was declared the victor of the 2024 presidential race. One can also purchase the entire four-year package at once, priced at either $159,999 per head for a room for two or at $255,999 for a single-occupancy cabin, reported Fox Business.

“Pay once and never worry about it again,” reads the description of the package on the site. “The moment you step on board, your journey begins. Leave behind the familiar and embrace the unknown as you navigate the world’s most iconic and inspiring locations.”

Though the package is not explicitly associated with the impending arrival of a second Trump administration, similar politically-inspired packages have been offered to customers in the past. The company named it’s two-year package “Mid-Term Selection”, referring to the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

“Villa Vie offers a unique one-of-a-kind way [to] see the whole world at a slow pace where you have enough time to actually experience the cultural vibe of every port,” Villa Vie Residences Head of Sales Anne Alms said in a statement. “Your villa is your bedroom, and the ship is your home, she’ll take you across the globe to endless horizons.”

The company has offered other packages addressing current events as well. They recently began offering an “Endless Horizons” package aimed at customers affected by inflation.

“One aspect most people nearing retirement age are concerned about is ongoing living expenses and the possibility of outliving their savings,” Chief Operating Officer of Villa Vie Residences Kathy Villalba said in a press release at the time. “This program eliminates that concern altogether while offering the ultimate dream: exploring every corner of the world by sea.”

CEO Mikael Petterson confirmed that the package would be a good fit for those seeking to escape the country post Trump win, but also that many Villa Vie Residences customers are, in fact, conservative.

Source: https://www.latintimes.com/travel-company-invites-americans-skip-trump-presidency-4-year-cruise-around-world-565380

MOSCOW HITS BACK Putin has amassed 50,000 soldiers including North Korean troops in Kursk ahead of counteroffensive in DAYS, say US

VLADIMIR Putin has amassed 40,000 of his soldiers and 10,000 North Koreans as he plots to attack Kursk in just days, a report claims.

The Kremlin leader is set to try and claw back the area of Russia which Ukraine seized back in August.

Russian soldiers have been massing in Kursk as Putin prepares to attackCredit: AP

Putin could begin the combined assault with Kim Jong-un’s troops sent to fight in just days, Ukrainian officials have told the New York Times.

US and Ukrainian officials say 10,000 of the 50,000 massed troops are North Koreans.

Those soldiers are said to be wearing Russian uniforms and have been equipped by Moscow, but will fight in their own units.

Putin’s army has also been training the North Koreans in infantry tactics, artillery fire, and trench clearing.

Ukraine has built defences in the part of Kursk it occupies and could be able to hold on, officials say.

But Russia has been shelling and sending rocket attacks against the entrenched Ukrainians.

Up to 40 North Korean soldiers have already been killed during their first engagement with Ukrainian troops in Kursk.

One injured soldier, heavily bandaged and lying in what appears to be a makeshift hospital fumed at their Russian leaders.

He claims that he was told that they would be guarding infrastructure, but that the North Koreans were “betrayed” and were “sent on an assault in the Kursk region”.

The soldier added: “The Russians did not provide us with anything.

“They threw us into an assault without prior intelligence, without ammunition, without normal weapons.”

Russia’s major battlefield assault looms as Donald Trump’s election win could also change the shape of peace talks.

Ukraine is waiting with bated breath for the Republican’s next move following his historic election win.

It comes amid speculation Trump may leave the war-torn nation in a precautions position by favouring his pal Putin’s wishes.

Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the Ukraine war – with his plan on how to achieve that now being revealed.

President Zelensky says he has been given reassurance from Trump that he will support Ukraine, Axios reported.

North Korean woes
Alongside the dozens of early deaths of North Korean troops, Kim’s soldiers have also faced a number of other issues on their expedition across to Russia.

The soldiers have reportedly become hooked on porn after being given unrestricted internet access for the first time.

Military troops who joined the front are believed to have something other than fighting on their mind – much to Putin’s dismay.

The North Korean soldiers have been unleashed into an “unfettered” internet access realm – and are taking advantage of it by “gorging” on pornography, a Financial Times commentator claims.

The Financial Times’ Gideon Rachman said in a post on X: “A usually reliable source tells me that the North Korean soldiers who have deployed to Russia have never had unfettered access to the internet before.

“As a result, they are gorging on pornography.”

Kim Jong Un has made numerous crackdowns on internet use under his ruthless communist dictatorship.

Even accessing the web is for the select few who are able to secure the required authorisation.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/12866032/putin-kursk-russia-invasion-korea/

Tram set on fire in Amsterdam riot as tensions remain high

Police said the fire was quickly extinguished, and riot officers cleared the square, though it was not clear who started the unrest or whether it was related to last week’s violence.

Copyright RTL Nieuws/AP

Riots broke out on Monday evening in one of the suburbs of Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, with protesters destroying public infrastructure.

The riot in Nieuw-West comes amid a state of emergency in the city following the violence that surrounded the football match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv last Thursday.

According to local media reports, a tram was set on fire, and several automobiles have been damaged by stones hurled by the rioters.

Police said the fire was quickly extinguished, and riot officers cleared the square, though it was not clear who started the unrest or whether it was related to last week’s violence.

But they noted the tense atmosphere since five people were treated in the hospital and dozens detained Thursday following a Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax match.

According to Amsterdam’s mayor, youths on scooters and foot went in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them and then fleeing to evade police.

Images online of Monday’s violence showed dozens of people armed with sticks and firecrackers damaging property and setting firecrackers.

Five new arrests include minors

Meanwhile, the Dutch police on Monday announced five new arrests in their investigation into that earlier violence.

The suspects are men aged 18 to 37 and are from Amsterdam or surrounding cities. Four are still in custody; the fifth has been released but remains a suspect.

Earlier, police said that four other men who had been arrested last week would remain in custody while the investigation continues.

VIDEO: Passenger Tries To Open Emergency Exit Door Mid-Air On Korean Air Flight To Seoul; Cabin Crew Intervenes

The incident occurred on Friday (November 8) onboard flight KE658, traveling from Bangkok, Thailand to Seoul in South Korea. The passengers were in a state of panic as the passenger tried to open the emergency exit mid-air.

Passenger Tries To Open Emergency Exit Mid-Air On Korean Air Flight To Seoul | X

: A video has recently gone viral on social media in which it can be seen that a male passenger attempted to open the emergency exit door mid-flight on a Korean Air plane. The incident occurred on Friday (November 8) onboard flight KE658, traveling from Bangkok, Thailand to Seoul in South Korea. The passengers were in a state of panic as the passenger tried to open the emergency exit mid-air. However, the brave cabin crew members intervened and stopped the man and saved the lives of hundreds of passengers onboard the flight.

The video of the incident was initially shared on TikTok by user Jackson Lee (@whojacksonlee). The video shows the passenger trying repeatedly to turn the emergency exit door handle. Fortunately, the door did not open, but the scene became tense as crew members quickly stepped in, surrounded the man and restrained him to prevent further actions.

It can be seen in the video that a female flight attendant jumps to the handle of the emergency exit door and stops the passenger from opening the door. Other cabin crew members also intervene swiftly and stop the man and took him to safety. The video shows that the man also misbehaves with female staff and also pushes the attendant who tried to stop him from opening the emergency exit door mid-air. A disaster could have occurred if the man would have opened the door mid-air. Passengers could have sustained injuries and also a plane crash could have occurred resulting in fatalities.

Korean Air released a statement explaining that the passenger had been sitting in a crew jump seat near the emergency exit. When asked to return to his assigned seat, he reportedly refused and began acting aggressively, making threatening gestures and using aggressive language towards the flight attendants. Due to his disruptive behaviour, the crew had to follow strict safety procedures to manage the situation.

Taliban administration officials to attend UN climate conference in Azerbaijan

Afghan Taliban officials will attend a major United Nations climate conference that starts next week, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, the first time they have attended since the former insurgents took power in 2021.

Baku, November 8, 2024. REUTERS/Aziz Karimov Purchase Licensing Rights

The COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku will be among the highest-profile multilateral events attended by Taliban administration officials since they took control in Kabul after 20 years of fighting NATO-backed forces.

The U.N. has not allowed the Taliban to take up Afghanistan’s seat at the General Assembly, and Afghanistan’s government is not formally recognised by U.N. member states, largely due to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education and freedom of movement.
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said officials from the National Environmental Protection Agency had arrived in Azerbaijan to attend the COP conference. The Taliban took over the agency when they returned to power as U.S.-led forces withdrew.

Taliban officials have taken part in U.N.-organised meetings on Afghanistan in Doha, and Taliban ministers have attended forums in China and Central Asia in the past two years.
But the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Bureau of the COP has deferred consideration of Afghanistan’s participation since 2021, in effect freezing the country out of the talks.
Afghan NGOs have also struggled to attend the climate negotiations in recent years.
Host Azerbaijan invited the Afghan environment agency officials to COP29 as observers, enabling them to “potentially participate in periphery discussions and potentially hold bilateral meetings,” a diplomatic source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Because the Taliban are not formally recognised within the U.N. system as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, the source said, the officials cannot receive credentials to take part in the proceedings of full member states.

Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency declined to comment.
The Taliban has closed schools and universities to female students over the age of around 12. It also announced a set of wide-ranging morality laws this year that require women to cover their faces in public and restrict their travel outside the home without a male guardian.
The Taliban says it respects women’s rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law.
Afghanistan is considered one of the countries worst affected by climate change. Flash floods have killed hundreds this year, and the heavily agriculture-dependent country has suffered through one of the worst droughts in decades. Many subsistence farmers, who make up much of the population, face deepening food insecurity.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-administration-officials-attend-un-climate-conference-azerbaijan-2024-11-10/

Liam Payne ‘left such a mark on the world’, says Rita Ora in emotional tribute at MTV Awards

Speaking on stage at the MTV Europe Awards in Manchester, host Rita Ora described Liam Payne as “one of the kindest people” she ever knew. The pair collaborated on For You, a song from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, in 2018.

MTV Awards host Rita Ora paid a poignant tribute to her friend Liam Payne on stage at the ceremony, saying he had the “biggest heart”.

Ora, who duetted with Payne on the song For You from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack in 2018, became emotional as she spoke about the One Direction star towards the end of the event.

The 31-year-old singer died after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 16 October.

Speaking on stage at the MTV Europe Awards in Manchester, Ora described Payne as “one of the kindest people” she ever knew.

Pic: Reuters

Her voice shaking, the 33-year-old appeared tearful as she addressed the audience.

“I just want to take a moment to remember someone very, very dear to us,” she said. “We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world and my world.”

Payne “had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could”, she added. “He brought so much joy to every room he walked into and he left such a mark on the world.”

The tribute took place near the end of a ceremony which saw Taylor Swift crowned best artist – making her the first act to claim the award three times.

The star, who is about to resume her record-breaking Eras tour next week, also won the awards for best live act, best US artist and best video for Fortnight, her collaboration with Post Malone. She did not attend the event – instead cheering on her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce at his latest game – but gave a recorded speech to accept her prizes.

“I had the best time touring in Europe this summer, so it just is wonderful for you to do this,” she said.

Sabrina Carpenter and Raye among winners

Sabrina Carpenter’s mega hit Espresso was crowned best song, while Ariana Grande was named best pop act and South African star Tyla – one of the night’s performers – picked up the awards for best Afrobeats and best R’n’B.

British singer Raye, who cleaned up at the Brits earlier this year, was named best UK and Ireland act, and also performed her hits Escapism and Body Dysmorphia as her name shone in lights behind her.

Hip-hop star Busta Rhymes received the global icon award before performing a medley of hits including Break Ya Neck, Put My Hands Where Your Eyes Could See, and I Know What You Want.

“I’ve never got an award from MTV before,” he said, as he accepted the trophy from British star Little Simz. “Thirty-four years of professionally recording, this is the first time I’m getting an award from MTV.

“It feels f****** incredible.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/liam-payne-rita-ora-pays-emotional-tribute-to-one-direction-singer-at-mtv-awards-13250593

Barbora Krejcikova: Tennis analyst Jon Wertheim taken off air over comment about Wimbledon champion’s forehead

Barbora Krejcikova hit out at Jon Wertheim for what she called “coverage that focused on my appearance rather than my performance”.

Barbora Krejcikova in action during her semi-final against China’s Qinwen Zheng in Riyadh on 8 November. Pic: Reuters

A tennis analyst has been taken off air after making “deeply regrettable comments” about Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova’s appearance.

The Czech player, 28, called out Jon Wertheim for what she called “coverage that focused on my appearance rather than my performance”.

The analyst made a remark that went to air on the US TV network Tennis Channel about the world number 10’s forehead.

Krejcikova won the women’s singles final at Wimbledon in July this year and also the French Open final in 2021.

This week, she was taking part in the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she lost to China’s Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals on Friday.

Apparently not aware he was on air, Wertheim, a prominent American tennis journalist, said of Krejcikova: “Who do you think I am, Barbora Krejcikova? Look at the forehead when Krejcikova and Zheng take the court.”

The clip was circulated on social media and responding to the incident, Krejcikova wrote on X: “You might have heard about the recent comments made on Tennis Channel during the WTA Finals coverage that focused on my appearance rather than my performance.

“As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this type of unprofessional commentary. This isn’t the first time something like this is happening in sports world.

“I’ve often chosen not to speak up, but I believe it’s time to address the need for respect and professionalism in sports media.”

She added: “These moments distract from the true essence of sport and the dedication all athletes bring to the field. I love tennis deeply, and I want to see it represented in a way that honours the commitment we make to compete at this level.”

Benjamin Netanyahu says he and Donald Trump ‘see eye to eye’ on Iran

Foreign leaders are looking at the US to see how the upcoming change of administration will affect America’s stance on Israel and Gaza.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken since the election. Pic: Reuters

Benjamin Netanyahu says he and Donald Trump “see eye to eye” on Iran.

Israel’s prime minister said he has spoken to the US president-elect three times since the election with the aim of tightening the alliance between their nations.

“These were good and very important conversations,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement.

“We see eye to eye on the Iranian threat in all its components, and the danger posed by it. We also see the great opportunities before Israel, in the field of peace and its expansion, and in other fields.”

Israel and Iran have traded strikes in the last year since the Hamas attacks, with neither side appearing to want a full-scale conflict.

The past year has seen Iranian proxy forces including in Gaza (Hamas), Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Yemen (Houthi rebels) attack Israeli and other Western assets in the region as part of the so-called Axis of Resistance in retaliation for the situation in Gaza.

Now, eyes are on the US as to how the upcoming change of administration will affect the war and how Mr Trump will work with Mr Netanyahu.

President Joe Biden is due to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday.

Mr Netanyahu’s words come as Israeli strikes in Lebanon and northern Gaza killed dozens of people on Sunday, including children.

At least 23 people, including seven children, were killed in an airstrike on the Aalmat village north of the Lebanese capital, Beirut – far from areas where Hezbollah are believed to have a major presence.

Speaking on Sunday, Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz claimed Israel has defeated Hezbollah and called the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah the crowning achievement.

In northern Gaza, an Israeli strike in the Jabaliya refugee camp killed at least 24 people, according to the director of a nearby hospital that received the bodies.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/benjamin-netanyahu-says-he-and-donald-trump-see-eye-to-eye-on-iran-13252154

Alabama shooting: Teenager killed and 16 people injured in US university attack

A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting that marred homecoming week at Tuskegee University.

Pic: Tuskegee University

One person has been killed and 16 others were injured in a shooting at a US university.

Homecoming week at Tuskegee University, in Alabama, was marred early on Sunday by the attack on campus.

An 18-year-old man died in the assault. He was not a university student, but some of the injured were.

Of the 16 wounded, 12 were hurt by gunfire, authorities said.

“The parents of this individual [killed] have been notified. Several others including Tuskegee University students were injured and are receiving treatment at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery,” the university said in a statement.

A 25-year-old man, who was found with a weapon while leaving the scene of the shooting, has been arrested and charged with a federal offence.

The FBI has also joined the investigation.

The injured included a female student who was shot in the stomach and a male student who was hit in the arm, the city’s police chief Patrick Mardis said.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation said its agents were notified about multiple people shot around 1.40am and that it was still gathering information.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/alabama-shooting-teenager-killed-and-16-people-injured-in-us-university-attack-13252378

Leonardo DiCaprio celebrates star-studded 50th birthday with Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro and Steven Spielberg at private LA estate

Leonardo DiCaprio celebrated his 50th birthday on Saturday night with a star-studded, private party.

A spy told Page Six: “The night kicked off with an intimate dinner catered by Nobu,” and that, “the scene was nothing short of star-studded” with lots of the star’s longtime collaborators.

Guests spotted at the celebration, we hear, included DiCaprio’s “Catch Me If You Can” director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, as well as “Killers of the Flower Moon” star Robert De Niro and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” actor Brad Pitt — who arrived early to join the celebration and attended with his girlfriend, Ines De Ramon.

Leonardo DiCaprio celebrated his 50th birthday with a starry private party.
Getty Images for Turner
Brad Pitt arrived with his girlfriend, Ines De Ramon, at the private estate.
STAR INFLUX LA / BACKGRID

DiCaprio’s “The Revenant” co-star Edward Norton was also an attendee.

Other guests spotted arriving at the bash at a private Los Angeles home included Anderson .Paak, Dr. Dre Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Robin Thicke and Marvel star Mark Ruffalo.

Also, there was the “Titanic” actor’s dad, George DiCaprio, with stepmother Peggy, and mom, Irmelin DiCaprio, with her husband, David Ward.

Leo’s model girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti, and the star’s BFF, Tobey Maguire, were reportedly by his side, too.

A spy said “DJ Meel spun late into the night” and that a special cake was served and Telmont champagne flowed.

Also seen at the party was Benicio del Toro, along with model Cara Delevigne, Hollywood favorite jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer, rapper Tyga, MMA fighter Chuck Liddell and Emile Hirsch.

Del Toro stars with DiCaprio in the upcoming film, “The Battle of Baktan Cross,” by Paul Thomas Anderson, which also stars Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim and Teyana Taylor. The project comes out next summer.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/11/10/celebrity-news/leonardo-dicaprio-celebrates-star-studded-50th-birthday/

Spotify’s AI is no match for a real DJ

Was anyone asking for this? Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

At the risk of stating the obvious, AI is absolutely everywhere lately. There’s AI in your car, AI in your messaging app, AI in your glasses. I’ve gotten pretty desensitized to it all as a hazard of the job, but it was Spotify’s AI DJ that actually got my attention.

I’ve listened to a top 40 radio station in the past two decades, so I’m familiar with the concept of a robot picking music for me. In that context, an AI DJ doesn’t seem like much of a stretch. But after using it on and off for a week, I’m convinced it’s the perfect analogy for our AI-everything moment. It’s eerily human, and it plays a lot of music I like. But take it from someone with access to a high-quality local indie radio station — one that employs human DJs! — there just ain’t nothing like the real thing.

Spotify’s AI DJ has been around since early 2023, but it piqued my interest recently when I was scrounging around the app looking for some work-friendly tunes. The AI voice greeted me by name, then after a little preamble, told me it had some “dream pop and neo-psychedelic waves” picked out. As the music started, I was annoyed at how extremely my shit it was. I shouldn’t have been surprised, considering that Spotify has nearly a decade’s worth of data on my musical listening habits. It drew on my previous listening for the next track, too: a song by Classixx, whose Hanging Gardens album I listened to on repeat last year. But while I listened to Hanging Gardens on Spotify, I didn’t discover it there. I heard it first on KEXP — a local station where real humans pick the music.

See, here in Seattle, we’re extremely spoiled. In between the robot-programmed, conglomerate-owned stations, we have a real honest-to-god independent station on our radio dials: 90.3, to be precise. I started listening to KEXP through their online stream years before I moved to Seattle. Being a local has only made me more of a fan; I celebrated the opening of the “new” KEXP location in 2016 and saw one of my favorite bands play a free in-studio show there not long before they broke up. I’ve logged countless hours working on my laptop in the community gathering space. Being able to walk into my favorite radio station and just like, hang out, remains cool as hell all these years later. I wish every city in the country had a KEXP.

It’s not that I like everything that I hear on KEXP. “The Friday song” is banned in my house because my husband and I are both so sick of it. And as much as I’ve tried, I can’t get into Wet Leg. It’s a me problem. But that’s kind of the point of a radio station, isn’t it? You hear some stuff you like and some stuff you’re not as into. Maybe you hear a song you forgot about but love or a band you dig that you’ve never heard before. It’s a well-rounded meal, while an AI-curated set feels like a dessert buffet. It’s all the stuff you love, and it’s great at first, but then it gives you a stomach ache after a while.

In the era of Spotify algorithms and top 40 stations, a DJ might seem like an abstract concept. But KEXP’s DJs are very much real people that I see out in the community, emceeing local music festivals and shopping at the co-op grocery store. It’s an obvious but crucial difference. When a real human plays a song you really like because they really like it, too, it hits different than when it comes from an algorithm.

Being on air and sharing music is “a way of connection with thousands of people across the world,” says Evie Stokes, DJ and host of KEXP’s Drive Time. “It’s a great way for me to be honest and have accountability and community that I think we so desperately need.”

 

Source: https://www.theverge.com/24290914/spotify-ai-dj-radio-kexp

‘My husband was forcibly conscripted. Months later he was dead’

The military junta announced compulsory military service in February

The last time Chaw Su saw her husband was in March, when he was forcibly conscripted to fight for the army in Myanmar’s civil war.

Four months later, she found out he had been killed at the frontline.

“We were always poor and struggled,” she says. “But life was much more bearable with him.”

The 25-year-old widow, who had depended on her husband as the breadwinner, now has three young children to care for.

*Names have been changed to protect the sources’ identities.

In February, Myanmar’s military regime, known as the junta, announced compulsory conscription, meaning all men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 would be forced to serve for up to two years.

Why luxury cheese is being targeted by black market criminals

When dairy farmer Patrick Holden sat down at his kitchen table to read his emails one day in July, he couldn’t believe his luck. A buyer, who claimed to represent a French supermarket chain, wanted to buy 22 tonnes of Hafod, his specialist cheddar.

“It was the biggest order for our cheese we’ve ever received,” he recalls, “and, because it was from France, I thought, ‘finally, people on the continent are appreciating what we do’.”

The order had been made through Neal’s Yard Dairy, an upmarket cheese seller and wholesaler, and the first batch of Hafod arrived at its London base in September. It took up just one square metre on a pallet but represented two years of effort and had a wholesale value of £35,000.

“It’s one of the most special cheeses being made in the UK,” explains Bronwen Percival, a buyer at Neal’s Yard Dairy. Once bound in muslin cloth and sealed with a layer of lard, Hafod is aged for 18 months.

The farm didn’t have enough to fulfil the order, so 20 tonnes of Somerset cheddar was also provided by two other dairy farms to make it up; in all, this was £300,000-worth of some of the most expensive cheese made in the UK.

On 14 October, it was collected from Neal’s Yard’s warehouse by a courier and taken to a depot – and then, mysteriously, it disappeared.

There had, in fact, been no order. It came instead from someone impersonating the supposed buyer.

The theft made global headlines, and was nicknamed “the grate cheese robbery”. British chef Jamie Oliver warned his followers on X: “If anyone hears anything about posh cheese going for cheap, it’s probably some wrong’uns.”

In late October, a 63-year-old man was arrested in London, then released on bail. And there has been no news since. The 950 truckles of cheese – roughly the weight of four full-sized elephants – have disappeared without a trace.

“It is ridiculous,” says fellow cheesemaker Tom Calver, whose cheddar was part of the stolen consignment. “Out of all the things to steal in the world – 22 tonnes of cheese?”

And yet it isn’t as surprising as it at first seems – for this is far from the first theft of its kind.

Why cheese theft is on the rise

Food-related crimes – which include smuggling, counterfeiting, and out-and-out theft – cost the global food industry between US $30 to 50 billion a year (£23-£38 billion), according to the World Trade Organisation. These range from hijackings of freight lorries delivering food to warehouses to the theft of 24 live lobsters from a storage pen in Scotland.

But a number of these food crimes have also targeted the cheese industry – and in particular luxury cheese.

Last year, in the run-up to Christmas, around £50,000 worth of cheese was stolen from a trailer in a service station on the M5 near Worcester. The problem isn’t a new one – as far back as 1998, thieves broke into a storeroom and took nine tonnes of cheddar from a family-run farm in Somerset.

It’s happening elsewhere in Europe, too: in 2016, criminals made off with £80,000 of Parmigiano Reggiano from a warehouse in northern Italy. This particular type of parmesan, which requires at least a year to mature, is created by following a process that has been in place, with little modification, for almost 1,000 years. At the time of the heist, Italy’s Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium told CBS news that about $7 million (£5.4m) worth of cheese had been stolen in a two-year period.

The problem is only set to rise across the industry as cheese becomes more valuable. The overall price of food and non-alcoholic drinks in the UK rose around 25% between January 2022 and January 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. Cheese, meanwhile, saw a similar price hike in the space of a single year.

“Cheesemaking is an energy-intensive business,” says Patrick McGuigan, a specialist in the dairy sector. This is because in the production process milk needs to be heated up and, once made, cheese is stored in energy-hungry refrigerators, meaning that fuel prices play a big part in the cost. “And so there was a big price increase following the disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

In 2024, overall food price inflation in the UK has fallen to 1.7 per cent, but less so for cheese. “The retail price of cheddar increased by 6.5 per cent up to May 2024,” adds McGuigan. “This is why we’re seeing security tags on blocks of cheddar in supermarkets. Based on price alone, cheese is one of the most desirable foods a criminal can steal.”

Yet it isn’t the easiest product to shift – particularly farmhouse cheese, most of which tends to be heavy and bulky and must be kept at specific temperatures. As such, transporting it can be a costly, complicated procedure that is beyond most criminals – unless, of course, they are organised.

But the question that remains is who exactly these organised criminals are – and where does the cheese end up?

How organised crime infiltrated the food industry

“There is a long-established connection between food and organised crime,” says Andy Quinn of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), which was established in 2015 following the 2013 horse meat scandal. One example of this is the high proportion of illegal drugs smuggled through legal global food supply chains.

In September, dozens of kilograms of cocaine were found in banana deliveries to four stores of a French supermarket, with police unsure who the intended recipient was. For the drugs to reach the end of the food supply chain is highly unusual, but this method of transporting illegal items across borders in containers of food is common.

According to Quinn, once drug cartels and other criminal operators gain a foothold into how a food business operates, they spot other opportunities. “They will infiltrate a legitimate business, take control of its distribution networks and use it to move other illegal items, including stolen food.”

For criminal networks, food has other attractions. “They know crimes involving food result in less severe convictions than for importing drugs,” says Quinn, “but they can still make similar amounts of money.” Particularly if it’s a premium cheese.

The problem for the criminals is what to do with it. “There are few places to offload them,” says Jamie Montgomery, who runs the Somerset farm that was targeted in the 1998 heist. “Shifting that much artisan cheese is difficult.”

This is why people in the industry believe stolen cheese is often sent overseas to countries where there are thriving food black markets – and indeed cheese black markets.

24 more monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina lab are recovered unharmed

More than half of the monkeys bred for medical research that escaped from a compound in South Carolina last week have now been recovered unharmed, officials said Sunday.

Twenty-four monkeys were captured on Sunday, a day after another of the 43 escaped monkeys was recovered.

A “sizeable group” remains active along the compound’s fence line and bedded down in the trees for the night, police in Yemassee, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Savannah, Georgia, said in a statement. Veterinarians have been examining the animals and initial reports indicate they are all in good health, police said.

The Rhesus macaques made a break for it Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee didn’t fully lock a door as she fed and checked on them, officials said.

Since their escape, the monkeys have explored the outer fence of the Alpha Genesis compound, cooing at the monkeys inside. The primates continued to interact with their companions inside the facility Saturday, which police have said was a positive sign.

Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard has said that efforts to recover all the monkeys will continue for as long as it takes.

Children’s book by chef Jamie Oliver is withdrawn after criticism from Indigenous Australians

FILE – British chef Jamie Oliver attends a panel session during the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP, file)

A children’s book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians.

The Guardian newspaper reported Saturday that the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation blasted “Billy And The Epic Escape,” which was published earlier this year, for employing a series of tropes and stereotypes about Indigenous Australians, including their relationships with the natural and spiritual worlds.

The group criticized one of the fantasy novel’s subplots, which tells the story of an Indigenous girl living in foster care, for contributing to the “erasure, trivialisation, and stereotyping of First Nations peoples and experiences.”

In a statement, Oliver, 49, said he was “devastated” to have caused offense and apologized “wholeheartedly.”

“It was never my intention to misinterpret this deeply painful issue,” he said. “Together with my publishers we have decided to withdraw the book from sale.”

Indigenous campaigners were particularly aghast that neither Oliver nor his publishers, Penguin Random House, had consulted with them before the novel was published.

“It is clear that our publishing standards fell short on this occasion, and we must learn from that and take decisive action,” the publisher said. “With that in mind, we have agreed with our author, Jamie Oliver, that we will be withdrawing the book from sale.”

Oliver, who is in Australia promoting his latest recipe book, is among a long list of celebrities to have put their names to children’s books, a trend that has been criticized by many children’s authors, who say they are being crowded out of their market.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/oliver-britain-australia-first-nation-book-f44a87778a262ff9b2806123bae8ae6e

Coco Gauff’s WTA Finals title ends her season with a $4.8 million check and a big turnaround

Coco Gauff pays attention to what people say about her online and occasionally takes pleasure in clapping back, so it should not be a surprise that she took to social media to type out a message after wrapping up 2024 by winning the WTA Finals and the $4.8 million check that came with it.

“lol safe to say I beat the bad season allegations,” Gauff wrote.

After defeating the women ranked Nos. 1 and 2 — Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek — earlier in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Gauff got past Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Saturday in the title match. That allowed the No. 3 Gauff to close her year with a 54-17 record and three trophies.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs. At moments, it felt great. At other moments, it felt awful. Basically, a typical year on tour,” the 20-year-old Floridian said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

“The worst? Definitely my U.S. Open loss. I felt that was just a hard loss for me, because I double-faulted so many times,” Gauff said with a self-deprecating chuckle. “It felt like I was close but just didn’t give myself the best chance.”

How did she put aside that 19-double-fault, fourth-round loss to Emma Navarro in September as the defending champion at Flushing Meadows? That’s an important question, because as disappointing as the setback was — where it happened, how it happened — that marked a pivotal moment.

From there, Gauff split from coach Brad Gilbert and hired Matt Daly to work alongside Jean-Christophe “JC” Faurel on her team.

And from there, Gauff went 13-2 at her last three tournaments, including two titles and a semifinal run.

“The key is when you reach a low, the only way you can go is up,” Gauff explained. “So at that point, I just said, ‘Well, I have to get better at some things, and just try to do that.’ Being a tennis player, you can’t miss a bunch of tournaments just to practice — I mean, you can, but I didn’t want to do that; I didn’t want to take that route — so I just decided to be willing to accept the losses and wins while working on things.”

So far, so good.

One significant improvement: Gauff averaged 4.6 double-faults across her five matches at the WTA Finals, certainly much better than at the U.S. Open.

In Saturday’s final, Gauff produced more aces (five) than double-faults (four) and turned in a higher first-serve percentage (64 to 62) and a higher winning percentage on first-serve points (70 to 62) than Zheng, one of the tour’s top servers.

There was not a thing that was easy about this triumph.

Gauff’s run included those victories over Sabalenka (in the semifinals) and Swiatek (in round-robin play), making the American the youngest player to win against the top two women at one tournament since Maria Sharapova at the 2006 U.S. Open.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/coco-gauff-wta-finals-4bf961c7e8d595b9907c0528d361e6d8#

Israel urges fans to skip France-Israel football match in Paris

People welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans as they arrive at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport on a flight from Amsterdam, where Israeli soccer fans were attacked following a match between the Israeli club and Ajax Amsterdam, in Lod, Israel, Friday, Nov 8, 2024. (PHOTO: AP/Tsafrir Abayov)

Authorities have urged Israeli fans to skip Thursday’s (Nov 7) France-Israel football match in Paris, after violence in Amsterdam following a match between an Israeli team and a local one.

The Paris fixture will take place one week after the clashes – condemned as “anti-Semitic” by Israeli, Dutch and European leaders – followed a game between Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax.

About two dozen people were injured in the violence.

Israel’s National Security Council called on Israelis to “avoid attending sports games/cultural events involving Israelis, with an emphasis on the upcoming match of the Israeli national team in Paris”, a statement said Sunday.

Khalistani terrorist Arsh Dalla, close aide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, arrested over Milton shootout

The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a ‘potential’ involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing.

Khalistani terrorist Arsh Dalla, close aide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, arrested over Milton shootout

Separatist leader Arsh Dalla was arrested by Canadian authorities on Sunday in connection with a recent shooting incident in Milton. He was designated an “individual terrorist” by Indian authorities last year and considered a ‘successor’ to slain Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi had previously urged its Canadian counterparts to make a provisional arrest of the fugitive.

According to an India Today report, the Khalistani leader was arrested by the Canadian police over his suspected involvement in the armed confrontation last month. Indian security agencies have also received confirmation about his detention.

The Halton Police began its investigation in late October after a shooting in Milton town. An official release indicates that the police was contacted after two men visited a hospital in the Guelph region.

“One of the males was treated and released for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound apparently suffered in Halton region. The other was not injured. The HRPS Major Crime Bureau is now investigating and both males have been arrested,” the police note added.

The development comes at a time when ties between the two countries have become increasingly strained following allegations of Indian involvement in the murder of Nijjar. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in September last year that there was ‘credible evidence’ linking Indian government agents to the killing. Ottawa also alleged at the end of last month that senior BJP leader and Indian Home Minister Amit Shah was behind plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

 

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/world/khalistani-terrorist-arsh-dalla-close-aide-of-hardeep-singh-nijjar-arrested-over-milton-shootout-11731238003909.html

Trump, Putin speak as Biden plans to lobby Trump to stick with Ukraine

Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Osaka, June 28, 2019. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the Ukraine war, a source familiar with the conversation told Reuters on Sunday, as President Joe Biden plans to urge Trump not to abandon Kyiv.
Trump and Putin spoke in recent days, said the source. Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday. Trump has criticised the scale of U.S. military and financial support for Kyiv, vowing to end the war quickly, without saying how.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it was not informed in advance of the call between Trump and Putin and subsequently could neither endorse or object to it.
“We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, when asked about the phone call, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Republican Trump will take office on Jan. 20 after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Biden has invited Trump to come to the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Biden’s top message will be his commitment to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, and he will also talk to Trump about what’s happening in Europe, in Asia and the Middle East.
“President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe,” Sullivan told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” show.
Sullivan’s comments came as Ukraine attacked Moscow on Sunday with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the beginning of the war.
When asked if Biden would ask Congress to pass legislation to authorize more funding for Ukraine, Sullivan deferred.
“I’m not here to put forward a specific legislative proposal. President Biden will make the case that we do need ongoing resources for Ukraine beyond the end of his term,” Sullivan said.

Richard Kemp Iran wants war with the United States

The alleged plot against Donald Trump is a clear casus belli

Iran will be fearful about Donald Trump’s return to the White House Credit: ATTA KENARECHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP

Since Donald Trump was re-elected as US president, the Left in the US and Europe have gone into meltdown. But nobody will feel a greater sense of foreboding than the leadership of the West’s enemies in Moscow, Beijing and Tehran.

Most immediately, the return of Trump is Iran’s worst nightmare. The ayatollahs have enjoyed four years of financial and political benefits from Joe Biden’s policies of appeasement, which saw billions of dollars of frozen assets released, empowering Tehran on the world stage. Why else would Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have allowed or even ordered his terrorist proxies Hamas and Hezbollah to so viciously assault Israel in October last year, if he did not feel confident that a craven US administration would let him get away with it?

The Trump years were very different. As President, Trump had trashed Barack Obama’s irrational nuclear deal and piled on economic sanctions. He went on to order the elimination of Qasem Soleimani, chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, the organisation responsible for terrorism across the Middle East and around the world. Trump’s return to the White House therefore represented a clear and present threat to the continuation of the regime in Tehran.

The Supreme Leader couldn’t tolerate the return of his nemesis to the White House, and that is why the regime ordered Trump’s assassination in September. On Friday, the Department of Justice revealed charges against an Afghan immigrant to the US, Farhad Shakeri, who was allegedly tasked by the IRGC to murder the then US presidential candidate.

There is no question that Khamanei and the IRGC meant business. The regime has successfully carried out multiple political assassinations since it came to power in 1979, and has attempted to murder many others.

On its own, Iran’s intent to assassinate Donald Trump is a casus belli, demanding the decapitation of the regime. But Tehran’s aggression goes beyond even that. In the last year alone, Iran’s proxies have carried out almost 200 attacks against US forces in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. On 7 October last year, more than 40 Americans living in Israel were murdered by Iranian proxies and 12 kidnapped, some of whom are still held hostage. Trump has warned Hamas and their Iranian sponsors: “We want our hostages back, and they better be back before I assume office, or you will be paying a very big price”.

This suggests that, when Trump re-enters the White House, Washington’s protection of Iran will come to a dramatic end. It is vital for the Middle East and the West that it does. Thanks to Obama’s nuclear deal and Biden’s appeasement, Tehran is now on the cusp of becoming a nuclear armed state. It is believed to have sufficient highly enriched uranium to manufacture at least ten nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them by ballistic missiles, and may be about to gain the capability for weaponisation.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/comment/2024/11/09/iran-has-declared-war-on-the-united-states/

Bitcoin on cusp of $80,000 for first time on optimism over Trump

Bitcoin on cusp of $80,000 for first time on optimism over Trump.
Credit: Reuters Photo

The cryptocurrency climbed as much as 4.3 per cent to an unprecedented $79,771 on Sunday and remained near $79,000 as of 2:05 pm in Singapore. Smaller tokens like Cardano and meme-crowd favorite Dogecoin also rallied.

Trump vowed on the campaign trail to put the US at the center of the digital-asset industry, including creating a strategic Bitcoin stockpile and appointing regulators enamored with digital assets. He emerged from Tuesday’s election in a stronger position than expected — his Republican Party has control of the Senate and is on the verge of holding a narrow majority in the House.

“With the dust from Trump’s victory still settling down, it was only a matter of time before a run-up of some sort occurred given the perception of Trump being pro-crypto, and that’s what we’re seeing now,” said Le Shi, Hong Kong managing director at market-making firm Auros.

ETFs, Fed

Bitcoin has added about 90 per cent so far in 2024, helped by robust demand for dedicated US exchange-traded funds and interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The rise in the largest digital token, which scaled fresh records after the US vote, exceeds the returns from investments such as stocks and gold.

The ETFs, powered by BlackRock Inc.’s $35 billion iShares Bitcoin Trust, posted a record daily net inflow of almost $1.4 billion on Thursday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. A day earlier, the iShares ETF’s trading volume jumped to an all-time peak — all signs of how Trump’s victory is reshaping crypto.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/business/bitcoin-on-cusp-of-80000-for-first-time-on-optimism-over-trump-3270227

 

Russia and Ukraine Launch Biggest Drone Attacks of War Yet

Screenshot

Russia and Ukraine both launched record drone attacks on each other overnight, as the Kremlin said it saw “positive signals” from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over his desire to strike a deal to end the conflict.

Trump’s election to the White House has the potential to upend the almost three-year conflict and has thrown into question Washington’s multi-billion-dollar support for Kyiv, crucial to its defense.

The Republican said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he will talk directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin — a major break from the approach adopted by President Joe Biden.

Trump will not be inaugurated until January and for the moment on the battlefield and in the skies, the conflict shows no signs of subsiding.

Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said — more than in any single night-time attack of the conflict so far.

“Last night, Russia launched a record 145 Shaheds and other strike drones against Ukraine,” Zelensky said on social media, urging Kyiv’s Western allies to do more to help Ukraine’s defense.

Russia also said it had downed 34 Ukrainian attack drones targeting Moscow on Sunday, the largest attempted attack on the capital since the start of the offensive in 2022.

‘Positive signals’

While having publicly claimed to be backing Kamala Harris in the U.S. election, the Kremlin is widely believed to have actually wanted to see Trump return to the White House, welcoming his skepticism over American aid to Ukraine and his chaotic leadership style.

“The signals are positive. Trump during his election campaign talked about how he perceives everything through deals, that he can make a deal that can lead to peace,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with state media published Sunday.

“At least he’s talking about peace, and not about confrontation. He isn’t talking about his wish to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia — that distinguishes him from the current administration,” Peskov added.

But he warned about Trump’s unpredictability, and said time would tell whether his victory could bring about an end to the Ukraine conflict.

“What will happen next, it’s hard to say,” Peskov said, adding that Trump was “less predictable” than Harris and Biden.

“It’s also less predictable to what extent he will stick to the statements that he made on the campaign trail,” Peskov added.

Trump has not said how he intends to strike a peace deal or what terms he is proposing.

Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw from swathes of its eastern and southern territory as a precondition to peace talks.

Following Trump’s election, Zelensky warned there should be “no concessions” to Putin, saying ceding land or giving in to any of his other hardline demands would only embolden the Kremlin and lead to more aggression.

Zelensky has also previously warned that without U.S. aid Kyiv would lose the conflict.

‘Massive’ attack

Talk of a U.S.-brokered deal comes with Russia advancing on the battlefield.

Moscow’s troops made their largest territorial gains in October since March 2022, according to AFP analysis of data from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Moscow’s Defense Ministry claimed Sunday to have captured another village in Ukraine’s east.

In his evening address, Zelensky alluded to Ukraine’s attempted barrage of Moscow, the largest attack targeting the Russian capital since the start of the conflict.

Thanking his forces responsible for drone combat he said: “Everyone can see how it works — drones on the frontline, as well as our long-range drones deep in the Russian rear. Russian military objects are becoming more and more accessible to our soldiers.”

Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov called it a “massive” attempt

Source: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/11/10/russia-and-ukraine-launch-biggest-drone-attacks-of-conflict-a86966

Canadian police release Khalistani activist Inderjeet Gosal soon after arrest in Brampton temple attack case

The arrested individual goes by the name Inderjeet Gosal. He is reportedly ‘the coordinator for SFJ in Canada’. SFJ or Sikhs for Justice is a terrorist organisation which seeks to carve out Khalistan from Indian territory.

Inderjeet Gosal Credit: X/@Arya_Anviksha

Canada’s Peel Regional Police have made a fifth arrest in connection to the Brampton temple attack case that took place on November 3.

The arrested individual goes by the name Inderjeet Gosal. He is reportedly ‘the coordinator for SFJ in Canada’. SFJ or Sikhs for Justice is a terrorist organisation which seeks to carve out Khalistan from Indian territory.

However, as per a police statement, he was released later on certain conditions and will “appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.”

A picture of his has gone viral on social media where he can be seen carrying a Khalistani flag and standing on the Indian tricolour at an event:

Protestors carrying Khalistani flags clashed with devotees at a Hindu Sabha temple and disrupted an event co-organised by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate on November 3 at Brampton, a city in Ontario’s Greater Toronto Area.

In connection to Gosal’s arrest, the police statement said, “One of the individuals has since been identified as 35-year-old Inderjeet Gosal of Brampton. On November 8, 2024, he was arrested and charged with Assault with a Weapon. He was released on conditions and is to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.”

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com//world/canadian-police-nab-khalistani-activist-inderjeet-gosal-in-brampton-temple-attack-case-5th-arrest-so-far-3269973

Pakistan railway bomb blast kills at least 25

Dozens of people were waiting to board the Jaffar Express, a popular morning train service

Authorities say at least 25 people have been killed after a bomb exploded at a railway station in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province.

Dozens of others were injured in the blast, which happened as a popular morning train was about to leave Quetta station in southwestern Pakistan for Peshawar.

A separatist militant group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, said it carried out what police are deeming a suicide attack.

There has been a recent surge in deadly attacks in the province, driven by demands for independence and control over local resources.

The city’s commissioner said that the suicide bomber was among the dead, while about 50 others were injured in the blast.

Senior police official Muhammad Baloch said the explosion was thought to have been caused by a suicide bomber carrying 6-8kg of explosives. The dead and injured included both civilians and military personnel, he told the BBC.

Videos shared on social media appear to show the moment the explosion happened on Saturday morning, with dozens of people visible at the platform.

There is also footage circulating of the aftermath, showing a number of injured people and debris spread across the station.

Abdul Jabbar was among the injured brought to the Civil Hospital. He said that he was entering the station, having purchased a ticket from the booking office, when the explosion happened.

“I can’t describe the horror I faced today, it was like a judgement day has come,” he said.

Muhammad Sohail arrived soon after the explosion had happened to catch his train to Multan, in Punjab province.

“Everything was destroyed at the station, and people were laying down on the ground screaming for help,” he said.

The Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said in a statement released on social media that it had targeted a Pakistan military unit that was returning from Quetta after completing a training course.

Police later confirmed 14 soldiers were among the dead.

The chief minister of Balochistan called the act deplorable and the perpetrators “worse than animals”. Mir Sarfraz Bugti said the authorities would pursue them and “bring them to their logical end”.

The speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, condemned the blast, saying those responsible were the “enemies of humanity”.

Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province and the richest in terms of natural resources, but it is the least developed.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm27v28r4y0o

Qatar stalls its Gaza ceasefire mediation

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Deir Al-Balah, Gaza Strip, November 9, 2024. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed Purchase Licensing Rights

Qatar has told Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel it will stall its efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until they show “willingness and seriousness” to resume talks, its foreign ministry said on Saturday.
The Gulf country has been working alongside the United States and Egypt for months on fruitless talks between the warring sides in Gaza and any disengagement from that process could further complicate efforts to reach a deal.

The Qatari ministry also said press reports on the future of the Hamas political office in Doha were inaccurate without specifying how. Reuters had on Friday quoted a U.S. official saying Washington had asked Qatar to expel the group and that Doha had passed this message on to Hamas.
An official briefed on the matter also said on Saturday that Qatar had concluded that with its mediation efforts paused, Hamas’ political office there “no longer serves its purpose.”
But three Hamas officials speaking off the record said the group had not been informed by Qatar that its leaders were no longer welcome in the country.
Qatar has hosted Hamas political leaders since 2012 as part of a deal with the U.S., and the group’s presence there has facilitated the progress of talks.
The war erupted when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing another 253 as hostages. Israel’s military campaign has levelled much of Gaza and killed around 43,500 Palestinians.
“Qatar notified the parties 10 days ago during the last attempts to reach an agreement that it would stall its efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israel if an agreement was not reached in the round,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said.
“Qatar will resume those efforts with its partners when the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war.”
There was no official response from Hamas or Israel.

Donald Trump Completes Swing-State Sweep With Arizona, Secures 312 Electoral Votes In Big Victory

The win over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris marks Trump’s second in Arizona since 2016.

President-elect Donald Trump Photo : AP
After a delay in vote counting, Donald Trump is projected to win the final swing state of Arizona. With this, Trump secured 312 electoral votes over his Democratic rival Kamala Harris’ 226 votes, marking a clean sweep in the US election. Arizona holds 11 electoral college votes.

Trump won Arizona, returning the state and its 11 electoral votes to the Republican column after Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, reported AP. The win over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris marks Trump’s second in Arizona since 2016.

In 2020, President Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win Arizona since Bill Clinton in 1996. Trump has now flipped it back.

Trump campaigned on border security and the economy, tying Harris to inflation and record illegal border crossings during Biden’s administration.

Trump’s victory dims the hopes of Arizona Democrats, who sought to continue their ascendance, which began with the 2018 flip of a longtime GOP-held Senate seat and continued in 2020 and 2022.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/donald-trump-completes-swing-state-sweep-with-arizona-article-115132760 

Tourists in Rome now have a walkway to visit the Trevi Fountain but can’t toss coins

Tourists in Rome won’t be allowed to toss coins over their shoulders into the Trevi Fountain, following tradition, though an elevated walkway now gives limited access to the monument during maintenance work.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri inaugurated the steel walkway on Saturday, saying it will provide tourists with a close-up view of the fountain and calling it a “unique experience” that won’t be ruined by overcrowding.

The walkway over the fountain’s basin will be able to accommodate about 130 people at a time.

But tourists won’t be allowed to toss coins from there, as the fountain is currently drained, and could face a 50-euro fine if they do, the mayor warned.

City lore has it that tossing a coin into the Baroque fountain will ensure a return trip to Rome.

Gualtieri said a small pool has been set up next to the walkway to collect the coins, which are donated to the Caritas charity to fund meals for people in need.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/italy-trevi-fountain-coins-tourists-36b23e5dcca6dae53dcf59fcd6b7d5fa

Here are new guidelines for preventing stroke, the nation’s 4th biggest killer

FILE – A beach goer exercises as the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 1, 2023, in Surfside, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

The majority of strokes could be prevented, according to new guidelines aimed at helping people and their doctors do just that.

Stroke was the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than half a million Americans have a stroke every year. But up to 80% of strokes may be preventable with better nutrition, exercise and identification of risk factors.

The first new guidelines on stroke prevention in 10 years from the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, include recommendations for people and doctors that reflect a better understanding of who gets strokes and why, along with new drugs that can help reduce risk.

The good news is that the best way to reduce your risk for stroke is also the best way to reduce your risk for a whole host of health problems — eat a healthy diet, move your body and don’t smoke. The bad news is that it’s not always so easy to sustain.

Dr. Sean Duke, a stroke doctor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, blames the forces in society that keep people sedentary and eating poorly, like cell phones and cheap, unhealthy food. “Our world is stacked against us,” he said.

Here’s what to know about stroke and the new guidelines:

What is a stroke?
A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or if a blood vessel in the brain bursts. That deprives the brain of oxygen which can cause brain damage that can lead to difficulty thinking, talking and walking, or even death.

How eating healthy can reduce your risk for stroke
Eating healthy can help control several factors that increase your risk for stroke, including high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and obesity, according to the heart association.

The group recommends foods in the so-called Mediterranean diet such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil, which can help keep cholesterol levels down. It suggests limiting red meat and other sources of saturated fat. Instead, get your protein from beans, nuts, poultry, fish and seafood.

Limit highly processed foods and foods and drinks with a lot of added sugar. This can also reduce your calorie intake, which helps keep weight in check.

Moving your body can help prevent strokes
Getting up and walking around for at least 10 minutes a day can “drastically” reduce your risk, said Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, a neurologist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine who was part of the group that came up with the new guidelines. Among the many benefits: Regular exercise can help reduce blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke.

Of course, more is better: The heart association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic or 75 minutes of vigorous activity — or some combination — per week. How you do it doesn’t matter so much, experts said: Go to the gym, take a walk or run in your neighborhood or use treadmills or stepper machines at home.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/stroke-risk-death-nutrition-exercise-ozempic-mounjaro-5fee3375b627377b6a39565ce2a647c5

NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison dead at 86

Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86.

NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville, North Carolina. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years.

Allison moved to fourth on NASCAR’s Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip.

Bobby Allison stands beside his car and talks with the press after winning the pole position during qualifyiing for the 500 mile grand national stock car race at Pocono Raceway, Aug. 2, 1975, in Long Pond, Pa. APFrance and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins.

Allison was inducted into NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times, and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.

“Bobby was the ultimate fan’s driver,” Allison’s family said in a statement. “He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his fans and would stop to sign autographs and have conversations with them everywhere he went. He was a dedicated family man and friend, and a devout Catholic.”

He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport’s defining moments.

“Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose,” Allison has said repeatedly, often using that phrase to describe the fight. “Cale understands like I do that it really was a benefit to the interest of racing. It proves that we were sincere.”

Born in Miami in 1937, Allison started searching for more racing opportunities outside the Sunshine State. He landed in central Alabama, where he found a number of small, dirt tracks.

He returned to Florida to get brother Donnie and close friend Red Farmer. They set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama, and dominated regional races throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. They were later joined in the Alabama Gang by Jimmy Mears, Neil Bonnett and Bonnett and Allison’s sons Davey and Clifford.

Allison retired in 1988 following a crash that nearly killed him. In June 1987, he wrecked on the opening lap at Talledega Superspeedway. He hit the outside wall and then got T-boned in the driver’s side door. He was initially declared dead upon reaching a local hospital but was later resuscitated.

He eventually regained his memory, re-learned everyday activities and attempted a comeback. But a series of tragedies led Allison to retire. His son, Clifford, was fatally injured during a crash in practice for the second-tier Busch Series at Michigan International Speedway in 1992. A year later, son Davey was killed in a helicopter crash at Talladega.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/11/09/sports/nascar-hall-of-famer-bobby-allison-dead-at-86/

American nurse killed by man she met in Budapest nightclub during vacation to ‘happy place’: police

An American nurse’s trip to her “happy place” turned to tragedy when she was killed this week by a man she met at a nightclub in Hungary, police said Friday.

A manhunt erupted when Kenzie Michalski, 31, from Portland, Oregon, vanished from the Budapest night scene on Nov. 5, and police immediately suspected she had been murdered, according to Budapest police.

Security footage from the area showed Michalski on the night of her disappearance bouncing between different clubs with a man, who was later identified as a suspect.

Kenzie Michalski was killed by a man she met at a Budapest nightclub, investigators said.
WKBW TVWhile in custody, the 37-year-old Irish man, only identified by the initials LTM, confessed to the killing and led police to her body.

LTM allegedly told cops the murder was an accident and occurred while they were engaged in an “intimate encounter.”

Michalski was killed on the final day of her trip through Europe.
WKBW TVLTM then rented a car and drove to Lake Balaton, around 90 miles southwest of Budapest, where he dumped the body in a wooden area outside the town of Szigliget.

His internet history was riddled with searches on how to dispose of a body, police procedures in missing person cases, whether pigs really eat dead bodies and the presence of wild boars in the Lake Balaton area — as well as the competence of Budapest police.

The stunning murder occurred just one day after Michalski and her friend had concluded a trip through Europe.

Michalski remained in Hungary for a final night while Gretchen Tower moved on to visit some friends in Italy, the grieving friend told WKBW.

The duo remained in communication until shortly after midnight Tuesday. Michalski then failed to check out of her Airbnb or make her flight back to the US — prompting Tower to call the US Embassy.

At a candlelight vigil in Budapest Saturday, Michalski’s father Bill said she had visited Budapest before, and called it her “happy place.”

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/11/09/world-news/us-nurse-killed-by-man-she-met-in-budapest-nightclub-police/

Hidden message in a bottle found in lighthouse wall after 132 years

The bottle has an unusual rounded bottom and its cork was secured by wire which had rusted

Engineers have found a bottle with a 132-year-old message deep inside the walls of a lighthouse in the south of Scotland.

The bottle was found inside the Corsewall Lighthouse at the most northerly point of the Rhins of Galloway.

The “once in a lifetime” find is understood to be the first message in a bottle ever discovered in a lighthouse in Scotland.

Written using quill and ink, the letter dated 4 September 1892 reveals the names of three engineers who installed a new type of light in the 100ft (30m) tower.

It also has the names of the lighthouse’s three keepers.

The 8in (20cm) bottle was found by Ross Russell, a Northern Lighthouse Board mechanical engineer, during an inspection.

He spotted it after removing panels in a cupboard but it was well out of arm’s reach. The team retrieved it using a contraption made from a rope and a broom handle.

But they waited until retained lighthouse keeper, Barry Miller, arrived before they opened it.

“My goodness am I grateful for them doing that,” he said.

The bottle has an unusual convex base, meaning it cannot stand upright, and it is made of coarse glass, full of tiny air bubbles.

It is thought it would have once contained oil.

The bottle stopper was cork, which had expanded over time and stuck to the glass, while the wire which held it in place had rusted away.

The men had to cut the top off the cork and very carefully drill the cork out.

The note initially seemed too big to pull out the neck of the bottle so they devised a tool using two pieces of cable to twist it through the narrow opening.

Dr Miller, 77, told BBC Scotland News his hands were shaking when he opened it.

“It was so exciting, it was like meeting our colleagues from the past. It was actually like them being there,” he said.

“It was like touching them. Like them being part of our team instead of just four of us being there, we were all there sharing what they had written because it was tangible and you could see the style of their handwriting.

“You knew what they had done. You knew they had hidden it in such a place it wouldn’t be found for a long, long time.”

Hologram in Amsterdam window aims to solve sex worker’s cold case murder

The hologram represents Betty Szabo, who was murdered in Amsterdam in 2009

A hologram of a young sex worker haunts Amsterdam’s red light district.

Dressed in faded denim hotpants, a leopard-print bra, with a tattoo snaking up her stomach and across her chest, the 3D computer-generated image reaches out and appears to knock on the window to attract attention.

She leans forward, breathes on the glass and writes the word “help”.

The hologram is designed to represent Bernadette “Betty” Szabo, a 19-year-old woman from Hungary who was murdered a few months after giving birth in 2009.

Her fatal stabbing has baffled police for 15 years. Dutch cold case detectives are using the innovative technology for the first time in an effort to solve the case.

The murdered teenager’s image is being projected from behind a window, alongside hundreds of young women who continue to make a living in this notoriously risky industry.

Investigators hope the lifelike hologram will help jog memories and draw attention to the unsolved murder.

Until now, Betty’s killer has eluded justice and cold case detective Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk is determined to change that: “A young woman, only 19, taken from life in such a horrific way.”

Szabo had a tough life and her story was one of hardship and resilience, according to the detective.

She had moved to Amsterdam aged 18 and became pregnant soon afterwards. She carried on working throughout her pregnancy, returning to the job shortly after her son was born.

It was in the early hours of 19 February 2009, when two sex workers went to check on the teenage mother during a break between clients, because they realised her usual music was not playing.

When they entered her brothel, a small room with a plastic-covered bed, vanity table and sink, they discovered Betty Szabo’s body.

She had been murdered three months after giving birth, the victim of a savage knife attack.

Her baby was placed in foster care and never got to know his mother – a fact that motivates detectives.

Although police immediately launched a murder investigation, her killer was never found. They combed through CCTV footage and questioned potential witnesses.

The majority of people eyeing the scantily dressed women behind the red neon windows are tourists. Police suspect the perpetrator came from abroad.

Now they are urging people who may have visited Amsterdam to think back, with a €30,000 reward to encourage witnesses to come forward.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx28k2mjmxeo

Somebody moved UK’s oldest satellite, and no-one knows who or why

Artwork: The half-tonne Skynet-1A satellite was launched in November 1969

Someone moved the UK’s oldest satellite and there appears to be no record of exactly who, when or why.

Launched in 1969, just a few months after humans first set foot on the Moon, Skynet-1A was put high above Africa’s east coast to relay communications for British forces.

When the spacecraft ceased working a few years later, gravity might have been expected to pull it even further to the east, out over the Indian Ocean.

But today, curiously, Skynet-1A is actually half a planet away, in a position 22,369 miles (36,000km) above the Americas.

Orbital mechanics mean it’s unlikely the half-tonne military spacecraft simply drifted to its current location.

Almost certainly, it was commanded to fire its thrusters in the mid-1970s to take it westwards. The question is who that was and with what authority and purpose?

It’s intriguing that key information about a once vital national security asset can just evaporate. But, fascination aside, you might also reasonably ask why it still matters. After all, we’re talking about some discarded space junk from 50 years ago.

“It’s still relevant because whoever did move Skynet-1A did us few favours,” says space consultant Dr Stuart Eves.

“It’s now in what we call a ‘gravity well’ at 105 degrees West longitude, wandering backwards and forwards like a marble at the bottom of a bowl. And unfortunately this brings it close to other satellite traffic on a regular basis.

“Because it’s dead, the risk is it might bump into something, and because it’s ‘our’ satellite we’re still responsible for it,” he explains.

Dr Eves has looked through old satellite catalogues, the National Archives and spoken to satellite experts worldwide, but he can find no clues to the end-of-life behaviour of Britain’s oldest spacecraft.

It might be tempting to reach for a conspiracy theory or two, not least because it’s hard to hear the name “Skynet” without thinking of the malevolent, self-aware artificial intelligence (AI) system in The Terminator movie franchise.

But there’s no connection other than the name and, in any case, real life is always more prosaic.

What we do know is that Skynet-1A was manufactured in the US by the now defunct Philco Ford aerospace company and put in space by a US Air Force Delta rocket.

“The first Skynet satellite revolutionised UK telecommunications capacity, permitting London to securely communicate with British forces as far away as Singapore. However, from a technological standpoint, Skynet-1A was more American than British since the United States both built and launched it,” remarked Dr Aaron Bateman in a recent paper on the history of the Skynet programme, which is now on its fifth generation.

This view is confirmed by Graham Davison who flew Skynet-1A in the early 70s from its UK operations centre at RAF Oakhanger in Hampshire.

“The Americans originally controlled the satellite in orbit. They tested all of our software against theirs, before then eventually handing over control to the RAF,” the long-retired engineer told me.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwrr58801yo

Kate Middleton appears in good spirits as she attends Festival of Remembrance after cancer battle

Kate Middleton appeared in good spirits as she attended the Festival of Remembrance Saturday after completing her cancer treatment.

The Princess of Wales, 42, joined her husband, Prince William, at the Royal Albert Hall, marking the first time she has appeared at a major event since announcing she had completed her chemo on Sept. 9.

For the royal ceremony, she wore a black coat dress and heels. She accessorized her look with a quilted Chanel clutch and jewelry, including Princess Diana’s Collingwood pearl earrings.

Kate Middleton looked radiant while attending the Festival of Remembrance Saturday.
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

It’s the first time she’s appeared at a major event since announcing she had completed her chemo on Sept. 9.
REUTERS

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales looked dapper in a blue suit.

The couple was also joined by King Charles III; Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Queen Camilla did not make an appearance as she battles with a chest infection, which forced her to cancel all her events this past week. Charles, himself, is also battling cancer.

The next day, known as Remembrance Sunday, Middleton and the rest of the royal family are set to appear at The Cenotaph war memorial in London to remember those who died in war and conflict.

These annual ceremonies usually take place on the second weekend of November — and Middleton has attended every single one since marrying William in 2011.

On Sept. 9, Middleton announced she had completed her chemo after revealing her cancer diagnosis months before.

“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she shared on social media with a home movie featuring her husband and their three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”

Middleton described her cancer journey as “complex, scary and unpredictable,” saying that her current focus is to do what she can to “stay cancer free.”

“Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she added.

The mom of three went on to express her excitement to attend more public events, sharing that she has a “renewed sense of hope and appreciation for life.”

“William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time,” she said. “Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling.”

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/11/09/royal-family/kate-middleton-stuns-in-black-blazer-dress-at-festival-of-remembrance-after-cancer-battle/

Kim Kardashian reveals ‘sad part about motherhood’ after report claims Kanye West barely spends time with their kids

Kim Kardashian is reflecting on the “sad part about motherhood.”

The SKIMS founder shared an emotional quote in her Instagram Stories Saturday, just two weeks after a report claimed Kanye West doesn’t spend very much time with their four children.

“The sad part about motherhood is that you’re raising the one person you can’t live without… to be able to live without you,” the quote reads.

“The sad part about motherhood is that you’re raising the one person you can’t live without… to be able to live without you,” the post reads.
Instragram/@kimkardashianKardashian, who shares daughter North, 11, son Saint, 8, daughter Chicago, 6, and son Psalm, 5, with the rapper, added a teary-eyed emoji to the post.

The post comes shortly after a source close to the “Kardashians” star revealed she is “pretty much a single mom” since West is “sadly not around very much” to help raise their children.

“Although she has help, it’s still a lot of work for her to balance and coordinate everything,” a source close to the reality TV star shared, noting that her life revolves around the former couple’s kids.

Kardashian’s emotional message comes shortly after it was reported that the SKIMS founder’s ex-husband Kanye West is “not around very much” to help raise their four children.
Pichichipixx.com / SplashNews.com

Kardashian previously opened up about the struggles of being a single mom on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast in May 2023, admitting that she cries herself to sleep some nights.

“Obviously, having nannies and a chef to help cook is beyond helpful … But at the end of the day, your kids only want you,” she said.

“The struggles that my kids go through really have nothing to do with the amount of help that I have.”

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/11/09/parents/kim-kardashian-reveals-sad-part-about-motherhood-after-report-claims-kanye-west-barely-spends-time-with-their-kids/

Social media fuels unhealthy male obsession with abs and pecs

(Credit: Andy Gin/Shutterstock)

Researchers have known for a while that spending too much time on social media can lead to unrealistic beauty standards and poor self-image. Among young men, platforms like TikTok and Instagram can pressure guys to keep working towards a more muscular physique, even if they are already fit.

A recent study published in New Media & Society has found that men fixated on likes and comments on their posts were more likely to show signs of muscle dysmorphia. It’s a distorted belief that their body is small and weak when that is not really the case. The latest research shows social media fueling muscle dysmorphia and creating unhealthy obsessions for six-pack abs and perfect pecs.

“Previous research has largely focused on women, but we’re now seeing that men are also vulnerable to the pressures of online body ideals,” says lead study author Luigi Donnarumma, a psychology honors graduate from the University of South Australia, in a media release.

The researchers surveyed almost 100 men between 18 and 34 on their social media activity. All confessed to viewing celebrity, fashion, and fitness content on social media platforms.

The link between muscular dysmorphia and social media was apparent when men interacted with the feedback from other social media users. Nineteen percent of men displayed symptoms related to muscle dysmorphia. According to the researchers, these young men were at a high risk of developing unrealistic expectations of their bodies.

“Muscle dysmorphia is an emerging issue, and our study shows that social media isn’t just a platform for sharing content: it’s a powerful source of social validation that can significantly impact how young men perceive their bodies,” says Donnarumma.

“Men are often exposed to hyper-muscular ideals online, particularly through fitness and celebrity content,” says Dr. John Mingoia, a lecturer at the University of South Australia and a study co-author. “When these posts attract a high volume of likes and positive comments, they reinforce the message that this is the body standard that men should strive for. Over time, this can lead to harmful behaviors such as excessive exercising, restricted eating, and even steroid use.”

One of the best ways to stop muscle dysmorphia is to prevent it from happening in the first place. The researchers advise limiting the time spent checking your social media posts. Additionally, they propose men seek out mental health programs targeted at addressing body issues such as muscle dysmorphia.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/likes-on-social-media-abs-pecs/

England footballer says 99.9% of female players couldn’t retire on their salaries

Lucy Bronze training for England earlier this year. Pic: Reuters

Chelsea right-back Lucy Bronze is taking on Liverpool on Sunday, followed by Manchester City next week.

Thousands protest over handling of Spanish flood disaster

Valencia, Spain, November 9, 2024. REUTERS/Ana Beltran Purchase Licensing Rights

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia on Saturday over regional authorities’ handling of devastating floods that killed more than 220 people in one of Europe’s worst natural disasters for decades.
In the latest demonstration over the floods, protesters filled the centre of Valencia demanding the resignation of regional government leader Carlos Mazon and chanting “Killers!”.

“Our hands are stained with mud, yours with blood,” read one banner. Some demonstrators dumped dirty boots outside the government building while others plastered it with mud.
Residents in stricken areas accuse Mazon of issuing an alert too late, at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29, well after water was already pouring into many nearby towns and villages.
The Valencian leader has said he would have issued an earlier alarm earlier if authorities had been notified of the seriousness of the situation by an official water monitoring body. Mazon did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

“We want to show our indignation and anger over the poor management of this disaster which has affected so many people,” said Anna Oliver, president of Accio Cultural del Pais Valenciano, one of about 30 groups that organised the protest.
Though the demonstration was largely peaceful, police charged stone-throwing protesters at one point and objects hurled at the city council building caused minor damage.
Following days of storm warnings from the national weather service from Oct. 25 onward, some municipalities and local bodies raised the alarm much earlier than the regional government.
For example, Valencia University told its staff on Oct. 28 not to come to work. Several town halls suspended activities, shut down public facilities and told people to stay home.
Weather service AEMET raised its threat level for heavy rains in the area to a red alert at 7:36 a.m. on Oct. 29.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/thousands-protest-over-handling-spanish-flood-disaster-2024-11-09/

Dutch PM to miss climate summit during probe into soccer violence

Policemen detain a person after youth clashed with Israeli football supporters, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 8, 2024. Mizzle Media/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof will miss the COP29 climate summit after clashes in Amsterdam this week between Israeli soccer fans and pro-Palestinian protesters as his government investigates if warning signs from Israel were missed.
“I will not be going to Azerbaijan next week for the UN Climate Conference COP29. Due to the major social impact of the events of last Thursday night in Amsterdam, I will remain in the Netherlands,” he said on social media platform X.

Dutch Climate Minister Sophie Hermans will still attend the Nov. 11-22 environment meeting while a climate envoy will replace Schoof, the premier added, saying Thursday night’s violence in Amsterdam would be discussed at Monday’s cabinet meeting.
Prosecutors in Amsterdam said late on Saturday that four suspects remained detained on suspicion of violent acts, including two minors, and that 40 people had been fined for public disturbance and 10 for offences including vandalism. They added that they expected to make more arrests.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who made a last-minute trip to the Netherlands due to the unrest, met Schoof and his Dutch counterpart, Caspar Veldkamp, on Saturday. Saar held talks with Justice Minister David van Weel and far-right leader Geert Wilders when he arrived on Friday.
At least five people were injured during the unrest involving fans of the visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team who lost 5-0 to Ajax in the Europa League.

Justice Minister van Weel said in a letter to parliament that information was still being gathered, including on possible warning signs from Israel, and whether the assaults were organised and had an antisemitic motive.
Political leaders from Schoof down have denounced the attacks as antisemitic and urged swift justice.
Videos of the unrest on social media showed riot police in action, with some attackers shouting anti-Israeli slurs.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-government-investigating-possible-missed-warnings-israel-2024-11-09/

Snow patch known as U.K.’s longest-lasting has vanished for fourth straight year

Iain Cameron, author of “The Vanishing Ice: Diaries of a Scottish Snow Hunter,” has spent more than 25 years studying snow across Scotland’s hills and mountains.Climate Centre
A patch of snow in the Scottish Highlands typically lingers year-round. This year is only the 10th in more than three centuries that it has melted away.

A patch of snow in the Scottish Highlands dubbed the Sphinx typically lingers year-round, staying frozen through the summer. But it has melted away for the fourth consecutive year — only the 10th time in more than three centuries that has happened.

The Sphinx, which adorns the side of Braeriach, the third-highest mountain in Great Britain, was historically considered the United Kingdom’s longest-lasting snow patch because it was known for sticking around even after most snow and ice vanished every year in Scotland’s Cairngorms mountain range.

In September, however, the patch melted entirely, as it has every year since 2021. In the 20th century, by comparison, the Sphinx vanished just three times.

Such snow patches tend to be sensitive to small fluctuations in temperatures, experts say, so they can act as harbingers of the broader consequences of climate change. The melting of the Sphinx, then, offers clues about how climate change is affecting the Scottish Highlands — and by extension the rest of the country and the world.

“The Sphinx melting for four years in a row now is a good indicator of these changes,” said Grant Moir, CEO of the Cairngorms National Park Authority. “Climate change was always relatively high up on the agenda for us as a national park, and we’re seeing impacts on the Highlands more and more. You get an idea from the Sphinx of the changes that are happening to our climate.”

In addition to snowmelt, Moir said, the Highlands are experiencing more frequent storms and floods, interspersed with longer periods of dry weather that increase the risk of wildfires.

Shifts in snow cover across the Highlands have consequences for the mountain ecosystems, since they alter the natural hydrological cycle in which snow gradually melts from mountains and flows into streams.

“There are big impacts on things like salmon spawning grounds and on the river overall,” Moir said. “We’ve got to mitigate some of these impacts, and we’ve got to see what we can do differently to adapt to these changing patterns.”

The Cairngorms park is also home to some of the U.K.’s endangered species, he added.

The ripple effects extend beyond the natural environment. Around 18,000 people live in the national park, and roughly 2 million visit every year, Moir said. But severe storms and floods can displace residents, cause millions of pounds in damage and disrupt valuable tourism in the region, he said.

“It’s always been about trying to get that the right balance, to make sure that nature and people can thrive in the national park,” Moir said. “What we’re trying to do is to make sure we invest in things that are good for nature, good for biodiversity and good for people, as well.”

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/snow-patch-scotland-uk-vanished-rcna171272

US Military Leaders Strategize On How To Respond To Orders From Trump

America’s military leaders are engaging in informal discussions about how they would respond if President-elect Donald Trump issued orders to use active-duty U.S. troops against civilians and aid his mass deportation plans, according to a report.

Trump talked on the campaign trail about using military forces to quell protests in cities and said that one of his first actions upon entering the White House again would be to begin mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

During his campaign he characterized protesters as “enemies from within” who may have to be “handled” by the National Guard or military. He later also included his Democratic critics, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, as the “enemy from within” and somehow more “dangerous” than China or Russia.

Of particular concern is Trump issuing an unlawful order, especially if his political appointees in the Pentagon fail to push back.

“Troops are compelled by law to disobey unlawful orders,” a defense official told CNN.

“But the question is what happens then – do we see resignations from senior military leaders? Or would they view that as abandoning their people?” the official said.

How the military’s top brass would react to those orders is part of ongoing discussions at the Defense Department.

“We are all preparing and planning for the worst-case scenario, but the reality is that we don’t know how this is going to play out yet,” another defense official told CNN.

Trump had a tense relationship with the military officials in his first administration, including with former Marine Gen. John Kelly, who served as the White House chief of staff.

Kelly accused Trump of being a “fascist” and claimed that he said Adolf Hitler “did some good things, too.”

Retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Trump was “fascist to the core.”

Trump responded by calling the military leaders “woke” and “weak.”

“The relationship between the White House and the DoD was really, really bad, and so … I know it’s top of mind for how they’re going to select the folks that they put in DoD this time around,” a former defense official told CNN.

American troops could be deployed in cities to help carry out Trump’s plan for mass deportations, a former defense official told CNN.

Local law enforcement departments “don’t have the manpower, they don’t have the helicopters, the trucks, the expeditionary capabilities” that the military brings, the official said.

Source: https://dnyuz.com/2024/11/09/us-military-leaders-strategize-on-how-to-respond-to-orders-from-trump/

Canadian police brace for ‘worst-case scenario’ of asylum-seekers fleeing Trump

FILE PHOTO: People wait for transport to cross into Canada at Roxham Road, in Plattsburgh

Canadian police and migrant aid groups are bracing for an influx of asylum-seekers fleeing President-elect Donald Trump’s United States at the same time Canada deals with record numbers of refugee claimants and is trying to bring in fewer immigrants.

The former and now future U.S. president swept to power this week in part on a promise to enact the largest deportation in American history.

Canadian police have been preparing for months, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Charles Poirier on Thursday.

“We knew a few months ago that we had to start prepping a contingency plan because if he comes into power, which now he will in a few months, it could drive illegal migration and irregular migration into (the province of) Quebec and into Canada,” he told Reuters.

“Worst-case scenario would be people crossing in large numbers everywhere on the territory. … Let’s say we had 100 people per day entering across the border, then it’s going to be hard because our officers will basically have to cover huge distances in order to arrest everyone.”

When Trump first came to power in 2017, thousands of asylum-seekers crossed into Canada between formal border crossings to file refugee claims – overwhelmingly at Roxham Road, near the Quebec-New York border.

Roxham Road is no longer an option: Canada and the U.S. expanded a bilateral agreement so that now asylum-seekers trying to cross anywhere along the 4,000-mile border, instead of only at formal crossings, are turned back unless they meet a narrow exemption.

This means people crossing from the U.S. to file claims must sneak across undetected and hide out for two weeks before seeking asylum – a potentially dangerous prospect, immigrant advocates say.

But they add people are already doing it.

“When you don’t create legitimate pathways, or when you only create pathways where people have to do the impossible to receive safety, you know, unfortunately, people are going to try to do the impossible,” said Abdulla Daoud, director of The Refugee Centre in Montreal, which provides services.

And those numbers are expected to increase.

Police are on “high alert,” Poirier said, prepared to deploy additional resources to patrol the border. Depending what happens that could mean hundreds more officers. It could also mean more cruisers, chartering buses, building trailers and renting land.

“All eyes are on the border right now. … We were on high alert, I can tell you, a few days before the election, and we’ll probably remain on alert for the next coming weeks.”

RECORD CLAIMS

Canada is already dealing with record numbers of refugee claimants: In July, almost 20,000 people filed refugee claims, according to Immigration and Refugee Board data – the highest monthly total on record and driven by global displacement, advocates and experts told Reuters.

The number has since dipped, to about 16,400 in September, but remains historically high. There are more than 250,000 claims pending, according to the board.

Canada’s government has slashed the number of permanent and temporary immigrants but has less control over how many people claim asylum.

Toronto’s FCJ Refugee Centre already serves dozens of new asylum-seekers a week, its founder Loly Rico told Reuters.

Trump’s election is “going to impact Canada,” she said. “We will start seeing more people crossing the border, appearing in cities and looking for support.”

She worries about what will happen in the winter. In 2022, a family of four froze to death trying to cross the border near Emerson, Manitoba.

“It’s going to be a challenge for any refugee in the United States to feel that they belong, and that’s why they will start looking what other countries can start giving them protection.”

Canada’s attempts to tighten its borders have been a boon to smugglers: People used to pay for help getting to the United States and make their way to Canada on their own, Rico said; now they pay extra to come to Canada overland or by air.

Daoud added that ahead of a likely influx, now is the time for Canada to invest in its asylum infrastructure to better support and process people who make refugee claims there.

Source: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadian-police-brace-worst-case-110346032.html

Biden, Trump set to meet Wednesday in Oval Office

President Biden and President-elect Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House announced on Saturday.

The meeting will be held at 11 a.m. local time, according to the statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Mr. Biden extended the invitation for the meeting.

Such a meeting is customary between the outgoing president and the incoming president and is meant partly to mark the start of a peaceful transfer of power under America’s democracy. However, Mr. Trump did not host Mr. Biden for a sit-down after the 2020 election, when Mr. Trump lost his reelection bid.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-trump-meet-oval-office/

Monkeys that escaped a lab are a species used for human research since the 1800s

The 43 rhesus macaque monkeys that escaped a South Carolina medical lab this week are among the most studied animals on the planet. And for more than a century, they have held a mirror to humanity, revealing our strengths and weaknesses through their own clever behaviors, organ systems and genetic code.

The bare-faced primates with expressive eyes have been launched on rockets into space. Their genome has been mapped. They have even been stars of a reality TV show.

Animal rights groups point out that the species has been subjected to studies on vaccines, organ transplants and the impact of separating infants from mothers. At the same time, many in the scientific community will tell you just how vital their research is to fighting AIDS, polio and COVID-19.

In 2003, a nationwide shortage of rhesus macaques threatened to slow down studies and scientists were paying up to $10,000 per animal to continue their work.

“Every large research university in the United States probably has some rhesus macaques hidden somewhere in the basement of its medical school,” according to the 2007 book, “Macachiavellian Intelligence: How Rhesus Macaques and Humans Have Conquered the World.”

“The U.S. Army and NASA have rhesus macaques too,” wrote the book’s author, Dario Maestripieri, a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago, “and for years they trained them to play computer video games to see whether the monkeys could learn to pilot planes and launch missiles.”

Research begins in the 1890s

Humans have been using the rhesus macaque for scientific research since the late 1800s when the theory of evolution gained more acceptance, according to a 2022 research paper by the journal eLife.

The first study on the species was published in 1893 and described the “anatomy of advanced pregnancy,” according to the eLife paper. By 1925, the Carnegie Science Institute had set up a breeding population of the monkeys to study embryology and fertility in a species that was similar to humans.

One reason for the animal’s popularity was its abundance. These monkeys have the largest natural range of any non-human primate, stretching from Afghanistan and India to Vietnam and China.

“The other reason is because rhesus macaques, as primates go, are a pretty hardy species,” said Eve Cooper, the eLife research paper’s lead author and a biology professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. “They can live under conditions and they can be bred under conditions that are relatively easy to maintain.”

NASA rockets and the Salk polio vaccine

In the 1950s, the monkey’s kidneys were used to make the Salk polio vaccine. NASA also used the animals during the space race, according to a brief history of animals in space on the agency’s website.

For example, a rhesus monkey named “Miss Sam” was launched in 1960 in a Mercury capsule that attained a velocity of 1,800 mph (1,900 kph) and an altitude of 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) . She was retrieved in overall good condition.

“She was also returned to her training colony until her death on an unknown date,” NASA wrote.

New DNA evidence rewrites long-told stories of people in ancient Pompeii

When a volcanic eruption buried the ancient city of Pompeii, the last desperate moments of its citizens were preserved in stone for centuries.

Observers see stories in the plaster casts later made of their bodies, like a mother holding a child and two women embracing as they die.

But new DNA evidence suggests things were not as they seem — and these prevailing interpretations come from looking at the ancient world through modern eyes.

“We were able to disprove or challenge some of the previous narratives built upon how these individuals were kind of found in relation to each other,” said Alissa Mittnik of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. “It opens up different interpretations for who these people might have been.”

Mittnik and her colleagues discovered that the person thought to be a mother was actually a man unrelated to the child. And at least one of the two people locked in an embrace — long assumed to be sisters or a mother and daughter — was a man. Their research was published Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

The team, which also includes scientists from Harvard University and the University of Florence in Italy, relied on genetic material preserved for nearly two millennia. After Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the Roman city in 79 A.D., bodies buried in mud and ash eventually decomposed, leaving spaces where they used to be. Casts were created from the voids in the late 1800s.

Researchers focused on 14 casts undergoing restoration, extracting DNA from the fragmented skeletal remains that mixed with them. They hoped to determine the sex, ancestry and genetic relationships between the victims.

There were several surprises in “the house of the golden bracelet,” the dwelling where the assumed mother and child were found. The adult wore an intricate piece of jewelry, for which the house was named, reinforcing the impression that the victim was a woman. Nearby were the bodies of another adult and child thought to be the rest of their nuclear family.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/pompeii-ancient-dna-mount-vesuvius-e238247d5b24d74aaa1b8e26465bb546

North Korean GPS manipulation disrupted dozens of planes and vessels, South Korea says

FILE – A soldier stands at a North Korean military guard post flying a national flag, seen from Paju, South Korea, on June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

South Korea’s military said North Korea disrupted GPS signals from border areas for the second-straight day on Saturday, affecting an unspecified number of flights and vessel operations.

Tensions between the rival Koreas have escalated as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un flaunts his advancing nuclear and missile program and engages in electronic and psychological warfare, such as flying thousands of balloons to drop trash and anti-South Korean propaganda leaflets in the South.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korean operations to manipulate GPS signals were detected from around the western border city of Kaesong and the nearby city of Haeju on Friday and Saturday, and said the activities disrupted dozens of civilian aircraft and several vessels.

While warning aircraft and vessels near western border areas, South Korea’s military did not specify how North Korea was interfering with GPS signals or detail the extent of disruptions.

“We urge North Korea to stop GPS interference provocations immediately and strongly warn that it will be held fully accountable for any resulting consequences,” the South’s joint chiefs said in a statement.

North Korea’s GPS signal disruptions and balloon campaigns highlight the vulnerability of South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, its main transportation gateway, analyst Sukjoon Yoon recently wrote on the North Korea-focused 38 North website.

The airport, which carries 56 million people and 3.6 million tons of cargo annually, is less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from North Korea.

“No major aviation incidents have resulted to date, but GPS interference can endanger commercial airlines flying in poor visibility, and it is a violation of international conventions on navigational safety,” Yoon wrote. He said that in 2024, North Korean trash balloons halted the airport’s runway operations 12 different times for a total of 265 minutes.

Kim has shown more hostility this year toward Seoul’s conservative government — which maintains a hard line on Pyongyang — with the North abandoning its long-standing goals of reconciliation with its war-divided rival and rewriting its constitution to cement South Korea as a permanent adversary.

North Korea also blew up sections of its unused road and rail routes linked with the South in October in a symbolic display of anger toward Seoul, and opened November with a flight-test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile to dial up pressure on Washington.

South Korean officials say North Korean activities to disrupt GPS signals from western border regions increased as the country began launching trash-carrying balloons toward the South in late May, which the North described as a retaliation against South Korean civilian activists flying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border.

Aside from North Korea’s weapons demonstrations and non-conventional provocations, there’s growing concern over its reported provision of military equipment and troops to Russia to support President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. South Korean officials say the deepening military alignment between Moscow and Pyongyang could possibly result in Russian technology transfers that increases the threat posed by Kim’s military nuclear program.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-gps-interference-jamming-aircraft-nuclear-2f6a345ffd3bcf2875b04a758658c9c7

Pictures from space show mighty smog choking Lahore

A thick blanket of smog has derailed normal activity for most people

Smog starts slow.

At first, you cannot see it but you can smell it. It smells like something is burning. And it intensifies as the temperature drops.

Then the smoke and fog start to envelop you and the city around you. Now you can see it. You are walking through the smoke, a thick ceiling of it hanging overhead.

If you are not wearing a mask or you lower it for a moment, you will immediately inhale the bitter air.

Your throat might start to feel itchy and sore. As it gets worse, you start sneezing and coughing. But it’s worse for others: children, the elderly, those with breathing difficulties. The hospitals know to expect the influx.

Lahore and its 13 million residents have now been choking for a week; the air quality index has passed the 1,000 mark repeatedly this month – anything above 300 is considered hazardous.

Pakistani officials have scrambled to respond to the crisis – its scale unprecedented even in a city which deals with smog at this time each year.

Schools are closed, workers have been told to stay home and people urged to stay indoors – part of a so-called “green lockdown”, which has also seen motorbike rickshaws, heavy vehicles and motorbike parking banned from hot spot areas.

By the end of the week, Lahore High Court had ordered all the markets in the Punjab province to close by 20:00 each night, with complete closures on Sundays. Parks and zoos have also been shut until 17 November.

The problem, according to Nasa scientist Pawan Gupta, is that pollution levels in the city “typically peak in late November and December”.

“So this is just beginning. The worst pollution days are probably still ahead of us,” he warned.

The smoke that has enveloped Lahore, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, can be seen from space – as can part of the cause.

Satellite images from the US space agency Nasa shows both the thick layer of smog and the multiple concentrations of fire in the region between the Indian capital, Delhi, and Pakistan’s Lahore.

The same image, six weeks earlier, shows clear skies and – crucially – far fewer fires.

A major cause of the smog is the fires which are caused by the burning of stubble after harvest by farmers in both Pakistan and India – a quick way to clear their fields ready for the next crops.

This year, Nasa estimates it will count “between 15,500 and 18,500 fires ”, according to Hiren Jethva, a senior research scientist at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Morgan State University, higher than most years.

According to Pakistan’s environment protection authorities, around 30% of Lahore’s smog comes from across the border in India. The Indian government has this year doubled fines for farmers caught stubble-burning as it tries to deal with the issue.

But much of Lahore’s air pollution comes from its five million motorbikes and millions of other vehicles’ exhausts. On Friday, Lahore’s high court identified heavy traffic emissions as the main cause of the smog, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

Then there are the industries in the city’s outskirts – like the coal-fired brick kilns – adding even more pollution to the air.

And in the final months of the year, it all combines with cold air flowing down from Tibet, creating the smog which is currently sitting over the city.

It is clear the toxic air is making people sick.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI), a value of 50 or below indicates good air quality, while a value above 300 signals Hazardous air quality.

The WHO guidelines say the average concentration of PM2.5 level should be below five.

Abid Omar, founder of Pakistan’s Air Quality Initiative, which collects data from 143 air quality monitors across the country, says the readings in Lahore “have hit beyond index on every day in November”.

“Some locations in Lahore have exceeded 1,000,” he says, adding: “On Thursday we had one reading of 1,917 on the AQI scale.”

By Tuesday, it was widely reported 900 people had been admitted to hospital in Lahore with breathing difficulties.

“More and more people are coming with complaints of asthma, itchy throats and coughing,” says Dr Irfan Malik, a pulmonologist at one of the biggest hospitals in Lahore.

He has already seen a surge in patients complaining of respiratory tract illnesses – “particularly worrying because we have not yet seen our first cold wave of the winter season”.

The danger is a constant concern for Lahore resident Sadia Kashif.

“Like every mother, I want to see my children run and play without fearing pollution,” she tells the BBC.

“I see my children struggle with coughs and breathing problems these days, and it is a painful reminder that our air has become extremely toxic.”

But the current “green lockdown” has left her unimpressed.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm20k76d5xno

Tony Todd, ‘Candyman’ and ‘Final Destination’ Star, Dies at 69

Everett Collection

Tony Todd, an American actor known for leading the “Candyman” horror franchise as its eponymous hook-wielding ghost, died Wednesday at his home in Marina Del Rey, Calif. He was 69.

Todd’s death was confirmed by a representative for the actor. A cause of death was not disclosed.

A reliable presence in genre fare across four decades, Todd’s series of credits include iconic titles such as Alex Proyas’ comic book adaptation “The Crow,” Michael Bay’s Alcatraz actioner “The Rock” and the elaborate killing-set-piece series “Final Destination.” One of his earliest film performances came in his early thirties in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning war epic “Platoon.” On “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Todd donned alien make-up to play Kurn, a Commander in the Klingon Defense Force and the brother of Worf (played by series regular Michael Dorn).

But Todd secured his name in the genre pantheon with his performance in Bernard Rose’s “Candyman,” an early-’90s Americanized spin on Clive Barker that brought a memorable supernatural spin on themes of gentrification and racism. At a towering 6’5”, Todd played Daniel Robitaille, aka Candyman, the ghost of an African American artist and son of a slave who was murdered for his relationship with a white woman. The film starred Virginia Madsen as a Chicago graduate student preparing a thesis on the legend of Candyman by investigating inner-city Chicago.

“My beloved. May you rest in power,” Madsen wrote in a post on Instagram after learning of her co-star’s death. “The great actor Tony Todd has left us and now is an angel. As he was in life. More later but I can’t right now. I love you.”

“Candyman” positioned itself as a somewhat arty genre play, debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section. Its handling of serious themes did not go unquestioned at the time, with some levying accusations of it trafficking in racist stereotypes, but the film has endured in critical and genre circles for its unblinking approach to serious matters, connecting America’s history of racism to the woes of contemporary urban life.

As the sympathetic slasher, Todd reprised the role of Candyman several times. He returned for the 1995 sequel “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh” (which marked the debut feature for Oscar-nominee Bill Condon), as well as Turi Meyer’s “Candyman: Day of the Dead” in 1999. After decades in development, the property was revived at Universal by director Nia DaCosta in 2021 with the simply titled “Candyman,” which functioned as a direct sequel to the 1992 original and was co-written by DaCosta, Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. Todd reprised his role in the new entry, which starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an artist who becomes drawn into the Candyman legend.

Source: https://variety.com/2024/film/obituaries-people-news/tony-todd-dead-candyman-final-destination-kurn-star-trek-1236205445/

Grammy Nominations 2025: Beyonce Leads With 11 Nods as Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX Are Among Top Nominees

Getty Images

Beyoncé just earned herself another sash. As numbers go, she is easily the queen of the rodeo that is the 2025 Grammy nominations, racking up 11 nominations for her “Cowboy Carter” album and its attendant singles. That’s a personal high for her, besting the 10 nods she got back in 2009.

But Beyoncé has to share the headlines coming out of Friday morning’s announcement. Because she is just one of five powerhouse women who are nominated in all three of the Grammys‘ top general categories this year — record, song and album of the year. Joining her in being nominated for all three of those major prizes are Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.

The red-hot Roan and Carpenter also have the distinction of each being nominated for best new artist, meaning they are up in all four general categories open to recording artists across genres. If either Carpenter or Roan turned out to be red-hot enough to win best new artist plus the trio of record, song and album of the year, they’d be the first to accomplish that since Eilish did it in 2020.

Three other artists picked up nominations in two of the three top categories and accrued major nomination tallies: Charli XCX, Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar.

Following Beyoncé’s leading 11 nods, it’s Eilish, Lamar, Malone and Charli XCX who have a four-way tie for the second-largest number of nominations this year, with seven noms each. Close behind with six nominations apiece are Swift, Roan and Carpenter.

Is this the Grammys’ year of the woman”? You’d have to say yes, with female artists claiming six out of the eight nominations for both album of the year and record of the year. But then, last year was really the year of the woman, with seven out of eight spots taken in those categories. In other words, this “stepping up” has been the norm and not the exception for several successive years now.

The dominance of all these women on the charts as well as in the larger pop culture made predicting the Grammys a little easier this year, for many. (Variety’s predictions a month ago were largely on the nose, getting six out of eight nominees right in each of the four general-field categories.)

It was only when the Recording Academy’s voters deigned to recognize men in top categories that inclusions occurred that were less expected… if not head-scratchers. Andre 3000’s album of the year nomination, for his instrumental free-range-flute album “New Blue Sun,” is sure to set off a rash of WTF comments; although the collection certainly had its defenders, there was not a prognosticator in the world who considered that even a dark horse. The sewn-together Beatles track “Now and Then,” which is nominated for record of the year, had at least popped up in the conversations, as a possibility to fill the surprise-veteran slot taken by ABBA two years ago.

Benson Boone, Teddy Swims and Shaboozey were the three breakout men of the year in music, but the first two of those were held to a single nomination, for best new artist. Shaboozey got that nom, too, along with three more for his record-busting “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and one for a feature on “Cowboy Carter.” (“Bar Song” also picked up an additional nod for best remix, an award that goes to the remixer but acknowledges the artist parenthetically.)

Will the Feb. 1 ceremony finally see Beyoncé winning either album or record of the year — two prizes that have eluded her despite winning a record number of Grammys? The rooting interest is off the charts. But every one of the women competing against her in the top categories has had undeniable zeitgeist moments this year. And in the record of the year division, she faces Kendrick Lamar. His single “Not Like Us” was so ubiquitous in even sports and electoral politics this year that it forces Grammy watchers to consider a possibility that is about as unthinkable at the Grammys lately as it is inevitable in the outside world: a guy prevailing.

RECORD OF THE YEAR

  1. “Now and Then”
    The Beatles
  2. “Texas Hold ‘Em”
    Beyoncé
  3. “Espresso”
    Sabrina Carpenter
  4. “360”
    Charli XCX
  5. “Birds of a Feather”
    Billie Eilish
  6. “Not Like Us”
    Kendrick Lamar
  7. “Good Luck, Babe!”
    Chappell Roan
  8. “Fortnight”
    Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

  1. “New Blue Sun”
    André 3000
  2. “Cowboy Carter”
    Beyoncé
  3. “Short n’ Sweet”
    Sabrina Carpenter
  4. “Brat”
    Charli XCX
  5. “Djesse Vol. 4”
    Jacob Collier
  6. “Hit Me Hard and Soft”
    Billie Eilish
  7. “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
    Chappell Roan
  8. “The Tortured Poets Department”
    Taylor Swift

SONG OF THE YEAR

  1. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
    Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry & Mark Williams, songwriters
    (Shaboozey)
  2. “Birds of a Feather”
    Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
  3. “Die With a Smile”
    Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars)
  4. “Fortnight”
    Jack Antonoff, Austin Post & Taylor Swift, songwriters
    (Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone)
  5. “Good Luck, Babe!”
    Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter, songwriters (Chappell Roan)
  6. “Not Like Us”
    Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
  7. “Please Please Please”
    Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
  8. “Texas Hold ‘Em”
    Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé)

BEST NEW ARTIST

  1. Benson Boone
  2. Sabrina Carpenter
  3. Doechii
  4. Khruangbin
  5. Raye
  6. Chappell Roan
  7. Shaboozey
  8. Teddy Swims

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (NON-CLASSICAL)

  1. Alissia
  2. Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
  3. Ian Fitchuk
  4. Mustard
  5. Daniel Nigro

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

  1. Jessi Alexander
  2. Amy Allen
  3. Edgar Barrera
  4. Jessie Jo Dillon
  5. Raye

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE

  1. “Bodyguard”
    Beyoncé
  2. “Espresso”
    Sabrina Carpenter
  3. “Apple”
    Charli xcx

Source: https://variety.com/2024/music/news/grammy-nominations-2025-beyonce-taylor-swift-chappell-roan-complete-list-1236204610/

British supermodel Georgina Cooper dead at 46 after suddenly falling ill during Greece vacation

British supermodel Georgina Cooper — known for her iconic gapped-tooth Cool Britannia look — has died unexpectedly at age 46, according to her friends and multiple reports.

According to the Daily Mail, Cooper was hospitalized after falling ill while vacationing with her husband of several months, Nigel, on the Greek island of Kos.

They were reportedly staying at the Marianna Hotel when she became sick and was taken to a hospital on Oct. 21.

After her condition was evaluated, the hospital reportedly had her flown to a better-equipped location on the island of Crete. She was reportedly treated for five days before she died.

British supermodel Georgina Cooper reportedly died at age 46.
WireImage
Cooper was hospitalized after falling ill on the Greek island of Kos, according to the Daily Mail.
Penske Media via Getty Images

Cooper’s cause of death has not been revealed, but WWD reports she suffered from a brain hemorrhage as a result of long COVID.

Meanwhile, her former agent, Dean Goodman, told the Mail that she “had been unwell during Covid and had developed some health problems and had been in and out of hospital.”

He confirmed she “had plans for the future” and “was looking forward to her life” with her new husband.

Contrary to what the Mail reported, WWD claimed she stayed on Kos for the final days of her life.

Her former agent, Dean Goodman, told the Mail she “developed some health problems and had been in and out of hospital” during Covid.
Penske Media via Getty Images

A source on the island told the Mail that Cooper had been vacationing there for more than 20 years and had traveled there for her honeymoon in July and again in October.

They added, “This was all very sudden and it is a shock for all of us.”

“She was talking about coming back in May because she wanted to find somewhere to live and maybe start a business. It’s so sad.”

Cooper’s close friend and fellow model Jade Parfitt, 46, told the outlet that “friends and family are absolutely devastated.”

“Georgina was a ray of light, a very popular model who was riotous fun, always laughing and being naughty in all the best ways,” she added.

“We all wanted to hang out with George backstage. Her achievements in the industry were huge.”

Cooper began modeling at 13 after she was discovered at the Elite Look of The Year contest in 1992, according to her 2018 interview with the Cultural Omnivore.

She was then reportedly signed by Premier Model Management, which was co-founded by former model Carole White. White reportedly served as Naomi Campbell’s agent at the time.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/11/08/celebrity-news/british-supermodel-georgina-cooper-dead-at-46/

Elon Musk forecasts Justin Trudeau’s fall, says ‘he will be gone in the…’

Musk has spoken against Trudeau on several occasions. Photograph:(AFP)

Elon Musk knows how to stay in the news. He was extremely vocal about his support for Donald Trump in the run-up to the US presidential election, even joining him at a campaign rally. The election night saw him use his social media platform X extensively. And now that Trump has won, he is likely to make headlines even more.

He has predicted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will go out of power soon. Replying to a post, he stated that Trudeau will lose in the upcoming Canadian federal election, scheduled to take place by October 2025.

A social media user requested Musk to help them get rid of Trudeau, to which he wrote, “He will be gone in the upcoming election.”

It all started when a Swedish journalist posted a message about the German government. “The German Socialist government has COLLAPSED and there are now talks about a snap election,” he wrote.

The SpaceX CEO reposted the message, calling called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool” after the collapse of his three-party coalition. Writing in German, he wrote, “Olaf ist ein Narr” (“Olaf is a fool”).

Another user wrote below, “Elon Musk we need your help in Canada getting rid of Trudeau”. Musk confidently replied that Trudeau is going to lose.

Source: https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-forecasts-justin-trudeaus-fall-says-he-will-be-gone-in-the-774552

 

FBI investigates racist text messages sent to black people across US

Authorities are investigating racist text messages sent to black Americans across the country telling them to report to a plantation “to pick cotton”.

Black Americans, including school and college students, were among the recipients in states including Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania.

“The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter,” the agency said.

The messages appear to have started on Wednesday, the day after election day. Some of the messages mentioned the Trump campaign – which strongly denied any connection.

Steven Cheung, a campaign spokesman, said: “The campaign has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.”

The source of the anonymous messages and the total number sent are unclear.

A 42-year-old mother in Indiana sent a copy of the texts her high-school-aged daughter received to the BBC.

The messages said that the daughter had “been selected to become a slave at your nearest plantation” and would be “picked up in a white van” and “searched thoroughly once you’ve reached your destination”.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, called the messages “extremely, extremely alarming” and made her feel “really vulnerable”.

“It’s because of America’s history, but the timing is specific to the day after the election,” she said. “This had to be a strategised effort.”

Another recipient, Hailey Welch, told a University of Alabama student newspaper that several students on the campus had also received the messages.

“At first I thought it was a joke, but everyone else was getting them. People were texting, posting on their stories, saying they got them,” Ms Welch told The Crimson White. “I was just stressed out, and I was scared because I didn’t know what was happening.”

The wording of the messages varied but generally instructed recipients to report to a “plantation” or wait to be picked up in a van, and referred to “slave” labour.

The texts were sent from numbers with area codes in at least 25 different states, according to CBS News, the BBC’s partner network in the US.

TextNow, a mobile provider that allows people to create phone numbers for free, said it found one or more of its accounts were used to send text messages “in violation of its terms of service”. The company disabled the accounts within an hour of discovering the misuse, it said in a statement.

“We do not condone the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages and will work with the authorities to prevent these individuals from doing so in the future,” it said.

Civil rights group NAACP condemned the messages saying they were a consequence of President-elect Trump’s election.

“These actions are not normal, ” said the group’s chief executive Derrick Johnson. “These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday’s election results.”

Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, which is also investigating the messages, said: “These messages are unacceptable. We take this type of targeting very seriously.”

In several states, top law enforcement officials said they were aware of the messages and encouraged residents to report them to the authorities if they received them.

The office of Nevada’s attorney general said it was working to “probe into the source of what appear to be robotext messages”.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy93dp4zk3o

Gaza: About 70% of people killed in the war are women and children, UN says

The highest number of verified deaths was among children aged between five and nine years old, according to the UN’s Human Rights Office.

A man reacts next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in February. Pic: Reuters

Nearly 70% of deaths in the Gaza war, which have been verified by the United Nations, were women and children, its Human Rights Office has said.

The UN has analysed killings in the first 11 months of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Palestinian territory and managed to verify 8,119 victims, including 2,036 women and 3,588 children.

The 8,119 figure is considerably lower than the 43,000 deaths reported over the course of the 13-month-long war by the Hamas-run health ministry, although the UN does see these numbers as reliable.

Pic: Reuters

Out of the verified deaths between 7 October 2023 and 2 September 2024, children represented almost half of the victims (44%) while women accounted for 26%.

The highest number of deaths was among children aged between five and nine years old, closely followed by those aged 10-14, and then babies aged up to and including four years old.

The youngest victim whose death was verified by the UN was a one-day-old boy, while the oldest was a 97-year-old woman.

In 88% of cases, five or more people were killed in the same attack – suggesting weapons were used across a wide area.

However the report added some of the killings may have been the result of errant projectiles from Palestinian armed groups.

The UN’s report rings true with Palestinian claims that women and children represent a large proportion of those killed in the war, and it accuses Israel of “an apparent indifference to the death of civilians and the impact of the means and methods of warfare”.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement: “This unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians is a direct consequence of the failure to comply with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.”

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in response that it “works to minimise harm to non-combatants prior to attacks, especially women and children”.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/gaza-about-70-of-people-killed-in-the-war-are-women-and-children-un-says-13250711

Iranian man described as ‘the best smuggler’ jailed for 17 years after helping migrants cross Channel

Video shows National Crime Agency officers flooding into Amanj Hasan Zada’s Preston terrace house and arresting him.

A people smuggler who helped migrants cross the Channel on small boats and posted videos from successful customers has been jailed for 17 years for immigration offences.

Amanj Hasan Zada, an Iranian national living in Preston, advertised on social media and shared clips of people thanking him for his services.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) linked him to three separate crossings from France to the UK in November and December last year involving Kurdish migrants.

Amanj Hasan Zada brandishing a gun above his head. Pic: PA

The groups had travelled through Eastern Europe into Germany, Belgium and France before making it to Britain.

However, the NCA believes the Iranian national was involved in many more similar operations.

Zada, 34, was found guilty of three counts of facilitating illegal immigration after a trial at Preston Crown Court.

One video shows a group on a boat to Italy praising and clapping Zada, while another shows men who had crossed into Macedonia thanking him.

A third clip, found on YouTube, shows Zada singing along as musicians at a party laud him as “the best smuggler”.

He smiles and laughs as they sing lyrics including: “All the smugglers have learned from him, Amanj is number one” and “Greeting to all smugglers, greeting to these two lions”.

He throws cash and fires a gun in the air in celebration in the clip, thought to have been recorded in Iraq in 2021.

Zada was arrested in Preston in May after the NCA recorded conversations with other smugglers in which he discussed movements of migrants, locations and successful crossings.

Footage shows officers – some in riot gear – storming a terrace house and reading him his rights.

Analysis of his phone showed it was linked to a number of social media accounts used to post material, said the NCA.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/iranian-man-described-as-the-best-smuggler-convicted-after-helping-migrants-cross-channel-13250523

England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham falls into crocodile-infested waters – and is rescued by former rival Merv Hughes

The retired all-rounder was on a fishing trip with his former nemesis when he tripped and fell from a boat into the Moyle River in northern Australia.

Sir Ian Botham joked ‘Crocodile Beefy’ survived after his ordeal. File pics: chameleonseye/iStock/David Davies/PA

England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham was rescued by a former Australian rival after he fell off a boat into water “infested” with sharks and crocodiles.

The retired all-rounder was on a fishing trip with former Australian fast-bowler Merv Hughes when he got his flip-flops caught in some roping and plunged head-first into the Moyle River near Darwin, northern Australia.

Sir Ian, nicknamed Beefy, suffered severe bruising to his torso after hitting the boat on his way down – but escaped a worse fate when Hughes and fellow fishermen quickly pulled him out.

The 68-year-old wrote on Instagram on Friday: “My catch of the day was the barra [fish] while I was nearly catch of the day for all the crocs and bull sharks…

“Thanks boys for getting me out.”

The river is known for being infested with crocodiles, according to local media, while a family of bull sharks was also seen lurking underneath the boat as Sir Ian fell in.

Referencing the film Crocodile Dundee, he told Australia’s Herald Sun newspaper: “At the end of the day Crocodile Beefy survived.

“I was out of the water quicker than I went in it. Quite a few sets of eyes were having a peep at me. Luckily I had no time to think about what was in the water.”

The cricket commentator added: “The guys were brilliant, it was just one of those accidents. It was all very quick and I’m okay now.”

Sir Ian, who was awarded a knighthood in 2020, was an on-pitch rival of Hughes during clashes between England and Australia in the 1980s, but the pair have become good friends in their retirement from the sport.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/england-cricket-legend-sir-ian-botham-falls-into-crocodile-infested-waters-and-is-rescued-by-former-rival-merv-hughes-13250430

Authorities investigating racist texts sent to dozens of black Americans across the US

Many of the message recipients are university students, with the first texts sent the morning after the US presidential election.

Dozens of black Americans have received text messages telling them they had been “selected” to pick cotton “at the nearest plantation”.

The messages invoking slavery were sent to university students from colleges including Ohio State University, Clemson University in South Carolina, the University of Southern California and Missouri State University, according to Sky’s US partner network NBC News.

But other black men, women and children were recipients of the messages in several other states including New York, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Tennessee.

The first messages were sent the morning after the US election, with some referencing president-elect Donald Trump.

The FBI said in a statement on Thursday that it is aware of the texts and has been in contact with the US Department of Justice. It also encouraged people who receive the messages to report them to local law enforcement.

The Federal Communications Commission also said it is investigating alongside federal and state law enforcement.

The attorney general’s office in Virginia condemned the messages on Wednesday and directed anyone who “believes themselves to be under threat” to contact law enforcement. Police departments and leaders in cities across the country have also addressed the situation.

It is unclear who is behind the mass messages, what motivated them, or how they obtained the phone numbers.

But some of the anonymous numbers appear to be tied to TextNow, a text messaging service that allows users to obtain untraceable “burner” phone numbers.

Pic: iStock

A TextNow spokesperson said in a statement that it is aware of the messages.

“As soon as we became aware, our trust and safety team acted quickly, shutting down the accounts involved within the hour,” the Canada-based company said.

“TextNow is proud to be an inclusive service offering free mobile text and data to millions of Americans. We do not tolerate or condone the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages and will work with the authorities to prevent these individuals from doing so in the future.”

Major communications providers AT&T and Verizon both said it was an industry-wide problem.

Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill said that whoever sent the messages used a VPN to obscure their origin.

Alyse McCall, a University of Alabama student, said she “started crying” after receiving one of the messages.

“This is truly disgusting and whoever is sending it out is vile. No one should ever think to send that message or receive that message. It made me sick to my stomach,” she said.

A University of Alabama spokesperson said the “disgusting” texts “have been reported to authorities”.

Meanwhile, Monet Miller, a publicist from Atlanta, said she “genuinely felt scared” after she was sent a message.

The text sent to her read: “Greetings Monet M, you have been selected to pick cutton [sic] at the nearest plantation.

“Be ready at 12pm SHARP with your belongings. Our Executive Slaves will come get you in a Brown Van, be prepared to be searched down once you’ve enter [sic] the plantation. You are in plantation group S.”

Brian Hughes from the Trump campaign denounced the texts and said it is “absolute nonsense” to link the president-elect to the messages.

“If we can find the origin of these messages which promote this kind of ugliness in our name we will obviously take legal action to stop it,” Mr Hughes said in a statement.

“President Trump built a diverse and broad coalition of support, with voters of all races and backgrounds,” he added.

“The result was a landslide victory for his common sense mandate for change. This will result in a second term that is beneficial to every working man and woman in our nation.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/authorities-investigating-racist-texts-sent-to-dozens-of-black-americans-across-the-us-13250946

Queer: Turkish film festival cancelled after ban on Daniel Craig movie

Streaming site Mubi called the banning of Mubi Fest Istanbul 2024’s opening film Queer, just hours before it was due to start, “a direct restriction on art and freedom of expression”.

Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in Queer. Pic: Mubi/A24

A film festival in Istanbul has been scrapped in protest at a reported ban on their opening film, Queer, starring Daniel Craig.

Streaming service Mubi say they decided to pull Mubi Fest Istanbul 2024 after local authorities said the movie could not be shown “for security reasons”.

Mubi say local authorities claimed the “provocative content” in Queer would “endanger public peace”.

In the historical drama, Bond star Craig plays a drug-addicted American living in 1950s Mexico.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino, it’s based on the 1985 semi-autobiographical novel by Beat Generation author William Burroughs and explores the colourful nightlife of Mexico City.

Mubi said Turkish authorities told them just hours before the four-day festival was due to begin that Queer had been banned by a decision of the Kadıkoy District Governorate of Istanbul.

In a statement provided to Sky News, Mubi said the decision said the film was prohibited on the grounds “that it contains provocative content that could endanger public peace, with the ban being imposed for security reasons”.

Mubi said: “We believe this ban is a direct restriction on art and freedom of expression.

“Festivals are spaces that celebrate art, cultural diversity, and community, bringing people together. This ban not only targets a single film but also undermines the very essence and purpose of the festival.

“Mubi has decided to take the position that our audience expects from us. It is with deep regret that we inform you of our decision to cancel the entire Mubi Fest Istanbul.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the artists, audiences, and supporters who were eager to be part of the festival. We truly appreciate your understanding and solidarity. We know you are as saddened by this situation as we are.

“We will continue to advocate for the protection of freedom of expression and artistic integrity”.

Due to kick off on Thursday 7 November, the four-day festival had been sold out.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/queer-turkish-film-festival-cancelled-after-ban-on-daniel-craig-movie-13250556

‘Mossad For Israel, Sukhu Has SID’: Himachal ‘Samosa Mix-Up’ Triggers Internet Memes

Internet users joked that Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has a personal “SID (Samosa Investigation Department)” at his disposal to look into his missing evening snack

Internet was flooded with memes on the ‘samosa’ controversy in Himachal Pradesh. (Image: bjp4himachal/@pradip103/X)

The “samosa mix-up” in Himachal Pradesh has got the internet laughing out loud. And after the CID in the Congress-ruled state responded to the controversy on Friday, social media has been snacking on some fine memes.

While the BJP called the state government a “laughing stock”, internet users joked that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has a personal “SID (Samosa Investigation Department)” at his disposal to look into his missing evening snack.

The BJP’s Himachal Pradesh unit, it seems, may have either triggered or borrowed the idea from the internet; but, it posted a meme on its official Instagram account saying (translated from Hindi): “Do you know? A new department has opened in Sukhu ji’s system change…” (sic)

The meme is about how Israel and India have intelligence agencies like Mossad and R&AW while Sukhu has the “Samosa Investigation Department”. Even state BJP MP Anurag Thakur joined the fun, and posted a picture of a samosa on X, asking: “Why is samosa trending today?”

Another internet user posted a meme paying homage to the popular television series CID portraying Sukhu as the beloved ‘ACP Pradyuman’ character, flanked by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as ‘Daya’ and senior MP Rahul Gandhi as ‘Abhijeet’.

Source: https://www.news18.com/viral/himachal-samosa-politics-sukhu-congress-internet-viral-memes-bjp-latest-news-9113910.html

Beyonce leads Grammy nominations with ‘Cowboy Carter’

Superstar singer Beyonce topped the list of Grammy Award contenders unveiled on Friday, earning 11 nods including an album of the year nomination for her venture into country music, “Cowboy Carter.”
Behind Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone tied with seven nominations each. Pop phenomenon Taylor Swift and newcomers Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter scored six each.

Beyonce’s nominations brought her career total to 99, more than any other artist. She had been tied for the lead with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, who has 88.
Women dominated the album of the year category, the top Grammy honor.
Despite her lifetime lead in nominations, and an unrivaled 32 wins, Beyonce has never taken home the album trophy. Jay-Z called out that fact at the last Grammys ceremony, arguing that voters had failed to give proper recognition to Black artists.
Swift has won the top prize four times and is in the running again with her breakup album “The Tortured Poets Department.”
At the awards ceremony on Feb. 2, Beyonce and Swift records will compete with Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet,” “Brat” from Charli XCX, Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” and Roan’s “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”
The nominated male artists were Andre 3000 with “New Blue Sun” and jazz artist Jacob Collier for “Djesse Vol. 4.”
Winners will be chosen by the roughly 13,000 singers, songwriters, producers, engineers and others who make up the Recording Academy. The organization has taken steps to diversify its ranks, and said 38% were people of color, a 65% increase since 2019.
“Cowboy Carter” was viewed by experts and fans as a reclamation and homage to an overlooked legacy of Black Americans within country music and culture. It became the first album by a Black woman to land at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart when it was released last spring.
The Beyonce album was snubbed, however, by voters for the Country Music Awards in September.
Beyonce’s other Grammy nods included record and song of the year for single “Texas Hold ‘Em.” She also was nominated in pop, rap and Americana categories, showcasing the variety of genres on “Cowboy Carter.”
Beyonce accepts the Innovator award during the iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 1, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Could it finally be Beyonce’s time to land the top prize?
“I think she’s got a great shot,” said Jason Lipshutz, executive editor of music at Billboard.
It is unclear, however, how voters will view her foray into new musical territory, he said.
“You could tell me that this kind of reaching across the aisle, appealing to country listeners, does power Beyonce to her very first album of the year win,” Lipshutz said.
“You could also tell me that it kind of vexes people and voters a little bit, and kind of perplexes them to the degree that it falls short again,” he added.

NEW ARTIST SHOWDOWN

In the best new artist field, “Espresso” singer Carpenter will face fellow pop singer Roan, pop-rock singer Benson Boone, hip-hop/country artist Shaboozey, multi-genre musician Teddy Swims and others.
Carpenter and Roan are likely to pick up trophies on Grammys night, Lipshutz said.
“Chapell is the more kind of eccentric and outlandish artist and people love it and really, really respect it,” he said.
Carpenter “is the hitmaker,” he added. “She has scored three of the biggest songs of this year with ‘Espresso’ and ‘Taste’ and ‘Please, Please, Please.'”

India finds Zomato, Swiggy food delivery businesses breached antitrust laws, documents show

A Swiggy gig worker sits inside an electric three wheeler delivery scooter during a promotional event in Mumbai, India, October 14, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

An investigation by India’s antitrust body found food delivery giants Zomato and SoftBank-backed Swiggy (SWIG.NS), opens new tab breached competition laws, with their business practices favouring select restaurants listed on their platforms, documents show.
Zomato (ZOMT.NS), opens new tab entered into “exclusivity contracts” with partners in return for lower commissions, while Swiggy guaranteed business growth to certain players if they listed exclusively on its platform, according to non-public documents prepared by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

Exclusivity arrangements between Swiggy, Zomato and their respective restaurant partners “prevent the market from becoming more competitive,” the CCI’s investigation arm noted in its findings reviewed by Reuters on Friday.
The antitrust investigation, opens new tab against Swiggy and its top rival Zomato began in 2022 after a complaint by National Restaurant Association of India about the impact on food outlets of alleged anti-competitive practices of the platforms.

The CCI documents are not public, in line with its confidentiality rules, and were shared with Swiggy, Zomato and the complainant restaurant group in March 2024. Their findings have not been previously reported.
Zomato declined to comment, while Swiggy and the CCI did not respond to Reuters queries.
Shares in Zomato fell 3% after the Reuters report, from being flat in earlier trade.
The CCI case is mentioned as one of the “internal risks” in Swiggy’s IPO prospectus, which says “any breach of the provisions of Competition Act, may attract substantial monetary penalties.”

The CCI report noted that Swiggy told investigators the “Swiggy Exclusive” program was phased out in 2023, but the company “is planning to launch similar program (Swiggy Grow) in non-metropolitan cities.”
Food delivery giants Swiggy and Zomato have in recent years reshaped how Indians order food, as hundreds of thousands of outlets listed on their apps just when smartphone use, and online ordering, both grew rapidly.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-probe-finds-zomato-swiggy-breached-antitrust-laws-documents-show-2024-11-08/

SUV loaded with chemicals explodes on quiet NYC street in massive fireball, leaving neighbors horrified

A plumber’s truck exploded on a quiet residential street in Queens Friday morning – damaging several homes and nearby cars, according to fire officials and sources.

Wild videos showed the unoccupied Infiniti QX56 exploding into bright orange flames while parked on 133 Street in South Ozone Park around 6:45 a.m..

There were several lithium batteries inside the truck.
Obtained by NY Post
The Infiniti car, left, is seen moments before the vehicle exploded.
Obtained by NY Post

Shocked residents were seen gawking at the burning vehicle — with many assuming the constant popping of mini explosions was from fireworks kept in the vehicle.

However, the explosion appears to have actually been caused by pressurized gas cylinders that were kept in the work truck, according to FDNY Deputy Chief George Healy.

There were also several lithium ion batteries inside the truck, which were safely dealt with by the hazmat unit at the scene, Healy said.

Photos showed the vehicle completely burned out in the street. At least six homes were left with broken windows, and five vehicles parked near the flaming car were also damaged.

There were no reported injuries.

The truck’s owner, Dinell Harricharan, was at his home on Long Island when the explosion occurred, he told The Post.

He had parked the truck – which he used for his plumbing business – overnight at his younger brother’s house, he explained.

“The car’s our lifeline,” he said of the destroyed vehicle.

“We have to start over, try to finance and get everything back together.”

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/11/08/us-news/truck-explosion-rocks-quiet-queens-neighborhood/

Stop planting trees! Eco-friendly strategy in the Arctic appears to make global warming worse

Snow reflects the sunlight back into space without converting it into heat (the albedo effect). The trees in this plantation in South Greenland reduce the albedo effect. (Credit: Mathilde le Moullec, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources)

In a surprising twist that challenges popular climate solutions, scientists have discovered that planting trees in the Arctic and northern boreal regions could actually accelerate global warming rather than help combat it. In other words, researchers have a simple message: stop messing with the landscape of the Arctic, it’s making things worse.

The findings, published in Nature Geoscience, reveal that the dark surface of trees absorbs more heat than the reflective snow-covered ground they replace, potentially undermining well-intentioned climate mitigation efforts.

While tree-planting initiatives have gained momentum worldwide as a solution to climate change, this research suggests that location matters enormously. The study comes at a critical time, as various regions, including Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland, have begun implementing or considering large-scale tree-planting projects in their northern territories.

The problem lies in a phenomenon known as the albedo effect – the ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight back into space. The snow-covered ground in the Arctic reflects about 75% of incoming sunlight, while dark evergreen trees reflect only about 10%. This difference means that replacing open tundra with forests actually traps more heat in the Earth’s system, despite the trees’ ability to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

However, the issues don’t stop there. When trees are planted in Arctic regions, they disturb the soil, which in these areas serves as one of Earth’s largest carbon banks. The Arctic’s permanently frozen soils, or permafrost, contain more carbon than all the world’s plant life combined. When this soil is disturbed by tree planting and root growth, it releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, further contributing to global warming.

“Soils in the Arctic store more carbon than all vegetation on Earth,” explains lead author Jeppe Kristensen, an assistant professor from Aarhus University, in a media release. “These soils are vulnerable to disturbances, such as cultivation for forestry or agriculture, but also the penetration of tree roots. The semi-continuous daylight during the spring and early summer, when snow is still on the ground, also makes the energy balance in this region extremely sensitive to surface darkening, since green and brown trees will soak up more heat from the sun than white snow.”

The research team also found that trees in these regions face significant survival challenges. As climate change intensifies, these areas are experiencing more frequent wildfires, droughts, and pest outbreaks. When trees succumb to these disturbances, any carbon they’ve stored is released back into the atmosphere, negating their potential benefits as a carbon capture solution.

“This is a risky place to be a tree, particularly as part of a homogeneous plantation that is more vulnerable to such disturbances,” Kristensen continues. “The carbon stored in these trees risks fueling disturbances and getting released back to the atmosphere within a few decades.”

Source: https://studyfinds.org/stop-planting-trees-arctic-worse/

First Artwork By Humanoid Robot Sells For Over $1.0 Million

Ultra-realistic AI robot Ai-Da is designed to resemble a human woman
Ben Stansall

CORRECTS final sale price in headline and paras 1-2. Sotheby’s revised its figure

A portrait of English mathematician Alan Turing became the first artwork by a humanoid robot to be sold at auction, fetching more than $1.0 million on Thursday.

The 2.2-metre (7.5-foot) portrait “A.I. God” by “Ai-Da”, the world’s first ultra-realistic robot artist, went for $1,084,800, smashing pre-sale expectations of $180,000 at auction house Sotheby’s Digital Art Sale.

“Today’s record-breaking sale price for the first artwork by a humanoid robot artist to go up for auction marks a moment in the history of modern and contemporary art and reflects the growing intersection between A.I. technology and the global art market,” said the auction house.

Ai-Da Robot, which uses AI to speak, said: “The key value of my work is its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies.”

Ai-Da added that a “portrait of pioneer Alan Turing invites viewers to reflect on the god-like nature of AI and computing while considering the ethical and societal implications of these advancements.”

The ultra-realistic robot, one of the most advanced in the world, is designed to resemble a human woman with a face, large eyes and a brown wig.

Ai-Da is named after Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer and was devised by Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art.

“The greatest artists in history grappled with their period of time, and both celebrated and questioned society’s shifts,” said Meller.

“Ai-Da Robot as technology, is the perfect artist today to discuss the current developments with technology and its unfolding legacy,” he added.

Ai-Da generates ideas through conversations with members of the studio and suggested creating an image of Turing during a discussion about “A.I. for good”.

The robot was then asked what style, colour, content, tone and texture to use, before using cameras in its eyes to look at a picture of Turing and create the painting.

Meller led the team that created Ai-Da with artificial intelligence specialists at the universities of Oxford and Birmingham in England.

Turing, who made his name as a World War II codebreaker, mathematician and early computer scientist, had raised concerns about the use of AI in the 1950s, he added.

Iraq slashes legal age of consent to nine years old – so old men can marry young children

Iraq slashes legal age of consent to nine years old – so old men can marry young children (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A sick newly proposed age of consent law would allow old men in Iraq to marry children as young as nine years old, and “legalise child rape” activists claim.

Ultra-conservative Shia Muslim parties have launched a bid to pass a new law that would slash the existing age of consent in the pariah nation in half from the existing limit of 18. The changes, proposed by the dominant Shia coalition, would peel back the national “personal status law”.

Replacing the major legislation, also known as Law 188, would further roll back women’s rights, depriving them of the ability to divorce their partners, have custody for their children, and their inheritance. The latest proposals, initially announced in August 2024, would see one of the most progressive laws in the Middle East fully repealed, and has sparked outrage among women’s rights activists.

The law passed its second reading in Iraq’s parliament on September 16, and the government has claimed the move would align the country’s governance closer to the strict interpretation of Islamic law. Sensationally, the government has even argued it would protect young girls from “immoral relationships”.

Activists, who were able to defeat attempts to pass similar laws in 2014 and 2017, are urgently attempting to thwart the latest bid. Raya Faiq, the coordinator for a coalition of groups mounting a challenge to the potential law change, said the proposals were a “catastrophe for women” as Iraqi MPs joined her efforts in August.

The new law would repeal one of the most progressive pieces of legislation in the Middle East ( Image: Getty Images)

She told The Guardian that the new law would allow her son-in-law to marry off potential granddaughter as a child. She said: “This is a catastrophe for women. My husband and my family oppose child marriage. But imagine if my daughter gets married and my daughter’s husband wants to marry off my granddaughter as a child.”

“The new law would allow him to do so. I would not be allowed to object. This law legalises child rape.” While previous efforts have successfully routed the law, the latest attempt seems set to pass, with the ruling coalition currently enjoying a large parliamentary majority.

Dr Renad Mansour, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said the latest effort is the “closest it’s ever been”, adding that Shia parties have given the bill the most momentum it has had in years. He told the Daily Telegraph: “It’s the closest it’s ever been. It has more momentum than it’s ever had, primarily because of the Shia parties.”

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/iraq-slashes-legal-age-consent-34067801

Grammy Awards 2025: List of nominees

Beyoncé made Grammys history Friday by becoming the most nominated artist.

The music icon, who released her debut country album, “Cowboy Carter,” this year, received 11 nods, bringing her career total to 99.

From Sabrina Carpenter to Chappell Roan, female artists behind some of this year’s biggest hits also received industrywide recognition from the Recording Academy, which announced its nominees for the 67th Grammy Awards during a livestream.

Carpenter and Roan snagged nominations in the best new artist category. Each has reached major breakthroughs this year, drawing huge festival crowds and inching up various Billboard charts.

Beyoncé performs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 29, 2023. Kevin Mazur / WireImage file

Taylor Swift, who broke the record for most wins for album of the year, also received a handful of nods for “The Tortured Poets Department.”

British artist Charli XCX, whose “Brat” inspired some of the biggest trends of the year, was honored in several categories, including album of the year.

In the rap genre, Kendrick Lamar received a nod for “Not Like Us” in the record of the year and song of the year categories. His hit diss track against Drake was one of the top songs of the summer.

Members of the Recording Academy finished first-round voting in mid-October to determine the nominees.

The Grammy Awards will be held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 2 and air live on CBS.

See a partial list of nominees below:

Album of the year

  • “Brat” by Charli XCX
  • “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan
  • “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé
  • “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish
  • “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift
  • “New Blue Sun” by André 3000
  • “Short N’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Djesse Vol. 4” by Jacob Collier

Record of the year

  • “Now and Then” by the Beatles
  • “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé
  • “360” by Charli XCX
  • “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Good Luck Babe!” by Chappell Roan
  • “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
  • “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift
  • “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish

Song of the year 

  • “Good Luck Babe!” by Chappell Roan; written by Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro and Justin Tranter
  • “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar; written by Kendrick Lamar
  • “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift; written by Jack Antonoff, Austin Post and Taylor Swift
  • “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey; written by Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry and Mark Williams
  • “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish; written by Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell
  • “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars; written by Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Andrew Watt
  • “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter; written by Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé; written by Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro and Raphael Saadiq

Best new artist 

  • Benson Boone
  • Sabrina Carpenter
  • Doechii
  • Khruangbin
  • Raye
  • Chappell Roan
  • Shaboozey
  • Teddy Swims

Producer of the year, nonclassical

  • Alissia
  • D’mile
  • Ian Fitchuk
  • Mustard
  • Daniel Nigro

Songwriter of the year, nonclassical

  • Jessi Alexander
  • Amy Allen
  • Edgar Barrera
  • Jessie Jo Dillon
  • Raye

Best pop solo performance

  • “Bodyguard” by Beyoncé
  • “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Apple” by Charli XCX
  • “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish
  • “Good Luck Babe!” by Chappell Roan

Best pop duo/group performance

  • “Us.” by Gracie Abrams feat. Taylor Swift
  • “Levii’s Jeans” by Beyoncé feat. Post Malone
  • “Guess” by Charli XCX feat. Billie Eilish
  • “The Boy Is Mine” by Ariana Grande feat. Brandy and Monica
  • “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

Best pop vocal album

  • “Short N’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish
  • “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan
  • “Eternal Sunshine” by Ariana Grande
  • “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift

Best dance pop recording

  • “Make You Mine” by Madison Beer
  • “Von Dutch” by Charli XCX
  • “L’Amour De Ma Vie [Over Now Extended Edit]” by Billie Eilish
  • “Yes, And?” by Ariana Grande
  • “Got Me Started” by Troye Sivan

Best dance/electronic album

  • “Brat” by Charli XCX
  • “Timeless” by Kaytranada
  • “Hyperdrama” by Justice
  • “Three” by Four Tet
  • “Telos” by Zedd

Best dance/electronic recording

  • “She’s Gone, Dance On” by Disclosure
  • “Loved” by Four Tet
  • “leavemealone” by Fred Again.. and Baby Keem
  • “Neverender” by Justice and Tame Impala
  • “Witchy” by Kaytranada feat. Childish Gambino

Best remixed recording

  • “Alter Ego — Kaytranada Remix” remixed by Kaytranada; performed by Doechii feat. JT
  • “A Bar Song (Tipsy) [Remix]” remixed by David Guetta; performed by Shaboozey and David Guetta
  • “Espresso (Mark Ronson x FNZ Working Late Remix)” remixed by FNZ and Mark Ronson; performed by Sabrina Carpenter
  • “Jah Sees Them — Amapiano Remix” remixed by Alexx Antaeus, Footsteps and MrMyish; performed by Julian Marley and Antaeus
  • “Von Dutch” remixed by A.G. Cook; performed by Charli XCX and A.G. Cook feat. Addison Rae

Best country solo performance

  • “16 Carriages” — Beyoncé
  • “I Am Not Okay” — Jelly Roll
  • “The Architect” — Kacey Musgraves
  • “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
  • “It Takes a Woman” — Chris Stapleton

Best country duo/group performance

  • “Cowboys Cry Too” — Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan
  • “II Most Wanted” — Beyoncé feat. Miley Cyrus
  • “Break Mine” — Brothers Osborne
  • “Bigger Houses” — Dan + Shay
  • “I Had Some Help” — Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen

Best country song

  • “The Architect” — Kacey Musgraves; written by Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne
  • “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey; written by Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry and Mark Williams
  • “I Am Not Okay” — Jelly Roll; written by Casey Brown, Jason DeFord, Ashley Gorley and Taylor Phillips
  • “I Had Some Help” — Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen; written by Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, Morgan Wallen and Chandler Paul Walters
  • “Texas Hold ‘Em” — Beyoncé; written by Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro and Raphael Saadiq

Best country album

  • “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé
  • “F-1 Trillion” by Post Malone
  • “Deeper Well” by Kacey Musgraves
  • “Higher” by Chris Stapleton
  • “Whirlwind” by Lainey Wilson

Best rock performance

  • “Now and Then” — The Beatles
  • “Beautiful People (Stay High)” — The Black Keys
  • “The American Dream Is Killing Me” — Green Day
  • “Gift Horse” — IDLES
  • “Dark Matter” — Pearl Jam
  • “Broken Man” — St. Vincent

Best rock song

  • “Beautiful People (Stay High)” by the Black Keys; written by Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney, Beck Hansen and Daniel Nakamura
  • “Broken Man” by St. Vincent; written by Annie Clark
  • “Dark Matter” by Pearl Jam; written by Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder and Andrew Watt
  • “Dilemma” by Green Day; written by Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt
  • “Gift Horse” by IDLES; written by Jon Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan and Joe Talbot

Best rock album

  • “Happiness Bastards” — The Black Crowes
  • “Romance” — Fontaines D.C.
  • “Saviors” — Green Day
  • “TANGK” — IDLES
  • “Dark Matter” — Pearl Jam
  • “Hackney Diamonds” — The Rolling Stones
  • “No Name” — Jack White

Best metal performance

  • “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” — Gojira, Marina Viotti and Victor Le Masne
  • “Crown of Horns” — Judas Priest
  • “Suffocate” — Knocked Loose feat. Poppy
  • “Screaming Suicide” — Metallica
  • “Cellar Door” — Spiritbox

Best alternative music performance

  • “Neon Pill” — Cage the Elephant
  • “Song of the Lake” — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
  • “Starburster” — Fontaines D.C.
  • “BYE BYE” — Kim Gordon
  • “Flea” — St. Vincent

Best alternative music album

  • “Wild God” — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
  • “Charm” — Clairo
  • “The Collective” — Kim Gordon
  • “What Now” — Brittany Howard
  • “All Born Screaming” — St. Vincent

Best R&B performance

  • “Guidance” — Jhené Aiko
  • “Residuals” — Chris Brown
  • “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” — Coco Jones
  • “Made for Me (Live on BET)” — Muni Long
  • “Saturn” — SZA

Best traditional R&B performance

  • “Wet” — Marsha Ambrosius
  • “Can I Have This Groove” — Kenyon Dixon
  • “No Lie” — Lalah Hathaway feat. Michael McDonald
  • “Make Me Forget” — Muni Long
  • “That’s You” — Lucky Daye

Best R&B song

  • “After Hours” by Kehlani; written by Diovanna Frazier, Alex Goldblatt, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes and Daniel Upchurch
  • “Burning” by Tems; written by Ronald Banful and Temilade Openiyi
  • “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” by Coco Jones; written by Sara Diamond, Sydney Floyd, Marisela Jackson, Courtney Jones, Carl McCormick and Kelvin Wooten
  • “Ruined Me” by Muni Long; written by Jeff Gitelman, Priscilla Renea and Kevin Theodore
  • “Saturn” by SZA; written by Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon and Scott Zhang

Best progressive R&B album

  • “So Glad to Know You” — Avery*Sunshine
  • “En Route” — Durand Bernarr
  • “Bando Stone & the New World” — Childish Gambino
  • “Crash” — Kehlani
  • “Why Lawd?” — NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge)

Best R&B album

  • “11:11 (Deluxe)” — Chris Brown
  • “VANTABLACK” — Lalah Hathaway
  • “Revenge” — Muni Long
  • “Algorithm” — Lucky Daye
  • “COMING HOME” — Usher

Best rap performance

  • “Enough (Miami)” — Cardi B
  • “When the Sun Shines Again” — Common & Pete Rock feat. Posdnuos
  • “NISSAN ALTIMA” — Doechii
  • “Houdini” — Eminem
  • “Like That” — Future and Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar
  • “Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla
  • “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar

Best melodic rap performance

  • “KEHLANI” — Jordan Adetunji feat. Kehlani
  • “SPAGHETTII” — Beyoncé feat. Linda Martell and Shaboozey
  • “We Still Don’t Trust You” — Future and Metro Boomin feat. the Weeknd
  • “Big Mama” — Latto
  • “3” — Rapsody feat. Erykah Badu

Best rap song

  • “Asteroids” by Rapsody feat. Hit-Boy; written by Marlanna Evans
  • “Carnival” by ¥$ (Kanye West and Ty Dolla $Ign) feat. Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti; written by Jordan Carter, Raul Cubina, Grant Dickinson, Samuel Lindley, Nasir Pemberton, Dimitri Roger, Ty Dolla $ign, Kanye West and Mark Carl Stolinski Williams
  • “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar; written by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Kobe “BbyKobe” Hood, Leland Wayne and Nayvadius Wilburn
  • “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar; written by Kendrick Lamar
  • “Yeah Glo!” by GloRilla; written by Ronnie Jackson, Jaucquez Lowe, Timothy McKibbins, Kevin Andre Price, Julius Rivera III and Gloria Woods

Best rap album

  • “Might Delete Later” — J. Cole
  • “The Auditorium, Vol. 1” — Common & Pete Rock
  • “Alligator Bites Never Heal” — Doechii
  • “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” — Eminem
  • “We Don’t Trust You” — Future and Metro Boomin

Best traditional pop vocal album

  • “À Fleur De Peau” — Cyrille Aimée
  • “Visions” — Norah Jones
  • “Good Together” — Lake Street Dive
  • “Impossible Dream” — Aaron Lazar
  • “Christmas Wish” — Gregory Porter

Best Americana performance

  • “YA YA” — Beyoncé
  • “Subtitles” — Madison Cunningham
  • “Don’t Do Me Good” — Madi Diaz feat. Kacey Musgraves
  • “American Dreaming” — Sierra Ferrell
  • “Runaway Train” — Sarah Jarosz
  • “Empty Trainload of Sky” — Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Best American roots song

  • “Ahead of the Game” by Mark Knopfler; written by Mark Knopfler
  • “All in Good Time” by Iron & Wine feat. Fiona Apple; written by Sam Beam
  • “All My Friends” by Aoife O’Donovan; written by Aoife O’Donovan
  • “American Dreaming” by Sierra Ferrell; written by Sierra Ferrell and Melody Walker
  • “Blame It on Eve” by Shemekia Copeland; written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough

Best Americana album

  • “The Other Side” — T Bone Burnett
  • “$10 Cowboy” — Charley Crockett
  • “Trail of Flowers” — Sierra Ferrell
  • “Polaroid Lovers” — Sarah Jarosz
  • “No One Gets Out Alive” — Maggie Rose
  • “Tigers Blood” — Waxahatchee

Best bluegrass album

  • “I Built a World” — Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
  • “Songs of Love and Life” — The Del McCoury Band
  • “No Fear” — Sister Sadie
  • “Live Vol. 1” — Billy Strings
  • “Earl Jam” — Tony Trischka
  • “Dan Tyminski: Live From the Ryman” — Dan Tyminsk

Best traditional blues album

  • “Hill Country Love” — Cedric Burnside
  • “Struck Down” — The Fabulous Thunderbirds
  • “One Guitar Woman” — Sue Foley
  • “Sam’s Place” — Little Feat
  • “Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa” — The Taj Mahal Sextet

Best contemporary blues album

  • “Blues Deluxe Vol. 2” — Joe Bonamassa
  • “Blame It on Eve” — Shemekia Copeland
  • “Friendlytown” — Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour
  • “Mileage” — Ruthie Foster
  • “The Fury” — Antonio Vergara

Best gospel performance/song

  • “Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams; written by Sir William James Baptist and Donald Lawrence
  • “Yesterday” — Melvin Crispell III
  • “Hold On (Live)” — Ricky Dillard
  • “Holy Hands” — DOE; written by Jesse Paul Barrera, Jeffrey Castro Bernat, Dominique Jones, Timothy Ferguson, Kelby Shavon Johnson Jr., Jonathan McReynolds, Rickey Slikk Muzik Offord and Juan Winans
  • “One Hallelujah” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Erica Campbell and Israel Houghton feat. Jonathan McReynolds and Jekalyn Carr; written by G. Morris Coleman, Israel Houghton, Kenneth Leonard Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Naomi Raine

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/grammy-awards-nominations-2025-what-to-expect-announcements-rcna178945

Donald Trump They’re Automating the Dogs … Secret Service Robo-Dogs Protect Prez-Elect

Photo: Getty / NBC News Composite

Donald Trump’s got a new pack watching his back … ’cause new video shows robot dogs keeping a close eye on the president-elect.

New video taken at Mar-a-Lago shows the robotic rovers prancing across the lawn … check it out, they’re patrolling outside the club, looking for danger. No need for the dogs to go feral on anyone in this clip — but, they’re ready to sic some bad guys if they try to get at Trump.

We’ve confirmed with a Secret Service source … these are assets used by the agency, equipped with surveillance technology and a ton of sensors to beef up their protective operations.

We also know armed boat patrols are keeping an eye on Mar-a-Lago too … so, robot canines aren’t the only Secret Service assets protecting Trump.

BTW … we knew the Secret Service had this technology — ’cause they debuted it over the summer at a NATO summit.

In the clip, a Secret Service scientist says the dogs are operated by a user, like drones or remote control cars … so, there’s no danger of the robo-dogs gaining free will and choosing to chase their tails all day instead of protecting DJT.

 

Source: https://www.tmz.com/2024/11/08/secret-service-robot-dog-mar-a-lago-donald-trump-victory/

Amsterdam bans protests for three days following violent attacks on Israeli soccer fans

Amsterdam has banned demonstrations for three days after Israeli soccer fans were beaten and injured in violent clashes in the city overnight, which Dutch authorities condemned Friday as antisemitic.

Dutch police said they had launched a major investigation into multiple incidents following the Europa League soccer game Thursday night between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch side Ajax.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said criminals on scooters searched the city in search of Maccabi supporters in “hit-and-run” attacks. “This is a terrible moment for our city … I am very ashamed of the behavior that was shown last night,” she said in a Friday news conference.

Amsterdam authorities said Friday morning that five injured Israeli soccer fans have since been released from the hospital, and 20 to 30 other people were lightly injured. In total, 63 individuals were arrested and 10 remain in custody, police said.

Amsterdam has implemented several additional security measures in the wake of Thursday’s unrest. A ban on demonstrations in the city was implemented on Friday and will be in place for three days until Sunday, according to Halsema. There will also be a bolstered police presence.

The mayor also announced a ban on “face-covering clothing” and “carrying objects” that could lead to disturbances of public order.

The mayor added she wanted the city to be safe for Israeli soccer supporters, safe for locals and “especially safe for our Jewish residents.”

Tensions had been rising in the lead-up to Thursday night’s match with multiple social media videos showing Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slurs, praising Israeli military attacks in Gaza and yelling “f**k the Arabs.” Other videos apparently filmed in Amsterdam show men ripping Palestinian flags off buildings. It is unclear when those videos were filmed.

After the game, hundreds of Maccabi fans “were ambushed and attacked,” the Israeli embassy to the United States said on social media platform X, sharing video of the violence.

One video shows a man being kicked while he lies on the ground, while another video shows a man being hit by a man yelling “free Palestine” and “for the children, motherf***er.” CNN has not yet been able to verify those videos.

Another video shows a man shouting “I am not Jewish” as he is chased down the street, thrown to the ground and beaten.

Police have said the atmosphere at the stadium was relatively calm and fans left without incident after Ajax won the game 5-0, but during the night various clashes in the city center were reported.

The mayor added: “There can be tensions there are many demonstrations and protests and we are always prepared for them, and of course, they are related to the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing war. But what happened last night wasn’t a protest. … It was crime.”

“There is no excuse for the antisemitic behavior exhibited last night by rioters who actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them,” local authorities in Amsterdam said Friday, adding that police intervened several times to protect fans and escort them to hotels.

Police earlier said they had boosted their presence in the city center on Wednesday night, citing “tensions” in several areas, one day ahead of the game.

Officers “prevented a confrontation between a group of taxi drivers and a group of visitors who came from the adjacent casino” on Wednesday, the police said in a statement on X, noting another incident, in which a Palestinian flag was torn down in Amsterdam’s center by unknown perpetrators.

On Thursday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to reach the Johan Cruyff stadium, though the city had forbidden them to protest there, Reuters reported.

Kobi Elyahu, an Israeli soccer fan returning to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport on Friday evening, described the attacks against Israelis as “very frightening” and “like the 1940s.” He described seeing people locking themselves in hotels to escape, people throwing water and others “driving” and “stepping on” victims.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof called the attacks “terrible” and “horrific,” while talking to journalists on Friday.

“There are always problems around football matches, and football matches regarding the Israeli team also has special attention from the police, but the things that happened last night are just terrible, horrific,” he said, before adding that he was “utterly ashamed” that this had happened in the Netherlands.

“This is completely unacceptable. I am in close contact with all parties involved and have just spoken to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu by phone to stress that the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted,” he said, adding: “The situation in Amsterdam is now calm once more.”

Israeli officials said fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team were attacked following the game against Ajax Amsterdam on Thursday. IsraelinUSA/X

Netanyahu on Friday received a briefing from the country’s Foreign Ministry regarding efforts to return Israeli citizens from Amsterdam. During the meeting, Netanyahu compared the antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans to Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass,” when the Nazi regime attacked Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues and homes throughout Germany in 1938.

“Tomorrow, 86 years ago, was Kristallnacht – an attack on Jews, whatever Jews they are, on European soil. It’s back now – yesterday we celebrated it on the streets of Amsterdam. That’s what happened. There is only one difference – in the meantime, the Jewish state has been established. We have to deal with it,” Netanyahu said, according to a government statement.

In a separate statement from his office, Netanyahu urged Dutch authorities to “act firmly and quickly against the rioters and ensure the peace of our citizens.” Israel also organized evacuation flights on commercial aircraft for some Israeli citizens.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar traveled to the Netherlands in the wake of the attacks, which he condemned as “barbaric and antisemitic” and called “a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world.”

Following a meeting with top Dutch officials on Friday, Sa’ar highlighted that Israel expected criminal proceedings against Thursday’s perpetrators. “We expect arrests, we expect a severe punishment,” Sa’ar said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was shocked by the violence in Amsterdam, adding that he condemns all forms of antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry, UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said during a Friday news briefing.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said in a statement Friday that it “condemns anti-Arab chants by Israelis and attacks on the symbolism of the Palestinian flag in Amsterdam,” and also called on the Dutch government to “protect Palestinians and Arabs in the Netherlands.”

The Palestine Football Association also issued a statement saying it is “gravely concerned by the sequence of violent events in Amsterdam,” accusing Maccabi Tel Aviv fans of “incitement to violence, anti-Palestinian racism, and Islamophobia.”

Demonstrators run with Palestinian flags in Amsterdam ahead of the match on Thursday. Jeroen Jumelet/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Israel’s National Security Council has urged citizens to avoid affiliated basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Friday night game against Virtus Bologna in Italy.

The Israeli foreign ministry is reviewing security for Israelis living abroad and for all future Israeli team sporting events in Europe, including enhancing cooperation with local authorities, an Israeli official told CNN.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/07/europe/israel-soccer-fans-attacked-amsterdam-intl-hnk/index.html

50 European leaders assess how Trump will affect their fortunes and seek a common stance on Russia

Around 50 European leaders on Thursday called for a stronger defense posture across the continent that no longer necessitates a fundamental dependence on Washington as they gave a guarded welcome to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke to Trump after the election result, also had warm words to say about him. However, he took issue with the incoming president’s assertion that Russia’s war with Ukraine could be ended in a day.

“If it is going to be very fast, it will be a loss for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

The European Political Community summit on Thursday in Hungary’s capital Budapest reassessed trans-Atlantic relations in the hope that Trump’s second U.S. presidency will avoid the strife of his first administration.

“He was elected by the American people. He will defend the American interests,” French President Emmanuel Macron told the other leaders.

“The question is whether we are willing to defend the European interest. It is the only question. It is our priority,” Macron said.

Time and again, leaders stepped up to say European defense efforts should be increased.

After the summit he hosted, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, “There was agreement that Europe should take more responsibility for securing peace and safety. To put this more bluntly, we cannot wait for the Americans to protect us.”

During his first 2017-2021 term, Trump pushed the European NATO allies to spend more on defense, up to and beyond 2% of gross domestic product, and to be less reliant on U.S. military cover. That point has totally sunk in.

“He was the one in NATO who stimulated us to move over the 2%. And now, also thanks to him, NATO, if you take out the numbers of the U.S., is above the 2%,” NATO chief Mark Rutte said.

Charles Michel, the council president of the 27-nation EU, agreed that the continent needed to become less reliant on the United States.

Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit’s popular dog, Ben, dies

FILE – ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and his dog Ben watch players warm up before the start of an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit announced Thursday that his beloved dog, Ben, died at age 10.

Ben was a golden retriever who gained fame for regularly accompanying Herbstreit to games and even appearing on set and the sideline.

Herbstreit, who calls college football on ESPN and NFL games on Amazon Prime Video, posted on X that cancer had spread through his dog’s organs and “there was nothing left we could do — we had to let him go.”

The 55-year-old former Ohio State quarterback said he’s had dogs his whole life but “Ben was 1 on 1.”

Ben last traveled to Bloomington, Indiana, for the Hoosiers’ game against Washington on Oct. 26. His friendliness and frolicking made him a favorite with players, coaches and fans, and condolences poured in online.

Herbstreit told The Associated Press last year that Ben provided a piece of home on the road.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/kirk-herbstreit-dog-dead-d8f91af78f293b07e90244c64f13b130

Seven things Trump says he will do as president

Donald Trump is set to return to the White House, having promised action on issues including immigration, the economy and the war in Ukraine.

Watch: Trump promises to “help our country heal”

He looks likely to enjoy plenty of support for his political agenda in Congress after his Republican Party regained control of the Senate.

In his victory speech, Trump vowed he would “govern by a simple motto: Promises made, promises kept. We’re going to keep our promises”.

But in some cases, he has given little detail of how he might achieve his aims.

Asked in 2023 by Fox News whether he would abuse his power or target political opponents, he replied he would not, “except for day one”.

“No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”

1) Deport undocumented migrants

While campaigning, Trump promised the biggest mass deportations of undocumented migrants in US history.

He also pledged to complete the building of a wall at the border with Mexico that was started during his first presidency.

The number of crossings at the US southern border hit record levels at the end of last year during the Biden-Harris administration, before falling in 2024.

Experts have told the BBC that deportations on the scale promised by Trump would face huge legal and logistical challenges – and could slow economic growth.

2) Moves on economy, tax and tariffs

Exit poll data has suggested the economy was a key issue for voters. Trump has promised to “end inflation” – which rose to high levels under President Joe Biden before falling again. But a president’s power to directly influence prices is limited.

He has also promised sweeping tax cuts, extending his overhaul from 2017. He has proposed making tips tax-free, abolishing tax on social security payments and shaving corporation tax.

He has proposed new tariffs of at least 10% on most foreign goods, to cut the trade deficit. Imports from China could bear an additional 60% tariff, he has said. Some economists have warned that such moves could push up prices for ordinary people.

3) Cut climate regulations

During his first presidency, Trump rolled back hundreds of environmental protections and made America the first nation to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

This time, he has again vowed to cut regulations, particularly as a way to help the American car industry. He has constantly attacked electric vehicles, promising to overturn Biden’s targets encouraging the switch to cleaner cars.

He has pledged to increase production of US fossil fuels – vowing to “drill, drill, drill” on day one in favour of renewable energy sources such as wind power.

He wants to open areas such as the Arctic wilderness to oil drilling, which he argues would lower energy costs – though analysts are sceptical.

4) End Ukraine war

Trump has criticised the tens of billions of dollars spent by the US on supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia – and has pledged to end the conflict “within 24 hours” through a negotiated deal.

He has not said what he thinks either side should give up. Democrats say the move would embolden President Vladimir Putin.

Trump wants the US to disentangle itself from foreign conflicts generally. Regarding the war in Gaza – Trump has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of Israel, but has urged the American ally to end its operation.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev90d7wkk0o

South Korean president sorry for controversies surrounding wife

South Korea’s first lady has been linked to a number of controversies

South Korea’s president has apologised for a string of controversies surrounding his wife that included allegedly accepting a luxury Dior handbag and stock manipulation.

Addressing the nation on television, Yoon Suk Yeol said his wife, Kim Keon Hee, should have conducted herself better, but her portrayal had been excessively “demonised”, adding that some of the claims against her were “exaggerated”.

The president said he would set up an office to oversee the first lady’s official duties, but rejected a call for an investigation into her activities.

Yoon’s apology came as he tries to reverse a dip in his popularity among the South Korean public, linked to the controversies surrounding his wife.

Late in 2023, left-wing YouTube channel Voice of Seoul published a video that purportedly showed Kim accepting a 3m won ($2,200; £1,800) Dior bag from a pastor, who filmed the exchange in September 2022 using a camera concealed in his watch.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr41499pdlo

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