Category: World

Ken Howery is a quiet, unassuming tech investor who prioritizes discretion. And yet, he has ended up in the middle of two of the noisiest story lines of the incoming Trump administration.

One is the expanding ambition of Elon Musk, Mr. Howery’s close friend and fellow party-scene fixture since the two helped run PayPal 25 years ago.

The other is the expansionist ambition of Mr. Musk’s boss, President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has set his sights on buying Greenland, the world’s largest island.

As Mr. Trump’s pick for ambassador to Denmark, Mr. Howery is expected to be central to what Mr. Trump hopes will be a real-estate deal of epic proportions. The only hitch is that Denmark, which counts Greenland as its autonomous territory, says the island is not for sale.

Whether he likes it or not, Mr. Howery, a globe-trotter known for his taste for adventure and elaborate party planning, is likely to find himself in the middle of a geopolitical tempest.

Mr. Trump has been explicit about his expectations for his new ambassador filling a once-sleepy post. When he announced Mr. Howery for the role, which requires Senate confirmation, he reiterated his designs on Greenland for the first time since winning the presidency.

“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social late last year. “Ken will do a wonderful job in representing the interests of the United States.”

Thanking Mr. Trump on X, Mr. Howery mentioned not just the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen but also the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, saying he was eager to “deepen the bonds between our countries.”

On cue, Mr. Musk chimed in: “Congrats! Help America gain Greenland.”

Mr. Howery’s mission is an example of what awaits the crop of Silicon Valley donors who swarmed to Mr. Trump during the campaign and now intend to follow him into public office. While many are seasoned deal-makers, their private sector experience may only go so far in serving the unpredictable Mr. Trump.

Mr. Howery did not respond to requests for comment. In private conversations, friends say he holds traditional conservative views and is hardly a Trump die-hard. He is drawn to diplomatic roles not out of ideology but for the overseas experience, they said. He is expected to be in Washington this week, hosting a rooftop cocktail reception opening the inauguration weekend on Friday, according to a copy of the invitation.

Mr. Howery is, in fact, signing up for a second tour for Mr. Trump. He served as ambassador to Sweden for 16 months during Mr. Trump’s first term; a delayed Senate confirmation shortened his tenure.

Still, he received some practice in the art of explaining Mr. Trump to skeptics overseas. As Mr. Trump denigrated NATO, which Sweden was moving toward joining, Mr. Howery defended Mr. Trump as “unconventional” and he visited the Arctic, an important outpost for NATO’s defenses.

Persuading Denmark to part with Greenland may require Arctic diplomacy of a whole other level. Leaders in both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said they are not interested in a sale, and chortled at Mr. Trump’s approach to deal-making on social media.

“I think Ken Howery was an effective ambassador to Sweden several years back. I absolutely believe in the private-sector experience,” said Rufus Gifford, who served as President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Denmark and was a top fund-raising official on Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.

“But I’d say this: If you’re entering into the political firestorm that would be Donald Trump’s stated desire to purchase Greenland, I don’t believe there’s very much on your résumé that can help you navigate that,” he said.

Mr. Howery’s résumé begins at Stanford University in the 1990s, where he showed an early interest in politics as an undergraduate editor in chief at the conservative Stanford Review. When he graduated in 1998, he connected quickly with Peter Thiel, The Stanford Review’s rabble-rousing founder, to execute the investor’s orders.

Mr. Howery and Mr. Thiel soon started PayPal, the online payment service, where they were later joined by Mr. Musk. The three became charter members of the “PayPal Mafia” that has grown to dominate Silicon Valley. Mr. Howery and Mr. Thiel, who are still very close, went on to start Founders Fund, one of the industry’s leading venture capital firms.

With blond hair and a youthful face, the 49-year-old Mr. Howery, who is known as Kenny by friends, has little of the abrasive swagger or edge of Mr. Thiel and Mr. Musk. Some close to him described him as more of a people-pleaser than a cutthroat corporate operator. Nearly all of Mr. Howery’s associates interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to damage their relationship with Mr. Howery, who typically shuns the spotlight.

That does not mean Mr. Howery is a wallflower. He is known in part for his elaborate parties and lifestyle: In November 2020, he threw himself a birthday party at a castle near Stockholm. (Mr. Musk later said he contracted Covid on that trip.)

For a Halloween celebration in 2022, he invited plenty of billionaires, including Mr. Thiel, to a castle in Transylvania, Romania, for a “Transylmania” party, according to a social-media post from one of the planners, who said it required seven months of effort. (Although he no longer had his diplomatic job, Mr. Howery included an insignia of his ambassadorship on the thank-you letters to the planners.)

Mr. Howery, who is unmarried, has a daredevil streak, according to friends, some of whom have watched his global exploits with alarm. Calling himself an “explorer” who has been to 99 countries, he travels widely to surf and kite-board or chase tornadoes and thunderstorms. In 2008, he raced a Tesla Roadster in the Gumball 3000, a 3,000-mile road race with varying global routes. He has recently taken an interest in yacht racing, competing in competitions around the world in his Gunboat 68 Tosca. He has learned free diving in Fiji and trained to be a chef for three months in Paris, according to social media posts that are now private.

Yet, Mr. Howery’s public persona has largely been defined by his tight relationship to the world’s richest man. People who want to get notes or even packages to Mr. Musk have been told to send them to Mr. Howery first, Mr. Howery has told associates. Job-seekers have sent their résumés to Mr. Howery for delivery to Mr. Musk.

And Mr. Musk has often slept at Mr. Howery’s home in Austin in recent years, although Mr. Howery has told others that he does so less than he used to.

Mr. Howery has been there as Mr. Musk’s wealth and interests grew. He advised Mr. Musk on the purchase of Twitter, and invested personally in Mr. Musk’s other new businesses, including Neuralink and xAI.

But unlike some other friends of Mr. Musk, he does not flaunt his relationship: “I’m friends with Elon. I really don’t like to comment on my personal friendships in a public forum,” he told a Swedish interviewer in 2019. “But obviously an amazing person. Very inspirational.”

He has joined Mr. Musk in growing more and more political during the Trump era; he attended the Republican National Convention as part of a contingent of tech leaders who party-hopped at times with Donald Trump Jr. Mr. Howery is a member of the Rockbridge Network, an ascendant group of Republican donors, many with Silicon Valley ties.

This September, he co-hosted JD Vance, Mr. Trump’s vice-presidential pick, for a fund-raising dinner in Austin.

When Mr. Musk decided to start a super PAC last spring, he asked other donors to pitch in first to help him to hide his involvement for as long as possible. In June 2024, Mr. Howery made some of the very first contributions, making four separate $250,000 contributions to cover the super PAC’s initial costs.

“He went out of his way to donate and be helpful when I was helping to raise money for President Trump at the start of Elon’s America PAC,” recalled Joe Lonsdale, a friend and fellow Republican donor.

Source : https://dnyuz.com/2025/01/16/trump-picks-a-jet-setting-pal-of-elon-musk-to-go-get-greenland/

Sweden started building a final storage facility for spent nuclear fuel on Wednesday, only the second such site in the world, where highly radioactive waste will be stored for 100,000 years.
How to store deadly radioactive waste until it is safe is a question that has dogged the nuclear industry since commercial reactors began operating in the 1950s.
Finland is the only country close to completing a permanent storage site.

“It is hard to exaggerate the significance for Sweden and for the climate transition of the fact that the building of the final repository is under way,” Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari said. “They said it wouldn’t work, but it does.”
The World Nuclear Association reckons there are around 300,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel globally in need of disposal. Most of it is stored in cooling ponds near the reactors that produced it.

In addition to the spent fuel already produced, a number of countries in Europe and around the world are planning to build new reactors to provide electricity to power the transition away from fossil fuels.
The Forsmark final repository, about 150 kilometres north of Stockholm on Sweden’s east coast, will consist of 60 km of tunnels buried 500 metres down in 1.9 billion year old bedrock.
It will be the final home for 12,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel, encased in 5 metre long, corrosion-resistent copper capsules that will be packed in clay and buried.

The facility will take its first waste in the late 2030s but will not be completed until around 2080 when the tunnels will be backfilled and closed, Sweden’s Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) said.
The process, however, could still be delayed. MKG, a Swedish non-governmental organisation working on nuclear waste, has lodged an appeal with a Swedish court calling for further safety checks.

It said research from Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology showed the copper capsules could corrode and leak radioactive elements into the ground water.
“We have room to wait ten years to make a decision, given this is something that has to be safe for 100,000 years,” Linda Birkedal, chair of MKG said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/sweden-starts-building-100000-year-storage-site-spent-nuclear-fuel-2025-01-15/

Red Flag warnings advising of extreme wildfire danger expired across the Los Angeles area late on Wednesday, but forecasters warned that dry and windy conditions will persist on Thursday, and that the threat of blazes remained.
The National Weather Service added that the respite for fire-ravaged Los Angeles will be short, with high chances for renewed Red Flag warnings – when ideal fire conditions of high winds and low humidity dominate – starting again on Sunday.

Some 6.5 million people remained under a critical fire threat, after the fires consumed an area nearly the size of Washington, D.C., resulting in at least 25 deaths so far, authorities said.
Firefighters on Wednesday confronted persistently strong and dry winds fueling two giant wildfires that have terrified Los Angeles for eight days, testing the resolve of a city upended by the worst disaster in its history.

Officials urged residents to remain vigilant and be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice with peak wind gusts forecast to last through Thursday afternoon.
“We want to reiterate the particularly dangerous situation today. Get ready now and be prepared to leave,” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath told a press conference on Wednesday.
Forecasted winds of up to 70 mph (112 kph) did not materialize on Wednesday. Still, firefighters reported winds of 30 to 40 mph (48 to 64 kph) combined with low humidity in a region that has failed to receive any appreciable rain in nine months, meaning fire threats remain.

The fires have damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 homes and other structures, and forced as many as 200,000 people from their homes. Some 82,400 people were under evacuation orders and another 90,400 faced evacuation warnings as of Wednesday, County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, leaving smoldering ash and rubble. Many homes only have a chimney stack left standing.
Some 8,500 firefighters from the western United States, Canada and Mexico have kept the growth of the fires in check for three days.
The Palisades Fire on the west edge of the city held steady at 23,713 acres (96 sq km) burned, and containment nudged up to 19% – a measurement of how much of the perimeter was under control. The Eaton Fire in the foothills east of the city stood at 14,117 acres (57 sq km) with containment at 45%.
A fleet of air tankers and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant into the rugged hills while ground crews with hand tools and hoses worked to contain the fires.
Aerial firefighters – or fire bombers – operate without precision equipment or autopilot, just a pilot’s view through the windscreen and his experience.

“I call it ‘feeling the force,'” said pilot Diego Calderoni, from a New Mexico-based contractor, referring to a mystical energy in the Star Wars films.
Hundreds of visiting firefighters and emergency workers are staying outside the Rose Bowl football stadium, a base camp where colleagues build camaraderie in between shifts of 24 hours on followed by 24 hours off.
“You’re all in it for the same mission,” said Martin Macias of the St. Helena Fire Department in Northern California. “We all got into this as service, to make somebody’s day better at the worst time.”
A new fire broke out on Wednesday in San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles, burning 30 acres (12 hectares), Cal Fire reported. Two other fires in Southern California were largely under control.
Some Angelenos have been attempting to return to a semblance of normalcy.
Students and teachers displaced by wildfire from Palisades Charter Elementary School found a new home on Wednesday at the nearby Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet, where they were welcomed with open arms.
“For children who lost homes and also lost their school, it’s absolutely devastating. And the way that I can help and the way that I can give back is to make sure that those children have a place to go. And even though we lost the physical building, we still have our community,” Palisades Charter Elementary Principal Juliet Herman said.

FIRE PREPARATION QUESTIONED

TikTok plans to shut U.S. operations of its social media app used by 170 million Americans on Sunday, when a federal ban is set to take effect, barring a last-minute reprieve, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
The Washington Post reported President-elect Donald Trump, whose term begins a day after a ban would start, is considering issuing an executive order to suspend enforcement of a shutdown for 60 to 90 days. The report did not say how Trump could legally do so.

The law signed in April mandates a ban on new TikTok downloads on Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab or Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab app stores if Chinese parent ByteDance fails to divest the site.
Users who have downloaded TikTok would theoretically still be able to use the app, except that the law also bars U.S. companies starting Sunday from providing services to enable the distribution, maintenance, or updating of it.
The Trump transition team did not have an immediate comment. Trump has said he should have time after taking office to pursue a “political resolution” of the issue.

“TikTok itself is a fantastic platform,” Trump’s incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News on Wednesday. “We’re going to find a way to preserve it but protect people’s data.”
The New York Times separately reported that Tiktok CEO has been extended an invitation to attend the President-elect’s inaugration and sit in “a position of honor”.
A White House official told Reuters Wednesday President Joe Biden has no plans to intervene to block a ban in his final days in office if the Supreme Court fails to act and added Biden is legally unable to intervene absent a credible plan from ByteDance to divest TikTok.

However, a NBC report later said the Biden administration has been weighing options to keep the social media platform avaliable to users beyond Sunday, in a bid to defer the decision to Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday.
“Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” an administration official told the broadcast network.
U.S. Senator Ed Markey on Wednesday sought unanimous consent to extend the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok by 270 days but Republican Senator Tom Cotton blocked the proposal.
If it is banned, TikTok plans that users attempting to open the app will see a pop-up message directing them to a website with information about the ban, the people said, requesting anonymity as the matter is not public.
“We go dark. Essentially, the platform shuts down,” TikTok lawyer Noel Francisco told the Supreme Court last week.

The company also plans to give users an option to download all their data so that they can take a record of their personal information, the sources said.
Users took to social media platform X to express their disappointment with a potential ban on the app, in the run up to Sunday when the ban takes effect. They also expressed their happiness at reports on Trump considering ways to avert the ban.
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to uphold the law and allow TikTok to be banned on Sunday, overturn the law, or pause the law to give the court more time to make a decision.
Shutting down TikTok in the U.S. could make it unavailable for users in many other countries, the company said in a court filing last month, because hundreds of service providers in the U.S. help make the platform available to TikTok users around the world – and could no longer do so starting Sunday.
TikTok said in the court filing an order was needed to “avoid interruption of services for tens of millions of TikTok users outside the United States.”
TikTok had said that the prohibitions would eventually make the app unusable, noting in the filing that “data centers would almost certainly conclude that they can no longer store” TikTok code, content, or data.
The sources said the shutdown aims to protect TikTok service providers from legal liability and make it easier to resume operations if President-elect Donald Trump opted to roll back any ban.
Shutting down such services does not require longer planning, one of the sources said, noting that most operations have been continuing as usual as of this week. If the ban gets reversed later, TikTok would be able to restore service for U.S. users in a relatively short time, sources said.
TikTok and its Chinese parent, ByteDance, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
U.S. tech publication The Information first reported the news late on Tuesday.
Privately held ByteDance is about 60% owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20% each. It has more than 7,000 employees in the United States.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/technology/tiktok-preparing-us-shut-off-sunday-information-reports-2025-01-15/

Hamas and Israel reached a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza that mediators said would take effect on Sunday and include a release of hostages held there during 15 months of bloodshed that devastated the Palestinian enclave and inflamed the Middle East.
The complex phased accord outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed. Hostages taken by militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

At a news conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday. Negotiators are working with Israel and Hamas on steps implementing the deal, he said.
“This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in Washington.

Despite the breakthrough, residents said Israeli airstrikes continued on Wednesday evening in Gaza, where more than 46,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to local health authorities. Strikes on Gaza City and northern Gaza killed at least 32 people, medics said.
A Palestinian official close to the talks said mediators were trying to get both sides to stop hostilities before the truce starts on Sunday.

Palestinians responded to news of the deal by celebrating in the streets of Gaza, where they have faced severe shortages of food, water, shelter and fuel. In Khan Younis, throngs clogged the streets amid the sounds of horns as they cheered, waved Palestinian flags and danced.
“I am happy. Yes, I am crying, but those are tears of joy,” said Ghada, a displaced mother of five.
In Tel Aviv, families of Israeli hostages and their friends rejoiced at the news, saying in a statement they felt “overwhelming joy and relief (about) the agreement to bring our loved ones home.”
Israel’s acceptance of the deal will not be official until it is approved by the country’s security cabinet and government, with votes slated for Thursday, an Israeli official said.
The accord was expected to win approval despite opposition from some hardliners in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who repeated his condemnation of the agreement on Wednesday.
Netanyahu called Biden and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to thank them and said he would visit Washington soon, his office said.
In a social media statement announcing the ceasefire, Hamas called the pact “an achievement for our people” and “a turning point.”

DEFUSING REGIONAL TENSIONS

If successful, the ceasefire will halt fighting that has razed much of heavily urbanised Gaza and displaced most of the tiny enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million.
That in turn could defuse tensions across the wider Middle East, where the war has stoked conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and raised fears of all-out war between arch regional foes Israel and Iran.
Phase one of the deal entails the release of 33 Israeli hostages, including all women, children and men over 50. Two American hostages, Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen, were among those to be released in the first phase, a source said.

The agreement calls for a surge in humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the “priority now must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict.”
Both the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross said they were preparing to massively scale up their aid operations.
The pact follows months of tortuous, on-off negotiations conducted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the backing of the United States, and comes just ahead of Trump’s presidential inauguration on Monday.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed the agreement in a post on X as did leaders and officials from Turkey, Britain, the United Nations, Jordan, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
On his Truth Social media site, Trump said the deal would not have happened if he had not won the U.S. election in November.
Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was in Qatar along with White House envoys for the talks, and a senior Biden administration official said Witkoff’s presence was critical to reaching a deal after 96 hours of intense negotiations.
Biden said that the two teams had “been speaking as one” though Trump’s administration will largely handle implementation of the accord.

PERILOUS PATH AHEAD

The road ahead is complex, with political minefields likely. Israeli hostage families expressed concern that the accord may not be fully implemented and some hostages may be left behind in Gaza.
Negotiations on implementing the second phase of the deal will begin by the 16th day of phase one, and this stage was expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third stage is expected to address the return of all remaining dead bodies and the start of Gaza’s reconstruction supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
Trump said he would use the ceasefire deal as momentum to expand the Abraham Accords – U.S.-backed agreements struck during his first presidency in 2017-2021 that normalised Israel’s relations with several Arab countries.
If all goes smoothly, the Palestinians, Arab states and Israel must still agree on a vision for post-war Gaza, a formidable challenge involving security guarantees for Israel and many billions of dollars in investment for reconstruction.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-ceasefire-appears-close-us-egyptian-leaders-put-focus-coming-hours-2025-01-14/

Michelle Obama is skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration because she’s “no phony,” we’re told.

While her husband appears to be playing nice with the president-elect, Michelle won’t do the same.

Former President Barack Obama and Trump appeared chummy at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, but Michelle was nowhere in sight because she was reportedly on an “extended holiday vacation” in Hawaii.

She isn’t even giving an excuse for Jan. 20.

Israel and Hamas have agreed a deal which could halt the war in Gaza and see the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the US and mediators Qatar have said.

It would be the most dramatic breakthrough in 15 months of war, which began when the armed Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.

Tears, dismayed cries and shocked faces: that was the reaction among the supporters of South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol outside his home on hearing that he had been arrested.

It was a moment that had been in the making for weeks – ever since the last attempt to arrest Yoon on 3 January had failed after a dramatic standoff.

Yet, when the news of his arrest on came on Wednesday morning, it only seemed to create more uncertainty – and highlight the divide in a country that has already been deeply polarised by Yoon’s short-lived martial law order and impeachment by parliament.

“This country is in crisis,” said one pro-Yoon woman, tears streaming down her face. “I’ve been praying since last night for a stable and peaceful South Korea.”

It’s what both sides say they want but they cannot agree on how to get there.

For the past month, a defiant 64-year-old Yoon was holed up inside his presidential compound in central Seoul, as his supporters and detractors rallied outside. They had turned Yongsan in central Seoul into an epicentre of protest, with tensions often running high.

Hundreds of them had camped out overnight on Tuesday, as the arrest appeared imminent, in temperatures that plummeted to -8C. The only thing they shared was the food trucks keeping them warm with steaming drinks and instant noodles.

Yoon’s supporters jostled with the police officers – numbering 3,000 – who assembled to take him into custody. “Don’t call us stupid far-rights,” one protester shouted, reflecting the frustration in the Yoon camp.

A starkly different scene unfolded on the other side of the street. Opponents of Yoon, who had long called for his arrest, celebrated with chants and cheers.

Their jubilation only made the pro-Yoon camp angrier, with some yelling: “Don’t taunt us – this is not funny.”

The gulf is not restricted to this corner of Yongsan. It has loomed over the whole country for more than a month.

Yoon’s shock announcement of martial law on 3 December almost instantly divided public opinion into two camps.

While some believed his claims the country was under threat, a larger group viewed the move as an opportunistic abuse of power. This sentiment was reflected even within Yoon’s own party, as several of its lawmakers voted to impeach him.

The growing opposition to Yoon’s actions has cast a pall over the nation.

The year-end season in South Korea is usually vibrant. But this year has been noticeably different. The political turmoil – along with the devastating Jeju Air crash on 29 December – has created a subdued and sombre atmosphere.

Yoon himself had largely avoided the public since he was impeached by parliament in mid-December.

He never stepped out of his residence to meet his supporters. On New Year’s Day, he sent them a note, saying he was “closely watching [them] via a YouTube livestream”. He skipped the first hearing of his impeachment trial on 14 January, delaying the proceedings.

Before that he had refused to comply with multiple summonses as part of the criminal investigation on insurrection charges, which led to the arrest warrant.

On Wednesday, he released a video statement saying he would co-operate with the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) to avoid “bloodshed”, while claiming their arrest warrant was not legally valid.

It was a massive operation, which followed a warning from the CIO that the presidential security team could also be arrested if they tried to block Yoon’s arrest again. Unlike last time, the CIO and police were successful in detaining Yoon, although it still took hours to negotiate.

Once he left the presidential compound, the streets surrounding it began to empty. Protesters dispersed and the police barricades were removed.

Some of Yoon’s supporters moved to the CIO office where he is being questioned. They need another warrant to detain him for more than 48 hours.

While Yoon’s arrest has concluded the security standoff, it has not ended the rift that exists well beyond it in South Korea, which in recent decades has emerged as a leading global economy and beacon of democracy in Asia.

“Arresting the country’s leader does not even make sense,” declared one protester outside the presidential compound.

An opposing voice countered: “Executing the arrest warrant is a necessary step – Yoon attempted to undermine the country’s democracy.”

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yv4p95m6vo

Sweden’s political parties have agreed that dual citizens who commit crimes that threaten national security should lose their citizenship.

A cross-party committee recommended that the change could be applied to anyone who had used bribes or false information to obtain their citizenship; and also if they committed crimes that were a threat to the state or came under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

But it stopped short of proposals by the minority government for gangsters to have their citizenship revoked.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said Sweden was dealing with “violent extremism, state actors acting in a hostile manner towards Sweden, as well as systemic organised crime”.

Under Sweden’s constitution, revoking citizenship is currently not allowed and a vote will take place next year in parliament on changing the laws.

Centre-left opposition parties say that revoking gang criminals’ citizenship would be a step too far, as deciding how to define the law would be difficult. Two opposition parties, the Left and the Greens, said they could not back removing citizenship at all.

However, Sweden’s centre-right governing parties, backed by the more radical anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, want the changes to tackle the dramatic rise in gang crime and the high rate of gun killings.

“The proposals I received today will not give us the possibility to take back Swedish citizenship from gang leaders in criminal networks sitting abroad, directing shootings and bombings and murders on Sweden’s streets,” Strommer told Swedish Radio.

The government points to neighbouring Denmark, where citizenship can already be removed because of an act that is “seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the state”. The law was recently extended to include some forms of serious gang crime.

Sweden’s minority government has also moved to tighten rules on applying for citizenship.

Migration Minister Johan Forssell said that last year police reported 600 cases of people applying who were considered a threat to national security.

From June 2026, anyone seeking a Swedish passport will generally have to have lived in the country for eight years instead of five at the moment. Tests on Swedish language and society would also be included.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjdenz1drj8o

“Please come to my city!”

A familiar cry from music lovers all over the world hoping their favourite artists come to their hometown.

Fans in India, though, have often seen that plea fall on deaf ears.

Artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams and Arctic Monkeys appear on the country’s weekly Spotify album chart, where Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) has spent 217 consecutive weeks.

Many world-famous musicians have tended to skip the country.

But that now appears to be changing.

Dua Lipa’s recent performance in Mumbai went viral and Coldplay will soon kick off their tour – nine years after their last visit to India.

Their dates include two shows in Ahmedabad where more than 100,000 people are expected to attend each night.

“To have that experience in our own country, it’s really cool to see that it’s happening more and more,” music fan and aspiring artist Anoushka Maskey tells BBC Newsbeat.

Gabriel Hoces repeats a word seven times when he discusses what it’s like to work in Denmark – “trust”.

“No one is trying to micromanage you, or look over your shoulder,” says Mr Hoces, who works for a tech firm in Copenhagen. “Bosses aren’t coming in to check if you put in eight or nine hours a day, as they mainly only care if you completed your projects.

“There’s a lot of trust in Denmark in that way, and I don’t feel a hierarchy at my job. It’s all very democratic.”

It is no surprise to Mr Hoces, a married father of two young daughters, that Denmark is consistently among the top-five countries in the world for work-life balance rankings.

Only 1.1% of Danes have to work 50 or more hours a week, according to the most recent global figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). That’s a significantly lower proportion than the world average of 10.2%.

By contrast, the figure for the UK is 10.8% and the US is 10.4%.

Meik Wiking, author of the book The Art of Danish Living, has long regarded his home country as a shining example of what other countries should aspire to mimic with their workplace policies.

“Danes are actually happy at work,” he tells the BBC. “Almost 60% of Danes say they would continue to work if they won the lottery and became financially independent.”

Mr Wiking, who is also the boss of Danish think tank The Happiness Research Institute, shares several policies that help generate a strong work-life balance in Denmark.

These include the right to a minimum five weeks of paid vacation per year, in addition to public holidays. In the UK most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid leave, but in the US it can be as low as just 11 days.

Denmark also offers a very generous six months of paid maternity and paternity leave. In the UK the father, or non-birthing partner, typically gets one to two weeks of paid leave.

In the US there is only a federal guarantee of unpaid parental leave, although some states, such as California, now offer paid time away from work after the birth of a child.

Mr Wiking is another Dane who cites the concept of bosses trusting their employees to do the right thing. He uses the example of staff at the Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen, where they follow the three-metre rule.

The idea is that you are CEO of everything within a radius of three metres. “If you see garbage within your three-metre radius you pick it up, and if you see a guest looking for something, you stop and ask them if you can help,” says Mr Wiking.

He adds that when staff take ownership of their own space it can help them feel empowered and appreciated, which goes a long way to contributing to a healthy sentiment about their workplace.

Janine Leschke, a professor in the department of management, society and communication at the Copenhagen Business School, says Denmark is definitely “not a work culture where you have to show up and be available all day, all evening, to show that you’re working hard all the time”.

Instead, she says flexibility during the workday gives employees the time they need to, say, pick up their children from school or day care. “The day doesn’t have to officially end at five or six, and that’s appealing to a lot of Danes with kids.”

Mr Hoces has noticed how some employers in the US may expect their staff to be available over weekends, to answer the odd email or message. That kind of overtime doesn’t fit with his outlook on a positive work-life balance.

“If I was expected to take calls on the weekend, that would be a huge red flag to me, and I would likely change jobs,” he says. “But so far that hasn’t happened to me or anyone I know.”

Casper Rouchmann, a Copenhagen-based CEO and founder of tech firm SparkForce, says his relaxed leadership policy would be familiar to most Danes. “You don’t need to ask me to leave early,” he says. “No one takes advantage of my kindness.”

Mr Rouchmann adds that the element of trust is so ingrained in Danish culture, visitors to Denmark are often aghast at how far it can go. He also highlights Denmark’s generous welfare state, and the fact that firms have to give financial compensation to staff who are made redundant.

“If you lose your job, the government is there to help,” adds Mr Rouchmann.

As much as other countries can learn from Denmark’s work-life balance, he says it has some downsides. “Some people can rely too much on that safety net, and it might say to them that they don’t have to take real risks, which is why we can be less entrepreneurial compared to the US.”

Samantha Saxby, an American human resources expert, says Denmark has such a good work-life balance because the country “prioritises collective well-being”.

By contrast, she says the US “has long emphasised individual achievement and ambition, which has driven tremendous innovation, but often at the cost of work-life balance”.

Yet Ms Saxby, who is director of marketing for the US National Human Resources Association, says that companies in the US and elsewhere around the world may be finally following the lead of Denmark and the other equally happy Nordic nations.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20g7705re3o

Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief executive who has tried to keep a distance from politics, appears to be warming to President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Mr. Zuckerberg is among several Big Tech executives who are expected to be front and center at Mr. Trump’s inauguration next week. He will be one of four hosts of a black-tie reception on Jan. 20, joining the longtime Republican donors Miriam Adelson and Todd Rickett in hosting a party “celebrating the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance,” according to a copy of the invitation seen by The New York Times. The event was first reported by Puck.

Corporate leaders often argue that supporting an inauguration is a patriotic act that does not amount to political support for the president. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, declined to comment.

Mr. Zuckerberg rarely attaches his name to political events. He did not play a similar role at President Biden’s inauguration in 2020 or at Mr. Trump’s first inauguration, in 2016.

But he has undergone something of a political reinvention over the last year. He traveled to Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort last week. And has rolled out a series of changes at Meta since the election in November that have delighted advisers to Mr. Trump.

Mr. Zuckerberg is one of several tech-company leaders positioning themselves for a Republican administration that will have considerable influence over their industry.

Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, is expected to be seated on the dais at the inauguration alongside other major tech executives, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. NBC News reported on Tuesday that Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, would have a similarly high-profile perch. Bezos’ representatives did not return requests for comment on Wednesday.

Source : https://dnyuz.com/2025/01/15/zuckerberg-will-host-a-party-for-trumps-inauguration/

Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state has said he anticipates the US “will have to deal with” China invading Taiwan before the end of this decade.

Marco Rubio made the comment as he appeared in front of a bipartisan Senate committee ahead of a vote on whether he is suitable for the role.

He told the committee he believes China is America’s “biggest threat” and blamed the growing risk on America’s shift to globalism.

Laying out how he will implement Mr Trump’s “America First” vision, he said the United States must begin placing its “core national interests above all else”.

He argued Washington must step up to compete with Beijing and slammed the Chinese government’s human rights record.

“If we don’t change course, we are going to live in the world where much of what matters to us daily, from our security to our health, will be dependent on whether the Chinese allow us to have it or not,” he said.

The US “will have to deal with” a Chinese invasion of Taiwan before 2030 unless there are dramatic changes, Mr Rubio claimed.

Mr Rubio’s remarks were briefly interrupted by protesters, including one who spoke in Spanish about Latin American countries the US has hit with sanctions.

The senator – who, if successful, will be the first Hispanic person to serve as the top US diplomat – joked: “I get bilingual protests which is kind of cool.”

A confirmation hearing for Pam Bondi, Mr Trump’s pick for attorney general, also began on Wednesday.

Ms Bondi faced scrutiny over the president elect’s pledge to pardon people prosecuted for their involvement in the Capitol riots on 6 January 2021.

When asked if she believes those defendants should be pardoned, Ms Bondi did not confirm or deny if she supports Mr Trump on the matter and said she would advise him “on a case-by-case basis”.

The rioters were Trump supporters trying to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory and many were convicted of harming police officers.

“I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country,” Ms Bondi said.

Senate hearings for Trump’s cabinet picks started yesterday – and his controversial nominee for defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, was first up.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/trumps-pick-for-top-cabinet-job-claims-china-will-invade-taiwan-by-2030-13289576

Forget this week’s minor decrease in the UK inflation number.

The most important European data release was the confirmation from Germany that, during 2024, its economy contracted for the second consecutive year.

Europe’s largest economy shrank by 0.2% during 2024 – on top of a 0.3% contraction in 2023.

Now it must be stressed that this was a very early estimate from Germany’s Federal Statistics Office and that the numbers may be revised higher in due course. That health warning is especially appropriate this time around because, very unexpectedly, the figures suggest the economy contracted during the final three months of the year and most economists had expected a modest expansion.

If unrevised, though, it would confirm that Germany is suffering its worst bout of economic stagnation since the Second World War.

The timing is lousy for Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, who faces the electorate just six weeks from now.

Worse still, things seem unlikely to get better this year, regardless of who wins the election.

Germany, along with the rest of the world, is watching anxiously to see what tariffs Donald Trump will slap on imports when he returns to the White House next week.

Germany, whose trade surplus with the United States is estimated by the Reuters news agency to have hit a record €65bbn (£54.7bn) during the first 11 months of 2024, is likely to be a prime target for such tariffs.

Aside from that, Germany remains beset by some of the problems with which it has been grappling for some time.

Because of its large manufacturing sector, Germany has been hit disproportionately by the surge in energy prices since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago, while those manufacturers are also suffering from intense competition from China. The big three carmakers – Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW – were already staring at a huge increase in costs because of having to switch to producing electric vehicles instead of cars powered by traditional internal combustion engines. That task has got harder as Chinese EV makers, such as BYD, undercut them on price.

Other German manufacturers – many of which have not fully recovered from the COVID lockdowns five years ago – have also been beset by higher costs as shown by the fact that, remarkably, German industrial production in November last year was fully 15% lower than the record high achieved in 2017.

German consumer spending, meanwhile, remains becalmed. Consumers have kept their purse strings closed amid the economic uncertainty while a fall in house prices has further depressed sentiment. While home ownership is lower in Germany than many other OECD countries, those Germans who do own their own homes have a bigger proportion of their household wealth tied up in bricks and mortar than most of their OECD counterparts, including the property-crazy British.

Consumer sentiment has also been hit by waves of lay-offs. German companies in the Fortune 500, including big names such as Siemens, Bosch, Thyssenkrupp and Deutsche Bahn, are reckoned to have laid off more than 60,000 staff during the first 10 months of 2024. Bosch, one of the country’s most admired manufacturing companies, announced in November alone plans to let go of some 7,000 workers.

More of the same is expected in 2025.

Volkswagen shocked the German public in September last year when it said it was considering its first German factory closure in its 87-year history. Analysts suggest as many as 15,000 jobs could go at the company.

Accordingly, hopes for much of a recovery are severely depressed.

As Jens-Oliver Niklasch, of LBBW Bank, put it today: “Everything suggests that 2025 will be the third consecutive year of recession.”

That is not the view of the Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, whose official forecast – set last month – is that the economy will expand by 0.2% this year. But that was down from its previous forecast of 1.1% – and growth of 0.2%, for a weary German electorate, will not feel that different from a contraction of 0.2%.

And all is not yet lost. The European Central Bank is widely expected to cut interest rates more aggressively this year than any of its peers. Meanwhile, one option for whoever wins the German election would be to remove the ‘debt brake’ imposed in 2009 in response to the global financial crisis, which restricts the government from running a structural budget deficit of more than 0.35% of German GDP each year.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/europes-largest-economy-is-facing-a-possible-third-consecutive-year-of-recession-13289549

James Vince is to step down as Hampshire captain and move to Dubai following several attacks on his family home.

The 33-year-old all-rounder, who was part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup on home soil, has captained Hampshire for the last decade.

But his club said he had “endured a challenging year” following attacks on his home which Vince has previously revealed had left his family fearing for their safety.

Vince told The Telegraph in July he believed the attacks were a case of mistaken identity.

He will continue to play white-ball cricket for the county in the 2025 Vitality Blast campaign and skipper the Hampshire Hawks.

Hampshire said: “James Vince has signed a revision to the final year of his contract which fulfils his obligation to play for Hampshire Hawks in the 2025 Vitality Blast campaign and confirms that he is not planning to play red-ball cricket this year.

“After 10 consecutive years as club captain, Vince will also step down from this position but will remain as team captain of Hampshire Hawks.

“In 2024, Vince endured a challenging year on a personal level, following several attacks on his family home.

“As a result, the family have taken the decision to move to Dubai.”

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/england-cricket-star-to-move-to-dubai-after-attacks-on-home-13289393

Former anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has been named in a third inquiry being launched by authorities in Bangladesh investigating money laundering and power misuse.

At a media briefing in Dhaka held hours after Ms Siddiq resigned as a minister, investigators confirmed they were working on another probe involving the Labour MP.

It is the third Bangladesh inquiry and comes on top of questions about London properties she lives in or has lived in with links to her aunt, the ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party.

Director general of the Anti-Corruption Commission Akhtar Hossain told Sky News the organisation was “preparing another investigation against Tulip Siddiq and her uncle Tarique Siddique for money laundering, power misuse, and illegally occupying Bangladesh government property”.

Mr Hossain also said the investigation team in Bangladesh would contact the UK authorities if additional information was required.

A spokesperson for Ms Siddiq said: “No evidence has been presented for these allegations.

“Tulip Siddiq has not been contacted by anyone on the matter and totally denies the claims.”

Tarique Siddique is Ms Siddiq’s uncle – the husband of her mother’s younger sister – and previously served as a defence and security adviser to her aunt Sheikh Hasina.

Ms Hasina fled Bangladesh in August and resigned her post after 20 years amid weeks of deadly protests.

The new government has since accused Ms Hasina’s Awami League administration of crimes and corruption while in office.

Ms Siddiq quit as anti-corruption minister on Tuesday after links with her aunt and her political regime came under scrutiny.

It is claimed she has benefited financially from three London properties linked to her aunt and her allies.

She referred herself to the prime minister’s standards adviser Sir Laurie Magnus who said he had “not identified evidence of improprieties” but added it was “regrettable” Ms Siddiq had not been more alert to the “potential reputational risks” of the ties to her aunt.

Ms Siddiq said continuing in her role would be “a distraction” for the government but insisted she had done nothing wrong.

Earlier this week, Sky News revealed Bangladesh investigators were looking into Ms Siddiq as part of a separate corruption inquiry into the illegal allocation of land in a new town development outside of Dhaka.

She was also named in an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of $5bn (£3.9bn) from a nuclear power project in the country developed in partnership with Russia.

Labour sources suggested these accusations were not genuine and Ms Siddiq had not been contacted by anyone in Bangladesh about the inquiries.

Nobel peace-prize winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who is leading Bangladesh’s interim government, said the London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated and returned if she is found to have benefited from “plain robbery”.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/tulip-siddiq-named-in-third-bangladesh-inquiry-into-money-laundering-and-power-misuse-13289353

Winter’s most potent Arctic blast yet is about to unleash dangerously low temperatures that will be the coldest to hit the United States in a year.

The cold will arrive this weekend and looks to be longer-lasting and more expansive than last January’s outbreak of Arctic air that, among other dangers, created one of the coldest-ever NFL games and the coldest Iowa caucuses on record.

Before the frigid air arrives, a short-lived warmup will encompass much of the Central US Thursday and Friday. It’ll be the first stretch since the start of the year that cities like Oklahoma City and Kansas City, Missouri, record above-average temperatures. But the tease of warmth will only make the extreme cold that follows feel more intense.

Brutally cold air from Siberia, near the Arctic Circle, will sink south over Canada late this week and rush into the northern US by the earliest hours of Saturday morning. It’ll then expand over much of the West and Central US Saturday and reach parts of the South and East Sunday. Temperatures could be almost 30 degrees below normal by Monday for millions across the Lower 48 in what’s already the coldest part of the year.

The most extreme cold will settle over the Dakotas later this weekend into early next week.

Bismarck, North Dakota, hasn’t had a below zero high temperature since last January, but that could happen on both Sunday and Monday. Low temperatures in the northern part of the state could bottom out between 25 to 30 degrees below zero by Monday morning.

Breezy winds will arrive along with the cold and send wind chills to a life-threatening 40 to nearly 50 below zero in North Dakota Monday morning. Wind chills this severe can cause frostbite on exposed skin in 10 minutes or less, according to the National Weather Service.

Single-digit wind chills will cover most of the US Monday morning and are possible as far west as Nevada, as far south as Texas and as far east as Maine.

Monday will likely be the coldest day of the season so far for Dallas with the high temperature only climbing a few degrees above freezing. It’ll also be Chicago’s coldest day of the year with the high temperature likely only reaching around 10 degrees.

Cold air will also blast the East Coast and Southeast Monday. High temperatures in the single digits and teens are likely in northern New England with 30s and 40s from the mid-Atlantic to much of the Southeast.

Tuesday could be just as cold, if not colder for some, especially in the East and South.

Cold will crash multiple events

The divisional round of the NFL playoffs will kick off just as the cold arrives in the same areas.

The temperature will be in the 20s for the Saturday mid-afternoon kickoff between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City, Missouri, but the wind chill will hover in the teens for kickoff and throughout the game.

Frostbite and hypothermia are serious risks in wind chills this cold, especially with fans exposed in the open-air stadium for several hours. Last January’s infamously cold game in Kansas City was played with wind chills more than 20 below zero. Dozens of people showed signs of hypothermia and more than a dozen were transported to local hospitals for care.

Source : https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/15/weather/arctic-siberian-cold-outbreak-forecast-climate/index.html

TYRANT Vladimir Putin has been accused of plotting terror attacks against international airlines in a global wave of sabotage.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that Russia carried out what he described as “air terror” against airlines in Poland and other countries.

During a news conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, Tusk said: “I will not go into details, I can only confirm the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of air terror, not only against Poland but against airlines around the world.

“These acts of sabotage are versions of the war that Russia has declared to the whole world, not just Ukraine.”

A slew of air disasters in Europe recently has been linked to the Kremlin by multiple Western intelligence officials.

Western security officials suspect Russian intelligence was behind a plot to put incendiary devices in packages on cargo planes headed to North America.

This includes one that caught fire at a courier hub in Germany and another that ignited in a warehouse in England last year.

In November, a DHL cargo plane from Leipzig crashed into a house just a mile before it was supposed to touch down on the runway at Vilnius Airport.

The crash killed one person.

Shocking images show the fiery wreckage of the DHL cargo plane as emergency crews rushed to put out the blaze.

In July, Russia was suspected of planting a bomb inside a package on a plane to Britain.

The package later caught fire while at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham with the blaze dealt to by local fire services.

These incidents reignited fears of Russian covert sabotage operations against the West.

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned that Russia was on a “sustained mission to generate mayhem” in the UK’s streets.

The Kremlin has dismissed previous Western claims that Russia sponsored acts of sabotage and attacks in Europe.

Late last year, Azerbaijan accused Russia of unintentionally shooting down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas day, killing 38 people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a tragic incident following the crash but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible.

The Polish government has now said Russia is pursuing acts of hybrid war against Poland and other Western countries in retaliation for their support for Ukraine.

Last year, Poland’s foreign minister ordered the closure of one of three Russian consulates in the country in response to acts of sabotage, including arson attacks that he said were sponsored by Moscow.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13302237/putin-plotting-terror-attacks-airlines/

Fake one-way plane tickets have been posted in the mailboxes of migrant families ahead of Germany’s critical elections in February.

Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) – the far-right populist party unequivocally endorsed by the richest man in the world and soon Donald Trump’s advisor, Elon Musk – is behind the stunt.

‘Only re-migration can still save Germany. In your home country, it is also nice,’ read the flyers, which were labeled with a departure date of February 23, the day of the country’s national election.

The journey has been put down as ‘From: Germany – To: Safe country of origin’.

On the back, one of AfD’s disturbing slogans, ‘No Islamisation,’ is included.

Police are investigating the incident as a possible case of incitement to hatred, according to public broadcaster SWR.

It was also reported that the tickets were distributed in neighborhoods with a high number of migrants.

But AfD has denied specifically targeting migrant neighborhoods.

After pictures of the tickets began circulating on social media, the party released a statement that said: ‘The demand to leave the country refers in particular to

‘People who are in Germany illegally and who have already been ordered by the courts several times to leave Germany immediately… [like] people whose reason for fleeing no longer applies, such as the one million Syrian (former) civil war refugees in the country.

‘The election flyer is currently being distributed in Karlsruhe in as large numbers as possible and without any special requirements or restrictions.

‘It is intended to make voters aware of our demands in this area, which are fully in line with the law.’

The stunt comes as the party’s national leaders continue to advertise their radical proposals to deport migrants en masse ahead of the elections in the hope to attract more votes.

During a party convention over the weekend, AfD’s chancellor candidate Alice Weidel confirmed the AfD would enact ‘large-scale repatriations’ if it comes to power.

Source : https://metro.co.uk/2025/01/15/fake-deportation-plane-tickets-put-post-boxes-migrant-families-22365848/

Outgoing US President Joe Biden’s administration on Wednesday announced a ban on Red Dye No 3, a controversial food and drug coloring long known to cause cancer in animals.

Decades after scientific evidence first raised alarm, Red 3, as it is also called, is currently used in nearly 3,000 food products in the United States, according to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

“FDA is revoking the authorized uses in food and ingested drugs of FD&C Red No 3 in the color additive regulations,” said a document from the Department of Health and Human Services, published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.

The decision follows a petition filed in November 2022 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and other advocacy groups, which cited the “Delaney Clause” — a provision mandating the prohibition of any color additive shown to cause cancer in humans or animals.

Notably, the FDA determined as early as 1990 that Red 3 should be banned in cosmetics because of its link to thyroid cancer in lab rats.

However, the additive continued to be used in foods, largely due to resistance from the food industry. Manufacturers of maraschino cherries, for example, relied on Red 3 to maintain the iconic red hue of their products.

It’s also present in thousands of candies, snacks and fruit products.

The United States is one of the last major economies to take action on the dye. The European Union prohibited its use in 1994, with similar bans implemented in Japan, China, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

CSPI hailed the decision as overdue and expressed hope it would lead to further action against other potentially harmful chemicals in food.

Source : https://www.barrons.com/news/us-bans-red-food-dye-over-possible-cancer-risk-health-authorities-31c9062e

At just 32, Kyle Gordy has earned the title of the world’s most prolific sperm donor and is on track to father 100 children by 2025. Already a biological dad to 87 kids worldwide, Kyle was informed at the start of 2025 that his family is set to expand.

In the coming months, the donor, whose oldest child is 10, is expected to officially have 100 offspring – a record held by only three other men. Despite this milestone, he has no plans to stop donating sperm.

“It feels great to be a dad of so many children,” Kyle, from California, US, told Jam Press. He added, “I love that I’ve helped all these women start families when they thought this wouldn’t be possible. But I’m a long way off making a significant impact on the world’s overall population. And so, for that, I’m only just getting started.

“If I’m honest, though, I don’t really have a goal number of children I’d like to have. I think I’ll keep making babies until women no longer need me.”

Kyle, who has over 3K Instagram followers, astonishingly offers his services for free via the website ‘Be Pregnant Now’. He invites anyone interested to reach out and currently has 14 children on the way in England, Scotland, Sweden, and Norway, reports the Mirror.

Kyle, known for his stint on the TLC hit show ’90 Day Fiancé’, has been quite the love rover but hasn’t settled down just yet. His quest for love took a pause while he was with Anika Philipp, 39, on the show, but after their eight-month romance, the couple soon parted ways.

Single and not quite ready to mingle, Kyle is now jetting off globally for his unconventional donation gigs. Laying bare his future plans, Kyle said, “I have a few trips planned across the world this year. I’m speaking to a few women in Japan and Ireland – both countries of which I’m yet to have children – and the UK, US, as well as other countries across Europe mostly. I would be open to slowing down for the right person, but I’m not going to put too much pressure on this anymore.”

His heart, however, beats a bit faster for the Emerald Isle. “Though, I wouldn’t mind an Irish wife. I’d love to settle down there, as I really enjoy the country and have been multiple times. But I haven’t yet been to donate, so this will be at first. A mum of one of my kids is from Dublin and they visit Ireland quite a lot. So at least I know I do have some family there already.”

Fancying himself as a potential Irishman, he mused, “It’s somewhere I can see myself moving to permanently – but I’m leaving it up to the universe to make that decision for me. Of course, if the vibe is right, I’m okay with them being from any country really, as travelling or moving anywhere if needed is no issue for me.”

The globe-trotting sperm donor boasted about his international impact, saying, “I’ve helped people conceive all across the globe, which is something most people would think is unbelievable. I’m still yet to have children in Japan, Ireland, and Korea, as I’ve not been able to get to those countries for donating specifically yet. Maybe 2025 will be the year I do that. Who knows? I might have a child in each country by 2026.”

Source : https://www.dailystar.co.uk/real-life/worlds-most-prolific-sperm-donor-34482113

In a statement on social media, Kate offered her heartfelt thanks to those who helped her and her husband Prince William, describing her time as a patient as being “exceptional”.

Princess of Wales visits cancer hospitalThe Princess of Wales has said “it is a relief to now be in remission” from cancer and she is “looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead” as she thanked staff at the Royal Marsden Hospital for her “exceptional” care.

It is the first time Kate has used the word remission to describe where she is in her cancer journey since she announced she was undergoing treatment in March last year.

A message on social media, signed ‘C’, said: “I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year.

“My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything.

“We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional.”

Writing about progress in her treatment, she said: “It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.

“I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.”

It is the first time Kate, 43, has used the word remission to describe where she is in her cancer journey.

Kensington Palace has stressed that she would continue to return to public-facing engagements, but gradually.

The palace described the visit as reflecting her “own personal cancer journey”.

The visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in southwest London on Tuesday was Kate’s first solo public engagement since returning to official duties.

She met patients and staff and spoke of the care she received.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/princess-of-wales-says-its-a-relief-to-now-be-in-remission-from-cancer-13288741

Ms Siddiq’s aunt is the former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled into exile after being deposed last year and is now facing a corruption investigation.

Tulip Siddiq resigns as ministerTulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister after controversy over links to her aunt’s ousted political movement in Bangladesh.

In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, the Hampstead and Highgate MP said while she had “not breached the ministerial code”, continuing in her post would be “a distraction from the work of the government”.

Ms Siddiq has been under pressure over allegations about properties linked to her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed as Bangladesh’s prime minister in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership, and now faces a corruption probe.

She previously insisted she had “done nothing wrong” but referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog, Sir Laurie Magnus, last week.

In a letter to Sir Keir, the independent adviser called it “regrettable” Ms Siddiq “was not more alert to the potential reputational risks” arising from her close family’s association with Bangladesh.

He said this “shortcoming” should not be taken as a breach of the ministerial code, “but you will want to consider her ongoing responsibilities in the light of this”.

Sir Laurie reviewed Ms Siddiq’s financial affairs and the background of properties she owns or has occupied and said he found no evidence of any “improprieties” in her actions.

In his reply, Sir Keir said he has accepted Ms Siddiq’s resignation “with sadness”, adding: “I also wish to be clear that Sir Laurie Magnus as Independent Adviser has assured me he found no breach of the ministerial code and no evidence of financial improprieties on your part.”

He praised her for making the “difficult decision” to resign nonetheless and said “the door remains open for you” going forward.

Ms Siddiq has been an MP since 2015 and is probably best known for campaigning for the release of her constituent Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years.

Downing Street has announced Wycombe MP Emma Reynolds has been appointed to replace her in the Treasury, and Torsten Bell will take Ms Reynolds’ previous role in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Ms Siddiq had the role of city minister, which meant she was responsible for illicit finance and corruption.

The UK Anti-Corruption Coalition had called for Ms Siddiq to resign earlier this week, accusing her of a “serious conflict of interests” regardless of whether Sir Laurie found she had breached the ministerial code.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/tulip-siddiq-resigns-as-treasury-minister-13287920

The short video platform faces being shut down across the US on Sunday but there are several potential scenarios that could prevent that, and possibly even keep it in Chinese ownership.

TikTok has described a report it could sell its threatened US business to Elon Musk as “pure fiction”.

The short video platform’s Chinese owners ByteDance are facing the prospect of TikTok being shut down permanently in America on Sunday.

That is when a US government ban, on national security grounds, is due to take effect.

But Bloomberg News reported that officials in Beijing, where TikTok’s parent firm is based, were considering whether to allow a possible sale to the billionaire X owner, if the order could not be overturned or delayed.

The authorities in China were said to prefer that TikTok’s US business remained under ByteDance’s control.

They have always denied having an influence over ByteDance let alone TikTok – a position that both entities have supported, consistently denying any suggestion of collusion that would represent any kind of threat to US interests.

The US Supreme Court has indicated it is minded to accept the Biden administration’s ban on the grounds that national security concerns outweigh the rights of TikTok’s 170 million US users to free speech.

It is not clear when the final ruling will be delivered but the ban is due to take effect on Sunday, a day before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Ahead of the start of his second term in the White House, he has called for the court to push back the deadline to allow for a “political resolution”.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/tiktok-reacts-to-report-of-musk-ownership-to-prevent-us-ban-13288673

Kanye West reunited with his three youngest children in Japan after ex-wife Kim Kardashian fled her Los Angeles home amid the devastating wildfires.

On Tuesday, the “Heartless” rapper was photographed at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo’s Ginza district alongside his 9-year-old son, Saint, 6-year-old daughter, Chicago, and 5-year-old son, Psalm.

The foursome perused the aisles for about 10 minutes before buying bags full of snacks, according to the Daily Mail, who obtained exclusive pictures from the outing.

Kanye West spent time with his three youngest kids — Saint, Chicago and Psalm — in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Stefan/Spot / BACKGRIDWest, who reportedly hadn’t seen his kids in nearly four months, tried to stay under the radar in an all-black sweat set with his hood up.

While the kids seemed to be in great spirits, it’s unclear if West’s 11-year-old daughter, North, joined them in Japan.

West’s wife, Bianca Censori, also wasn’t photographed with the group. He and the Australian architect, 30, have been enjoying nomadic living over the last six months, staying in different cities between Asia and the Middle East.

The Yeezy designer, 47, shares all four of his children with Kardashian, whom he was married to from 2014 to 2022.

On Friday, sources told TMZ that Kardashian and the rest of her famous family had evacuated their homes amid the deadly wildfires.

The “Kardashians” stars reportedly fled after receiving an evacuation order due to the Kenneth Fire, which burned over 1,000 acres across Calabasas, Calif. It has since been contained.

While their homes were saved from the flames, the Kardashian-Jenner clan jumped into action to help those less fortunate.

The Skkn founder and her sisters — Khloé Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner — all donated meals to local fire stations.

Kim’s SKIMS clothing company also donated money to aid and made “a sizable donation of underwear, clothing, and socks” to help those displaced by the fires.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2025/01/14/parents/kanye-west-reunites-with-his-kids-in-japan-as-kim-kardashian-and-family-deal-with-la-wildfires/

NATO countries will deploy frigates, patrol aircraft and naval drones in the Baltic Sea to help protect critical infrastructure and reserve the right to take action against ships suspected of posing a security threat, alliance members said on Tuesday.
The military and political alliance is taking the action, dubbed “Baltic Sentry”, following a string of incidents in which power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines have been damaged in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Finnish police last month seized a tanker carrying Russian oil and said they suspected the vessel had damaged the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed.
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb said the damage on Dec. 25 was “definitely” linked to Russia.
“They’re linked certainly in the sense that the vessel was part of the Russian shadow fleet. And we know that the cargo of it was very Russian. The link is definitely there,” Stubb told Reuters, adding, however, that it was too early to draw further conclusions on the attribution.

While the region is on high alert for fear of sabotage, the Polish army denied on Tuesday a local media report that said a Russian “shadow fleet” vessel was seen circling near the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline, stating that this “did not happen”.
Finland’s actions against the Eagle S tanker showed that vessels causing harm can be apprehended by law enforcement, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told a press conference following an eight-nation meeting in Helsinki on Tuesday.

“Potential threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including possible boarding, impounding and arrest,” Rutte said.
NATO members are looking at targeting Russia’s shadow fleet in the area with sanctions as part of efforts to protect undersea critical installations, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said following the meeting.
“We will continue to take action against the Russian shadow fleet, including with sanctions that have already been introduced and others that may follow, including against specific ships and shipping companies that also pose a threat to the environment,” Scholz told reporters.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/baltic-sea-nations-seek-limit-further-incidents-after-cable-breaches-2025-01-14/

In his letter to investors last year, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett urged readers to come “inhale the air, drink the water” and attend the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, his hometown.
The letter, a document pored over by shareholders, analysts and press every year for insights into the legendary investor’s thinking, playfully sought to link the success of his conglomerate with the setting of the heartland city, in eastern Nebraska along the Iowa border.
One detail omitted: Federal emissions data show that Omaha’s air quality ranks in the bottom third of U.S. cities, fouled in part by coal-fired power plants owned by Berkshire in neighboring Iowa. A modeling tool of the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, shows that pollution from the plants each year causes up to seven premature deaths, $104 million in healthcare expenses and 1,800 lost school days in the metropolitan area of Omaha, with nearly 1 million people.

The calculations, performed by Reuters using the EPA’s modeling data for 2023, were reviewed and confirmed by three outside emissions scientists consulted for this report. The scientists are all independent research experts with no affiliation with the news agency or the electricity industry.
The air over Omaha, and other areas near Berkshire’s dozen coal-fired power plants nationwide, casts a pall over the environmental record of a company that touts itself at the vanguard of clean energy. Despite investments to date of $41 billion in renewable energies, mostly wind and solar power, Berkshire operates the dirtiest corporate coal fleet in the U.S. by at least one important measure, a Reuters investigation shows.
Berkshire’s coal plant fleet, operated by three utility companies it has acquired in recent decades, emits more nitrogen oxides than any other coal fleet in the country, federal emissions data show. Reuters analyzed the most recent full calendar year of EPA emissions data available for coal plants, from 2023.
Known as NOx, nitrogen oxides are poisonous gases and key components of smog and haze. They help form lung-damaging ozone and tiny soot particles that can cause respiratory illness and premature death in communities up to hundreds of miles away.

Berkshire Hathaway-owned coal plants

Berkshire has lobbied regulators and filed lawsuits to avoid installing expensive pollution controls, known as SCR scrubbers, that can reduce NOx and that are more commonly employed at coal plants owned by rivals. And the company has said it plans to operate some of its coal-fired plants – aging, decades-old facilities in Iowa, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming – for years after many of its corporate competitors plan to shut theirs, company disclosures show.
In an email response to detailed questions from Reuters, Berkshire said its electric utilities operate their coal plants “in full compliance with state and federal environmental laws, regulations and requirements.” The company said it hasn’t employed more SCR scrubbers because it is “an expensive technology for our customers,” but that it has reduced emissions through other methods, retired some coal plants early and converted others to gas. Berkshire didn’t address the toll its coal plants have exacted on the health of residents affected by their emissions.
Its efforts to reduce pollution, the company added, have sharply cut NOx emissions from its electricity portfolio over the last two decades. Coal power now accounts for only 22% of Berkshire’s power generation, it said, down from 71% in 2005. Berkshire said it plans to exit coal power entirely by 2049.

The Reuters analysis used federal emissions data – submitted to the EPA by plant operators themselves – to determine the NOx pollution produced by Berkshire’s coal fleet and compare it against industry peers. Reporters also used an EPA tool known as Co-Benefits Risk Assessment, or COBRA, to see how Berkshire’s coal plant pollution affects the health of communities.

Iran never plotted to kill Republican U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an NBC News interview on Tuesday, denying past claims from Trump and the U.S. government.
In November, the U.S. Justice Department charged an Iranian man in connection with an alleged plot ordered by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps to assassinate the U.S. president-elect. Law enforcement thwarted the alleged plan before any attack was carried out.

Trump also said last year during the U.S. election campaign that Iran may have been behind attempts to kill him.
“None whatsoever,” Pezeshkian said on NBC News, when asked if there was an Iranian plan to kill Trump. “We have never attempted this to begin with and we never will.”
Trump, who won last year’s U.S. election and will take office on Monday, survived two assassination attempts during the campaign – one in September while he was golfing on his course in West Palm Beach, Florida, and another during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Investigators have found no evidence of Iranian involvement in either.

Iran has also previously denied U.S. claims of interfering in American affairs, including through cyber operations.
Tehran says Washington has interfered in its affairs for decades, citing events ranging from a 1953 coup against a prime minister to the 2020 killing of its military commander in a U.S. drone strike.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-never-plotted-kill-donald-trump-iranian-president-says-2025-01-15/

The U.S. government posted an $87 billion budget deficit in December, reduced partly by a shift of benefit payments into November but capping a record $711 billion deficit for the first three months of the 2025 fiscal year, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday.
The Treasury, releasing its final budget report before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week, said that the $711 billion October-December deficit was $201 billion, or 39% higher, than the $510 billion deficit in the same period a year earlier as outlays grew sharply and revenues declined slightly.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-posts-record-711-bln-deficit-first-three-months-fiscal-2025-2025-01-14/

Donald Trump’s first days in office will be symbolically important and his actions will likely be a mixed bag of domestic and international policies. He will want to show voters that he means business while demonstrating America’s power abroad.

Putting presidential executive orders to use

To get things rolling quickly, Trump will depend on presidential executive orders, which are directives issued by the president. These orders bypass US Congress and can cover a range of issues like national security, foreign policy, and regulatory matters. A pile of them is expected to be ready for him to sign on January 20.

In a TV interview on “Meet the Press” on December 8, Trump confirmed he would sign “a lot” of executive orders on Day 1 relating to the economy, energy, and most importantly the Mexican border.

However, executive orders are not an all-encompassing power and can only be used to direct the actions of the executive branch, says Dan Mallinson, an associate professor of public policy and administration at Penn State Harrisburg in Pennsylvania.

These powers can still “be wide-ranging, including his promise to close the border,” he told DW, “but other orders just start the slow federal rulemaking process, which can take years.”

Immigration and mass deportations

Since arriving on the national stage, Trump has been fixated on the Mexican border and the people crossing it to enter the US. In his first term in office, he wanted to complete a wall between the two countries and have Mexico pay for it.

Four years later, stopping irregular migration by securing the country’s borders was one of the main issues that got Trump reelected. He is likely to revive a “Remain in Mexico” policy requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while claims are processed.

For those already in the country illegally, he has called for the biggest mass deportation in the country’s history, focusing first on criminals before turning to other undocumented immigrants.

Despite this plan — and any executive orders to expedite deportations — making this happen would require time and the support of local and state agencies. It would also face legal challenges.

In addition to fighting irregular migration, Trump is likely to again slow legal migration including making work permits, green cards, and visas harder and more expensive to get. This could impact skilled workers and prospective university students.

Trump also confirmed on “Meet the Press” that ending birthright citizenship was a Day 1 priority, if possible, through executive action. “We’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous,” he said. This could be difficult since the principle that anyone born on US soil is an American citizen is anchored in the Constitution.

The threat of tariffs on imported goods

Trade is another area that gets a lot of attention from Trump. Recently, he suggested a 10% blanket tariff for everything entering the US. Mexico, Canada and China, the country’s biggest trading partners, would be hit with even higher duties.

“It is not yet clear to what extent that will happen or if the threat of tariffs is being used to push certain countries to trade negotiations,” said Mallinson. However, based on his record, he thinks Trump will introduce at least some new tariffs.

While the president has the authority to impose tariffs on specific categories of imports, issuing blanket tariffs on all goods would be more complex. Such a move would cause chaos and be challenged in court.

Additionally, tariffs could add to domestic problems. “Anger over inflation helped Trump win the presidency, but he could lose public favor quickly if his economic policy raises prices or hobbles the economy,” said Mallinson.

Leaving the Paris Climate Accords, again

The environment is less important to US voters than the economy or migration, nonetheless, Trump has it in his crosshair.

During his first term as president, he withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, which is meant to cut carbon emissions to fight climate change. Joe Biden reversed that decision and rejoined the treaty on his first day in office.

Now, repeating the phrase “drill baby, drill” Trump has promised to expand the production of crude oil. As he focuses on fracking and fossil fuels, it should come as no surprise if he again withdraws from the climate agreement as one of his first official acts.

Trump has shown disregard for renewable wind energy production and electric vehicles. This skepticism could lead to other executive orders rolling back environmental protections and slowing the pace of renewable energy projects.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/day-1-what-will-donald-trump-do-when-he-becomes-president-again/a-71238359

A man was carried out of Pete Hegseth’s Senate confirmation hearing after cutting off Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, screaming, “You are a misogynist!”

The former Fox News anchor and Army National Guard combat veteran testified in front of the Senate in an explosive hearing that rehashed some of the foul allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking that loomed over his appointment to the role.

The protester made his grand statement as Hegseth railed against the “liberal,” “left-wing” media, which he blamed for his woes. When questioned about the sexual assault allegations and his alleged alcoholism, he simply stated he was “willing to endure these attacks” as he vehemently denied them.

After the initial outburst, two other protesters were carried out of the chamber of similar discretions. Videos and photos shot from within the chamber show the chaos unfolding as security wrestles the hecklers, carrying them out the back.

The third protester fought violently as he was carried out, with a video showing him being carried by about four cops, who held his legs and arms as he flailed about in their arms.

Hegseth appeared stoic as the protesters were carried out, his face full of annoyance as he managed to keep his cool while speaking. He paused, looked as though he was about to roll his eyes — but didn’t — and then continued speaking after each incident.

The rest of the hearing was littered with jabs by Hegseth at the Democratic senators questioning him as well as snarky remarks aimed at Republicans who opposed his appointment.

In one tense exchange with Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Hegseth demeaned the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee when the Democrat asked if Hegseth could explain what a JAG office was.

“Can you explain what a JAG office is, sir?” Reed asked. “I don’t think I need to,” Hegseth snarkily replied. He explained that he believes “the men and women watching understand.” He then defined a JAG as a person “who puts his or her own priorities in front of the warfighters.”

A JAG officer, or judge advocate general, is a military lawyer. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) served as a JAG previously and initially expressed concerns about Hegseth’s appointment before ultimately stating that he would support him. Graham is not on the committee.

Both Reed and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) pressed Hegseth on his previous statements about diversity bringing down the effectiveness of the military, including his previous statement that women should not serve in active combat roles or be able to rise through the ranks.

Shaheen noted Hegseth’s previous public statement, in which he said, “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.” She then called him out for being wishy-washy, demanding, “Which is it?” She then snarkily added, “I appreciate your 11th-hour conversion.”

The Democrat submitted for the record a chapter of his book that outlines his opposition to women in combat, asking him whether he thought the two female senators who served in the military are also less capable.

Firebrand Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) then launched into a tirade against those very statements as she questioned him on his views on women in general. “You will have to change how you see women to do this job well,” Gillibrand said, adding that his quotes about women are terrible and harmful to morale.

Hegseth fought back on all the accusations against him that he views women and minorities as inferior, including LGBTQ+ individuals, who he has previously said should not be allowed to serve in the military. He then reiterated that claim, reverting to his original belief that LGBTQ+ people should not be allowed to openly serve as he said, “I don’t disagree with the overturn of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'”

He later said, “The dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our unity is our strength.’ No, our shared purpose is our strength. Our shared mission is our strength.”

He also stated that he has always supported women, arguing with Gillibrand about his views as he said that the women he served with in active combat during his two tours to Iraq and Afghanistan were some of the most qualified individuals he’s ever worked with. His comments came in direct contradiction with previous on-the-record statements.

Nearly all of the women on the Senate Armed Services Committee questioned his beliefs about women as they submitted document after document to the record attesting to his misogyny and how it could be harmful for military operations should he take over the Department of Defense.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) slammed Hegseth for allegedly drinking on the job while he worked with the veterans’ organizations he used to head, which he slammed as a fabricated story by NBC News as he dodged every one of the senator’s questions, which also touched on President-elect Trump’s plans to take over Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal, refusing to speak about such plans in public when she asked if he would comply with Trump’s orders to invade if he gave them.

She also asked if he would approve orders to shoot protesters in the legs if given them, which has been a controversial topic circulating in the political arena as of late. She asked if he would resign if he drank on the job and if he would allow women in the military to access reproductive healthcare.

Hegseth refused to answer every question, and Hirono took his lack of straightforwardness as negative answers to her questions — meaning that he would invade Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal if ordered, he would block women from accessing reproductive healthcare and that he would not resign if called to if he were to be found drinking on the job.

“I hardly think you are prepared to do the job,” Hirono concluded. Hegseth attempted to respond, but Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) cut him off, simply stating, “That wasn’t a question, Mr. Hegseth.”

After multiple senators’ questions and tirades against Hegseth, Wicker entered into the record statements and endorsements from over five women who served in the military who support Hegseth’s nomination.

Wicker also denied a motion from Reed to block the release of the FBI report detailing the findings from an extensive background check on Hegseth as he also blocked a motion, also from Reed, to allow senators a second round of questioning — a typical, traditional motion in hearings of this nature.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) later blasted Hegseth for his severe “about-face” about women being involved in the military, stating that he espoused his extreme anti-women beliefs for at least 12 years before the nomination, then changed his views in just 32 days, hinting that his change might just be a ploy for power and that he’ll revert to his old ways the second he’s in office.

She also asked if he would resign and not work in the defense industry for a decade after his tenure as secretary of defense, a policy both she and Hegseth share as they say generals should be barred from the industry for 10 years after they leave the military. He snarkily quipped, “Senator, I’m not a general.” That garnered chuckles from around the chamber.

She and several other Democratic senators expressed frustrations over Hegseth’s refusal to meet with them ahead of the hearing. He met with Republican members of the committee but not any of the Democrats.

Many senators also questioned Hegseth’s budget plans for the department, emphasizing his role in overseeing the $850 billion allotment. His answers throughout that line of questioning and all others were vague as he dodged inquiries.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) railed against the alleged fiscal misconduct carried out by Hegseth while he managed Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America.

Of the former organization, Hegseth said defensively, “We raised donor funds, and we have letters submitted for the record from almost everyone that worked with me every single day, including our chief operating officer, who will attest that every dollar we raised was used intentionally toward the execution of our mission, which is supporting the warfighters.”

Blumenthal responded, “By the year of 2011, donors had become so dissatisfied with that mismanagement, they in effect, ousted you.” He then went on to detail the financial shortfalls Concerned Veterans for America faced as well. “That isn’t the kind of fiscal management we want at the Department of Defense,” Blumenthal stated.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) slammed Hegseth for his lack of managerial skills, harping on the fact that he had only managed around 200 people before. The Department of Defense boasts over 3 million personnel.

“What’s the largest number of people you’ve ever supervised or had in an organization in your career?” Peters pressed. Hegseth sardonically replied, “Not 3 million.”

“No, I don’t expect that,” Peters responded, pressing once more: “Very few people have ever had that experience, but how many? It’s a straight-up question.”

Hegseth finally admitted that he managed around 100 full-time staff at Concerned Veterans for America. He was also a headquarters company commander, he said, where he was tasked with managing around 200 people.

He admitted that he had no experience managing anything “remotely near the size of the defense department.” That admission served as the green light for Peters, who laid into the nominee’s lack of large managerial experience.

“You’re actually not remotely near even a medium-sized company in America, let alone a big company in America, especially a major corporation. And basically, we’re hiring you to be the CEO of one of the most complex, largest organizations in the world,” Peters said.

“We’re the board of directors here. I don’t know of any board of directors that would hire a CEO for a major company if they came and said, ‘You know, I supervised 100 people before,'” Peters concluded.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) later got into a loud spat with Hegseth over his refusal to answer questions related to his qualifications, including one she lobbied at him about ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. She asked him how many nations were a part of that bloc, and he listed South Korea and Japan after dodging the question — two countries that aren’t a part of it.

“Mr. Hegseth, none of those countries are in ASEAN,” Duckworth said. “None of those three countries that you’ve mentioned are in ASEAN. I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations.” Member nations include Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei.

One of the last people to speak at the hearing was Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who called out Hegseth for his beliefs surrounding veterans he believes are misusing their benefits. He skirted questions about veterans’ mental health and the importance of getting ahead of it.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) took a different approach with his line of questioning earlier in the hearing, asking Hegseth whether he would tackle the “woke” agenda of President Joe Biden over the past four years that he said has ruined the military. After launching into an openly transphobic tirade, he stated, “The other thing President Biden did — his first executive order as president was to focus on transgender surgeries for active-duty troops.”

“This is all — I’m describing the woke military here under Biden under the last four years. If confirmed and you were issued an order saying, ‘We are going to rip the Biden woke yoke off the neck of our military and focus on lethality and warfighting,’ how do you think the troops will react?” he asked Hegseth.

“Senator, I know the troops will rejoice. They will love it. They will love it,” Hegseth responded animatedly. “Our military will follow that order, senator, gladly, because they want to focus on lethality and warfighting and get all the woke political prerogatives, politically correct, social justice, political stuff out of the military.”

The mic was at one point passed to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who delivered perhaps the greatest bombshell of the hearing, accusing Hegseth of beating his wife and ex-wives as he also discussed accusations that Hegseth had taken previous coworkers to clubs to see strippers, yelling at one party, “Kill all Muslims!”

“Senator, I was falsely charged, fully investigated and completely cleared,” Hegseth said in response to the sexual assault accusation, which sprung up in 2017.

Kaine responded, “So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime. That’s your definition of cleared. You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you’re completely cleared.”

Source : https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/breaking-pete-hegseth-confirmation-hearing-909064

South Korean authorities arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over insurrection allegations, with the embattled leader saying he agreed to comply with what he called an illegal probe to avoid “bloodshed”.
His arrest, the first ever for an incumbent South Korean president, is the latest head-spinning development for one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies even though the country has a history of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders.

Since lawmakers voted to stand him down after his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, Yoon has been holed up at his hillside residence, guarded by a small army of personal security that blocked a previous arrest attempt.
A defiant Yoon said he submitted himself for questioning to avoid any violence after more than 3,000 police officers marched on his residence to arrest him from the early hours of Wednesday.

“I decided to respond to the CIO’s investigation – despite it being an illegal investigation – to prevent unsavoury bloodshed,” Yoon said in a statement, referring to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) that is heading the criminal probe.
Yoon’s motorcade was later seen leaving his residence in an upscale area known as Seoul’s Beverly Hills. It arrived at the investigators’ office but was quickly surrounded by security and moved to the back of the building, where Yoon slipped in, evading the waiting media.

Authorities now have 48 hours to question Yoon after which they must seek a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days or release him.
Yoon’s lawyers have said the arrest warrant is illegal because it was issued by a court in the wrong jurisdiction and the team set up to investigate him had no legal mandate to do so. A warrant to search Yoon at his residence, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, referred to Yoon as “ringleader of insurrection”.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law shocked South Koreans, rattled Asia’s fourth largest economy and ushered in an unprecedented period of political turmoil in one of Washington’s key security partners in the region. Lawmakers voted to impeach him and remove him from duties shortly after on Dec. 14.
Separate to the criminal investigation, the Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to uphold his impeachment by parliament and permanently remove him from office or restore his presidential powers.

The United States remains committed to working with the government in Seoul and appreciates all its efforts and citizens “to act in accordance with the Constitution”, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said in statement.
The top government spokesperson in neighbouring Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told a daily news briefing that Tokyo was following developments in South Korea “with particular and serious interest”.

YOON SUPPORTERS

The latest arrest attempt that began before dawn gripped the nation with hundreds of thousands glued to live feeds showing bus loads of police arriving near the presidential residence, pushing past Yoon supporters and then walking towards the gates of the compound carrying ladders and wire cutters.
As local news broadcasters reported that Yoon’s detention was imminent, some minor scuffles broke out between pro-Yoon protesters and police near the residence, according to a Reuters witness at the scene.
Throngs of those protesters gathered in sub-zero temperatures, some wrapped in foil blankets and others waving flags bearing “Stop the Steal” slogans referring to Yoon’s unsubstantiated claims of election fraud – one of the reasons he gave to justify his short-lived martial law declaration.
Some of Yoon’s supporters have drawn parallels with his plight and that of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who also claimed voter fraud contributed to his election defeat in 2020 but recovered to make a stunning political comeback.
“It is very sad to see our country falling apart,” said Kim Woo-sub, a 70-year-old retiree protesting Yoon’s arrest outside his residence on Wednesday.
“I still have high expectations for Trump to support our president. Election fraud is something they have in common but also the U.S. needs South Korea to fight China,” he said.
Despite polls showing a majority of South Koreans disapprove of Yoon’s martial law declaration and support his impeachment, the political standoff has given oxygen to his supporters and his People Power Party (PPP) has seen a revival in recent weeks.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-authorities-president-yoons-residence-execute-arrest-warrant-yonhap-2025-01-14/

New fighter jets set to replace the RAF’s Typhoons have been seen for the first time.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is collaborating with Italy and Japan to create a new generation of military planes: the Tempest jet fighter programme.

The Tempest is set to enter service in 2035, to fill the gap left by Typhoons when they’re decommissioned during the next decade.

Work on the new jets, developed under the global combat air programme (GCAP), is going well, MPs have been told – but concerns have been raised about possible overspending on the £12billion budget.

Commons Defence Committee chairman Tan Dhesi said: ‘While today’s report welcomes GCAP, it also cautions that the MoD (Ministry of Defence) must have a firm grip on the programme.

‘All too often multilateral defence programmes are beset with soaring costs and mounting delays. GCAP must break the mould.’

The Eurofighter Typhoon, created alongside Italy, Germany and Spain, suffered ‘structural failings’ and ‘unnecessary delay and cost’, MPs said, adding they wanted to avoid these problems.

‘We are encouraged that this imperative has been recognised by both the MoD and industry,’ the Commons report said.

‘It was clear from our visit to Italy that they, having also experienced the delays that had been caused on Typhoon, had drawn the same conclusions and meeting the 2035 target date is critical for Japan.’

The MPs added that ‘with the defence budget under increasing pressure, it is incumbent on both government and industry to keep tight control of costs as GCAP progresses’.

Source : https://metro.co.uk/2025/01/14/first-look-at-uks-12000000000-next-generation-combat-aircraft-programme-22356658/

From techno temples to hedonistic hideouts, anything-goes revelry has been core to Berlin’s soul for the past century. But rising rents and rapid gentrification may soon kill the party.

Paris has fashion, Copenhagen has design, Berlin has clubs. From multi-day raves in former Cold War bunkers to hedonistic hideouts where anything goes and phones are banned, the German capital has been luring libertines and showing the world how to party since its decadent Weimar days a century ago.

That’s why Germany added Berlin’s techno scene to the country’s national registry of Intangible Culture in March 2024. It was a nod to the music’s role as the soundtrack of Berlin’s counter-cultural core – the same one that helped topple the Berlin Wall; lead its former mayor to declare it “poor but sexy”; and, until recently, stave off large-scale gentrification.

But in November, a non-profit organisation representing the interests of Berlin clubs, released a report warning that half of the city’s roughly 250 clubs are at risk of closing in 2025 due to Berlin’s rapidly rising rents, gentrification and changing demographics – a figure that has doubled since club owners surveyed nine months earlier.

Foreigners and German tourists have long been drawn to Berlin for its cheaper rents (compared to other European capitals) and freewheeling live-and-let-live ethos. The city actively promotes its fabled club culture to tourists, even as recent headlines declare a “club death spiral” and “the end of the party”. Last month, the city’s English-language arts and culture magazine, The Berliner pondered if the city’s club scene would ever fully recover, leaving many to wonder whether one of the main reasons travellers have long flocked to Berlin may soon vanish.

For Emiko Gejic, spokesperson for the Club Commission, which released the report, the so-called “death of Berlin culture” is nothing new. Gentrification and the pricing out of cultural spaces have been happening for years. What’s new, she says, is a perfect storm of additional factors, such as the lingering financial distress from the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation, increased operating costs and a decline in visitors – all of which have led some club owners to throw in the towel.

The most recent highly publicised closing is Watergate. After 22 years, the Kreuzberg club succumbed to increasing economic pressure and shuttered this past New Year’s Eve.

Some clubs have faced individual challenges that have forced their closure, or at the very least, threatened their existence. Gejic points to the re-development plan of Berlin’s Rummelsburg district, which forced the Rummels Bucht club to close in September 2020 in favour of a new aquarium opening next year and new apartments. Then there’s the planned extension of the A100 highway that would threaten clubs like Renate, Else, Neue Zukunft, about blank, Oxi and Club Ost.

Ani Anca, a Romanian entrepreneur who has been coming to Berlin to party at its clubs for the past decade, says she was initially drawn by its reputation as the “mecca of clubbing”. Years ago, some Berliners she had met at Burning Man took her to Sisyphos – a large warehouse-style venue just down the road from the now-closed Rummelsbucht.

“Sisyphos was something that I never experienced,” she said. “I mean, it was a Saturday night and I had met people that were there since Wednesday.”

Anca says people came to the club the same way you’d prepare for a festival, complete with a change of clothes, towels and food.

“The clubs [in Berlin] were designed in such a way that you can immerse yourself in different worlds, ranging from a dark dungeon to a funky winter house with happy music,” she says. “People walking in between the different worlds on these paths where lots of conversations, lots of connections would spontaneously emerge.”

With the most recent reports of the demise of the city’s club culture, Anca wonders what’s next for Berlin. But even as a loyal fan of its club scene, she isn’t surprised change is coming.

“I think there are many different reasons why Berlin [club] culture is declining,” she says. “First of all, there’s a change of generations. As we know, the people coming behind Millennials, Generation Z, have a much healthier lifestyle. A lot of them are not drinking, let alone using other substances that we can’t ignore that were an integral part of the culture of the clubs in Berlin.”

Indeed, a separate report from the Club Commission found that the average estimated age of clubbers, according to club owners, was 30. Only nine percent were estimated to be between the ages of 18-21. And 52% of clubs reported an overall decline in attendance.

Those who don’t want to start their night at 02:00 or use illegal substances to get through the night are precisely who Tom Boerman and Elena Kunze are targeting with the opening of Electric Social. Located just around the corner from the always-busy Alexanderplatz, the arcade bar caters to group events and younger crowds who’d rather have a casual night out with some games than wait in infamously long lines that can last for hours, with a bouncer who might reject someone based on something as subjective as their vibe.

Boerman empathises with club owners but thinks fears that club culture will die in Berlin are overblown.

“There are a lot of changing factors working against the entertainment industry right now and these changes bring uncertainty,” he says. “It’s natural that this would cause stress and pessimism, but Berlin is a club town – there will always be clubs. And these challenges are not unique to clubs. They impact bars, restaurants and all other entertainment. Unless we want nothing but clubs in Berlin, we need to find a way to support entertainment as a whole.”

Both Boerman and Kunze argue that rising rents and changes in the city’s partying scene since the pandemic is simply catching up with clubs. For instance, Kunze suggests that skyrocketing beer prices force people to stick to just one drink a night.

“Clubs can’t survive on that,” she says “Especially those that used to sell bottles of liquor to tables by the hour.”

Source : https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250113-is-berlins-famous-club-scene-ending

A lady thought she was helping Brad Pitt out but she was actually falling victim to a shocking romance scam.

The 53-year-old victim, who gave her name as Anne, forked out 830,000 euros ($851,355) to help with what she believed was cancer treatment for the Hollywood legend.

A scammer managed to do so by convincing Anne they were Brad Pitt with a series of AI-generated images.

The interior designer told French channel TF1 that the ordeal started when she received a message on social media from someone claiming to be Brad’s mother after sharing photos of her fancy ski trip to Tignes on Instagram.

A day later, another account posing as the Hollywood heartthrob sent a second message, saying his mother had spoken a lot about her already.

The victim, who noted she was going through a difficult period with her millionaire husband, said she struck up an unlikely friendship with the account from February 2023, receiving poems and sweet affirmations.

“There are so few men who write you this kind of thing. I liked the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women, it was always very well done,” she said, as reported by BFMTV.

While Anne admitted she did have her suspicions that the account was fake, after messaging every day and receiving AI-generated photos and videos of the star, she became more at ease.

Soon Anne’s online relationship with ‘Bad Pitt’ went to the next level when the person behind the account proposed to her and overwhelmed her with the promise of fancy gifts.

The only catch was that she would need to pay customs fees to receive them, which quickly added up to 9,000 euros ($9231).

With Anne already showing a willingness to part with large sums of money, the scammer went on to make increasingly absurd requests.

When the victim told ‘Bad Pitt’ that she was expecting a hefty divorce settlement from her husband, the scammer saw this as the perfect opportunity to up the ante with their requests.

The Brad Pitt account went on to appeal for help in funding urgent kidney cancer treatment, claiming that they could not access funds due to their ongoing divorce from Angelina Jolie.

The scammer reportedly then began sending AI-generated photos of the World War X star from the confines of a hospital bed.

Anne pointed out that while she and the scammer communicated by text and with photos, she said he was never free for a call – a common motif among online scammers.

In the end, she parted ways with nearly one million euros throughout the relationship until her suspicions were confirmed when she saw pics of the actor with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.

Source : https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/160394/brad-pitt-dating-scam-woman-divorce-millionaire-husband

Easing winds delivered a brief but much-needed reprieve to firefighters Tuesday as they battled two massive blazes burning in the Los Angeles area, and the National Weather Service pushed back its unusually dire warning of critical fire weather until early the following day.

Forecasters said the winds were below danger levels in the evening, but they were expected to strengthen overnight with potentially fire-fueling gusts. Red flag warnings remained in effect from Central California to the Mexican border until late afternoon Wednesday.

Winds increased Tuesday but not to the near-hurricane-force levels that were predicted to happen earlier in the day. Still the danger was not over, officials said.

“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said in a post on social media. “The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow.”

This round of Santa Ana winds was not expected to be as mighty as last week, but they could carry fire-sparking embers for miles and stoke new outbreaks in a region where at least 25 people have already been killed.

Firefighters made more progress on the Palisades Fire, the largest and most stubborn blaze. CalFire Operations Section Chief Christian Litz said he took a helicopter ride around the perimeter and saw no active flames, though it was far from over.

Nearly 90,000 households lost electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes.

A state of alert

Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes.

Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after being seen setting small fires that were immediately extinguished, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. One was using a barbecue lighter, another ignited brush and a third tried to light up a trash can, he said. All were far outside the disaster zones. Authorities have not determined a cause for any of the major fires.

Among nine people charged with looting was a group that stole an Emmy from an evacuated house, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

The biggest worry remained the threat from intense winds. Now backed by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flareups or new blazes. The firefighting force was much bigger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began destroying thousands of homes in what could become the nation’s costliest fire disaster.

Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few left standing in her neighborhood in Altadena, near Pasadena. They intended to keep watch to ward off looting and to hose down the house and her neighbors’ properties to prevent flareups.

“Our lives have been put on hold indefinitely,” Johnson said via text message, adding that they cannot freely come and go because of restrictions on entering the burn areas. “But I would rather be here and not leave than to not be allowed back at all.”

An unusual and ominous warning

Tuesday’s forecast included a rare warning: The winds, combined with severely dry conditions, have created a “ Particularly Dangerous Situation,” the National Weather service said, meaning that any new fire could explode in size.

The forecast was later adjusted to say gusts were expected to pick up strength early Wednesday.

Packed and ready to go

Residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape.

Javier Vega, who said he feels like he has been “sleeping with one eye open,” and his girlfriend have planned out how they can quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko if they get orders to evacuate.

“Typically on any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4:00 in the morning, that would drive anyone crazy,” Vega said. But figuring they were helping firefighters to keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, “it was actually soothing for me to go to sleep.”

Preparing for another outbreak

Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticized over their initial response expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. The mayor said she was able to fly over the disaster areas, which she described as resembling the aftermath of a “dry hurricane.”

Winds this time were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds seen last week but could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

He urged homeless people to avoid starting fires for warmth and to seek shelter.

Wildfires on the rise across LA

With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area.

Firefighters have been jumping on small blazes that pop up. One, in a dry riverbed near Oxnard Monday night, was quickly smothered. “We’ve got helicopters ready to go, to drop water on any new fires,” said Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department.

The four largest fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Of these, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze, in Pacific Palisades on the coast, was far less contained.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-wildfires-southern-california-2dc4d256d8681f7d035f64730982aef0

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday, according to an official involved with planning the event.

They will have a prominent spot at the ceremony, seated together on the platform with other notable guests, including Trump’s Cabinet nominees and elected officials.

Musk said on X that he was “honored” to have such a prominent spot at the inauguration.

The three tech titans have all tried to earn favor with Trump in the past year, led by Musk’s donating more than a quarter-billion dollars in campaign funds to help elect Trump. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX — and the co-lead of a new Trump administration advisory body called the Department of Government Efficiency — has frequently been at Trump’s side since he endorsed him for president in July.

Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, this month reshuffled his lobbying staff and his content moderation policies to align with the incoming Republican administration. Meta also gave $1 million to the Trump inaugural fund.

Zuckerberg is co-hosting a black-tie reception Monday with Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson to celebrate the inauguration, according to two people familiar with the event who were not authorized to speak publicly. Puck News first reported the event.

Bezos, the founder of Amazon and its executive chair, decided last fall that The Washington Post, which he owns, would not endorse in the presidential race, overruling opinion staff members who wanted to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. Amazon also contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund.

The three men are among the wealthiest people in the world, with fortunes based on the tech boom of the past two decades. Musk ranks No. 1, Bezos No. 2 and Zuckerberg No. 3, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Their combined net worth: $885 billion as of Monday, according to Bloomberg.

A representative for Meta declined to comment. Representatives for Musk and Bezos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

All three men have supported Democrats and Republicans over the years, according to federal records.

They have a significant amount at stake in Trump’s second term, not only because of potential tax and trade policy changes but also because of issues specific to their businesses.

Meta faces a possible antitrust trial as soon as April over allegations from the Federal Trade Commission that it acted illegally to maintain a monopoly on personal social networks. Amazon is a major federal contractor through its cloud computing business, which was a source of conflict with Trump during his first term. SpaceX is a major federal contractor through its rocket launches and internet service business, Starlink.

Source : https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-mark-zuckerberg-attend-trump-inauguration-rcna187642

Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will be there.

Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join their husbands for the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, representatives said.

“Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration,” said a statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama that was shared with The Associated Press.

No explanation was given for why Michelle Obama was skipping Trump’s inauguration. She also did not attend former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral in Washington last week. Former Presidents Trump, Obama, Bush and Clinton and their spouses attended — except for her.

Bill Clinton will attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony, a person familiar with the former president’s schedule confirmed for the AP. Hillary Clinton will also attend, a spokesperson said.

The Office of George W. Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush are also attending.

Michelle Obama was the only spouse absent at last week’s funeral service at Washington National Cathedral, where her husband and Trump were seated next to each other and chatted and laughed like old friends despite the history of political animosity between the Democratic former president and the returning Republican.

The former first lady campaigned against Trump during his 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns. In her 2018 memoir, she described her shock upon learning that Trump would succeed her husband, and she denounced Trump’s “birther” campaign, which questioned Barack Obama’s citizenship.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-obama-bush-clinton-f7212766dc0f69444d8a4537a736c2d2

Sony has unveiled a new gaming system that could allow PlayStation players to sniff their way through games like The Last of Us.

Unveiled at CES 2025, the Future Immersive Entertainment Concept (FIEC) features a huge, room-size setup designed to push the boundaries of immersive gaming. A trailer for the concept shows a giant cube built from high-definition LED screens that enables players to step directly into their favorite games (unfortunately, this isn’t something you’ll be setting up in your living room anytime soon).

In the trailer, players experience the postapocalyptic world of The Last of Us with enhanced audio and the addition of smell-o-vision, delivering a “completely new experience.” “One of the pillars of Sony’s creative entertainment vision is the idea of narrative everywhere, where stories from Sony are transformed across new and exciting mediums,” explains the video. “This Future Immersive Entertainment Concept aims to explore these possibilities. This proof-of-concept project combines the latest location-based technologies, Sony Crystal LED panels, engaging audio, haptics, scent, and atmospherics to fully immerse you into the world of the story.”

While the infected world of The Last of Us may seem an odd choice to demonstrate what the FIEC can do, players could shoot clickers as they appeared around them and get a whiff of the game’s grim postapocalyptic world. “I think I speak for everyone when I say nobody asked for this,” one skeptical fan responded to the announcement. “Can’t think of a single game that will enhance my experience by smelling it,” a second X user added, unimpressed.

Source : https://www.fastcompany.com/91257892/sony-playstation-is-adding-smell-yes-you-read-that-right-to-its-games

President Joe Biden notified Congress of his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island.

Senior U.S. administration officials, who previewed the announcement on the condition of anonymity, said ”many dozens” of political prisoners and others considered by the U.S. to be unjustly detained would be released by the end of the Biden administration at noon on Jan. 20.

The U.S. would also ease some economic pressure on Cuba, as well as a 2017 memorandum issued by then-President Donald Trump toughening U.S. posture toward Cuba.

“In taking these steps to bolster the ongoing dialogue between the government of Cuba and the Catholic Church, President Biden is also honoring the wisdom and counsel that has been provided to him by many world leaders, especially in Latin America, who have encouraged him to take these actions, on how best to advance the human rights of the Cuban people,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

The Cuban foreign ministry on Tuesday said that the government informed Pope Francis it will release 553 people who had been convicted of different crimes. It said that they will be gradually released, as the authorities analyze the legal and humanitarian ways to make it happen.

The foreign ministry didn’t link the release of the prisoners to the US decision of lifting the designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, but “in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of the year 2025 declared by His Holiness.” In a statement, the foreign minister condemned the ongoing U.S. sanctions on the country as “economic warfare” and acknowledged that the Biden decision could well be reversed by Trump.

The Cuban authorities didn’t say who is among the 553 people who will be released.

The determination by the outgoing one-term Democrat is likely to be reversed as early as next week after Trump, the Republican who is now president-elect, takes office and Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio assumes the position of America’s top diplomat.

Rubio, whose family left Cuba in the 1950s before the communist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, has long been a proponent of sanctions on the communist island. Rubio will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing and is expected to address his Cuban roots in his testimony.

Trump has also appointed Mauricio Claver-Carone, a former White House National Security Council aide and strong supporter of sanctions against Cuba, to be his special envoy to Latin America.

The U.S. officials said the Trump transition team had been informed of the action before it was announced by the Biden White House.

Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick to serve as national security adviser, previewed a snap back to the previous U.S. policy, but signaled approval for the arrangement.

“Look. anything that they’re doing right now we can do back, and no one should be under any illusion in terms of a change in Cuba policy,” Waltz told Fox News on Tuesday. “We don’t like it, but again, if people are going free, then that’s what it is for now.”

In the final days of Trump’s first administration, on Jan. 11, 2021, the White House reinstated the designation, which had been reversed during the period of rapprochement between Cuba and the United States during President Barack Obama’s second term in office. In doing so, the Trump administration cited Cuba’s support for Venezuela’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and its refusal to extradite Colombian rebels to Colombia, among other issues, including its continued harboring of wanted Americans.

The move to designate Cuba by Trump was one of several foreign policy moves he made in the final days of his first term.

About six months after Trump designated Cuba as a terror sponsor, the Biden administration levied new sanctions on island officials and the national revolutionary police after hundreds of Cubans were arrested during demonstrations in Havana and other cities to protest shortages, power outages and government policies. They were the first such protests since the 1990s.

Human rights groups and activists, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have been pressing the Biden administration to lift the designation to ease the suffering of Cuban people who feel the impact of Cuba’s economic isolation.

Cuba’s government recognized the announcement and expressed its gratitude, although it deemed it as “limited.”

“Despite its limited scope, this is a decision that points to the right direction and is in line with the sustained and firm demand by the government and the people of Cuba,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a press release.

“The decision announced today by the United States, rectifies, in a very limited way, some aspects of a cruel and unjust policy,” it added.

Congress and the incoming Trump administration will have the opportunity to review and potentially reverse Biden’s actions, though the senior U.S. administration officials said the Biden administration had determined there was “no credible evidence” that Cuba was currently engaged in supporting international terrorism.

The Cuban foreign ministry said that the government is conscious that the incoming government in the U.S. could reverse the decision, but that it will remain “ready to develop a respectful relation with that country, based on dialogue and non-interference in the internal affairs of both countries, despite the differences.”

There was no immediate comment from Rubio or his office, but one of his Republican colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, quickly denounced the Biden administration move.

“Today’s decision is unacceptable on its merits,” Cruz said in a statement. “The terrorism advanced by the Cuban regime has not ceased. I will work with President Trump and my colleagues to immediately reverse and limit the damage from the decision.”

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Florida Republican, criticized the move and predicted that Trump would quickly reverse Biden’s decision.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/biden-cuba-terrorism-designation-a0e2f003ce7100e6a845ef7ed6e96a1b

Despite the groundbreaking and heroic actions of women in the last 12 months, there’s one archetype sitting firmly on the horizon for 2025: the Alpha Male.

Last year saw Angela Rayner land the job of Deputy Prime Minister, and Kemi Badenoch became the first black woman to lead a major UK political party.

In the entertainment world, musician Raye became the first woman to ever win songwriter of the year at the Brit awards, and Gillian Anderson released a ground-breaking tell-all book about the deepest fantasies of women.

And, the world was moved by French heroine Gisele Pelicot, who waived her right to anonymity in order to hold her rapist husband to account, saying: ‘I wanted… to ensure that society could see what was happening. I never have regretted this decision.’

But despite these trailblazing moments, the steadily growing popularity of the Alpha Male signals a dangerous cloud of toxic masculinity in 2025.

Trump and Farage… it’s worse than you think

ANDREW Tate has been freed from house arrest after five months, his legal team claims.

The toxic influencer, 38, was locked up at his Romanian home as he faces allegations of rape and he and his brother face trafficking charges.

Andrew is not completely free yet and must remain in Romania on probation, must check in periodically with cops, and cannot contact other witnesses or suspects.

The lawyers said in the statement: “In a crucial legal decision, the Romanian courts have today lifted the house arrest imposed on Andrew Emory Tate, replacing it with judicial control (probation).

“This ruling marks a decisive step forward, granting Andrew the freedom to travel throughout Romania while adhering to the required legal conditions.

“Once again, this decision highlights the Romanian justice system’s commitment to fairness and transparency, showcasing its dedication to upholding due process and the rule of law.”

In response to The Sun’s story, Andrew posted on X saying: “I told you they set me up 3 years ago.

“No victims, no evidence….

“MATRIX ATTACK.”

Andrew then made reference to his pledge to enter UK politics saying: “Now I will become Prime Minister to make sure this never happens again.”

The case began back in December 2022 when Andrew and his brother Tristan were sensationally nicked by cops.

They spent three months in prison before they were moved to house arrest and later restricted movement only in Bucharest city and nearby Ilfov county, and then within Romania.

Andrew’s house arrest ruling is a recent second victory for the pair.

The ruling comes after an appeals court ruled in December ruled, in a different case, the brothers would not face trial in a human trafficking case.

The four are accused of human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, and Andrew also faces an additional rape charge.

Prosecutors must now decide whether to bring forth new evidence to back up the charges or amend them.

The brothers were placed back on house arrest in August after getting out of it a year earlier.

Cops were investigating claims a 17-year-old girl was trafficked to Britain and forced to “perform sexual acts in order to produce pornographic material”.

Romanian cops also claimed that starting in December 2020 one of the men engaged in “sexual relations” with a 15-year-old.

Andrew and Tristan deny all the allegations against them.

After December’s ruling, Andrew said prosecutors “had years to build their case” and to “tear apart my life … and yet, they have nothing.”

He said: ““They threw me in jail, took my money, my cars, and every ounce of my freedom. They made me the biggest enemy on the streets, dragging my name through the dirt with accusations of the lowest, most vile deeds a man can be accused of.

“But I never broke.”

In December, British cops were allowed to seize more than £2million from the pair after the pair didn’t pay taxes.

The brothers failed to pay any tax on £21million in revenue from their online businesses — now held in seven frozen bank accounts.

Andrew said at the time: “This isn’t justice, it’s a co-ordinated attack on those who challenge the system.”

Cops are seeking their extradition to the UK for similar allegations here.

Footage in August showed armed cops storming their home through the roof after being blocked by “bulletproof doors”.

Masked officers raided the controversial influencer’s home amid a probe into new allegations of trafficking and sex with a minor.

Andrew moved to Romania years ago after first starting a webcam business in the UK.

Andrew initially gained fame after a short-lived appearance on Big Brother.

He was dumped from the reality show after alleged footage of him beating a woman emerged online.

Andrew then built up an image that appealed to teenage boys – creating an online empire that made him one of the most searched people on Google.

Masquerading as lifestyle advice, much of the content is considered highly sexist and is seen as promoting violence against women.
His influence has had a worrying spread amongst young men and boys, with one UK MP saying he is “brainwashing” children.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13291597/andrew-tate-house-arrest-free/

The chart-topping K-pop band NewJeans may be prevented from signing advertising deals and other contracts, after their record label filed an injunction against them.

The five-piece are currently engaged in a fierce dispute with Ador, the entertainment company that formed their band in 2022.

Last November, the group claimed their contracts were invalid, due to what they alleged was a pattern of bullying, harassment and subterfuge at the company. Ador, which denied the allegations, sued to have their contracts upheld.

The company is now accusing NewJeans of trying to sign independent deals without its approval, and has taken further legal action in Seoul, South Korea.

“This decision was made to prevent confusion and potential harm to third parties, including advertisers,” Ador explained in a statement.

The agency also warned that there could be broader repercussions for South Korea’s lucrative music industry if NewJeans’ actions went unchecked.

“Allowing unilateral terminations of exclusive contracts and independent activities without legal procedures could undermine investment in the entertainment industry and destabilise the K-pop sector,” Ador said in its injunction application, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

NewJeans were considered one of the brightest new bands in K-Pop, thanks to a playful blend of 1990s R&B and sugar-coated pop melodies.

In 2023, they were the eighth biggest-selling act in the world. Last year, they picked up a nomination for best group at the MTV Awards.

But their relationship with Ador soured after its parent company Hybe allegedly forced out their mentor, Min Hee-Jin.

The band issued an ultimatum demanding that Min should be restored. When Hybe refused, the group went public with a number of complaints against the label, including the claim that Hybe had deliberately undermined their careers.

In a press conference last November, the five members – Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein – announced their departure from the company, saying Hybe and Ador had lost the right to represent them as artists.

They subsequently filed court papers seeking a legal separation from the agency, but the case has yet to be heard.

Ador argues that the band’s contract, which runs until 2027, should be upheld.

The label has already finalised a schedule for the quintet’s next 12 months, which includes releasing a new album and hosting fan meetings, amongst other activities.

However, the band members have continued to assert their independence, creating a new Instagram account under the name “jeanzforfree”, where they have been hosting regular live-streams with fans.

The band say they will fight to keep their name, and their career, and will remain “NewJeans at heart” even if they lose that fight.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g7zw6j41yo

Despite being vilified, threatened and humiliated in public, veteran Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom is determined to uphold the rights of homosexual people in her country.

A human rights NGO that she runs, Redhac, was recently suspended by the government and she is due to appear before investigators to answer accusations of money laundering and funding terror groups – which she denies.

The 80-year-old says the authorities are obstructing her work and believes she is being targeted because of her legal advocacy with the LGBT community.

“I will always defend homosexuals because they risk their freedom every day, and they are thrown into prison like dogs,” she tells the BBC in a firm tone, speaking in her office in the city of Douala.

“My job is to defend people. I don’t see why I would say I’m defending everyone except homosexuals.”

Dressed in a black gown, Ms Nkom delivers her stark message in a measured voice that reflects years of thoughtful legal argument.

According to the country’s penal code, both men and women found guilty of homosexual sex can be sentenced to up to five years in prison and made to pay a fine. Members of the LGBT community also face being ostracized by their families and wider society.

As a result, Ms Nkom has been viewed as a surrogate parent to some in her country who have been open about their sexuality with their family.

The legal expert has children of her own, but hundreds, maybe thousands, of others look up to her as their protector following her work over more than two decades to defend those accused of homosexuality.

“She’s like our father and our mother. She’s the mother we find when our families have abandoned us,” says one LGBT activist, Sébastien, not his real name.

Committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is included in Cameroon’s constitution, Ms Nkom argues that freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation should be seen as a fundamental right that supersedes the penal code.

“You shouldn’t jail fundamental rights, you shouldn’t repress them – you should protect them,” she says.

This is a struggle that has landed Ms Nkom in difficulties.

She says she has been physically threatened several times in the street, and reveals that when she first started out in this area of law, she hired bodyguards to help protect her.

But her journey to become one of Cameroon’s most outspoken legal figures began well before that.

In 1969, aged 24, she became the country’s first black female lawyer, after studying in both France – the former colonial power – and Cameroon.

She says she was encouraged to pursue her studies by her then boyfriend, who later became her husband.

Her earlier legal work involved representing the less well-off and disadvantaged but it was a chance encounter in 2003 that led her to become involved in the fight to decriminalise homosexuality.

She was at the public prosecutor’s office in Douala when she observed a group of young people handcuffed in pairs, who did not have the courage to look up.

“When I checked the court docket, I realised that they were being prosecuted for homosexuality,” she says.

TikTok denied a report that China is looking at potentially facilitating a sale of the app to tech billionaire Elon Musk to keep TikTok operational in America amid a looming U.S. government ban.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that “Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok” if an American law goes into effect that would require parent company ByteDance to divest its TikTok stake or effectively ban the app in the U.S. The Bloomberg report cited anonymous sources.

“We can’t be expected to comment on pure fiction,” a TikTok rep said in reply to Variety‘s request for comment.

Musk has not commented on Bloomberg’s TikTok report. Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and is the world’s wealthiest individual, bought Twitter in 2022 in a $44 billion deal and subsequently renamed it X. Under “one scenario” that has been discussed by the Chinese government, X would “take control of TikTok US and run the businesses together,” according to the Bloomberg report. The news outlet noted that it is “unclear whether Musk, TikTok and ByteDance have held any talks about the terms of any possible deal.”

TikTok is in danger of being outlawed in the U.S. under a law set to take effect Jan. 19, unless the Supreme Court issues a ruling stopping it from taking effect.

On Friday, Jan. 10, the Supreme Court heard arguments in TikTok’s emergency appeal seeking to block the law, with TikTok and ByteDance arguing that the law violates First Amendment rights of its 170 million U.S. users. But the justices seemed to lean toward being more receptive to the government’s position — that TikTok represents a national security threat, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party.

Beijing-based ByteDance has not indicated that it is exploring the sale of its approximately 40% stake in TikTok to an entity or investor group that would meet with U.S. approval. Meanwhile, Chinese officials previously indicated that if ByteDance did try to sell the stake in TikTok, such a move would be blocked because it would represent a technology export.

Congress passed the divest-or-ban legislation targeting TikTok last year with solid bipartisan support and it was signed into law by President Biden. U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed deep concern about TikTok’s Chinese ownership, suggesting that the Chinese communist regime could use the app to spy on Americans or use it to spread pro-China propaganda.

The law — the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — prohibits Apple and Google’s app stores, as well as web hosting services, from hosting or distributing TikTok in the U.S. unless ByteDance sells its ownership in the app to any party located in a country that is not designated a “foreign adversary” of the United States.

Source : https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/tiktok-elon-musk-sale-china-pure-fiction-1236273557/

The Queen was left in the dark for almost a decade over the full scale of the treachery of one of her most senior courtiers, according to newly-released files.

In 1964, Sir Anthony Blunt, the surveyor of the Queen’s pictures and distinguished art historian, finally confessed he had been a Soviet agent since the 1930s.

When he was a young don at Cambridge he was recruited into one of the most notorious spy rings of the 20th century.

As a senior MI5 officer during the Second World War, he passed vast quantities of secret intelligence to his KGB handlers.

However, he was allowed to keep his position at the heart of the British establishment amid fears of a major scandal if the truth became public.

When the Queen was finally told the full story in the 1970s, she was characteristically unflappable – taking it “all very calmly and without surprise” – according to declassified MI5 files released to the National Archives in Kew, west London.

In the same tranche of declassified files, it has been revealed that film star Dirk Bogarde was warned by MI5 that he could be the target of a gay “entrapment” attempt by the KGB.

Bogarde, who died in 1999, never came out publicly as gay, although he maintained a long-term relationship with his manager, Anthony Forwood.

In 1971 he was interviewed in the south of France by MI5 officer FM Merifield.

When told about the report of his homosexuality, the actor responded with a mixture of anger and alarm.

“Bogarde said the report was absurd and he did not know how the KGB could have received this information. He was a man of 50 and able to behave in a responsible fashion,” Mr Merifield reported.

“Bogarde had no idea as to how the report may have reached the KGB and was clearly disturbed by it.”

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/queen-kept-in-dark-over-palace-traitor-anthony-blunt-declassified-documents-reveal-13288383

Disney is being sued over Moana and Moana 2, with an animator claiming the films copied plot points from one of their screenplays.

Animator Buck Woodall filed a lawsuit in California federal court on Friday that claims Disney stole elements of a screenplay he wrote for an animated film project called Bucky in the early 2000s.

Mr Woodall, who is seeking damages of at least $10bn (£8.25bn), says he produced a screenplay and trailer for Bucky and began sharing details of the project with Jenny Marchick, former Mandeville Films director of development, in 2003.

Mandeville had a first look deal with Disney, the lawsuit says, and claims Ms Marchick, who is now DreamWorks Animation’s head of development for features, asked for materials like production plans, character designs and storyboards, and reassured Mr Woodall she could get the film greenlit.

It points to similarities between the plot points of Moana, released in 2016, and Bucky “which could not possibly have been accidental”, including how both are about a teenager who defies parental warnings and embarks on a dangerous voyage across Polynesian waters to save the endangered land of a Polynesian island.

It claims other similarities include how both plots celebrate a recurring theme of the Polynesian belief in spiritual ancestors manifested as animals, and how both include the protagonist’s journey starting with a turtle, a plot involving a symbolic necklace, a main character who encounters a demigod adorned with a giant hook and tattoos and a giant creature that’s concealed within a mountain.

The lawsuit also points out alleged similarities between Bucky and Moana 2, released in November last year, saying: “Moana and her crew are sucked into a perilous whirlpool-like oceanic portal, another dramatic and unique device-imagery found in plaintiff’s materials that could not possibly have been developed by chance or without malicious intentions.”

The lawsuit states: “Disney’s Moana was produced in the wake of Woodall’s delivery to the Defendants of virtually all constituent parts necessary for its development and production after more than 17 years of inspiration and work on his animated film project.”

Sky News has contacted Disney and Ms Marchick for comment.

Mr Woodall already tried to sue Disney over Moana once, but US district judge Consuelo Marshall ruled in November last year that he had tried to sue too late over the 2016 film, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).

It was the release of Moana 2, which debuted to $224.2m at the box office in November, which allowed him to initiate further legal action, THR added.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/disney-being-sued-for-billions-over-moana-claims-13288146

Dangerously high winds are set to return to Los Angeles, threatening efforts to extinguish wildfires that have destroyed neighborhoods and claimed at least 24 lives.

“We are not in the clear as of yet,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowle said. “We must not let our guard down,” she added.

Dry Santa Ana winds of up to 70 miles (112 kilometers) per hour are predicted to resume on Monday and continue until Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning.

Firefighters are working to contain three active blazes in the Los Angeles area ahead of the predicted return of the winds.

Biden says recovery will cost tens of billions of dollars

President Joe Biden said the federal government is covering most costs associated with the wildfire devastation for the next 180 days.

But Biden added that rebuilding the area and getting the city back will take “tens of billions of dollars” so Congress needs to “step up.”

Biden also thanked firefighters and first responders, saying “You’re the angels.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, a California native who has a home in Los Angeles called what has happened “truly heartbreaking.”

State pre-positioning firefighting crews

US officials said they were confident that they would be ready to deal with the new round of winds.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, “I believe the city is prepared,” when asked whether hydrants could run out of water again, as they did last week when similarly powerful winds ripped through the city.

California has set up a mobilization area to stage resources for a response to any new fires.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said additional firefighting aircraft are available, but they could be grounded if the winds become too strong.

He stressed that residents must be prepared to evacuate if instructed to do so.

Officials say thousands of firefighters are working to contain the wildfires. However, with more strong winds expected to return, the threat of more destruction looms.

Extent of destruction

At least 24 people have died in the flames. The death toll is expected to rise as officials search through the rubble.

Officials said at least 12,000 structures throughout the Los Angeles area have been damaged or destroyed.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/los-angeles-braces-for-return-of-high-winds-amid-wildfires/a-71290519

Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Monday delivered his final foreign policy address at the State Department in Washington, one week before handing power to his Republican successor, Donald Trump.

Biden’s speech addressed everything from his work to forge stronger American alliances to his administration’s policies towards Ukraine and China.

“Compared to four years ago, America is stronger, our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and rivals are weaker,” Biden said after diplomats gave him a standing ovation.

The president said that he is “leaving the next administration with a very strong hand to play,” with “an America that once again is leading, uniting countries, setting the agenda, bringing others together behind our plans and missions.”

Gaza ceasefire ‘on the brink’

Biden says a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war is “on the brink” of being finalized.

His administration, which has provided Israel with billions of dollars worth of arms aid since the October 7, 2023, attacks, is “pressing hard” to close the deal.

“The deal we have (…) would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel, and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started,” Biden said.

NATO allies paying ‘fair share’

Over the past four years, the president helped restore US relations with NATO countries that had become strained under Trump.

Biden said partners in the NATO military alliance are “paying their fair share” — a stance Trump does not share.

“Before I took office, nine NATO allies are spending 2% of the GDP on defense. Now, 23 are spending 2%,” he added.

War in Ukraine

Biden also hailed his success in preventing Russia from a swift takeover of Ukraine after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin “invaded Ukraine, he thought he (could) conquer
Kyiv in a matter of days. The truth is, since that war began, I’m the only one that stood in the center of Kyiv, not him,” the president said.

China ‘will never surpass us’

The president said the US would remain the world’s dominant power.

“According to the latest predictions, on China’s current course they will never surpass us,” said Biden.

He also mentioned his administration’s export rules on advanced computer chips used in artificial intelligence.The new framework would prevent advanced technology from being sent to rivals like China.

US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

During Biden’s four years as president, the US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan after 20 years.

Biden called himself “the first president in decades who’s not leaving a war in Afghanistan to a successor.”

The country “got Bin Laden during the Obama-Biden administration” and “the primary objective of war had been accomplished.”

“And I believe that going forward, the primary threat of al-Qaida would no longer be emanating from Afghanistan, but from elsewhere. And so we not need to station sizable number of American forces in Afghanistan,” he added.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/biden-says-hes-leaving-trump-stronger-us/a-71291235

A German court has banned a supermarket from selling a product as “Dubai chocolate,” ruling that the trendy confectionary may only be labeled as such if it actually comes from the Emirate.

The court in the western city of Cologne ruled that the discount supermarket Aldi could no longer sell its “Alyan Dubai Handmade Chocolate” since the product in question was actually made in Turkey.

Aldi argued that this was made clear on the reverse label, but the court concluded that the product’s name could lead consumers to assume “that the product is actually produced in Dubai and imported to Germany.”

What’s in a name?

The case had been brought by German candy importer Andreas Wilmers, who sells “Dubai chocolate” made by the brand “Fix” in Dubai.

In December, Wilmers filed similar complaints against Adli discount rival Lidl and Swiss confectioner Lindt that are ongoing.

Lidl has argued that the term “Dubai chocolate” merely refers to a type of chocolate with a creamy pistachio and “kadayif” filling, not to chocolate that specifically comes from Dubai.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/dubai-chocolate-must-come-from-dubai-german-court-rules/a-71290421

For the boss of a military alliance dedicated to mutual security, NATO chief Mark Rutte seemed unperturbed by one member’s recent threats to annex allied territory.

On his first official visit to the European Parliament on Monday, Rutte was quizzed by lawmakers on everything from ammunition standards to suspected Russian sabotage at sea. But it was the awkward situation within the alliance which really got parliamentarians talking, after US President-elect Donald Trump’s recent overtures toward Greenland — and his refusal to rule out using force to take the Arctic island.

Faced with multiple questions about the autonomous Danish territory, Rutte danced around the issue.

“The new incoming [US] administration will start next Monday. We have seen some press conferences, some things being said by some people in the US, but I would say let’s take this forward starting from next Monday,” he told lawmakers.

“Trump has been right many times,” Rutte said later in his remarks. “We need to dialogue with him and I like very much the reaction of Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, who did not immediately react to what he said about Greenland — but she brought it back to the issue which is at stake, which is the Arctic,” he added.

Melting Arctic ice caused by climate change has been heating up global geopolitics in recent years, a broader issue Rutte said allies should discuss in more detail.

“This is not about who rules or controls Greenland. This is, of course, about making sure that the Arctic stays safe. So, yes, Europe can rely on the United States.”

Picking his battles

The barely-there answer is unlikely to satisfy those outraged by Trump’s recent remarks about the sovereign territory of a fellow NATO ally.

Swedish center-left MEP Evin Incir slammed them as “unacceptable” statements which “play into the hands of Russia and China” and urged Rutte to “stand firm in support of Denmark and Greenland in these times of rising geopolitical tension.”

But researcher Bruno Lete, an expert in Transatlantic ties, thinks the NATO chief is trying some carefully calculated diplomacy.

“Rutte needs to balance the critical stance of Trump towards NATO itself — think about the question around defence spending — against Trump’s comments regarding annexing sovereign territory of a NATO member state,” he told DW.

“To diverge this tension, Rutte may rather choose to leave the issue of Greenland to Denmark, rather than positioning it at lliance level. In sum, Rutte is carefully choosing which fight to pick.”

Given Trump’s track record on raising heart rates in Europe with overnight social media posts, it likely won’t be the last time Rutte has to paper over the cracks of a sticky situation. And it seems this time at least, he’s playing nice.

Cough up on defence or face insecurity by 2030: Rutte

But the NATO number one was much blunter in his stark warnings on defense expenditure in Europe.

“We can’t afford to wait. We are safe now. We are not safe in five years,” Rutte said on Monday. “We have to start today: spending more ramping up production, getting resilience right and supporting Ukraine,” he added, praising Trump for his past demands that NATO nations boost their defense spends. Both the Barack Obama and Joe Biden administrations made the same ask of European allies.

Around two thirds of the 32 members currently spend 2% or more of their GDP on defence — a target set out by the alliance a decade ago. But Rutte warned this is now inadequate.

“To be honest, 2% is not nearly enough to stay safe in the years to come. Allies will need to spend considerably more than 2%,” he told parliamentarians — though was careful not to define a new target.

Marie-Agnes Strack Zimmerman, a German centrist lawmaker who chairs the European Parliament’s security committee, backs Rutte’s push.

“We have to strengthen the European part of NATO, and not in three or four years’ time,” she told DW. “Even if you are critical of NATO, it is an alliance based on reciprocity,” she said, noting that the US currently accounts for almost 60% of all defense spending across the alliance.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/nato-still-looks-to-donald-trump-despite-greenland-threat/a-71290713

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has postponed the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations for a second time because of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, organizers said on Monday.
The nominations for the film industry’s highest honors will now be announced on Jan. 23. They originally had been set for this Friday and then moved to Jan. 19.
“Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.

The academy also canceled the annual Oscar nominees lunch, which had been set for Feb. 10. The Academy Awards telecast is still scheduled to take place on March 2.
Organizers of the Grammys said the music industry honors also will take place as planned, on Feb. 2.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/oscar-nominations-postponed-second-time-because-wildfires-2025-01-13/

Crew on board an oil tanker accused of sabotaging undersea power and communications cables in the Baltic Sea were poised to cut other cables and pipelines when Finnish authorities boarded the vessel last month, the head of the Finnish investigation said.
Baltic Sea nations are on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Leaders of the NATO member states around the Baltic Sea are set to meet in Helsinki on Tuesday to discuss the alliance’s response to the threat.

On Dec. 26, Finnish authorities seized oil tanker Eagle S carrying Russian oil. They said they suspected the vessel had damaged the Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 power line and four telecoms cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed for more than 100 km (60 miles).
The head of the investigation, Risto Lohi of the National Bureau of Investigation, told Reuters the vessel was threatening to cut a second power cable, Estlink1, and the BalticConnector gas pipe between Finland and Estonia at the time it was seized.

“There would have been an almost immediate danger that other cables or pipes related to our critical underwater infrastructure could have been damaged,” he said.
Lohi said a ninth crew member from the ship had been added to a list of those being treated as suspects and barred from travelling. Finland announced earlier this month that eight of the 24 crew members were being barred from travel. The captain of the ship is Georgian and the crew are citizens of India and Georgia.

“We have heard and interrogated the crew, and at the moment we have nine crew members as suspects. They are under travel bans related to this to secure the investigation,” Lohi said.
“Naturally, our priority are the individuals whose tasks or responsibilities include the navigation of the ship and the operations related to the anchors.”
In another incident, Finland and other Baltic Sea nations suspect a Chinese bulk carrier, Yi Peng 3, of dragging its anchor to breach two undersea fibre-optic communications cables in November.

Sweden’s Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said on Sunday said that authorities had determined the Chinese ship had also threatened to cut a power cable connecting the Baltic states and the Nordic countries.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/oil-tanker-sabotage-crew-were-poised-cut-more-cables-when-caught-finland-says-2025-01-13/

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on promises of aggressive import tariffs, strict immigration curbs, deregulation and smaller government, but the economy he inherits next week may be screaming for something different.
Namely, don’t break anything.
With output expanding above trend, the labor market near maximum employment and adding jobs, and the embers of inflation still smoldering, Trump may be launching his promised reforms into an economy less in need of the sort of stimulus his 2017 tax cuts provided. As a stock selloff following last week’s strong December jobs report showed, it may also be prone to correction given high asset values and a bond market that has been moving yields higher.

“Success for the Trump administration would be to do no harm to the exceptionally performing economy it is inheriting,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. On their face, the planned combination of tariffs, deportations, and deficit-funded tax cuts “will do harm. How much … depends on how aggressively these policies are pursued.”
Trump will take office next week under far different economic circumstances than when he started his first four-year term in 2017.

“The constraints are different, starting with inflation,” which is not yet fully controlled from a pandemic-era spike and has shown little year-over-year improvement in recent months, said Karen Dynan, a Harvard University economics professor and former Obama administration official. Trump also faces larger federal deficits and higher government borrowing costs than before, and a labor force that has grown faster than expected because of immigration, something Trump wants to curtail.

Referring to recent U.S. performance that has outstripped that of other developed nations and surprised many economists, Dynan said that “if you believe the economic growth in excess of trend is from immigration, it is going to be hard to get numbers as large as we saw in the latter part of the Biden administration.”

NEW LANDSCAPE

When Trump first entered the White House in 2017 the economy had been growing steadily since the end of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, but the pace was often sluggish and employment had not fully recovered. There was room for the boost Trump’s signature Tax Cuts and Job Act provided, and while the import tariffs that followed dealt a blow to the global economy, the U.S. proved largely resilient.

What had been the longest U.S. economic expansion in modern times ended only when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.
Inflation was a distant concern back then, seemingly anchored below the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Homebuyers could find 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at around 4%, and the government was financing its operations with long-term Treasury bond rates at around 3%.
Today, inflation is stingily hanging above the Federal Reserve’s target, mortgage rates are nearing 7%, and 30-year Treasury yields are around 5% and rising, a fact that may reflect market doubts about whether inflation is contained and about U.S. financial discipline going forward.
“There is still a concern inflation may not be beaten … We are going to fix that problem, so don’t worry about it,” Fed Governor Christopher Waller said last week of rising long-term bond yields. But “the other thing getting more and more attention is the concern about fiscal deficits … If that does not seem to change going forward, at some point the markets are going to demand a premium … That is starting to be what we are seeing.”
While Trump has created an informal Department of Government Efficiency to find savings, there’s no plan to address the major deficit drivers: health and retirement benefits for seniors that both political parties consider sacrosanct.

‘PERFORMING VERY, VERY WELL’

If government borrowing costs and the vigilance of bond markets pose one potential set of constraints for Trump, the state of the economy could pose another.
The major data that Fed staff and officials watch, including figures on employment, inflation, consumer spending and overall growth, may not offer much room for improvement without risks.
The unemployment rate in December was 4.1%, for example, near or below many estimates of what’s considered sustainable without generating inflation, and the economy gained an impressive 256,000 jobs. With wages growing, consumer spending remains healthy. Inflation is drifting lower but is still more than half a percentage point above target, with concerns that it could be reignited by any aggressive move to boost output that may already be exceeding potential or by added costs from things like tariffs.
“The U.S. economy is just performing very, very well,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in a Dec. 18 press conference at the end of the central bank’s last policy meeting. “We have to stay on task, though,” with monetary policy remaining tight enough to return inflation to 2% while keeping the job market intact.
Between Trump’s plans and the economy’s strength, there’s growing doubt about whether the Fed will be able to cut rates much further, if at all.
The uncertainty about what’s ahead is rooted in the gap between Trump’s expansive rhetoric about what he seems to think the economy needs and the actual economic performance over the last year in particular.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/robust-us-economy-may-not-need-trumps-big-reforms-2025-01-13/

A wave of hospitalizations from human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is allegedly sweeping across China, with images of packed-out hospitals sparking fears of a second global pandemic.

Users on the Chinese social media app Weibo have reported surges in cases of respiratory illness over the last month, with the YouTube channel Decoding China suggesting that the apparent outbreak is “worse than 2022”, when the Covid Omicron variant led to strict lockdown restrictions and thousands of deaths in the country.

One video, which has been reposted on the platform, alleges that patients between 50 and 60 years old have tested positive for the virus before developing pneumonia and requiring hospital treatment between three and five days later.

HMPV is a respiratory illness that becomes more common in different countries at certain times of the year and shares many symptoms with COVID-19, including congestion, a fever and a persistent cough.

While most cases are mild and non-fatal, HMPV can cause pneumonia, bronchitis and other health complications, especially for elderly and immunocompromised patients.

Weibo users have also posted an influx of concerning images showing hospitals packed out with masked patients, fuelling fears that the virus is spreading across the population and posing a Covid-like threat to the wider world.

While Chinese health officials have remained tight-lipped on the number of confirmed cases and deaths linked to the pathogen, a researcher at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said case numbers were on the downturn on Sunday.

“At present, the rate of positive cases in HMPV detection is fluctuating and the rate of positive cases in northern provinces is declining,” Wang Liping said during a press briefing by China’s National Health Commission, as reported by AP News.

Gao Xinqiang, deputy director of the commission’s Department of Medical Emergency Response, also dispelled claims that the problem was on-par or worse than the height of the Covid-19 crisis.

“There is no obvious shortage of medical resources,” he said, adding that rising illnesses across China were being caused by known pathogens rather than any new infectious viruses.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also said the upward trend in HMPV cases in China is “within the range expected for this time of year during Northern Hemisphere weather”.

The pathogen was first identified in the Netherlands in 2001 and is very similar to flu for most people, spreading through direct contact and via contaminated surfaces.

“While HMPV does mutate and change over time with new strains emerging, it is not a virus that we consider to have pandemic potential,” Dr Andrew Catchpole, chief scientific officer at the research organisation hVIVO told the global health partnership GAVI.

Source : https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/160280/mystery-virus-pneumonia-covid

A CAPTURED North Korean soldier has responded he wants to stay in Ukraine when asked if he wishes to go back home after 300 of his comrades were killed in battle.

Footage released by President Zelensky shows two of Kim’s men who were captured in the Kursk region, being interrogated.

The two soldiers are asked a series of questions including if they were aware of where were they sent to and how long they had been on the frontline.

One of them was found with no papers while the other one had a Russian military ID card under the name of another person.

During questioning one of the soldiers asks if Ukrainians were all good people, to which an interpreter replied, Ukraine is a good place to live.

Speaking through an interpreter, the soldier lying on a bed says in Korean: “I want to live here.”

The Ukrainian President revealed over the weekend the two North Korean soldiers had been taken alive.

One was captured on January 9 by Tactical Group 84 of Special Ops and the other by Ukrainian paratroopers, the Ukrainian secret service said.

Zelensky shared a video of the injured combatants being interrogated and raised the possibility of a prisoner swap for captured Ukrainian troops.

In the three-minute clip, the soldier also said he was unaware he was being deployed to Ukraine to fight Putin’s war.

The soldier was under the impression he was sent for training.

He said that he had been on the front line since January 3 and that he had hidden in a dugout.

He said he would go back home if he was required to but nodded when asked if he would stay in Ukraine if he was told to do so.

The second captive, struggling to speak clearly as he has bandages over his jaw following an injury, nodded when asked if he wished to go back to North Korea.

One of the soldiers was carrying a Russian-issued ID card that stated he was born in 1998 in the republic of Tuva.

Issued under the name of Antonin Ayasovich Arankyn, the document stated he had been serving North Korea as a rifleman since 2021.

In his post on X, Zelensky said Ukraine is prepared to hand over captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian captives in Russia.

He wrote: “For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available.

“Those who want “to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korea will be given that opportunity.”

Zelensky’s comments come as Ukraine has been air-dropping leaflets onto North Korean soldiers urging them to surrender rather than fight Putin’s war.

The leaflets – dropped from drones onto North Korean positions – read: “Don’t die senselessly! Surrender is the way to survive.”

Around 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 2,700 wounded while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine a South Korean lawmaker has revealed citing information from Seoul’s spy agency.

“The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia has reportedly expanded to include the Kursk region, with estimates suggesting that casualties among North Korean forces have surpassed 3,000,” lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun said after a briefing from Seoul’s spy agency.

This includes “approximately 300 deaths and 2,700 injuries,” Lee said, after a briefing from Seoul’s National Intelligence Service.

The soldiers, reportedly from North Korea’s elite Storm Corps, have been ordered to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner, Lee said.

“Notably, memos found on deceased soldiers indicate that the North Korean authorities pressured them to commit suicide or self-detonate before capture,” he said.

He added that some of the soldiers had been granted “amnesty” or wanted to join North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, hoping to improve their lot by fighting.

One North Korean soldier who was about to be captured shouted “General Kim Jong Un” and attempted to detonate a grenade, Lee said, adding that he was shot and killed.

The NIS analysis also revealed that the North Korean soldiers have “a lack of understanding of modern warfare,” and are being used by Russia in a manner leading to “the high number of casualties,” the lawmaker said.

Source : https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/32763271/captured-north-korean-soldier-wants-stay-ukraine/

HUNDREDS of inmates have joined the fight against the devastating wildfires in southern California in a controversial scheme to put prisoners to work for long hours and little pay.

Incarcerated firefighters are working around the clock to extinguish the dangerous flames for just $5.80 a day as the horrific blazes have killed 24 people and left thousands of homes burnt to the ground.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has deployed 931 incarcerated firefighters and 114 support staff as of Sunday.

The volunteers earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, plus an extra dollar per hour during emergencies, according to the CDCR.

The incarcerated people work with Cal Fire officials in 24-hour shifts.

As the fire becomes more dangerous, calls for higher wages for the volunteers on the front lines have grown, and even Kim Kardashian has shown support for the prisoners.

“I have spent the last week watching my city burning. And have seen and spoken to many firefighters who are up all night long using every ounce of their strength to save our community,” Kardashian wrote on her Instagram Story.

“On all 5 fires in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of incarcerated firefighters, risking their lives to save us.

“They are on the Palisades fire and Eaton fire in Pasadena working 24 hour shifts.

“They get paid almost nothing, risk their lives, some have died, to prove to the community that they have changed and are now first responders. I see them as heroes.”

The identities of the people killed by the combined wildfires haven’t been released.

Kardashian then called on Governor Gavin Newsom to raise the pay rate.

“I am urging @cagovernor to do what no Governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate the [sic] honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes,” Kardashian said.

Regulations passed in April of last year ensured that the lowest-level incarcerated firefighter can make just $5.80 a day.

With the added hour during emergencies, the firefighters can make up to $26.90 per day during 24-hour shifts, according to the CDCR’s website.

Prison labor is provided through a program called Fire Camp, which rehabilitates inmates by training them to be first responders.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13284665/wildfires-los-angeles-firefighters-prisoners-kim-kardashian/

The last time an American president deployed the U.S. military domestically under the Insurrection Act — during the deadly Los Angeles riots in 1992 — Douglas Ollivant was there. Ollivant, then a young Army first lieutenant, says things went fairly smoothly because it was somebody else — the cops — doing the head-cracking to restore order, not his 7th Infantry Division. He and his troops didn’t have to detain or shoot at anyone.

“There was real sensitivity about keeping federal troops away from the front lines,” said Ollivant, who was ordered in by President George H.W. Bush as rioters in central-south LA set fire to buildings, assaulted police and bystanders, pelted cars with rocks and smashed store windows in the aftermath of the videotaped police beating of Rodney King, a Black motorist. “They tried to keep us in support roles, backing up the police.”

By the end of six days of rioting, 63 people were dead and 2,383 injured — though reportedly none at the hands of the military.

But some in the U.S. military fear next time could be different. According to nearly a dozen retired officers and current military lawyers, as well as scholars who teach at West Point and Annapolis, an intense if quiet debate is underway inside the U.S. military community about what orders it would be obliged to obey if President-elect Donald Trump decides to follow through on his previous warnings that he might deploy troops against what he deems domestic threats, including political enemies, dissenters and immigrants.

On Nov. 18, two weeks after the election, Trump confirmed he plans to declare a national emergency and use the military for the mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

One fear is that domestic deployment of active-duty troops could lead to bloodshed given that the regular military is mainly trained to shoot at and kill foreign enemies. The only way to prevent that is establishing clear “rules of engagement” for domestic deployments that outline how much force troops can use — especially considering constitutional restraints protecting U.S. citizens and residents — against what kinds of people in what kinds of situations. And establishing those new rules would require a lot more training, in the view of many in the military community.

“Everything I hear is that our training is in the shitter,” says retired Army Lt. Gen. Marvin Covault, who commanded the 7th Infantry Division in 1992 in what was called “Joint Task Force LA.” “I’m not sure we have the kind of discipline now, and at every leader level, that we had 32 years ago. That concerns me about the people you’re going to put on the ground.”

In an interview, Covault said he was careful to avoid lethal force in Los Angeles by emphasizing to his soldiers they were now “deployed in the civilian world.” He ordered gun chambers to remain empty except in self-defense, banned all automatic weapons and required bayonets to remain on soldiers’ belts.

But Covault added that he set those rules at his own discretion. Even then Covault said he faced some recalcitrance, especially from U.S. Marine battalions under his command that sought to keep M16 machine guns on their armored personnel carriers. In one reported case a Marine unit, asked by L.A. police for “cover,” misunderstood the police term for “standing by” and fired some 200 rounds at a house occupied by a family. Fortunately, no one was injured.

“If we get fast and loose with rules of engagement or if we get into operations without a stated mission and intent, we’re going to be headline news, and it’s not going to be good,” Covault said in the interview.

Trump has repeatedly said he might use the military to suppress a domestic protest, or to raid a sanctuary city to purge it of undocumented immigrants, or possibly defend the Southern border. Some in the military community say they are especially disturbed by the prospect that troops might be used to serve Trump’s political ends. In 1992, Covault said, he had no direct orders from Bush other than to deploy to restore peace. On his own volition, he said, he announced upon landing in LA at a news conference: “This is not martial law. The reason we’re here is to create a safe and secure environment so you can go back to normal.” Covault said he believes the statement had a calming effect.

But 28 years later, when the police killing of another Black American, George Floyd, sparked sporadically violent protests nationwide, then-President Trump openly considered using firepower on the demonstrators, according to his former defense secretary, Mark Esper. Trump asked, “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” Esper wrote in his 2022 memoir, A Sacred Trust. At another point Trump urged his Joint Chiefs chair, Gen. Mark Milley, to “beat the fuck out” out of the protesters and “crack skulls,” and he tweeted that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Esper wrote that he had “to walk Trump back” from such ideas and the president didn’t pursue them.

Some involved in the current debate say they are worried Trump would not be as restrained this time. He is filling his Pentagon and national security team with fierce loyalists. The concern is not just in how much force might be used, but also whether troops would be regularly deployed to advance the new administration’s political interests.

This topic is extremely sensitive inside the active-duty military, and a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment. But several of the retired military officials I interviewed said that they were gingerly talking about it with their friends and colleagues still in active service.

And Mark Zaid, a Washington lawyer who has long represented military and intelligence officers who run afoul of their chain of command, told me: “A lot of people are reaching out to me proactively to express concern about what they foresee coming, including Defense Department civilians and active-duty military.” Among them, Zaid said, are people “who are either planning on leaving the government or will be waiting to see if there is a line that is crossed by the incoming administration.”

After the D.C. National Guard was ordered to clear demonstrators from Lafayette Square across from the White House in 2020 using tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades, a group of lawyers founded “The Orders Project” aimed at connecting up lawyers and troops looking for legal advice.

One of the founders, Eugene Fidell of Yale Law School, said that the group disbanded after the first Trump administration but is now being resurrected.

“With the return of President Trump, we’re ready to help people in need,” Fidell said.

The Lafayette Square incident remains a topic of some debate inside the military community. One DC guardsman, Major Adam DeMarco, an Iraq war veteran, later said in written testimony to Congress that he was “deeply disturbed” by the “excessive use of force.” “Having served in a combat zone, and understanding how to assess threat environments, at no time did I feel threatened by the protesters or assess them to be violent,” he wrote. “I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what. Anthony Pfaff, a retired colonel who is now a military ethics scholar at the U.S. Army War College, said this confusion reveals a serious training deficiency: Domestic crowd control and policing “is not something for which we have any doctrine or other standard operating procedures. Without those, thresholds for force could be determined by individual commanders, leading to even more confusion.”

For active military, most of the current debate is happening behind closed doors. As a result, some retired military as well as scholars and lawyers are trying to bring the issue into public view.

“It’s legally and ethically dicey to have open conversations about this,” says Graham Parsons, a philosophy professor at West Point who urged military officers and troops to consider resisting “politicized” orders in a New York Times op-ed in September. One concern is whether the military could tarnish itself with an incident like Kent State, when four college students were shot to death by jittery and poorly trained Ohio National Guardsmen in 1970.

“Soldiers are trained predominately to fight, kill and win wars,” says Brian VanDeMark, a Naval Academy historian and author of the 2024 book Kent State: An American Tragedy. “Local police and state police are far better trained to deal with the psychology of crowds, which can become inherently unpredictable, impulsive and irrational. If you’re not well trained to cope, your reaction might be inadequate and turn to force.” He adds that at the Naval Academy as well as West Point, “my impression is this is an issue that is being thought about and worried about a lot but it’s not openly discussed.”

Some lawyers and experts in military law say a great deal of confusion persists — even among serving officers — over how the military should behave, especially if Trump invokes the Insurrection Act and calls up troops to crush domestic protests or round up millions of undocumented immigrants. In most cases, there is little that officers and enlisted personnel can do but obey such presidential orders, even if they oppose them ethically, or face dismissal or court-martial.

Trump confidant Elon Musk wants NASA to drop its ambitious plans to return to the moon and instead head straight to Mars. Congress is ready to put up a fight.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who control NASA’s purse strings, want Americans to return to the lunar surface in 2027 — and they’re not willing to abandon that mission despite Musk’s obsession with skipping the moon for Mars.

The division sets up a potential showdown with Republican policymakers and the influential Trump ally over one of the most consequential space policy decisions this century.

President-elect Donald Trump has, at least for now, stayed out of the fray. His first administration launched NASA’s plans to land on the moon, but he has also pressed the agency on why it can’t go directly to Mars.

“To bypass the moon would be a mistake,” said Texas Rep. Brian Babin, the Republican who leads the House committee focused on space.

But that’s what Musk, a billionaire space entrepreneur, wants to do. The SpaceX founder dreams of a Mars mission that would preserve human life beyond Earth, even if it costs hundreds of billions of dollars and poses extreme risks to those involved. He’s called colonization of the planet “life insurance for life.”

“We’re going straight to Mars,” Musk posted recently, adding that the moon focus was a “distraction.”

The Mars-first strategy, though, would likely find little support on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers want to focus on preserving jobs tied to moon exploration efforts, support a lunar economy and beat China in space. And since they shape NASA’s budget, the policymakers play a powerful role in the agency’s ambitions.

“There would be a lot of congressional resistance,” to any Mars-first plans, said Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, a nonprofit focused on space exploration.

The House and Senate Science committees strongly affirmed their support for moon exploration in NASA reauthorization bills last year.

A switch to Mars would impact programs such as the moon-focused Space Launch System, a multibillion-dollar rocket that provides jobs in numerous states. The rocket is a key part of Artemis, NASA’s effort to get back to the moon and eventually establish a lunar space station.

“We have put a lot of time, effort and money into Artemis, and I think we should allow NASA to complete that mission,” said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a former astronaut.

Mars brings other technical challenges — such as timing. It’s a three-year round-trip mission, versus three days to the moon. And the physical stress of long-term space flight could also endanger the crew once they land.

The U.S. must go to the moon first, said outgoing NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “You’ve got to learn to walk before you run.”

Musk has long voiced support for traveling to the red planet. It’s not clear whether his January post referred to NASA’s current efforts or a separate SpaceX-funded mission to Mars. Musk and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump hasn’t publicly chosen a side. He supported a return to the moon in his first term but has since shown increased interest in Mars.

The president-elect castigated NASA’s focus on the moon in a June 2019 tweet. A month later he repeatedly asked then-NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine about the possibility of going to Mars directly. His transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

Mars also could prove a financial loss to lawmakers. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas.) and Babin, for example, have promoted the development of the commercial space industry and could end up deflating business interests in space if they switched NASA’s focus to Mars.

And Congress’ moon advocates worry a shift would cede the lunar surface to China, which plans to land its own astronauts there by 2030.

Source : https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/13/mars-vs-moon-elon-musk-congress-fight-00197610

AMERICANS are flocking to a Chinese-owned app called RedNote as an alternative to TikTok in the face of the impending shutdown of the beloved platform.

TikTok could be banned in the US this week unless its company sells it within the week or the Supreme Court intervenes.

As fears over the approaching ban grow, American users have downloaded another app to help offset the loss.

RedNote rose to the top of the app store on Monday as the most downloaded app in America.

The app, called Xiaohongshu in Chinese, is a platform for sharing short-form videos similar to TikTok.

Some social media users were quick to show their excitement for RedNote among the surge of TikTok users jumping ship.

“Rednote seems to be the move,” one X user wrote.

“TikTok who? RedNote is the place to be,” another noted.

“Just downloaded red note (Chinese TikTok) I’m loving it over here so far,” a third wrote.

“TikTok is about to be banned in a week & every american has already migrated to rednote making it #1,” another noted.

In addition to its video and live-streaming features, RedNote has been compared to Pinterest due to the platform’s additional focus on e-commerce.

The app, created in 2013, allows users to blend social media with online shopping, letting people share product reviews and lifestyle content on the app.

RedNote’s content is mostly in Chinese because the app is owned by a Chinese company.

TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, must sell the beloved app to a government-approved buyer by January 19 or face a ban due to national security concerns.

The decision has sparked controversy due to the platform’s wild popularity.

About 170 million people in the US use TikTok, which is roughly half of the country’s population.

At this point, it’s pretty clear what Donald Trump wants from Mark Zuckerberg. But what does Zuckerberg, who has now gone to Mar-a-Lago twice since the November election, want from the President-elect?

That’s the question I’ve been asking sources in and around Meta over the last several days. They all described Meta’s relationship with the outgoing Biden administration as incredibly hostile. It’s safe to assume that Zuckerberg wants a reset for the MAGA regime, especially since Trump threatened not that long ago to imprison him for life.

In Trump’s America, removing tampons from the mens’ restrooms on Meta’s campuses, — a real thing that just happened — is as much a business decision as a political one. Destroying ‘woke’ ideology is a key pillar of Trump’s stated mandate. Others who know they need to play the game, like Amazon, are also starting to fall in line. Even still, Zuckerberg is transforming Meta for this new political reality at a speed that’s unusual for a company of its size and influence. Founder mode.

In his conversation with Joe Rogan and his video on Instagram, Zuckerberg shares a laundry list of issues that Trump could help him with: fighting other countries that are ratcheting up their policing of his platforms, stopping Apple from dictating how he builds mobile apps and smart glasses (the latter is increasingly important to Meta’s future), and, perhaps most importantly, keeping domestic AI regulation from slowing his efforts to crush OpenAI. Elon Musk has bought Trump’s ear. But the more time Zuckerberg spends in Mar-a-Lago, the more Sam Altman and Tim Cook should be worried.

Then there’s the US government’s case to break up Meta that’s set to go to trial in a few months. After the blur that was the last four years, it’s easy to forget that this lawsuit was filed at the end of Trump’s first term by a Republican FTC chair, not Lina Khan…

Most of the headline reactions from the past week have focused on Zuckerberg’s decision to end Meta’s third-party fact check program. It was a convenient scapegoat for company executives that, frankly, never lived up to the goal of bringing more neutrality to Facebook and Instagram. The Community Notes alternative Meta is cribbing from X was not on the product roadmap before this week, so it will probably be awhile before everyone sees it in the wild.

The announcement that US moderators would be moved from California to Texas is perhaps the most cynical of them all; talk to anyone who knows and they’ll tell you the vast majority of moderators are already based in Austin.

Source : https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/12/24342138/mark-zuckerberg-meta-want-donald-trump

Hundreds of Londoners headed down to the Underground on Sunday afternoon, stripped down to their underwear and travelled around a bit, trying to look as though nothing unusual was going on.

This was the Official No Trousers Tube Ride, an annual event with no point other than injecting a little levity into the bleak midwinter. No deep meaning, no bigger motive. The only goal was to be silly, if but for one afternoon.

“There’s so much bad, so much not fun going on,’’ said ringleader Dave Selkirk, a 40-year-old personal trainer. “It’s nice to do something just for the sake of it.”

After gathering at the entrance to Chinatown, dozens of clothing anarchists trooped through the icy streets to the Piccadilly Circus Underground station in central London where they boarded their first train. The only hiccup was that the cars were so crowded some people couldn’t shed their trousers.

Selfies were taken. Grins were exchanged. Tourists looked puzzled.

The first stunt in this vein was held in New York in 2002, the brainchild of local comedian Charlie Todd. His idea was this: Wouldn’t it be funny if someone walked onto a subway train in the middle of winter wearing hat, gloves, scarf — everything but pants? Or trousers as they’re known in London, pants being synonymous with underpants in Britain.

“It would be unusual in New York, although you can see anything on our subway system, but what would really be funny is if at the next stop, a couple of minutes later, when the doors open and additional persons got on, not wearing trousers as well,” Todd told the BBC. “And they act like they don’t know each other, and they act like … it’s no big deal and they just forgot their trousers.’’

The idea took off, and no pants days have been held all over: in Berlin, Prague, Jerusalem, Warsaw and Washington, D.C., among other cities.

London hosted its first big reveal in 2009.

“You know, it’s meant to be a bit of harmless fun,’’ Todd said. “Certainly we are living in a climate where, you know, people like to have culture war fights. My rule in New York was always the goal of this event is to amuse other people, to give people a laugh. It’s not to be provocative, it’s not to irritate someone. So hopefully the spirit of that continues.”

Basil Long, a lawyer, showed up at the meeting point in a down coat and hat on a freezing winter afternoon. But after his journey underground in the warm tunnels of the Tube, he had been transformed, wearing only a white shirt with bold rainbow stripes, pink underwear and Underground-themed socks.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/britain-no-trousers-tube-prank-stunt-underground-98d85a5c9ce8c5c576ced275cfd690d0

The Austrian foreign ministry says a female citizen has been taken by unknown assailants in the military-ran West African country, Niger.

It confirmed the incident to AFP and said they were aware of the “possible kidnapping of an Austrian woman” in Agadez which is 900 km (559 miles) from the capital Niamey.

The woman was reportedly forced into a 4×4 vehicle by unidentified individuals in Fada district, Agadez, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, reported Reuters news agency.

The victim, named Eva Gretzmacher, is a development worker in her mid-70’s and had lived in Niger for over two decades, according to local media site, Air Info Agadez.

Niger has not yet commented on the incident.

Air Info reported kidnappers showed up at Ms Gretzmacher’s house with a gun and forced their way in. They did not take anything else, reports said.

Ms Gretzmacher is said to have run projects in the areas of education, health, women’s empowerment and culture.

The Austrian foreign ministry said they are working with the EU delegation and authorities on the ground.

Niger has been battling an Islamist insurgency for years.

The military junta is under pressure for failing to curb militant attacks, one of its justifications for deposing democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgy015l22do

Andy Murray has said he thinks his coaching could help Novak Djokovic cement his claim as “the best athlete of all time”.

Murray, 37, who joined his former great rival’s coaching team last November, months after retiring from playing, admitted the change of dynamic was “strange” at first.

The two-time Wimbledon champion will get his first taste of life on the other side during a match when the Serbian star, also 37, takes on 19-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.

Djokovic, a 10-time Melbourne champion, is in the unfamiliar position of seventh seed after failing to win a grand slam title in 2024 for the first time in seven years.

But the 24-time grand slam champion did win an emotional Olympic gold medal in Paris to claim a title he had been chasing his entire career after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Murray, who won back-to-back gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 games, said he felt “there was at times a little bit missing” when watching some of Djokovic’s matches last year.

“He achieved the last thing that he felt like he needed to at the Olympics. So for me and his team, it’s about trying to find that motivation to keep going and pushing for more,” he said.

“Novak has in the last few years cemented himself as the best tennis player of all time, certainly of his generation, with the records that he’s achieved.

“These next couple of years, I think he maybe already has a legitimate claim to be the best athlete of all time.

“But I think, if he can go out as a 38, 39-year-old and win more slams and beat Alcaraz and (Jannik) Sinner in big matches, he’s got a claim to be the best athlete of all time, and I think that’s exciting for me and his team to be part of that.”

Murray, who faced Djokovic 36 times from 2006 to 2022 and lost 25, is currently only contracted to coach his former rival until the end of the Australian Open.

The Scot said he has gained new insights into the different demands of coaching that he was not aware of as a player.

Murray said of Djokovic: “He’s been unbelievably open, and the communication when we’ve been on court with each other and away from the court has been really, really good.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/murray-ill-help-djokovic-be-best-athlete-of-all-time-13287485

The Duchess of Sussex has delayed the release of her new Netflix series due to the devastation caused by the wildfires in LA, the streaming platform has announced.

Meghan’s eight-part series, With Love, will premiere on 4 March instead of 15 January.

“I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan said in a statement to Tudum, the official companion site to Netflix.

Harry and Meghan comforted volunteers and handed out food to evacuees during a visit to Pasadena on Friday, where they met with the city’s mayor Victor Gordo and emergency workers tackling the Eaton Fire.

Footage showed the duchess, wearing a blue “LA” baseball cap, and the prince hugging and consoling people who had fled to the Pasadena Convention Center.

They were also seen speaking Doug Goodwin, whose home was destroyed in the wildfires, and also to Jose Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK) which has been helping feed the public and emergency crews.

A description of the Netflix series on Tudum’s website said: “Produced by Meghan, ‘With Love, Meghan’ blends practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old.

“Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection, and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected.

“She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond, and invite you to do the same.”

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/meghan-delays-release-of-netflix-series-due-to-la-fires-13287653

On Sunday, Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders not to “legitimize” Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers.

Yousafzai made the comments at a summit on girls’ education in Muslim countries in Islamabad, Pakistan, organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Muslim World League.

Yousafzai: Reject Taliban ‘gender apartheid’

Yousafzai said the Taliban had implemented more than 100 laws that violate women’s rights, which she denounced as “gender apartheid.”

“There’s nothing Islamic about this,” Yousafzai said.

“In Afghanistan an entire generation of girls will be robbed of its future,” she said.

“As Muslim leaders,” she said, “now is the time to raise your voice, use your power.”

Since taking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed restrictions that effectively banish women from public life .

Yousafzai, who hails from the city of Mingora in the Swat valley in Pakistan’s Pashtun-dominated northwest, survived a gunshot wound to the head from a Pakistan Taliban militant in 2012 while on a school bus. She was transferred to the United Kingdom for medical treatment and then pursued education in the country.

On Saturday, Yousafzai expressed her happiness to be visiting her home country, saying: “Pakistan is where I began my journey and where my heart will always be.”

She said more than 12 million Pakistani girls were out of school.

In December, the Taliban struck targets inside Pakistan after Pakistani airstrikes reportedly killed dozens.

Islamabad has demanded that the group rein in the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group responsible for multiple attacks in Pakistan.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/malala-asks-muslim-leaders-to-reject-taliban-gender-apartheid/a-71279027

If you live in Los Angeles, you are probably already intimately familiar with Watch Duty, the free app that shows active fires, mandatory evacuation zones, air quality indexes, wind direction, and a wealth of other information that everyone, from firefighters to regular people, have come to rely on during this week’s historic and devastating wildfires.

Watch Duty is unique in the tech world in that it doesn’t care about user engagement, time spent, or ad sales. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit behind it only cares about the accuracy of the information it provides and the speed with which the service can deliver that information. The app itself has taken off, rocketing to the top of Apple’s and Google’s app stores. Over 1 million people have downloaded it over the last few days alone.

The elegance of the app lies in its simplicity. It doesn’t scrape user data, show ads, require any kind of login, or track your information. Its simple tech stack and UI — most of which is maintained by volunteer engineers and reporters — has likely helped save countless lives. While Watch Duty is free to use, the app accepts tax-deductible donations and offers two tiers of membership that unlock additional features, like a firefighting flight tracker and the ability to set alerts for more than four counties.

With plans to expand the service across the United States, as well as overseas and into other emergency services, Watch Duty may eventually replace some of the slower and less reliable local government alert systems for millions of people.

A red dragon, a feline deity and dogs and cats cover Tanyapong Jaikham’s rice paddies in northern Thailand, a living tribute in rice plants to flooding that inundated nearby areas in September, stranding thousands.
To transform more than 2 hectares (5 acres) of land into the vibrant images, Tanyapong and his team used AI to plot and refine the design outlines and GPS to mark precise coordinates for the careful planting of 20 kg (45 pounds) of rainbow rice seeds.

Tanyapong, who began the work in October, chose the dragon and the local four-eared, five-eyed feline deity to mark the Lunar New Year’s end, along with dogs and cats trapped in floodwaters, waiting for help from the flooding of Chiang Rai and other areas in the north of the Southeast Asian nation.
“We designed the dragon to carry away all the negativity, hoping this crisis would soon pass,” Tanyapong told Reuters.

Since the paddy art’s launch in December, thousands of visitors, including students, families and locals, have visited, finding inspiration, hope and reflection, he said.
“We couldn’t make a living at all,” said farmer Tanet Mala, reflecting on the flooding. “Everything was like a sea.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thai-rice-fields-transformed-into-vibrant-art-depicting-red-dragon-feline-deity-2025-01-12/

Six people died when a propane-butane cylinder exploded at a restaurant in the northwest Czech city of Most, setting the building on fire, emergency services said on Sunday.
Eight people were injured in the fiery blast that occurred late on Saturday evening, and 30 people were evacuated from the restaurant and surrounding buildings, the Czech fire rescue service said on X social media platform.
“According to initial information from witnesses, a heater overturned, causing a fire,” the fire brigade said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/six-killed-explosion-czech-restaurant-2025-01-12/

Ukraine’s president is offering a prisoner swap with North Korean soldiers it has captured, in exchange for Ukrainians held by Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a direct appeal to leader Kim Jong Un after seizing two North Koreans in Russia’s Kursk region.

“In addition to the first captured soldiers from North Korea, there will undoubtedly be more. It’s only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others,” he said in a video posted on X.

His video also included an offer of help to officials in California fighting the ongoing fires there.

It is the first time Ukraine has announced the capture of North Korean soldiers since their entry into the nearly three-year-old war last autumn.

Ukrainian and Western assessments say that some 11,000 troops from Russia’s ally North Korea have been deployed in the Kursk region to support Moscow’s forces, although Russia has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.

Mr Zelenskyy has said Russian and North Korean forces had suffered heavy losses.

“Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers to him if he can organise their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia,” Mr Zelenskyy added.

He posted a short video showing the interrogation of two men, presented as North Korean soldiers.

One of them is lying on a bed with bandaged hands, the other is sitting with a bandage on his jaw.

One of the men said through an interpreter that he did not know he was fighting against Ukraine and had been told he was on a training exercise. He said he hid in a shelter during the offensive and was found a couple of days later.

He said that if he was ordered to return to North Korea, he would, but he was ready to stay in Ukraine if given the chance.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/zelenskyy-offers-captured-north-korean-soldiers-for-ukrainians-held-by-russia-13287924

Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, said weather service meteorologist Rich Thompson.

“You’re going to have really strong gusty Santa Ana winds, a very dry atmosphere and still very dry brush, so we still have some very critical fire weather conditions out there,” Thompson said at a community meeting Saturday night.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts. “We are prepared for the upcoming wind event,” Marrone said. Fire retardant dropped by aircraft Sunday will act as a barrier along hillsides, officials said.

Fierce Santa Anas have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.

Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four were missing from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Luna added that “dozens” more reports might have come in Sunday morning and investigators were reconciling whether some of the missing might be among the dead. There are no children among those reported missing, he said.

Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 24 over the weekend. Eight of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 16 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said in a statement Sunday evening.

Officials said they expected that figure to increase as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in leveled neighborhoods. Authorities have established a center where people can report the missing.

Officials also were building an online database to allow evacuated residents to see if their homes were damaged or destroyed. In the meantime, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from scorched neighborhoods.

“There are still active fires that are burning within the Palisades area, making it extremely, extremely dangerous for the public,” Crowley said at a Sunday morning briefing. “There’s no power, there’s no water, there’s broken gas lines, and we have unstable structures.”

Officials warned the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials.

About 150,000 people in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, with more than 700 residents taking refuge in nine shelters, Luna said. Officials said most of the orders in the Palisades area were unlikely to be lifted before the red flag warnings expire Wednesday evening.

“Please rest assured that first thing Thursday we will begin talking about repopulation,” Marrone said.

By Sunday morning, Cal Fire reported the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades Fire was 11% contained and containment on the Eaton Fire reached 27%. Those two blazes accounted for 59 square miles (nearly 153 square kilometers).

Crews from California and nine other states are part of the ongoing response that includes nearly 1,400 fire engines, 84 aircraft and more than 14,000 personnel, including newly arrived firefighters from Mexico.

Fighting to save public and private areas

LA’S rich and famous are hiring $2,000-an-hour private firefighters to save their million-dollar homes and businesses as the wildfires rage on.

As the flames continue to force thousands out of their homes, some celebs and billionaires have sparked backlash for their “tone-deaf” move to save their investments.

Keith Wasserman, co-founder of real estate investment firm Gelt Venture Partners, provoked fury after a post on X, in which he asked for “private firefighters” to protect his land in the A-list neighbourhood of the Pacific Palisades.

The region has been devastated by the ongoing inferno with emergency services still struggling to contain the fires there.

Keith’s post on Friday read: “Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades?

“Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you.”

The billionaire owns a mansion in the wealthy area, as well as an upscale outdoor mall, which he is trying to protect from raging fires.

Social media users criticized Keith, slamming his call for help as “incredibly tone deaf”.

Commenter Sam Vance wrote: “Incredible nerve. His family is evacuated and he’s trying to hire private firefighters to risk their lives to save a home he most certainly has insured.

“Incredibly tone deaf.”

User Renny added: “So you’re suggesting that potentially lifesaving resources (even if ‘private’) should be diverted to save your house because you’re rich while tens of thousands of people try to evacuate?”

Keith hit back at those commenting on his post online dubbing them “trolls”.

Billionaire developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso is also receiving backlash online after it was reported that had hired private fire crews to protect his properties in the Palisades Village.

Rick served two stints as president of the Department of Water and Power and owns a mansion in the area as well as a luxury mall.

He confirmed that he had a team of private firefighters deployed in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday night to protect his retail space but that water was in short supply.

This outraged many who believed that water supplies were not being fairly disrupted to help save people’s lives and homes in the area with some online calling for an investigation to be launched.

On Wednesday, a video shared to X showed private firefighters guarding a home, and using sprinklers to fight the flames.

San Francisco Chronicle investigative reporter Matthias Gafni said: “They’ve set up sprinklers to cascade water from the second story eaves.”

She also noted that the crew were expected to guard the home all night to protect the owner’s property.

Company Covered 6, who offer fire protection services and safety training to the Hollywood elite, revealed that they had been inundated with calls.

Owner Chris Dunn told the Mail on Sunday: “My phone has been ringing off the hook. Demand has never been higher.”

One wealthy source said: “This week’s events have shown you can’t trust the city to protect your property.

However, some have argued that if the city cannot be trusted to protect people, then celebs have every right to seek private support.

The source added: “I have the money, so why not?”

Private firefighters are not uncommon in LA with Kim Kardashian admitting that her home in Hidden Hills California was saved by private crews in the 2013 wildfires.

In 2019, private firefighting companies started offering “on-call” wildfire protection to wealthy Californians in the face of increasing blazes of greater intensity.

In 2023, the Los Angeles Times reported that some private crews were failing to coordinate with local agencies.

This meant that first responders were left having to worry about private crews as well as the residents in threatened areas.

Strict water-conserving measures have been in place since 2022, with residents restricted to watering their gardens twice a week for eight minutes at a time.

Kim has been fined previously for going over her water allowance in 2022, by using 232,000 gallons of water more than her allocation.

Other celebrities including Sylvester Stallone and comedian Kevin Hart were also fined.

It has since been noted that Kim has since installed water-saving measures.

One neighbor of Ms Kardashin said: “Everyone was told to cut back on water precisely for this situation, to preserve it to fight fires.

“They carried on watering because they could afford the fines.”

LA DEVASTATION

This comes as the devastating fires continue to rip through Los Angeles, displacing thousands and resulting in unseen damage to the area.

Some 153,000 LA residents are now under mandatory evacuation orders as wind gusts as high as 80mph are set to hit in the next few days – making it even more difficult to contain the blazes.

The wildfires are thought to have killed at least 16 people so far.

Four wildfires are currently burning around Los Angeles with two of to others now being described as contained.

The Palisades fire is the biggest of all and has so far burned down 22,660 acres of land destroying more than 5,316 structures.

Firefighters have only been able to contain 11 per cent of the fire, according to the LA Fire Department.

High winds have caused the Palisades Fire in Southern California to spread towards the east.

LA’s fire chief Kristin Crowley said last night saw a “significant flare up” in parts of the Palisades Fire tragedy.

The chief added that “we will be facing another critical weather event” due to the high winds as the flames continue to starch the region.

Authorities have now turned previous evacuation warnings into mandatory orders, urging people to leave the area from Sunset Boulevard north to Encino Reservoir.

High winds have caused the Palisades Fire in Southern California to spread towards the east.

LA’s fire chief Kristin Crowley said last night saw a “significant flare up” in parts of the Palisades Fire tragedy.

Affluent residents of Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood are now desperately looking for a way out as the fire approaches the area.

Thousands of locals have been ordered to evacuate immediately.

The nearby Sunset Boulevard has started to overflow with escaping motorists as long queues are starting to form on the busy roads.

Brentwood is one of the poshest areas of LA – known for its large homes and celebrity residents.

Celebrities including Lebron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jennifer Garner have homes in the area.

Their residences are all now under threat.

American politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr also lives in Brentwood in his $6.6million home, while Vice President Kamala Harris also has a home in the area.

The Getty Centre – an iconic $1.3billion art gallery – is also within the evacuation zone.

The nearby Sunset Boulevard has started to overflow with escaping motorists as long queues are starting to form on the busy roads.

Prevent looting

A 6pm to 6am curfew has been imposed in the worst-hit areas to prevent looting.

Looters dressing as firefighters are storming residential areas in the wake of the tragedy.

Members of the National Guard — the equivalent of the UK’s Army Reserve — have been drafted in to help enforce it.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said 22 people had so far been arrested for curfew violations, trespassing, burglary and looting.

He said yesterday that it was unclear how the blazes began and urged the public to get in touch if they have useful information.

He added: “We are not going to leave any rock unturned if this is a criminal act . . . everything is absolutely on the table.”

Mayor Karen Bass said she condemns criminal “predators” who are using the fires to take advantage of others.

Authorities are now working alongside the FBI as investigations continue over the wildfires.

Meanwhile, LA County officials have declared a health emergency – warning people that wildfire smoke and particulate matter could pose immediate and long-term threats.

People have been advised not to leave their houses and wear masks if needed.

Fires and strong winds have “severely degraded air quality… posing immediate and long-term risks to public health”, a statement read.

The devastating fires are set to have a costly impact on the city and its residents – with private forecaster Accuweather estimating the total damage and economic loss up to $150 billion.

Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed over 1,400 firefighters, with additional teams arriving from neighbouring states, but the battle to contain the flames is far from over.

He has also called for an independent investigation after firefighters complained about dropping water pressure in many hydrants across the city.

A CHINESE scientist at the centre of the Covid origins debate is still carrying out “risky” research on coronaviruses, scientists have warned.

Shi Zhengli, 60, earned herself the nickname of China’s “batwoman” as one of the world’s leading scientists working on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan.

Her team at Wuhan Institute of Virology collected more than 20,000 samples from bat colonies in China over nearly two decades.

Then, when a mystery pneumonia-like illness emerged just a stone’s throw from the lab in late 2019, Shi was thrust into the spotlight.

Many scientists questioned whether the virus – which had unusual features suggesting it was genetically engineered – may have leaked from the lab.

Five years later, a landmark congressional report has ruled that the “weight of the evidence” suggests it was a lab leak that sparked the pandemic – and left millions dead.

Despite the report’s damning conclusion, Shi and her team are still carrying out “risky” research, according to top scientists and virologists.

Robert Redfield, the director of America’s CDC during the pandemic, said the experiments have “potentially catastrophic consequences”.

In a paper published in Nature, Shi and a team of scientists boasted they had built the first “customised” coronavirus “receptors”.

In other words, Shi is creating the building blocks to change viruses so that they can infect different species – including humans, Mr Redfield said.

He said: “Take bird flu – you can modify the receptor so that instead of chickens and turkeys, it can infect humans.

“It’s potentially dangerous research. You are taking a non-pathogenic virus and changing it so that it could end up being dangerous to humans.

“You may have a pathogen that is restricted to pigs – but now you could totally change it so that it’s highly infectious to other species too.

“She’s playing around with bat viruses and modifying their receptor – so now they’ll infect cows or chickens, for example. It’s ill-advised.

“There’s potential catastrophic consequences. It could cause a new pandemic in animals or humans.”

The research will make growing viruses in human cells easier as they have created “customised” receptors for viruses.

It means viruses can be more easily adapted to humans, experts said.

It’s potentially dangerous research. You are taking a non-pathogenic virus and changing it so that it could end up being dangerous to humans

Dr Alina Chan, a genetic engineering expert, told The Sun: “It looks like they have a new suite of engineered host cells to isolate more novel coronaviruses.

“There’s some potential here for risky work to happen downstream.”

Dr Chan, who co-authored Viral on the origins of the pandemic, added: “In other words, once you have all these novel viruses growing in the lab, what do you do with them?”

Anton van der Merwe, a professor of molecular immunology from University of Oxford, described the experiments as “broadly risky”.

He told The Sun: “Collecting viruses from remote sources, bringing them into densely populated cities, and culturing them in human cells, is inherently risky, even without performing gain of function experiments on the viruses.

“Growing the viruses in human cells will adapt them to humans, and the experiments described in this paper would make this easier.

“These sorts of experiments are broadly risky.”

Biosafety expert Professor Richard Ebright said he doesn’t believe the research counts as “gain-of-function” – where viruses are “souped” up to make them more dangerous and is banned in many countries.

Collecting viruses from remote sources, bringing them into densely populated cities, and culturing them in human cells, is inherently risky

But he added the risks are “sufficiently high to warrant international restriction or prohibition of the research”.

He added: “This is especially true, in view of the fact that the research has no civilian applications, being neither necessary for, nor even useful for, the development of vaccines, therapeutic agents, or other medical countermeasures against viruses that naturally infect humans.”

The Sun has contacted Shi for comment.

Before Covid emerged in Wuhan, there were a very limited number of laboratories in the world working on coronaviruses.

One of these was the Wuhan Institute of Virology – located just 40 minutes from the wet market where some of the first Covid cases emerged.

DRASTIC, an international team of scientists and sleuths investigating Covid’s origins, found that the lab had an extensive collection of bat coronaviruses – immediately raising concerns about a potential lab leak.

Founded in the 1950s, the Wuhan Institute of Virology had become a focal point for coronavirus research after the 2003 SARS outbreak.

Shi won international acclaim for uncovering the origin of the SARS outbreak.

It was a game changer for the lab – and coronavirus research – and sparked a global hunt for animal viruses with pandemic potential.

The Wuhan lab has been working on coronaviruses ever since – with the aim of trying to predict and prevent further outbreaks.

With Shi at the helm, the lab was carrying out controversial – and risky – research.

Shi and her team hunted for SARS-like viruses, hoping to identify pathogens in the wild which could pose a risk to humanity in the future.

Sunita Williams is set to undertake her first spacewalk in 12 years. According to a statement from NASA, she will join fellow astronaut Nick Hague on a mission aboard (on January 16) the International Space Station (ISS) to repair the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray telescope.

In addition to this, Sunita Williams will take part in another spacewalk just a few days later. Both these spacewalks are part of NASA’s ongoing efforts to upgrade and maintain the ISS.

These missions will be conducted as “US spacewalk 91” on January 16 and “US spacewalk 92” on January 23.

January 16 Spacewalk

Sunita Williams will work alongside fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague on January 16 to replace a critical rate gyro assembly, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the ISS’s orientation.

In addition to this, the duo will look at the light filters of the NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) X-ray telescope, and replace a reflector device used for navigation on one of the station’s docking adapters.

The team will also check various access points and tools that will be used for future maintenance of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a key scientific instrument.

NICER is set to become the first NASA observatory to undergo repairs in orbit since the Hubble Space Telescope’s servicing mission in 2009.

The International Space Station shared details of the mission on social media, revealing that the January 16 spacewalk will focus on repairing the NICER telescope.

“On January 16, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams will exit the space station to repair the NICER X-ray telescope. Hague, along with station astronaut Don Pettit, trained for the spacewalk last year,” the ISS shared on X (formerly Twitter).

According to NASA, Sunita Williams, who will be the second crew member to step outside the station, will wear an unmarked suit, while Nick Hague, who will take the lead as spacewalk crew member 1, will be in a suit with red stripes.

This marks Sunita Williams’ eighth spacewalk and Nick Hague’s fourth. The spacewalk will be the 273rd in support of ISS assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/sunita-williams-to-go-on-her-first-spacewalk-in-12-years-7449149

Former child star Rory Sykes, who appeared in the British 1990s show “Kiddy Kapers” and lived with cerebral palsy, died in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires Wednesday. He was 32.

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes
to the Malibu fires yesterday,” his mother, Shelley Sykes, revealed on social media Thursday. “I’m totally heart broken [sic].”

Shelley, who hosted “Kiddy Kapers,” said he died in his cottage on the family’s 17-acre Malibu estate after she “couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose” because the water was shut off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water.

She also told Australia’s 10 News First that she was unable to remove Rory — who had difficulty walking due to his condition — from his burning home because her arm was broken.

“He said, ‘Mom, leave me,’” she tearfully recalled. “No mom can leave their kid.”

Shelley rushed to her local firehouse after failing to reach 9-1-1, but by the time she returned with help, it was too late. Firefighters told her Rory died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Rory was a British-born Australian living in America and a “wonderful son,” Shelley tweeted in his emotional death announcement.

“He overcame so much with surgeries & therapies to regain his sight & to be able to learn to walk,” she proudly noted. “Despite the pain, he still enthused about traveling the world with me from Africa to Antarctica.”

Rory founded the organization Happy Charity to help others in need and was an inspirational speaker by the age of 8, according to his mom.

She said he will be “incredibly missed.”

The Pacific Palisades Fire was the first to erupt in Los Angeles.

It began Tuesday and has consumed over 21,000 acres and more than 5,000 structures between the Palisades and Malibu.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/01/11/celebrity-news/former-child-star-rory-sykes-dies-in-la-wildfires/

When Elon Musk launched his own AI startup, xAI, he touted a key advantage over his competitors: access to the vast trove of data from his newly acquired social media platform Twitter. By implementing new API fees on the network he quickly renamed X, Musk locked out other AI companies, maintaining exclusive access for his own models. And he began using X’s millions of users to test the results.

Musk has been using this distribution channel since xAI launched its first version of the Grok large language model, adding features like trending story summaries and AI-generated questions on posts as well as releasing the Grok chatbot (initially) to X users exclusively. Now, a slew of new AI features is coming. Per the findings of reverse engineer Nima Owji, the platform appears to be developing AI-powered post enhancements, including a feature that lets Grok modify your tweets. The chatbot also appears to be adding location-based queries, letting users ask about things nearby, like grocery stores.

xAI’s takeover of the platform once known as Twitter is so unmistakable that even its branding has crept into X’s most visible real estate, with “xAI Grok” now commanding prominent placement in the app’s main toolbar — a striking symbol of how Musk’s AI ambitions have come to dominate the social network. An xAI employee poked fun at their company’s expanding presence, sharing an image of X’s timeline overrun with the xAI logo.

xAI and X have perhaps the closest and most complex relationship of all of Musk’s companies. On paper, all xAI staffers are also X employees (but not the other way around); on top of access to the code base, they have company laptops from X and appear in the platform’s Workday HR software as X employees. After X vacated its flagship San Francisco HQ in September, the staffers moved into xAI HQ at the Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto. X offers xAI an instant pipeline to millions of users — far more efficient than building Grok’s audience from scratch. With xAI’s newly acquired Colossus cluster of 100,000 GPUs, deploying AI features across X has also become more technically feasible.

Musk has a history of creating intertwined, interdependent companies. Tesla and SpaceX share engineering expertise, for instance, and after Musk acquired Twitter, Tesla and Boring Company teams were a common sight in its offices. Proponents of Musk consider this a genius strategic advantage. Critics argue that the intricate relationships between his ventures could create conflicts of interest, blur the lines of accountability, and expose the companies to shared vulnerabilities.

Two wounded North Korean soldiers have been captured as prisoners of war by Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

The two men are receiving “necessary medical assistance” and are in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv, according to Zelensky.

The president said he was “grateful” to Ukrainian paratroopers and soldiers from the Special Operation Forces for capturing the North Koreans.

He added that “this was not an easy task”, claiming that Russian and North Korean soldiers usually execute wounded North Koreans “to erase any evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the war against Ukraine”.

The Ukrainian intelligence service said in a statement that the prisoners were captured on 9 January and immediately after were “provided with all the necessary medical care as stipulated by the Geneva Convention” and taken to Kyiv.

“They are being held in appropriate conditions that meet the requirements of international law,” the intelligence service’s statement read.

The intelligence service said the prisoners do not speak Ukrainian, English or Russian, “so communication with them is carried out through interpreters of Korean, in cooperation with South Korean NIS (National Intelligence Service)”.

In a statement posted on Telegram and X, Zelensky said the soldiers were “talking to SBU investigators” and he had instructed the Security Service of Ukraine to grant journalists access to them.

“The world needs to know the truth about what is happening,” he added.

Zelensky also posted four photographs alongside his statement. Two show wounded men. One of the photos showed a red Russian military card.

The place of birth on the document is given as Turan, in the Tuva Republic, which is close to Mongolia.

The intelligence service said that when the prisoners were captured, one of the soldiers had a Russian military ID card issued in the name of another person with registration in the Tuva Republic. The other had no documents at all.

The intelligence service said that during interrogation, the soldier with the ID card told security personnel that he had been issued the document in Russia during the autumn of 2024.

He is alleged to have stated that at that time, some of North Korea’s combat units had one-week interoperability training.

“It is noteworthy that the prisoner…emphasises that he was allegedly going for training, not to fight a war against Ukraine,” the SBU statement said.

The intelligence service reported that he said he was born in 2005 and had been serving North Korea as a rifleman since 2021.

The second prisoner is reported to have given some of his answers in writing because he had an injured jaw, according to SBU. The intelligence service said it believed he was born in 1999 and had been serving North Korea as a scout sniper since 2016.

The Geneva Convention states that the questioning of prisoners should be carried out in a language they understand and prisoners must be protected against public curiosity.

Zelensky’s office said in a statement that the Russians “are trying to hide the fact that these are soldiers from North Korea by giving them documents claiming they are from Tuva or other territories under Moscow’s control”.

“But these people are actually Koreans, they are from North Korea,” the statement from the president’s office said.

In 2014, Russian forces operating in Ukraine – despite Kremlin denials – were sent without identifying markings on their uniforms.

Last year, when President Vladimir Putin was asked about Russia using North Korean troops in its war on Ukraine, he did not deny it. He said it was Russia’s “sovereign decision”.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjdek713d0xo

A teenage artist who has already sold works for £23,000 has just passed another milestone – her first ever painting lesson.

Makenzy Beard, 17, made waves back in 2020 when a portrait she painted of her neighbour went viral on social media.

The painting went on to appear at The Royal Academy of Arts, a prestigious London gallery.

She said she had learned “some quite important habits” after the lesson and was determined to continue refining her work.

“I’ve learned a little bit more about impressionism – so, not trying to make everything so realistic all the time, which I find difficult,” she said.

“Up until now, I’ve taught everything myself – just what feels right, what I find easier, watching YouTube videos and stuff like that. I got to a point where I felt like I wasn’t improving anymore.

“So, I went on this course and if I’m honest, I found it so difficult.

“I still had freedom and I could do what I wanted, but there were some things I was told… there is sort of a right and wrong way to do things, or at least, that’s how to make it easier for yourself further down the line.”

Ms Beard first took up painting canvases during lockdown in March 2020, using her mum’s old paints from the comfort of a leaky garden shed.

At the age of just 14 she launched her career as an artist, with her work now being sold to fans across the globe.

Art enthusiasts in the Middle East, the US and the UK have expressed interest in her work.

Her recent exhibition at Blackwater Gallery in Cardiff included ten original artworks as well as a collection of six prints.

The originals attracted buyers paying up to £23,000 for her work.

Since then, Ms Beard has sought to develop her art further – she joined Millfield boarding school on an art and hockey scholarship in 2023, and began painting lessons to help develop her style and technique.

“I’ve picked up some weird little things, like understanding that it’s better to use longer brushes when you want to paint something more freely,” she said.

“These are things you would completely overlook had you not been told to do that.

“I’ve never understood colour theory or anything – I just did whatever I fancied, but it’s helped me to understand that.

“How to mute things down, and more technical things that I was maybe doing intuitively to begin with. It helped me to understand what I was already doing and then making that better.”

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd608225g91o

Zoos in Berlin have closed, while the neighboring state of Brandenburg banned animal transport on Saturday following an outbreak of the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease.

Germany recorded its first cases of foot-and-mouth disease in 35 years in a herd of water buffalo in Hönow, Brandenburg, just outside the Berlin city limits.

Operators of Berlin Zoo in the city center and the Tierpark wildlife park in the city’s east said they would remain closed for the time being to protect the animals and prevent the disease from spreading.

Animal transport banned, pigs culled

In the state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin but does not include it, the government has banned animal transport for 72 hours.

The ban applies to cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, camels, alpacas and llamas.

Meanwhile, around 200 pigs at a farm near where the outbreak was detected will be slaughtered as a precautionary measure.

Brandenburg’s Agriculture Minister Hanka Mittelstädt said on Friday that three water buffalo had died in Hönow due to the disease.

The remaining 11 buffalo in the same herd will also be slaughtered to minimize the risk of further spread and a 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) exclusion zone has been established around the affected farm.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/german-authorities-move-to-contain-foot-and-mouth-disease/a-71274600

Rosalind Smith is not a ‘dog person.’

“If I see a dog, I will scream, I will cry, and then I will run,” says the 48-year-old. “I scream like someone is attacking me with a knife! I don’t do it intentionally, because obviously it’s a mortifying and embarrassing thing to go through… but I am honestly that terrified.”

Smith—who lives in Hull, England—says this dog phobia has plagued her since childhood. “It really impacted my relationship with my dad,” she explains. “He’d blame me for ruining family outings and accuse me of being over-the-top with my behavior.” Instead of walking, she now spends hundreds of pounds on petrol every month to avoid running into dogs in person.

Toronto-based Sherry Bharucha still travels on foot, but completely swerves parks in the summer months, describing her fear of dogs as so visceral that it often leaves her “trapped” inside her apartment. Even dog content on social media can trigger the 50-year-old—although she finds rare solace as a member of the Facebook group ‘I hate DOGS and I’m NOT a horrible human being.’

“In a world that loves dogs so much, there’s so much shame in admitting you have a problem.”

Smith and Bharucha both had traumatic encounters with dogs as young children, leaving them with cynophobia, an anxiety disorder characterized by an overwhelming fear of canines.

It’s difficult to quantify exactly how many people suffer from cynophobia; given the prevalence of dogs, there’s surprisingly little academic research on the condition. However, an estimated 7 to 9 percent of Americans have some kind of phobia—and one study found that a fear of animals is one of the most common phobias worldwide. Of course, you’re far more likely to encounter a dog in your everyday life than you are a frog, a snake, or a bat.

“Walking through a public park is tough, because so many big dogs are let off the lead to roam around freely,” says Bharucha. “I can only leave the house to go to work after 9AM, as that’s past the peak dog-walking time. I’ve got so many friends I can’t visit any more, because most of them have pet dogs.”

A traumatic childhood experience is a common driver for the condition, but it can be brought on in various other ways; some inherit the behavior from people close to them, others might develop the phobia from reading about dog attacks. The symptoms can range from shortness of breath, all the way up to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

“I liken one of my episodes to hyperventilating or having a panic attack,” says Bharucha. “My palms get sweaty, I start trembling, my throat gets dry, and I’m crying without any tears coming out. I can’t get my knees to stop shaking for at least 30 minutes after.”

The latest numbers show that there are approximately 12 million dogs living in the UK, 78 million in the United States, and just under 8 million in Canada. “I spoke to the management of my apartment block and discovered there were 284 registered dogs in a building with 360 units,” says Bharucha. “Right now, dogs are just unavoidable!”

Dog ownership numbers surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we’ve seen town councils unable to cope with the hefty uptick of dog shit; owners avoiding expensive vet fees due to the cost of living crisis; a record increase of dog attacks in England and Wales; and dogs becoming an increasingly inescapable part of our daily lives.

“I believe a lot of people are suffering in silence,” says Smith. “In a world that loves dogs so much, there’s so much shame in admitting you have a problem.”

“We must realize cynophobia can be fatal, as people will literally run into traffic to avoid a dog.”

I went on a ten-minute walk from my house to a local park, and counted 56 separate dogs, many of which weren’t on their leads. If I had an extreme phobia of clowns and saw 56 in the same timeframe, I’d be terrified to the point of collapse. This type of comparative thinking, cynophobia suffers say, can help outsiders empathize with their struggles.

“There’s a real lack of empathy,” says 50-year-old cynophobia sufferer Esther Makaya, from Maidenhead, a town west of London. “If I say to a dog owner, ‘Could you please put your dog on a lead, because I am scared?’ They will always say, ‘Why? He’s lovely!’ and won’t do anything. They treat you like you’re a bad person, while others can even be rude or abusive.”

“I feel gas-lit by the dog-friendly society,” says London-based cynophobia sufferer Anna Petermann. “Dogs are fiercely territorial animals and will always protect their people. However, I’m told by society to completely ignore my senses, and treat all dogs—including guard and fight dogs—as cute, non-threatening, and non-territorial creatures.”

Like every other cynophobe I spoke to, Petermann says that, when she’s told medical professionals about her condition, she’s been met with condescension and confusion, making it difficult to pursue a cure. With this in mind, she adds that cynophobia could benefit from a rebrand and even some kind of global public health campaign.

“If we erased cynophobia and had a name like, say, ‘dog sensitivity,’ it would be much broader and easier to understand,” she says.

So, who exactly can cynophobia sufferers turn to for sustained help? Roy Dyer is the founder of the Essex Dog Training Centre. He estimates he has organized more than 2,000 classes for cynophobia sufferers, which involve the afflicted gradually being introduced to friendly, trained dogs in a non-judgmental setting. With each class, the interactions become longer and longer. In 2011, he was visited by the now Queen Camilla, who praised his work, before he was later awarded with an MBE.

Dyer, who doesn’t charge any money for his classes, claims he has a 98 percent success rate in healing cynophobes—but admits he’s somewhat of an anomaly. “We’ve had people come from Australia and South Korea just for our classes. I keep being told we’re the only cynophobia treatment center in the world, which is depressing!” he says. “There’s a lot of desperate people out there with no one to turn to.”

Of some of the worst sufferers he’s ever encountered, Dyer says, “Some people will come in and vomit, even mess themselves. There was someone who couldn’t be near their mum’s fur coat because it reminded them of a dog. I knew one child that was so scared of their neighbor’s dog, they actually tried to hang themselves.

“We must realize cynophobia can be fatal, as people will literally run into traffic to avoid a dog. It’s a particularly grueling condition for autistic people as well.”

Dyer suggests there’s been a spike in cynophobia sufferers in recent years because of an increase in poorly trained dogs purchased during the pandemic. One study found that while many owners enjoyed more quality time with their dogs during the lockdowns, some noticed behavior issues—like aggression, fear, or overexcitement—after everything opened back up.

Source : https://www.vice.com/en/article/cynophobia-dog-phobia-interviews-fear/

New York City will close 13 emergency shelters that housed asylum seekers by June as the numbers of migrants in the Big Apple have fallen to its lowest point in 18 months.

Mayor Eric Adams announced the closings in all five boroughs on Friday, crediting his administration’s strategy for dealing with the immigration crisis and the federal government’s border policy changes that have reduced the number of migrants entering the United States.

Last month, Adams said the city would close 25 other sites by March, including shelters at the sprawling Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn and Randall’s Island.

The city in a press release said the number of migrants in city shelters has fallen for 27 straight weeks and is now at its lowest point in 18 months.

City shelters are housing fewer than 51,000 migrants, compared to a high of more than 69,000 in January 2024.

Since the spring of 2022, more than 229,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City.

“The policies we implemented, and the tremendous work of the dedicated public servants who execute our mission, show how our administration continues to creatively and effectively manage an unprecedented crisis,” Adams said in a statement.

“The additional closures we are announcing today, provides yet another example of our continued progress and the success of our humanitarian efforts to care for everyone throughout our system,” the mayor said.

Source : https://www.latintimes.com/new-york-city-close-13-emergency-shelters-number-migrants-city-falls-571898

Flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Jeju Air flight that crashed at South Korea’s Muan International Airport stopped recording four minutes before the tragedy that claimed 179 lives.

On December 29, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 traveling from Bangkok to Muan belly-landed, overshooting the runway and colliding with a concrete embankment before erupting into flames, CNN reported.

Preliminary findings indicate the pilots had reported a bird strike and declared an emergency minutes before the crash, but investigators are now dealing with the absence of crucial data from the aircraft’s black boxes.

Investigators have sent the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the severely damaged flight data recorder (FDR) to the United States for further analysis after local efforts to retrieve information were unsuccessful.

Both the CVR and FDR stopped recording about four minutes before the plane crashed, according to South Korea’s transport ministry.

The missing data from the final moments of the flight 7C 2216 has sparked speculation about a potential power failure, which experts say is highly unusual.

Source : https://www.latintimes.com/flight-data-cockpit-voice-recorders-south-korea-plane-stopped-recording-minutes-before-deadly-crash-571910

The foundational building block for Jeff Bezos’ space dreams is finally ready to launch.

A New Glenn rocket — built by Blue Origin, the rocket company that Mr. Bezos started nearly a quarter century ago — is sitting on a launchpad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It is as tall as a 32-story building, and its voluminous nose cone can carry larger satellites and other payloads than other rockets in operation today.

In the predawn darkness on Sunday, it may head to space for the first time.

“This has been very long awaited,” said Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank in Washington.

New Glenn could inject competition into a rocket business where one company — Elon Musk’s SpaceX — is winning big. While companies and governments have welcomed SpaceX’s innovations that have greatly cut the cost of sending stuff to space, they are wary of relying on one company that is subject to the whims of the world’s richest person.

“SpaceX is clearly dominating” the market for launching larger and heavier payloads, Mr. Harrison said. “There needs to be a viable competitor to keep that market healthy. And it looks like Blue Origin is probably the best positioned to be that competitor to SpaceX.”

New Glenn is larger than SpaceX’s current workhorse rocket, the Falcon 9, but not as big as Starship, the fully reusable rocket system that SpaceX is currently developing.

Blue Origin is also working on a future private space station called Orbital Reef, a lunar lander for NASA called Blue Moon and a space tug called Blue Ring — a vehicle that could move satellites around in Earth orbit.

Mr. Bezos’ other company — the behemoth online retailer Amazon — also has big space plans. Project Kuiper, a constellation of internet satellites, will compete with SpaceX’s Starlink network.

Mr. Bezos, the second richest person in the world, after Mr. Musk, also talks grandiosely about a future where millions of people live and work in space, of immense cylindrical habitats spinning to provide artificial gravity, and of moving polluting industries into space someday to allow Earth to return to a more pristine state.

“I know that sounds fantastical,” Mr. Bezos said during an interview at The New York Times’s DealBook Summit in December, “so I beg the indulgence of this audience to bear with me for a moment. But it’s not fantastical.”

But those plans and hopes cannot get off the ground without a rocket. “That’s what New Glenn, our orbital vehicle, is all about,” Mr. Bezos said.

The 21st-century space age is often depicted as a race of billionaires rather than of nations, but so far it has not been a race at all. SpaceX, which Mr. Musk started in 2002, launches its Falcon 9 rockets once every few days. Blue Origin, founded in 2000, has yet to put anything in orbit.

“I think a lot of people forget Blue Origin was founded before SpaceX,” Mr. Harrison said.

Blue Origin has built and launched a smaller rocket, New Shepard, which goes up and down. It passes the 62-mile-high altitude regarded as the edge of space but never comes close to reaching the velocity of more than 17,000 miles per hour needed to enter orbit around the planet. The New Shepard flights have provided a few minutes of weightlessness for space tourists, including Mr. Bezos himself, and for science experiments.

The powerful BE-4 engines that Blue Origin built for New Glenn are also a proven success. United Launch Alliance, a competing rocket company, uses the Blue Origin engines for the booster of its new Vulcan rocket, which successfully launched twice last year.

In 2015, with pomp and publicity, Mr. Bezos announced plans for the rocket, which was then unnamed.

Mr. Bezos said it would be manufactured at a factory that Blue Origin would build in Florida near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. He pledged it would launch by the end of the decade.

The factory appeared — gargantuan boxy buildings colored with the company’s signature bright blue hue — but the rocket, later named New Glenn after John Glenn, the first American to reach orbit Earth, did not.

Blue Origin kept pushing back the date of the rocket’s debut.

During an industry panel in 2023, Jarrett Jones, the senior vice president at Blue Origin overseeing the development of New Glenn, said he expected “multiple” launches of New Glenn in 2024. While giving a tour of the Blue Origin factory in February 2024, he said he expected two launches by the end of the year.

The delays continued. The debut flight of New Glenn, which was to carry two identical spacecraft for NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to make measurements of the atmosphere of Mars, was to launch in October.

But in September, NASA, doubtful that New Glenn would be ready in time, announced it had pulled ESCAPADE off that inaugural launch.

Blue Origin said that a prototype of Blue Ring, the space tug, would fly instead. In early December, the full rocket rolled out to the launchpad.

Blue Origin had been still waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to award a license for launch. That finally came on December 27.

Later that day, Blue Origin conducted a launch rehearsal, with the countdown clock ticking down to zero and the rocket’s engines lighting up and unleashing torrents of flames and smoke. But, as intended, the rocket remained firmly clamped down, and after 24 seconds, the engines were turned off — a final test to sift out and fix glitches.

As soon as 1 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 12, Blue Origin will repeat the same countdown, but this time, instead of a shutdown of the engines, New Glenn will soar toward space. The middle-of-the-night launch window, which extends until 4 a.m., results from air restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration for a large, untested rocket.

The hope is that the debut of New Glenn is better late than never.

Last year, Mr. Jones said he hoped Blue Origin could speed up its pace to as many as one launch a month in 2025 and eventually double that or more.

No rocket company, not even SpaceX, has ever been able to accelerate the launching of a new vehicle that quickly.

“That’s pretty substantial,” said Carissa Christensen, the chief executive of BryceTech, a space consulting company in Alexandria, Va. But if Blue Origin cannot keep up with its promised pace, its customers could also fall behind schedule.

Like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, New Glenn aims to be partially reusable, with the booster designed to land in the Atlantic Ocean on a floating platform named Jacklyn, after Mr. Bezos’ mother.

For the first flight, the booster has been given the nickname So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance.

On the social media site X, Dave Limp, the chief executive of Blue Origin, explained: “Why? No one has landed a reusable booster on the first try. Yet, we’re going for it, and humbly submit having good confidence in landing it. But like I said a couple of weeks ago, if we don’t, we’ll learn and keep trying until we do.”

Mr. Harrison said the reusable boosters, designed to launch at least 25 times, would help Blue Origin compete with SpaceX on price. The Vulcan from United Launch Alliance and the Ariane 6 rocket from Arianespace both currently fly just once and drop into the ocean.

The second stage, which heads to orbit with the payload, will burn up when it re-enters the atmosphere.

With several companies planning to fill the sky with multitudes of communications satellites, there appears to be more than enough business for all of the rocket companies, at least for a few years. Two years ago, Amazon announced it had signed contracts for up to 83 launches from three companies — Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance and Arianespace — to loft more than 3,000 Kuiper satellites.

Amazon later announced it was also buying three Falcon 9 launches from SpaceX.

Blue Origin is not relying solely on business from Amazon. In November, it won an agreement from AST SpaceMobile for several New Glenn launches. AST is building a cellular broadband network that is to work directly with smartphones.

The lucrative business of launching satellites for the Department of Defense is another target for Blue Origin. If successful, this flight would count as the first of two flights needed for the U.S. Space Force to certify the rocket as ready for national security satellites.

The ESCAPADE mission, bumped off the first New Glenn launch, could head to space on a later New Glenn flight in 2025 or 2026.

Blue Origin is also aiming for business beyond rockets.

The concept of space tugs like Blue Ring is not new, and there could be several uses for a spacecraft that could nestle up to another one. A rocket launch could drop off several satellites to one particular orbit, and a space tug could then move them to different destinations. Space tugs could also repair or refuel older satellites or dispose of dead pieces of space junk by pushing them back into the atmosphere to burn up.

Source : https://dnyuz.com/2025/01/11/the-very-long-wait-for-jeff-bezos-big-rocket-is-coming-to-an-end/

The name of Luigi Mangione has come up often over the past few days in social media users’ discussions of the fires ravaging Southern California.

Many, angered by State Farm’s decision last summer to cancel hundreds of homeowners policies in some of the neighborhoods now devastated by the blazes, are looking at the 26-year-old as the type of avenger they wish would punish insurance companies that have cut coverage across the state.

Newsweek contacted State Farm for comment by email on Friday morning.

Why It Matters

The murder of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive Brian Thompson on December 4, and the online adulation of Mangione that followed it revealed the depth of Americans’ anger against health insurance companies in the country.

Mangione, whose appearance has been lionized on social media, has been made into something of a questionable folk hero, with people online hailing him as a symbol of justified violence against the perceived predatory behavior of insurance companies operating in the U.S. healthcare system.

His resurfacing now in the context of the widespread outrage that reports of State Farm’s and other insurers’ cancellations and non-renewals in California have sparked online would suggest that the U.S. property insurance sector might soon become the subject of a heated public debate.

What To Know

Several major insurers operating in California have cut coverages since 2022, especially in the most at-risk zones.

State Farm, the Golden State’s largest home insurer, canceled 72,000 policies in the state by the summer, 30,000 of which were homes. In Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood that was devastated by the Palisades fire which started on Tuesday morning and was only 6 percent contained as of Friday morning, State Farm canceled 1,626 policies.

The company cited increasing costs and catastrophe exposure as the main reason behind a decision they were “reluctant” to take, saying it was necessary to maintain claims-paying capacity for their California customers. Last year, State Farm requested a 30 percent rate hike for its homeowners line, a 52 percent rate hike for renters and a 36 percent rate hike for condo owners in the Golden State to match the growing wildfire risk.

Premium increases in the state must be approved by the California Department of Insurance (CDI), a requirement meant to protect homeowners from sudden massive hikes.

But State Farm’s decision, though justified by the company’s commitment to maintain coverage for some policyholders, left many homeowners in the state scrambling to find insurance at a time when it’s become increasingly difficult—and expensive.

In a comment to Newsweek earlier this week, a spokesperson for State Farm said: “Our number one priority right now is the safety of our customers, agents and employees impacted by the fires and assisting our customers in the midst of this tragedy.”

Seeking the ‘Luigi Mangione Way’

State Farm’s move last summer has sparked a lot of anger since the outbreak of the fires this week.

“The fact that State Farm removed their fire policies for certain zip codes in California weeks or months before the fire hit is unbelievable,” wrote content creator @stoppfeenin on X, where he has more than 108.5k followers. “People are left without means to rebuild or any access to financial support. I understand Luigi Mangione now.”

“Who is the CEO of State Farm?” wrote another user on the social media platform, sharing a photo of Mangione.

“State Farm cancelled thousands of CA insurance policies before the fires?? Palisades and other homeowners must seek the Luigi Mangione way,” an X user wrote on the platform, sharing an image of Batman and Mangione’s face.

An anti-insurance folk hero

“The fires in the Los Angeles area are devastating. We still do not know the full magnitude of destruction, specifically loss of life and property, and it will be some time before we know the full extent,” Dr. Julianna Kirschner, lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, told Newsweek.

“With the understandable confusion and anxiety people are experiencing, many users are spending time on social media to share or gather information and comment on the fires,” she added.

While Mangione “has remained a consistent figure in memes and other viral content” since December, Kirschner said, in recent days, his image has been associated with user messaging about the fires.

“Mangione has become a figurehead in online discourse about insurance companies, which has now extended from the context of healthcare to home and renter insurance,” she explained.

“Some California residents have had trouble getting insurance coverage in recent years, and many of those living in fire prone areas have limited to no options. Users on platforms like X have been commenting on this state of affairs, and the most common theme of these posts have expressed anger against insurance companies and their practices in California,” Kirschner said.

“Mangione’s image has been a consistent visual form of communicating that message.”

According to Kirschner, Mangione’s image “is so highly intertwined with anti-insurance sentiment that he has become a folk hero on social media platforms, because users align with Mangione’s known distaste for insurance companies and their tendency to deny claims.”

For certain communities on social media, Kirschner said, Mangione has become a familiar image, “a protector of sorts.”

“His face has been photoshopped on religious iconography, so the deification of him online is not a stretch. In fact, Mangione has become so representative of anti-insurance rhetoric that users need not include written commentary anymore when posting a Mangione image or meme. The image communicates the sentiment all on its own, and many users have posted this way in recent days,” she explained.

What People Are Saying

Dr. Cliff Lampe, professor of information and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek: “With the Mangione posts, we’re seeing a form of publishing related to a broader societal dissatisfaction with the status quo.

“With both increased income inequality and at least a perceived sense of lack of agency around corporate power, people turn to social media expression to vent and engage in a flexible dialog about societal issues. Through darkly humorous posts, expressions of admiration, sarcasm and other forms of rhetoric, people are rebuilding a sense of agency by reacting to their personal audiences.”

Susan Campbell, distinguished lecturer in the Department of Communications, Film, and Media Studies at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Haven, told Newsweek: “People like Luigi Mangione become folk heroes when people feel powerless against systems they feel have failed them. The health insurance industry has let so many people down, and then up steps this young man to shoot one of the industry’s leaders.

“Life is more complicated than that, but we only seem to see that in retrospect. Bonnie & Clyde reached folk-hero status because they looked like winners at a time when everyone else was losing—at least financially. No amount of slavishly positive media coverage could change that at their heart, they were nothing more than bank robbers who killed people. The same goes with the James gang, other folk heroes from a long-ago.”

As of Friday morning, the Palisades fire, which has burned through about 20,000 acres, was 8 percent contained; the Eaton fire, which has expanded across 13,000 acres, was out of control; the Kenneth fire, which has covered 1,000 acres, was 35 percent contained; the Hurst fire, which has moved through 800 acres, was 37 percent contained; and the Lidia fire, which has burned through 400 acres, was 75 percent contained.

Estimates of the economic loss caused by the fire are already in the tens of billions—but the full extent of the damages will only be clear after all fires have been contained.

Source : https://www.newsweek.com/luigi-mangione-resurfaces-symbol-anger-against-california-insurers-2013057

Fear of ingesting a contaminated substance led Britain’s Emma Raducanu to turn down treatment for an insect bite ahead of the Australian Open which starts this weekend.

Speaking ahead of her opening round match against Russian 26th seed Ekaterina ­Alexandrova, the former U.S. Open champion said recent high-profile doping cases had made her wary.

“I got really badly bitten by I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” Raducanu said at her pre-tournament media conference.

“They flared up and swelled up really a lot. Someone was giving me this antiseptic spray, ­natural, to try to ease the bites. I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t want to spray it.

“I was just left there with my swollen ankle and hand. I was like: ‘I’m just going to tough it out because I don’t want to risk it.’ It’s obviously a concern on our mind.”

Tennis was rocked last year when men’s world number one Jannik Sinner tested positive for banned substance clostebol but escaped a ban after an independent tribunal hearing found that he bore no fault or negligence.

Sinner’s explanation that he had been inadvertently contaminated with the substance by his physiotherapist during a massage was accepted, although the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed against the decision.

Women’s five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek also escaped a lengthy ban after a tribunal accepted that her failed doping test for banned substance trimetazidine had been the result of a contaminated batch of sleeping drug melatonin.

Source : https://sportstar.thehindu.com/tennis/australian-open-2025-emma-raducanu-turned-down-insect-bite-spray-doping-fears/article69086454.ece

Personal items and showbiz memorabilia from Morecambe’s home in Hertfordshire were put up for sale following the death of his widow, Joan, in March 2024.

The glasses were sold along with a Barling briar pipe and two photographs of the comic. Other lots included telegrams from the late Duke of Edinburgh and letters from Margaret Thatcher and fellow comics Ronnie Barker and Tommy Cooper.

The auction comes more than 40 years after Morecambe’s death in 1984, and included more than 700 lots.

The star was also known for smoking pipes and a selection of them were sold in a lot that fetched £1,100.

Morecambe was made an OBE in 1976 and his medal, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II, sold for £11,000, which was £8,000 above its highest estimate.

A tailcoat and trousers, writing desk, and Breitling watch were among the other auctioned items previously owned by Morecambe.

Elsewhere, a personal letter from the then-Prince of Wales fetched £2,500, while a vintage Luton Town Admiral tracksuit with “Eric” stitched on the back sold for £5,500.

Morecambe met comedy partner Ernie Wise in 1940 aged 14 and despite a wartime separation formed the enduring double-act Morecambe and Wise.

They had many lean years touring theatres before they broke into TV and by 1977 their Christmas special was watched by 28 million viewers.

Source : https://www.aol.com/eric-morecambes-trademark-glasses-sell-003740944.html

Katie Piper has decided to get an “artificial eye” more than 16 years after an acid attack which left her with serious injuries and permanent scarring.

The TV presenter shared the news on Instagram, saying it follows “many years of battling” with her health.

“I’ve reached the end of [the] road somewhat, and the decision has been made to try a prosthetic eye shell,” she wrote.

The former model has had hundreds of surgeries to repair damage to her face and eyesight following an attack on the orders of her ex-boyfriend, which took place when she was 24 years old.

According to the NHS’s National Artificial Eye Service, a prosthetic eye shell – also known as a cosmetic shell – is a thin artificial eye individually manufactured for patients.

It is designed to fit over a blind and damaged eye, and is often used when people feel sensitive or conscious about their eyes, explains medical consultant Dr Chris Smith.

Katie Piper forced to pull out of ITV show
In her Instagram post, Piper, 41, also shared a video that appeared to show her being fitted with the prosthetic.

“This marks the start of a journey to have an artificial eye, with an incredible medical team behind me.

“As always I’m incredibly grateful to all those in the NHS and private health care system for their talent and kindness.

“I will share my journey, I’m hopeful and nervous about being able to tolerate it and would love to hear from any of you in the comments if you’ve been on this journey or have any advice.”

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c627ry9w5xzo

TERRIFIED Los Angeles residents trying to flee the deadly wildfires have been left trapped in gridlocked traffic.

At least 11 people have died due to the wildfires with 13 still missing as officials warn the fires could rage on for days.

Six out of control wildfires are continuing to burn through LA with flames roaring towards more star-studded neighborhoods as the time passes by.

High winds have caused the Palisades Fire in Southern California to spread towards the east – leaving them in the direct path of millionaire rows.

Affluent residents of Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood are now desperately looking for a way out as the fire approaches the area.

Thousands of locals have been ordered to evacuate immediately.

The nearby Sunset Boulevard has started to overflow with escaping motorists as long queues are starting to form on the busy roads.

Brentwood is one of the poshest areas of LA – known for its large homes and celebrity residents.

Celebrities including Lebron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kamala Harris, Jennifer Garner and US politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr all have homes in the area.

But their residences are all now under threat as the fatal flames roar across the neighborhoods.

Traffic hasn’t been helped with the immediate closure of several slip roads.

Several off-ramps to the 405 Freeway including Getty Center Drive, Skirball Center Drive, Sunset, Wilshire, Santa Monica and Olympic boulevards are all closed off.

This has left those fleeing stuck for hours trying to move away from the burning embers.

One panicked woman said she hardly moved in two hours as the mood and environment around her rapidly changed.

She told ABC: “There was a visibility when I first got here, a little bit of blue sky, and it has unfolded to absolutely ugliness.”

Authorities issued fresh mandatory evacuation orders earlier today as wind gusts as high as 70mph are set to hit – making it even more difficult to contain the blazes.

LA’s fire chief Kristin Crowley said last night saw a “significant flare up” in parts of the Palisades Fire tragedy.

The chief added that “we will be facing another critical weather event” due to the high winds as the flames continue to starch the region.

Search and rescue efforts are finally getting underway today after days of devastation.

Cadaver dogs are leading the hunt to help find “remains and reunite families”, Sheriff Robert Luna said.

Eight people have died in the Eaton Fire with the remaining three being killed in the Palisades Fire.

Around 153,000 people have been evacuated across the county with 166,000 more being placed under severe warnings.

Tens of thousands of structures have been burnt to the ground across several areas.

The devastating fires are set to have a costly impact on the city and its residents – with private forecaster Accuweather estimating the total damage and economic loss up to $150 billion.

Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed over 1,400 firefighters, with additional teams arriving from neighbouring states, but the battle to contain the flames is far from over.

He has also called for an independent investigation after firefighters complained about dropping water pressure in many hydrants across the city.

Meanwhile, satellite pictures have revealed whole blocks of homes in Los Angeles have been burned to rubble by the wildfires.

The snaps show before, during, and after the uncontrolled blazes have burned through LA homes and celebrity enclaves and caused thousands to flee.

Some of those homes belong to celebrities, with Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Miles Teller, and Anthony Hopkins among those to lose their abodes.

Online disinformation about the LA wildfires has sparked a resurgence of bizarre conspiracy theories revolving around ‘smart cities’.

More than 100,000 people have had to be evacuated and 10 died after fires tore through parts of Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the LA wildfires

An estimated 10,000 buildings have been destroyed, including affluent suburbs, churches, Hollywood film locations and a school whose alumni include Will.i.am and Forest Whitaker.

A number of wild claims have been touted, including one from none other than President-elect Donald Trump who said the fires are ‘all [the] fault’ of California governor Gavin Newsom.

Right-wingers have also seized on a video of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighters to blame Democrats for allegedly diverting supplies to Ukraine.

Firefighters were seen using small canvas bags to quickly put out a garbage fire.

Widely-shared social media posts claimed the firefighters were resorting to using women’s handbags due to budget cuts.

Officials said the bags were part of standard gear, and are a more efficient way to tackle small fires than using a hose, which takes time to set up.

One of the strangest theories which generated traffic online is that the fires were deliberately set in order to create ‘smart cities’.

Fact-checkers Politifact said Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, had flagged a number of posts which created a buzz around this idea.

The posts made confused and sometimes inaccurate references to plans for improving planning, public transport and sustainability, loosely grouped under the term ‘smart cities’.

Some of these plans include retrofitting homes to become more energy-efficient, or bringing bus and train networks online.

A 2020 United Nations document called People-Smart Sustainable Cities defines the term as ‘an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness’.

The UN has not made ‘smart cities’ a defined part of its 2030 agenda, contrary to some of the claims.

There have also been no references to any need to destroy existing buildings or structures.

Politifact said its investigators ‘found no credible evidence or reports that Los Angeles or other areas in the U.S. are being destroyed to build smart cities’.

Authorities in LA briefly investigated the possibility that an individual was responsible for starting one of the blazes, which has been named the Kenneth Fire.

Source : https://metro.co.uk/2025/01/10/la-wildfires-spark-conspiracy-theories-around-smart-city-plot-22339711/

Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned Friday from the Department of Justice as President-elect Donald Trump and others continued efforts to block the release of Smith’s final report on his criminal investigations of the Republican.

Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, left his post 10 days before Trump’s inauguration.

His departure was expected, as Smith indicated he would leave before Trump took office, and because the president-elect planned to fire the special counsel if he did not resign.

But the timing of it was only disclosed Saturday, in a brief footnote of a DOJ court filing to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon of Florida, who was appointed to the bench by Trump.

“The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the Department on January 10,” the filing reads.

DOJ officials urged Cannon not to extend an order she issued last week, which is temporarily blocking the agency from releasing Smith’s investigation into Trump’s interference in the 2020 election results.

Trump’s former co-defendants in another criminal case asked Cannon to extend her order, and are trying to keep Garland from releasing a portion of Smith’s report to members of Congress.

The DOJ filed an emergency motion late Friday asking a federal appeals court to reverse the order, which would allow for the swift release of Smith’s report.

Smith had filed two criminal cases against Trump.

One, in federal court in Washington, D.C., charged with crimes related to his attempt to overturn his loss in the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.

In the other case, which Cannon presided over, Trump was charged with retaining classified government records at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after leaving the White House in January 2017, and with his efforts to prevent officials from recovering those documents

Also charged in that case were Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago worker Carlos De Oliveira, who were accused of helping Trump try to hide the documents from officials.

Cannon last year dismissed the Mar-a-Lago documents case against Trump after ruling that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional.

Source : https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/11/special-counsel-jack-smith-resigns-from-doj-as-trumps-fight-to-block-final-report-continues.html