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BUDAPEST - Hungarian police said on Jan 24 they had detained three people after raids against a group they said was preparing “to take control” of the country and form a “Scythian Hungary”.
Scythians were nomads who lived between the ninth and second century BC, and a fringe of the Hungarian far-right scene claims to be of Scythian ethnicity.
About 150 officers carried out raids at 10 locations in Budapest and elsewhere in central Hungary, said the National Bureau of Investigation (NNI), which handles serious crime.
They questioned seven men and a woman, detaining three of the men aged between 53 and 88, the statement added.
“The eight suspects were preparing to take control of the country, and also threatened to disarm Hungarian police and soldiers if they resisted,” said the NNI statement.
A video was posted on a video-sharing social media site in November 2023, in which group members “declared the formation of Scythian Hungary”, the NNI said.
Police also seized weapons including firearms and machine guns during the raids, the statement added.
It added the group had planned to arrest former and current members of the government.
During the 2022 census, some 2,400 people of Hungary’s 9.7 million said they spoke Scythian.
In 2023, Alfred Pocs, a doctor known for denying the danger of Covid-19 infections, submitted an initiative to have Scythians officially recognised as one of the national minorities of Hungary.
But parliament in December overwhelmingly voted against the proposal after the Hungarian Academy of Sciences stated that there were “neither physical nor legal conditions” for the recognition of Scythians as a living minority. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/hungary-police-raids-target-suspected-coup-plotters
| 2024-01-24T17:16:54Z
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KYIV - Russian forces entered the war-battered town of Avdiivka for the first time but were pushed back, its mayor told AFP on Jan 24, following months of fierce fighting for the industrial hub in east Ukraine.
Moscow in October launched a costly bid to wrest control of the town which has been on the front line of fighting between Ukraine and Russian-backed forces since 2014.
Kyiv has said its forces are holding out against Russia’s efforts to encircle the town that had an estimated pre-war population of some 32,000 people.
“Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups entered the southern part of the city of Avdiivka, but they were dislodged,” Avdiivka mayor Vitaliy Barabash said.
He declined to say when Russian forces entered Avdiivka or how long the forces had remained.
“The situation is under the control of the armed forces. The situation is difficult but controlled,” Mr Barabash added.
He said there were just under 1,100 civilians remaining in the town and that there no were no children.
The eastern Donetsk region has seen some of the worst fighting of Russia’s nearly two-year invasion.
Russia claimed to have annexed the territory alongside three other frontline Ukrainian regions late in 2022. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russian-forces-enter-key-ukraine-town-then-pushed-back-says-mayor
| 2024-01-24T17:17:05Z
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KYIV - Ukraine and Slovakia on Jan 24 pledged to strengthen ties between the two countries, even as they acknowledged disagreements amid a simmering diplomatic row.
Relations have soured after populist Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico won elections in the EU and Nato member on an anti-Ukraine platform.
He has since angered Kyiv with a number of inflammatory comments over Russia’s invasion and questioned Western support for Kyiv.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal hosted Mr Fico on Jan 24 in the Ukrainian town of Uzhhorod, close to the countries’ shared border, for a summit designed to cool tensions.
In a joint statement after the meeting, the two countries said they were determined to “further strengthen interstate relations on the basis of mutual trust and respect.”
The tone marked a departure from Mr Fico’s comments on the eve of the meeting, in which he questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty and called for Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow to end the war – something Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out.
Concerns are growing in the West over flagging enthusiasm in some capitals for supporting Kyiv, almost two years after Russia invaded.
Populist leaders in Europe, such as in Slovakia and Hungary, have grown increasingly tired of the grinding conflict and Kyiv’s urgent requests for tens of billions of euros in support.
A €50 billion (S$70 billion) financial aid package for Ukraine is currently being held up in Brussels after being blocked by Hungary.
According to Mr Shmyhal, his counterpart on Jan 23 said Slovakia would support the disbursement of EU aid to Ukraine and would allow Kyiv to buy weapons and equipment from Slovak arms producers “on a commercial basis.”
Despite the conciliatory tone at the summit, in a video message published later on Jan 23, Mr Fico said the two countries continued to have “quite different opinions on some topics.”
“I reiterated that I do not believe in a military solution to this conflict,” Mr Fico said.
He also said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plan for peace, based on Russia withdrawing its troops and Ukraine not giving up any land, was “not realistic”.
Mr Fico said Slovakia would veto Ukraine becoming a member of the Nato military alliance should it ever get to that stage while he is in office, but was backing Kyiv’s bid for EU membership. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-slovakia-pms-seek-to-cool-tensions-amid-diplomatic-row
| 2024-01-24T17:17:16Z
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PARIS/KYIV - Ukraine has managed to boost its Black Sea grain exports to a level not seen since before Russia’s invasion, although the Red Sea shipping crisis poses a new challenge to its crucial agricultural trade.
Kyiv’s success in replacing a UN-backed Black Sea export deal with its own shipping scheme has brought relief for Ukrainian farmers and importing countries while representing a naval breakthrough for Ukraine’s military as a land counteroffensive has stalled.
The export turnaround helped Ukraine’s economy to steady in 2023 and further tamed global food prices after Russia’s invasion in February 2022 drove them to record highs.
Kyiv shipped around 4.8 million metric tonnes of foodstuffs in December, mostly grain, from its Black Sea ports, surpassing for the first time volumes achieved under the previous UN-sponsored corridor. Moscow quit that deal last July saying commitments to safeguard its own exports were not being respected.
Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine exported about six million tonnes of food monthly via the Black Sea.
“The alternative Black Sea export corridor from Ukraine has definitely been a positive signal for the agricultural industry,” Ms Svetlana Malysh, senior Black Sea agriculture analyst at LSEG, said, adding: “There are lot of concerns related to the situation in the Red Sea.”
Ukrainian grain exports by sea in January could drop by around 20 per cent compared with December 2023, a senior Ukrainian official said last week, mostly because of the Red Sea crisis.
Strikes on shipping in the Red Sea by the Iran-aligned Houthis who control much of Yemen have stymied trade between Europe and Asia. The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. Their actions have prompted US and British air strikes against Houthi targets.
Passage through the Red Sea is very important for Ukraine as almost a third of its exports via the Black Sea corridor are sent to China.
Under its new export scheme, Ukraine is also supplying grain to Pakistan for the first time since Russia’s invasion, said Mr Alexander Karavaytsev, senior economist at the International Grains Council.
Grain ships are increasingly being diverted away from the Suez Canal-Red Sea route, according to analysts and traders.
“The Red Sea situation is likely to hamper long-haul shipments from Ukraine,” Mr Karavaytsev said.
Better than before
Ukrainian Black Sea food exports remain substantial. Over Jan 1-19, about 1.9 million tonnes were shipped via sea ports and another 1.7 million tonnes are still scheduled for January, said Spike Brokers, which tracks and publishes export statistics.
Ukrainian producers have welcomed the sea route as an improvement on both makeshift routes via the European Union and the UN-sponsored corridor, under which protracted cargo inspections with Russia drove up vessel charges.
“Since the invasion, now is the best time for farmers in terms of logistics,” said Mr Dmitry Skornyakov, chief executive officer of Ukrainian farm operator HarvEast.
Easing shipping costs have allowed depressed domestic prices in Ukraine to rise. Corn export prices have gained around US$30 a tonne since the start of the new corridor, while the cost of a medium-sized bulk vessel from Odesa to Spain has fallen by a similar amount, according to LSEG data.
Ukraine hopes to cement the role of its Black Sea corridor, which currently serves three ports in the Odesa region, by winning recognition from the UN’s International Maritime Organisation, which could send a mission in February.
That could help ease worries about Russia’s military threat at sea.
Export routes
Ukrainian officials cite effective use of drones against Russian navy ships and the recapturing of an island near the Danube delta as allowing Kyiv to establish the route that hugs the Black Sea coast from Odesa down through Romanian and Bulgarian waters.
Kyiv now wants to re-open the port of Mykolaiv further east while maintaining transhipment via the Danube, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuriy Vaskov told Reuters.
Ukraine sees potential to raise total cargo shipments, including metallurgical products, from Black Sea and Danube ports to eight million tonnes a month, against more than seven million in December, he said.
Security for Ukrainian exports remains fragile as Russia intermittently strikes ports while the Black Sea is littered with mines.
If disruption to the Red Sea route to Asia persists, a fresh influx of cheaper Ukrainian grain in the EU may also deepen discontent among farmers in eastern member states such as Poland who have been staging protests.
But with Russia seen unlikely to actively target a food supply route serving countries that have not taken sides in the war, and with buyers lured by competitive Ukrainian prices, the sea corridor is expected to retain a sizeable role in global grain trade.
“In my view overall shipments by sea from Ukraine will continue to expand,” a European trader said, noting Ukrainian corn was sold to China last week despite Red Sea risks. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukraines-black-sea-grain-export-success-tested-by-red-sea-crisis
| 2024-01-24T17:17:26Z
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WASHINGTON - A US Senate committee approved legislation on Jan 24 that would help set the stage for the United States to confiscate Russian assets and hand them over to Ukraine for rebuilding after the destruction of the nearly two-year-long war.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 20 to 1 in favour of the unprecedented "Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (Repo) for Ukrainians Act."
If it were to pass the full Senate and House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Joe Biden, the act would pave the way for Washington's first-ever seizure of central bank assets from a country with which it is not at war.
Senator Ben Cardin, the Democratic foreign relations committee chairman, was optimistic about the Bill becoming law, noting that it has broad support, from both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and House, as well as from Biden's administration.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has passed a similar Bill, also with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The EU, United States, Japan and Canada froze some US$300 billion (S$400 billion) of Russian central bank assets in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Only about US$5 billion to US$6 billion are in the United States, with most held in Europe, and most of those in Belgium's Euroclear central securities depositary.
Mr Cardin acknowledged the groundbreaking nature of the legislation, but noted the seriousness of what Russia has done. "That's why it's got to be done right," he told Reuters.
US and British officials have been working to jumpstart efforts to seize confiscated Russian assets and hope that Group of Seven (G-7) leaders will issue a strong statement when they meet in late February, around the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
G-7 leaders have long argued that Russia is obligated under international law to end its war and pay for the damage it has caused, which already exceeds US$400 billion dollars, according to the World Bank.
Senior European Union officials said on Jan 23 that the bloc was unlikely to confiscate Russian central bank assets frozen in Europe, despite G-7 plans to discuss the legality of such a move at a meeting in February.
However, European officials are concerned not only with the legality of such an unprecedented confiscation, but also with the potential consequences for the euro currency. Investors might pull out of euro assets out of concern their money might one day be seized too.
Moscow has condemned the effort, pledging to retaliate by confiscating Western assets in Russia, which some reports put at US$288 billion.
The Repo Act says any seized Russian funds would be used to rebuild Ukraine. It is separate from Mr Biden's request for US$61 billion in security assistance for Ukraine.
That request has been stalled in Congress for months, as Republicans insist the aid must be coupled with unrelated changes to how the country handles immigration via the border with Mexico. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/us-senate-panel-steps-toward-seizing-russian-assets-to-help-ukraine
| 2024-01-24T17:17:37Z
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CAIRO - Egypt's sovereign wealth fund is finalising a masterplan to revamp Cairo's historic centre now that government ministries have largely moved to a new capital to the east, and hopes to break ground on the project within months, its chief executive said.
The area, modelled on Paris in the 1860s, is filled with elegant but crumbling buildings constructed over the subsequent seven decades. Many were nationalised in the 1950s and 1960s and left in disrepair.
The Sovereign Fund has already taken control of three prime properties in central Cairo, and received ownership of 11 former ministry buildings in a decree published this week in the official gazette.
It is also overseeing the real estate portfolio of Misr Insurance Holding, which includes nearly a hundred buildings, most built before World War Two.
The blueprint includes the government quarter on the southern edge of downtown and involves traffic plans, area surveys and plans to repurpose various buildings, the fund's CEO, Ayman Soliman, told Reuters. The fund will bring in private companies to own and finance much of the properties.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and two international advisers are helping to draw it up.
"It's coming over the course of the coming weeks," Soliman said.
FROM OLD CAPITAL TO NEW
Much of the government has transferred in recent months to ministries and offices in a lavish new capital being built 45 km (28 miles) east of Cairo.
The fund expects to take over many former government buildings to either sell, manage on behalf of the government or turn over to private developers in exchange for a minority ownership stake in the projects.
"Some of the buildings are already evacuated, but there is a mobilisation plan for relocating into concentrated locations for whoever is staying and not moving to the new capital," Soliman said.
The plan will discourage some activities, such as warehousing and storage, while encouraging others, such as tourism.
It provides for preservation of architectural styles through a permitting system, weekend pedestrian zones and the creation of parking garages in place of uglier buildings.
Work on the ground would begin "probably within the first half of this year," Soliman said.
"We're getting done with the paperwork and from then on you'll be seeing boots on the ground."
VACATED PROPERTIES
The three vacated properties the fund has received are Tahrir Square's colossal Mogamma building - formerly a notoriously dysfunctional one-stop bureaucratic shop - the interior ministry compound and a now-vacant Nile-side lot once occupied by the headquarters of former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).
The NDP building was burned during Egypt's 2011 uprising, then demolished.
All three will be repurposed for multiple uses including offices, apartments, leisure and hospitality, with external work now following internal work at the Mogamma site.
A proposal on the NDP land will be announced once permits are secured. Soliman did not rule out reports that a soaring skyscraper could be constructed.
The sprawling former interior ministry compound, which has good power and digital wiring, is being turned into a business park catering to start-ups and tourism. It would include a three-star Moxy hotel by Marriott, the first in Egypt, Soliman said. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/with-government-relocated-egypt-set-to-unveil-overhaul-of-downtown-cairo
| 2024-01-24T17:17:47Z
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WINDHOEK - Namibia's President Hage Geingob will travel to the United States on Wednesday to undergo cancer treatment, the presidency has announced.
A regular medical check-up earlier this month revealed the 82-year old head of state had cancer, his office said last week, without giving details about his condition.
The president has accepted an offer by scientists and medical professionals in Los Angeles, California, to undergo novel therapy to deal with the cancerous cells, the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
As prime minister in 2014, Geingob told the public that he had survived prostate cancer. He became president the following year.
Vice President Nangolo Mumba would take over presidential duties until Geingob's return on Feb. 2, his office added.
The southern African country is due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections at the end of 2024. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/namibias-president-geingob-to-travel-to-us-for-cancer-treatment
| 2024-01-24T17:17:58Z
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WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, again asked the U.S. Commerce Department to curb assault weapon exports and increase oversight of gun exports after a Trump-era rule change eased firearms export laws, according to a letter sent on Tuesday and seen by Reuters.
The Commerce Department began a 90-day pause in an October order to assess the "risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities."
The pause, which includes shotguns and optical sights, ends on Thursday. The Commerce Department could decide to make the halt on export licenses permanent, return to previous practices, or impose other permanent restrictions.
The letter, which was signed by Warren and Senator Richard Durbin as well as U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro and Norma Torres was sent to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. It voiced support for returning export authority oversight to the Department of State from Commerce - something which changed under then-President Donald Trump's tenure.
In addition, the lawmakers asked Commerce to extend its review, declare publicly that it intends to curb exports, commit to better post-shipment oversight, and shorten the period export licenses are valid from four years to one year. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/senator-warren-other-democrats-ask-commerce-to-extend-gun-export-pause-increase-oversight-letter
| 2024-01-24T17:18:09Z
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NEW YORK – British billionaire Joe Lewis intends to plead guilty to certain US criminal charges after he was charged in 2023 with insider trading, his lawyer said on Jan 24 at a hearing in Manhattan federal court.
Lewis, 86, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts of securities fraud, Mr David Zornow, a lawyer for Lewis, told US District Judge Jessica Clarke.
Lewis, whose family trust controls a majority of the Tottenham Hotspur football team, was charged in July 2023 with passing inside information on his portfolio companies to two of his private pilots, as well as friends, personal assistants and romantic partners, enabling them, according to prosecutors, to reap millions of dollars of profit.
The pilots, Patrick O’Connor and Bryan Waugh, were also charged. All three men entered not guilty pleas last July.
Lewis founded the investment firm Tavistock Group and is worth US$6.2 billion (S$8.3 billion), according to Forbes. He has been allowed to remain free on a US$300 million bond secured by his yacht, named the Aviva, and private aircraft.
The terms of his bail restrict Lewis from travelling outside the United States, boarding his yacht or travelling in his personal aircraft unless it was to attend a court hearing. Lewis is limited to travelling between New York, Florida and Georgia, where he owns property.
Lewis was charged by federal prosecutors with 16 counts of securities fraud and three counts of conspiracy, for alleged crimes spanning from 2013 to 2021.
Prosecutors have said Lewis gleaned inside information about four companies in which he had invested through his hedge fund and tipped friends and associates between 2019 and 2021.
The companies, according to prosecutors, included Mirati Therapeutics and BCTG Acquisition, a blank cheque company that his hedge fund founded and took Tango Therapeutics public in a merger in 2021.
Lewis hid the size of his holdings in Mirati by investing through a trust and a shell company registered in the name of his granddaughter and an employee, according to prosecutors.
Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams has called the actions taken by Lewis “classic corporate corruption”. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/tottenham-s-billionaire-owner-joe-lewis-intends-to-plead-guilty-to-securities-fraud-lawyer-says
| 2024-01-24T17:18:20Z
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Amy Dowden received plenty of support from her fans last year as the star went through chemotherapy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
Following the completion of her treatment and the conclusion of last year's series of Strictly Come Dancing, the Welsh dancer took some time away from social media to focus on herself and her recovery, after fracturing her foot just days after completing her treatment.
On Wednesday, the Strictly professional made her return to social media, issuing a lengthy message about her time away. "Hey hey, thank you for all the lovely messages the last few weeks," she began.
"Sorry for being a little silent here. I needed a little time and space. I'm still missing and craving what I should be doing but starting to accept I need to be patient. After a crazy week of hospital tests and apts last week Ben and I then went away for a few days and it's exactly what we both needed."
Amy continued: "Hope 2024 has been treating you all well. Once again thanks for all the love and of course, I need to remind you, have you checked yourself this year? If not, get checking."
However, the dancer also had some exciting news to share as she revealed that the hair she lost through chemotherapy has started growing back. Sharing the news, Amy revealed her eyelashes and eyebrows had completely grown back while her scalp had started growing back as well.
Reflecting on the moment, Amy said: "The regrowth felt so slow but looking back it's unreal and it's helping me feel more positive."
The professional dancer was supported through her health woes by her fellow Strictly castmates and husband Ben Jones, and she opened up about his support in an interview with Women's Health UK.
"He's been through so much with me with my Crohn's but I guess, like, nothing will ever break us now," she told the publication. "If I mention something once, he'll buy it, or if it's a food I want, he's cooking it."
Highlighting the work of her incredible co-stars, the professional dancer revealed: "Honestly, not a day goes by without Dianne [Buswell] checking in on me; Carlos [Gu]; Katya [Jones]... production have gone above and beyond to make me part of the series as well.
"To have no part in it would have been soul-destroying. And not good for me mentally, whatsoever. I don't know what I would have done, I'll be honest with you."
Amy exclusively spoke to HELLO! about her initial diagnosis, saying: "You just don't ever think it's going to happen to you. I hadn't thought it was possible to get breast cancer at my age. My mum has had breast cancer, but she had it at a later age, in her 50s.
"I was in the shower and I felt this hard lump in my right breast. I was in shock; I checked again. I thought: 'Right, it could just be period-related, or so many things. I decided I was going to keep an eye on it for a few weeks. On holiday, putting body lotion on every day, I was noticing it."
READ: Amy Dowden reveals why she kept cancer fears secret from husband Ben
SEE: Strictly's Amy Dowden stuns on romantic date with rarely-seen husband Ben amid cancer fight
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511985/strictly-amy-dowden-social-media-return-missing-and-craving/
| 2024-01-24T17:19:26Z
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Queen Camilla is keeping busy while her husband, King Charles, is resting due to an enlarged prostate, with Tuesday seeing her pay a visit to Refuge’s Gala Centre in South London.
During Her Majesty’s visit, she privately met with survivors of domestic abuse, who shared their personal stories and experiences of being supported by Refuge.
Smart as ever, the royal donner a pinstriped navy coatdress, accessorised with a symbolic diamond brooch, featuring a diamond encrusted Britannia figurine alongside a ruby and sapphire Union Jack flag. Mounted in 18ct white gold, the brooch It appears to be a replica of the cap badge worn by the Royal Norfolk Regiment, of which she’s Colonel in Chief.
Fine jewellery expert Maxwell Stone of Steven Stone believes Queen Camilla was conveying a message of strength with her accessory of choice, explaining: "Britannia is a symbol of British strength, unity and the enduring legacy of the nation - making it a particularly sentimental choice at this moment in time, with both King Charles and Princess Kate undergoing or recovering from medical procedures."
Of the value of the meaningful piece of jewellery, Maxwell Stone said: "A piece the same recently sold online for £4,400 – making it a particularly modest piece in the Queen’s jewellery box.”
The Queen is certainly a fan of statement brooches and has a large collection of insect brooches. She is also known for choosing accessories have a sentimental relevancy to the event she is attending, though earlier this week the 75-year-old made a statement of a different kind, opting to wear mismatched earrings on a visit to Swindon.
Though both pretty pieces, the earrings did not match in the slightest. On her right side, she wore a gold statement earring with diamond chips and on the other side, she wore a pearl drop earring.
Whether her mismatch was on purpose or she put them on in a hurry, we suspect we'll never know, yet the fashion pack certainly approved.
DISCOVER: Queen Camilla's surprising family nickname revealed - and Her Majesty finds it amusing
Alexia Karides, founder of Greek jewellery brand YSSO, told HELLO!: "I think the unexpected nature of asymmetric jewellery is really appealing to women of all ages and demographics: what a great way to dress up a simple outfit and make a subtle statement through jewellery.
"Asymmetric earrings are perfect for someone confident and rebellious who isn’t afraid to express themselves through their jewellery: it’s all about having fun and embracing imperfection.”
That suddenly sounds like a Queen Camilla move, if you ask us!
Royally obsessed? Listen to the latest episode of HELLO!'s Right Royal Podcast, revealing why Prince William was ‘really hurt’ by Prince Harry’s ‘veiled criticisms of Kate
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/511983/queen-camilla-sign-of-strength/
| 2024-01-24T17:19:32Z
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Apple TV+ has some brilliant TV shows that we have become totally obsessed with over the years, and we’re so excited to see the return of some of these critically acclaimed hits this year. From Bad Sisters to Trying, here’s what’s back in 2024…
Severance season 2
After perhaps the best season finale ever, we can’t wait to get more answers (and let’s face it, probably be offered up plenty of new mysteries) in Adam Scott’s deeply weird but addictive TV show about office workers who have a microchip in their brains which means they forget about their personal lives while working, and forget their work lives in reality - leading them to be two very different people. Bring it on.
Slow Horses season 4
Slow Horses is one of telly’s most underrated shows - with the tale of MI5 agents at Slough House reaching its peak in season three. Here’s what the novel’s description has to say about what we might expect from season four.
It read: “Retired from the intelligence service, David Cartwright still knows where the skeletons are hidden. But when he forgets that secrets are supposed to stay buried, there's suddenly a target on his back… Jackson Lamb worked with David back in the day. He knows better than most that this is no innocent old man. So when River's panic button raises the alarm at Intelligence Service HQ, Lamb will do whatever he thinks necessary to protect an agent in peril.”
Trying season 4
Now that Jason and Nikki have landed custody of their kids Princess and Tyler, the challenge is keeping their family together! With plenty more humour and drama, we can’t wait to see what comes next for our favourite television couple, their friends and parents, and their new little family.
Mythic Quest season 4
Mythic quest, despite the name, is much less about the RPG fantasy game being made and much more about the dysfunctional work environment and the relationships between the talented but neurotic characters.
Season 3 left off with Ian (pronounced Iron) and Poppy returning to Mythic Quest following the previous seasons' walkout, reuniting with their anxiety-plagued former boss David. Meanwhile, Dana brings the evil and former frenemy pairing of Jo and Brad to start a new company. This hilarious stand-out is back for season 4 for a reason - so catch up now!
Bad Sisters season 2
Since season one - where the sisters went out of their way to kill their despised brother-in-law - was a pretty open-and-cut show, we’re curious to see where the story will go for this Irish drama’s second outing, but in Sharon Horgan we trust! The show’s creator and star will be back for round two alongside Anne Marie Duff, Eve Hewson and Daryl McCormack.
Speaking about what to expect in season two, Sharon told Radio Times: “I had no intention of doing any more, but while we were on set I kept thinking of this one idea that could be a possible second season.
“The first series did have a lovely end, but I think when you kill a man when you put yourself through that – and there were five of them in it – life is going to change. You don’t just dust yourself off and get on with your life. I was interested in what would happen to these women next. And we’ll find out.”
Pachinko season 2
This epic family drama is coming back for a second season, and we couldn’t be more excited. This is one of those shows that you need to watch to understand, with the characters’ tales over three different periods converging together and leading to decades of family secrets and drama - and we haven’t had all of the answers yet - so season two is going to be a welcome treat.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511986/apple-tv-shows-coming-back-2024/
| 2024-01-24T17:19:44Z
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Princess Eugenie made a surprise appearance at the Dior men's show during Paris Fashion Week, with her makeup artist, Jessica Bérullier, sharing a photo of the royal from the event.
The beautiful photo showed the 33-year-old smiling to the camera with burgundy, glossy lips, liquid liner flicks and fluttering eyelashes, but it was Eugenie's eyebrow makeover that made all the difference to her looks.
"Brows are most definitely the most defining feature of the face when it comes to transforming how we look," says ;brow artist Kallinika Aynsley.
Lucy Xu, founder of Premier Laser Clinic adds: "Princess Eugenie's potential changes to her eyebrows could be a key factor in her refreshed appearance, as the correct shape will instantly take years off."
Kallinika says that that lifting the tails of someone's brows will enhance and open the eyes, for a youthful, lifted effect. Adding more definition to a brow, whether that be with pencil or semi-permanent options, refining the arch and tail will certainly give a bolder more structured and put-together appearance, and Princess Eugenie's eyebrows having a more shapely appearance does exactly this."
Yana Gushchina, founder of Browfique, agrees on the impact of brows. "A well-shaped, aesthetically pleasing brow that flatters the person's face shape can really change how someone appears, making them look well put together and can even make you look younger."
Princess Eugenie's fresh-faced look could also be down to small aesthetic tweaks too, says Lucy. "Despite her busy life as a mother of two, Princess Eugenie consistently upholds a flawless appearance.
READ: Everything Princess Eugenie has said about her sons August and Ernest
"It is likely that she follows an impeccable skincare routine and relies on a collection of trusted medical-grade beauty products to combat signs of ageing. Moreover, there are various methods to improve skin quality without resorting to fillers. Morpheus8, for instance, is an effective treatment for minimising fine lines and wrinkles while tightening loose skin around the chin, jowls, and neck.’’
The royal's glowing skin could also be down to laser treatments, says plastic surgeon Dr. Fadi Hamadani, who offers Facetite in his clinic, a treatment which lifts and tightens skin for a radiant visage like Princess Eugenie's.
"It’s possible that Princess Eugene’s skin looks brighter and more radiant as a result of a combination of laser treatments such as Lumecca IPL, a medical grade skincare regime and regular chemical peels."
Whatever she's doing, it certainly works, but to recreate her radiant look at home, Eugenie's MUA shared that she used a cocktail of skincare and makeup, including Embryolisse skin care, Armani foundation and Charlotte Tilbury highlighter and contour.
We'll be adding them all to our baskets!
Royally obsessed? Listen to the latest episode of HELLO!'s Right Royal Podcast, revealing why Prince William was ‘really hurt’ by Prince Harry’s ‘veiled criticisms of Kate...
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/511979/princess-eugenie-surprise-makeover-brows/
| 2024-01-24T17:19:50Z
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Gordon Ramsay surprised his fans in November when he and his wife Tana shared the news that they had welcomed a sixth child, Jesse, the couple's third son.
The family haven't shared many snapshots of the little boy since but his doting older sister Holly couldn't resist revealing a new photo of her baby brother, and it's adorable!
The close-up, which the model and podcaster uploaded to her Instagram Stories, showed the tiny tot looking up at the camera, with his incredibly long eyelashes on display.
"How do babies have such good lashes & I have to pay for mine," she teased in the caption. Little Jesse is clearly following in his brothers' footsteps as just like Jack, 24, and Oscar, four, he looks a lot like his celebrity chef dad!
Gordon and Tana were clearly delighted to welcome their little boy after speculation that they might not have finished expanding their family. The TV chef previously appeared to let the news slip during a radio interview with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden.
Asked about the size of his family, the 57-year-old quipped: "Last time I looked there were five, there could be one more on the way." Amanda joked in response: "Is it Christmas or is it a baby?" Gordon then continued: "Do you know what, I don’t know yet. I'll double-check when I get back."
Jamie asked: "Have you inadvertently just revealed something you weren't meant to say?" To which Gordon responded: "Tana would like another baby and I'm like, 'No, no, no…'"
His wife also hinted at the possibility of more children back in 2021, in an exclusive interview with HELLO!, when she opened up about loving being a mother. Tana said: "The priority is being there for all the kids, who funnily enough, as they get older, they need you more – almost more than when they were little.
"Between balancing that and looking after the kids and being married to Gordon, there's quite a lot going on. That's pretty much enough to keep me stretched in all areas at the moment."
She also admitted that she couldn't rule out having a sixth baby as she sweetly said; "Do you know, the problem is that I so love babies but I think I'll still be saying that when I'm in my 70s!
"I don't think there's ever a time when I'll go, 'Oh my god never, ever, ever again but let's just say I count my blessings and think I'm incredibly lucky."
Referring to Oscar, she added: "I'm just enjoying every single moment of this one." She also gave an insight into her fifth child's distinctive personality, continuing: "Well, he definitely has a strong character, let's put it that way! He's hilarious.
"It's a blessing to us all. He's just figured out how he can play one off against the other and that's not just Gordon off against me – that's everyone. "So if someone says 'no', he literally moves onto the next and tries to get his way with them."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511970/gordon-ramsay-baby-son-jesse-melts-hearts-rare-update/
| 2024-01-24T17:19:57Z
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Jason Momoa is making sure his two children, daughter Lola Iolani, 16, and son Nakoa-Wolf, 15, are inheriting all of his greatest tendencies, including his sense of adventure.
The actor, 44, joined Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night, January 23, to discuss his new show On the Roam, and his love for motorcycles, and couldn't resist gushing about his family.
He discussed the fact that his kids were active parts of the Discovery series, in which he travels around the country on a motorcycle as he searches for talented local craftsmen and artisan to provide them the platform to showcase their work.
Jason revealed that one of the things he was passionate about was learning how to craft a knife, a skill he'd possessed for quite some time, and was hoping he could pass down to his two children with now ex-wife Lisa Bonet, 56.
He spoke adoringly about getting to "build a family knife with my kids," which immediately took Jimmy by surprise, who stopped him and quizzed: "A family knife?"
At this point, the audience began giggling and Jason blurted: "What do you expect man?" and Jimmy once again asked: "Is that a thing?" as both men began laughing.
"It's about having my babies share this moment and have a family heirloom," he continued. "So we built a knife together, my friend Neil taught us."
Jimmy, himself a father of four, joked: "I mean, one of the great things about having babies is building a knife with them. A family knife that you can then pass around? What do you do with a family knife?"
MORE: Inside Jason Momoa's relationship with Lenny Kravitz and blended family amid Lisa Bonet divorce
While also revealing that the knife was in fact a real one and not one made of rubber, Jason quipped that there's "a lot of knives" at home, so Jimmy didn't have to worry about the two fighting over one. "They're gonna be good," Jason added.
In a recent conversation with People, the DC star reflected on not really having a "home" to settle into due to being constantly on the move while "going movie to movie."
Clarifying earlier comments he'd made about considering himself "homeless," he joked: "I'm just houseless. I'm not homeless. I have a nice trailer.
MORE: Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa's staggering net worths revealed amid divorce
"Everyone's like, 'Jason Momoa's homeless.' I'm like, 'Relax. I got a [expletive] sleeping bag.'" He continued: "I've never bought a house yet, so I'm excited to one day."
In a previous interview with Entertainment Tonight, he'd shared that because was on the road so much, going from project to project, he didn't have a place he could call home base.
MORE: Jason Momoa's massive transformation in then-and-now photos will leave you stunned as he turns 44
"Bro, I don't even have a home right now," he admitted. "I live on the road. So, I'm down to New Zealand to start Minecraft. I hope everyone loves it."
Although he joked that people often end up surprised when he finds himself in their town. "I'm always in these weird places. You're gonna find me on the road. It happens all the time. They're like, 'What the hell are you doing in our hometown?'"
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features, and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511977/jason-momoa-rare-revelation-home-life-two-children-after-lisa-bonet-divorce/
| 2024-01-24T17:20:03Z
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Cher's legal battle with her son Elijah Blue Allman is becoming increasingly contentious, and the latter's wife Marieangela King is weighing in.
The "Believe" singer and her son, 47, have been at odds since last year, when she filed a conservatorship request – which was temporarily denied – citing her son's struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues, as well as his inability to manage his financial affairs effectively.
Elijah is a product of the Burlesque actress' marriage to late musician Gregg Allman, from 1975 to 1979. Before his passing aged 69 in 2017, the Allman Brothers Band former member set up a trust for his son, funds from which he receives via interval payments.
Now, in new court documents obtained by Page Six, Elijah's wife Marieangela is claiming her estranged mother-in-law is "categorically unfit" to serve as her son's conservator, which includes managing his use of his father's fund.
In her objection, she declared Cher isn't "capable of managing her own affairs – let alone those of Elijah," and further argued: "To my knowledge, the petitioner has never known the security code to her own home, does not drive, does not prepare her own meals or dress herself."
Marieangela – who has previously vouched for her husband's sobriety and responsibility to manage his own finances – ultimately said that while she does not see a need for Elijah to have a conservatorship, should a judge disagree, she does not believe Cher should have the role of trustee.
Elijah also filed his own objection, establishing the reasons why he doesn't need a conservatorship. He maintained he has been sober from "illicit substances" since October, has voluntarily submitted three drug tests this month, which have all been negative, and is "successfully managing" his finances with the help of a financial manager, who is in charge of the quarterly payments from his father's trust.
MORE: Cher shares heartfelt tribute to late Moonstruck director Norman Jewison
MORE: Cher, 77, looks incredible in silver puffer jacket as she enjoys date night with boyfriend AE, 37
He stated: "I could have demanded that my mandatory distributions be made to me directly as required by the trust, but I did not do so."
Back in October, when allegations swirled that Cher had had her son kidnapped and sent to rehab – which she denied – she explained to People: "You do anything for your children. Whenever you can help them, you just do it because that's what being a mother is. But it's joy, even with heartache – mostly, when you think of your children, you just smile and you love them, and you try to be there for them."
Cher and Elijah have another court hearing set for January 29, as well as for March 6, when a judge is meant to decide whether she will be appointed as conservator.
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511978/cher-called-unfit-to-control-son-elijah-allman-finances-conservatorship/
| 2024-01-24T17:20:09Z
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King Frederik has opened up about his marriage to Queen Mary in a new memoir, revealing that his wife of nearly 20 years isn't afraid to challenge him.
The royal, 55, who became King on 14 January after his mother Queen Margrethe's abdication worked with author Jens Andersen on the book The King's Word.
He reveals his complicated relationship with his late father, Prince Henrik, who passed away in 2018, saying: "As previously mentioned, my father was very patriarchal, and he tried to pass that pattern on to his two sons.
"Here, however, I have learned a lot from having a wife who, from time to time, reminds me that of course I am not always right, and that my words are not automatically believed, just because I am the man of the house."
The father-of-four said that he and Mary had reached a "stable point" in their relationship, adding: "I love marriage, my wife, our children and the whole happy base that arises for the people who manage to stay together and persevere."
In November 2023, Spanish gossip magazine Lecturas published photographs of Frederik with Mexican socialite, Genoveva Casanova, during a private trip to Madrid, which sparked gossip and rumours.
The Danish royal family did not comment on the images, while Genoveva issued a statement denying any romantic relationship between herself and then Crown Prince Frederik.
Tasmania-born Mary met Frederik during the Sydney 2000 Olympics at the Slip Inn pub.
"The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, 'Do you know who these people are'?" Mary revealed in a 2005 interview about meeting her future husband.
The couple announced their engagement in 2003 and tied the knot on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral.
Mary and Frederik are parents to Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, and 13-year-old Prince Vincent and Princess Isabella.
Queen Mary has stolen the hearts of the Danish people with many of them affectionately referring to her as 'King Mary'. But how does the new King Frederik feel about his wife's immense popularity?
Find out on the latest episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511980/king-frederik-rare-comments-about-marriage-queen-mary-new-book/
| 2024-01-24T17:20:15Z
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It's apt that while attending a premiere of One Love, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex displayed clear signs they were "totally in love", according to a body language expert.
The couple travelled to Jamaica to attend the premiere of the Bob Marley biopic starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, James Norton and Michael Ward. Looking flawless as always, Meghan stepped out in a spaghetti-strapped top with a square neckline and a black ball skirt from one of her go-to brands, Carolina Herrera, while Harry looked equally as effortless in an open shirt and suit.
Darren Stanton explained that their surprise appearance proved they've "never been stronger" judging by their prolonged eye contact and meaningful hand-holding.
The couple showed a "completely united" front, said Darren, adding: "There was a great moment of reciprocal PDA from Meghan, where she placed the flat of her right hand on Harry’s chest. The chest is known for being a sensitive area in body language, as that’s where most of your vital organs are. The fact she placed her hand there proves that there’s huge trust and rapport between them. From the photos I’ve seen, they’ve never been stronger.
"Meghan also displayed fixed, prolonged eye contact towards Harry on the night. At one point, the pair were pictured with Meghan gazing up towards her husband. There wasn’t much space between them and they seemed really close. Physical touch, proximity and eye contact are three major gestures that signal when a person may be in love, and Meghan displayed them all."
That was not their only form of PDA, with Darren stating they showed a particularly strong connection compared to recent events. Darren previously said they have become less tactile as their "relationship has evolved."
"When looking at their body language, their public displays of affection have changed drastically over the years," he said in January 2023, adding they've "toned it down." This has been evident when comparing their kisses at the Sentebale Polo Cup in 2018, shortly after their royal wedding, and their more poised appearances in recent years.
Speaking of their latest outing, he said: "The way they were holding hands was quite significant and it was the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t just simply holding hands, but they had their fingers interlocked into each other, which is a really tight way of showing a connection.
"In recent months, the pair haven’t displayed as tight or open of a connection in terms of PDA, however, this couldn’t be more different. This proves to me that they’re both in a really strong place and feel totally synchronised with each other," he said.
While Harry has been open about his discomfort around the press, which Darren has pointed out in the past has been visible through his body language, the Duke appeared to be very "relaxed" alongside his wife.
The expert revealed that Harry normally wants to protect Meghan in these situations, but "his shoulders were down, his breathing wasn’t as rapid, and his face wasn’t red." Darren added: "At this particular event, he appeared calm and was happy to be there.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex went public with their relationship in 2016 before Harry surprised Meghan with a low-key garden proposal at their Kensington Palace home the following year.
They got married at St George's Chapel in May 2018 and they now share children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, whom they live with in Montecito.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/511984/united-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-have-never-been-stronger/
| 2024-01-24T17:32:35Z
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Jennifer Lawrence's ability to laugh at herself is perhaps one of the main things about her that steals everyone's hearts. Once again, the Oscar winner has gained everyone's adoration as she recalled a major fashion mishap at her first ever Sundance.
Back in 2010 during the critically acclaimed debut of Winter's Bone, Jennifer attended the film festival - but no one told her just how snowy it would be. Her observation was that you can tell when people are attending Sundance for the first time "because they're the ones that aren't wearing proper snow boots."
She explained that this was her, as she attended the festival in "Louboutin boots sliding all over the place."
The festival takes place in Park City, Utah in January, a notoriously cold time of the year. Naturally, as Jennifer was "trying to walk in high heels through frozen streets, that stood out.”
For Jennifer, the snow of Sundance makes things "fun" but "harder to get to", as she added to PEOPLE: "It’s also the first time I learned the term 'catty corner!'"
But as well as the wardrobe mishap, Jennifer said that what was most notable about the experience was it was the first time she was in the spotlight. "I remember it being the first time that somebody wanted to interview me and was really interested because they thought I was a good actor."
The one thing the Hunger Games star loves most about the annual event, she explained, is "the films that come out of there".
"I love the kind of audience that it draws", she added. But of course, Jennifer Lawrence couldn't discuss the Utah-based festival without referencing her favorite Utah-based TV show. "Of course I want to give a shout-out to the ladies of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City."
Jennifer has spoken openly about her love of the reality TV show, as she said at the Golden Globes it was "the best finale I have ever seen on reality TV."
She said she thought it was Oscar-worthy, joking "I'll give them mine, I don't care, they deserve it."
Jennifer's self-deprecating, fun loving personality is what makes her one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses, as she relatable joked that being a bride is "awful".
"It's so stressful. You're not having fun. You're just like, 'is that person having fun?'" She told E! News about her 2019 wedding to Cooke Maroney. She was particularly concerned that friend and co-star Robert De Niro might not be having fun at her rehearsal dinner.
"I looked over and I saw Bob, who doesn't know anybody and he's kind of wandering around, and I immediately was like, ‘No, this isn't what he wants to be doing. I don't want him here.'" she explained.
"So I went over and whispered, I was like, ‘Go home' and he was nice—he like talked to my parents and was polite—but I was like, 'Go.'"
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511989/jennifer-lawrence-addresses-fashion-mishap-first-sundance-that-stood-out/
| 2024-01-24T17:32:41Z
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Stacey Dooley, 36, and her partner Kevin Clifton, 41, have spent several years transforming their home since they purchased it in 2020.
While the former Strictly Come Dancing stars' Instagram-worthy abode looks stunning in Stacey's regular social media updates, she hilariously revealed there was one part of the renovation process that left her with the "ick."
During an appearance on Dial a Dilemma podcast, a caller asked Stacey and host Jules von Hep for advice about a man who attends her exercise class and often doesn't wear underwear, leaving her with an inappropriate view.
Relating to the caller's awkward situation, Stacey replied: "I was doing the house up, so I had you know, labourers, plasterers. One of them, his trousers were always so, so low. I'm talking, I could see like, pubic hair." The Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over star's comment left Jules cringing, and she laughed and said: "So sorry if I give you the ick."
The DNA Family Secrets host, who shares her home with Kevin and their daughter Minnie, has created an open-plan layout downstairs with a minimalistic, industrial interior design. Recent videos and photos have given fans an access-all-areas look at her chic kitchen, complete with black gloss cabinets, a chunky wooden butcher's block with black light fittings hanging overhead and herringbone floors.
A long dining room table sits on the other side of the room next to an antique dresser, a marble-effect fireplace and indoor plants. Black double doors with frosted glass lead to another living area, where a small round table is nestled in the corner next to a giant mirror while a cream sofa is positioned near the bay windows.
She previously described her house, which also features a spacious garden and a master bedroom decorated with mottled concrete-effect walls, as "my fave place in the world."
Despite her spacious kitchen, Stacey insisted she is not a dab hand in the kitchen and said she only cooks out of necessity. "I can cook. I can make a roast dinner, and I like a bit of pasta, just basics. But it’s funny, I know lots of people find baking really cathartic and take a lot from it.
"I’m definitely not one of those people. I cook because I have to, I don’t enjoy it, I don’t find it pleasurable," she told Channel 4 ahead of her appearance on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer.
When asked about her culinary strengths, she replied: "I don’t know if I have any strengths when it comes to baking. My weakness is that I’m massively inexperienced. I don’t bake at all. The last time I thought about baking was probably at school."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/511987/stacey-dooley-discusses-ick-following-home-transformation-kevin-clifton/
| 2024-01-24T17:33:08Z
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Michelle Keegan may have first graced our screens in Fool Me Once back on New Year’s Day, but I’m still living for her character Mia Stern’s wardrobe (styled by the incredible Jacky Levy).
From Dolce & Gabbana Herringbone jackets to Burberry trench coats, the Netflix show’s protagonist was one stylish ex-army captain. But if your budget doesn’t extend to designer buys, you’re going to want to take a look at the trench that’s just dropped at M&S.
While a classic trench coat is synonymous with British fashion house Burberry - Michelle’s £1,890 Chelsea Long style has also been seen on the likes of Sienna Miller and Rosie Huntington Whiteley - Marks & Spencer’s Cotton Rich Belted Longline Trench Coat is a must-see high street alternative.
I headed into M&S in central London to find out if it's as luxe as it looks online, and can confirm, it delivered. Made from 98% cotton, it's lightweight and soft to the touch. It feels expensive, and with it's slightly oversized fit, it would be the perfect layering piece as we move into spring.
The Marks & Spencer trench coat comes in the same light beige shade as Michelle's and has an almost identical double-breasted design with a waist-cinching belt. Fully-lined, it has all of the classic features, like smart epaulettes on the shoulders, buttoned cuff straps and two side pockets.
Retailing for just £79, it's available in sizes UK 6-24 and regular and petite lengths. As mentioned on the website, it's quite roomy, so if you prefer a fitted piece then consider sizing down.
For reference, I'm a UK 8/10 and 5'7. I would usually choose a size 10 in coats and here I'm wearing a size 8, regular. I'm wearing a lightweight knit underneath but I like that I'd have the option to layer up with something chunkier.
A trench coat is a wardrobe staple through the transitioning seasons and the styling options are really endless. Michelle's character Mia dressed hers down with off-duty denim, white trainers and a white tee, and in one scene we also spotted her wearing it with a navy knitted jumper.
I'd also wear mine with sweaters, straight-leg jeans and trainers or heeled boots. For a night out it would be my go-to worn over a simple black slip dress and stiletto heels.
If beige isn't your colour, the trending M&S is available in black. It's received a 4.5 out of five star rating online with shoppers confirming it's "luxurious" and "classy".
One customer wrote: "The coat feels luxurious and the weight is just right when you wear it, not too light or too heavy. Well worth the buy!" While another said: "Superb. Fantastic cut and fit. Great, great value!"
Another added: "I have been searching for a quality trench coat for a while. So pleased with this from M&S. I'm a size 8/10. I bought the 10, it's good to have a little room. Very good quality."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/shopping/511958/michelle-keegan-trench-coat-fool-me-once-lookalike/
| 2024-01-24T17:33:09Z
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Holland Hospital completes a leadership transition next week when two long-time executives move into new roles.
Patti VanDort, who’s been with Holland Hospital for 37 years and served in executive roles since 2001, becomes CEO on Jan. 29, succeeding the retiring Dale Sowders. Mark Pawlak, a 25-year veteran at Holland Hospital, succeeds VanDort as president after most recently serving as executive vice president.
VanDort and Pawlak have worked closely with Sowders to prepare for their new leadership new roles under a succession plan executives began crafting in 2018 and started executing in April 2022.
The 21-month succession process to transition to executives who together have decades of experience is focused on ensuring continuity in Holland Hospital’s leadership. The process allowed both VanDort and Pawlak to prepare under Sowders’ mentorship and “learn some of the things that you can’t just be handed one day,” VanDort said.
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“I’ve had the opportunities to just learn and grow during the succession,” said VanDort, who started at Holland Hospital in 1987 as a staff nurse and spent six years working the night shift.
“There are times in organizations when there is a transition in the top-level leadership (that) there’s uncertainty, and for some that could be fear or apprehension. Our staff and physicians, our volunteers and leadership team, kind of knew all along what was happening,” she said. “I’m not unknown to them, and ‘are we going to have a new a vision and a new mission and a new direction?’ That just provides stability, and in a very turbulent health care world, stability is a good thing.”
VanDort became part of Holland Hospital’s executive team in 2001 as vice president for nursing and chief nursing officer. She was named senior vice president of hospital operations in 2018, and then became president in 2022 under the succession plan.
VanDort moves into the CEO position feeling “bullish on our future,” she said.
Pawlak began his career in health care in 1991 and started at Holland Hospital in 1998. He’s held a number of leadership positions in Holland, including senior vice president and vice president of ancillary services prior to his time as executive vice president, a role he’s had since 2022.
“We are fortunate to have two individuals of Patti and Mark’s caliber within the Holland Hospital team who are ready to lead the organization forward. Both are well poised to uphold our strategy and continue delivering on our commitment to the lakeshore community and beyond,” said Sowders, who retires Jan. 30 after a 24-year career at Holland Hospital, including 21 years of them as CEO. He will continue to serve as vice chair of the hospital’s board.
“The Board of Directors and I have full confidence that their expertise and visionary leadership will be a major asset in guiding the hospital to continuous growth,” Sowders said.
Under the new regime, Holland Hospital intends to maintain a focus on five “strategic essentials” that comprise the foundation of a strategic plan. They include delivering outstanding quality, world-class service, remaining strong financially, growing, and having a superior workforce.
“Keep growing and progressing and serving well is what our imperative is … and how you do that is through both culture and strategy,” VanDort said.
Lately, Holland Hospital has been focused on growth and is building a new primary care office in Saugatuck and an orthopedic center in Hudsonville with Shoreline Orthopaedics. Holland Hospital also recently expanded a primary care office in Grand Haven.
The hospital in December also signed a three-year strategic alliance with University of Michigan Health that promises to bring more specialized medical care to Holland. University of Michigan Health and Holland Hospital recently began talks about their partnership “and they’re going well,” VanDort said.
While the alliance with University of Michigan Health could lead to deeper ties, for now the hospital wants to remain independent, VanDort said. Continuing Holland Hospital’s independence “remains in our vision statement, knowing that we have to have good partners” for specialized care to “enhance and partner together with us for what we do,” she said.
“We think we know best in Holland, Michigan what’s best for the lakeshore here, and we’d like to continue to remain on that path and together with our community and our board make decisions that are best to serve the health care needs of our community here, not at some corporate headquarters far away,” she said. “This initial alliance really gives us some time to make sure that we are the right partners for each other.”
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Industrial developer gets creative with partnerships to counter market challenges
Indiana law firm opens first Michigan office in downtown Grand Rapids
Former Proos Manufacturing building in Grand Rapids sells for $7.1 million
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/health-care/holland-hospital-completes-leadership-transition-with-new-ceo-president/
| 2024-01-24T18:11:57Z
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LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer plans to back new economic development initiatives, free community college for high school graduates and a tax credit for caregivers in her sixth annual State of the State address.
The speech, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Capitol, is an opportunity for the Democratic governor to lay out her 2024 agenda. Specifics will follow in her February budget proposal and be ironed out with Michigan’s Democratic-led Legislature.
Here’s a look at what’s coming:
Economic development
Whitmer will support four economic development initiatives, three of which gained some legislative traction in the fall.
She wants to create a HIRE Michigan fund to lower payroll taxes for small and second-stage businesses. Bills that cleared a Senate committee would revive, change and rename the Good Jobs for Michigan program as the High-wage Incentive for Regional Employment (HIRE) program. Good Jobs ended four years ago.
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The legislation would authorize eligible businesses to keep up to 100% of income tax withholdings from new jobs — at least 50 jobs with a median wage equal to 175% of the regional median or a minimum 250 jobs equal to 150% of the regional median.
The previous program required at least 250 jobs to be added but allowed for lower pay, 125% of the regional average, or pay equal to the regional average if a minimum of 500 jobs (50% capture) or 3,000 jobs (100% capture) were created.
Captures would be capped at $100 million annually, or $1.3 billion overall, compared with a $200 million overall limit under the old program.
Additionally, Whitmer plans to call for approval of House-passed bills that would create a research-and-development tax credit and update laws surrounding renaissance zones — areas in which companies are exempt from some state and local taxes as an incentive to do business there.
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has said there should be additional flexibility so renaissance zones can be more widely used across the state.
Whitmer also will propose an innovation fund to help launch hundreds of Michigan-based startups, saying there is no state-level mechanism to attract and retain promising young companies.
Democratic legislators, meanwhile, are eyeing changes to the state’s marquee business incentives fund, the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve account.
Free community college for high school grads
The state in recent years has been taking steps to make college or other postsecondary training more affordable.
Now Whitmer wants to provide free community college to all high school graduates starting with the class of 2024, saying the economy must be driven by a growing base of skilled talent. The aid would be “last-dollar” and cover tuition after need-based federal Pell Grants and other financial assistance are factored in.
Students would save $4,000 on average, according to the governor’s office. The price tag, which was not released, will come in the budget presentation.
Under an existing program, Michigan Reconnect, people without a degree who are age 25 and older and, for a limited time, those 21 to 24 years old can go to an in-district community college or get a skills certificate tuition-free.
A state-funded scholarship, worth up to $2,000 or $5,500 a year, was launched last year and is available to high school grads who enroll in a training program, community college, college or university in Michigan.
The state is tied for the 13th-lowest post-high school educational attainment rate nationally at 50.5%, according to the Lumina Foundation. Whitmer’s population council last month recommended that Michigan provide students with access to up to two years of free postsecondary education.
Tax credit for caregivers
Whitmer will outline a plan to provide a state income tax credit worth up to $5,000 for caregivers who spend $7,000 a year on average caring for older relatives or children with long-term care needs. Eligible expenses would include counseling, transportation and nursing or respite services.
The governor’s office says the tax break will help more seniors age in place and assist parents whose children have physical or mental disabilities. The burden falls heavily on women, especially women of color, according to Whitmer.
The budget impact was not released.
Housing
Whitmer will tout $1.4 billion in state and federal support this fiscal year to build or rehabilitate nearly 10,000 homes amid a housing shortage — a funding increase from the last budget year. It does not appear that she will ask for extra funds but instead will highlight cumulative moves that have been made to tackle the problem through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
About $1.1 billion of the funds are loans for homebuyers and developers.
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| 2024-01-24T18:12:01Z
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A group of West Michigan philanthropists that includes several DeVos family members is launching a new initiative that will reward people for exploring West Michigan’s many trails.
Rick DeVos, founder of ArtPrize and grandson of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, along with Truscott Rossman President Allie Walker this week are launching Trail.Club Treasure Hunt, a three-month initiative designed to foster “fun on West Michigan’s trails.”
Several other individuals, including members of the DeVos family, who are part of the group wish to remain anonymous, Walker said.
“I can’t say who all is involved, but I can tell you it is a group of people who are just looking for ways to get people excited about using the trails we have around West Michigan,” Walker told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
Walker said the prizes are funded “through the generosity of the group.”
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Trail.Club will host treasure hunt challenges in January, February and March with cash prizes of $1,000 and family-friendly experience passes to local attractions.
The starting clue for January’s treasure hunt will be shared across Trail.Club’s social media channels and on its website at 3 p.m. Thursday.
The puzzle will include two clues that help participants find treasure hidden along paved trails within a 45-minute driving distance of Grand Rapids. The first clue will help participants determine the code for a treasure box, and the second will help them find the location. All of the clues will be hidden 3 feet or less away from the trail, and all of the selected trails will have easily accessible parking nearby for wheelchair users.
The first person to find the treasure box and unlock the code will get the treasure coin inside, which can be exchanged for a $1,000 cash prize, a one-year family membership to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and passes to its Butterflies are Blooming! exhibit.
Along with the treasure coin, the January treasure hunt will include a treasure box with Trail.Club stickers. Anyone who posts a photo of the sticker on social media with the hashtag #trailclubtreasurehunt will be entered to win other prizes.
Following Thursday’s reveal, the next puzzle clues will be unveiled on Feb. 29 and March 28.
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks Director Stacy Bere, who said he moved to West Michigan from Utah for its abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities, helped promote the inaugural treasure hunt in a sponsored segment Monday on WOOD-TV8.
“One of those (outdoor recreation opportunities) is winter,” Bere said in the segment. “We love the four seasons. There’s so much to do. There’s paved trails, there’s natural surface trails, there’s fat (tire) biking, cross-country skiing, and you can do all that right outside your door.”
Walker said the group devised the Trail.Club initiative as a way to get families out of “hibernation mode” to more fully experience what the region has to offer in the colder months.
“It was prompted from what many of us in Michigan go through in the winter, and especially with kids and families, of ‘What should we do?’” she said. “I think people often see hiking and using the trails as something that happens in the summer, when you have that ‘perfect day,’ but it came from just that passion that we do have a lot of amazing hidden gems throughout the area, and winter is just as great of a time as any to get out there and explore.”
Trail.Club soft-launched last summer by sponsoring performances by the Grand Rapids Ballet at Millennium Park. The ballet company applied to Trail.Club for a grant to put on the performances, which included three brand-new duets choreographed by Artistic Director James Sofranko, staged along the Hansen Nature Trail.
Walker said Trail.Club will continue to provide grants for organizations that wish to host trail-related events or activities. Organizations can submit their ideas here.
She said the group does not yet know how many events it will sponsor per year, or whether Trail.Club will at some point offer fundraising opportunities for local parks and trails.
“I would say, ‘Never say never’ … (but) we’re really excited to see how the treasure hunt goes,” she said. “Our hope is that people really seize the opportunity and get out there and enjoy the trails and keep it going.”
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Industrial developer gets creative with partnerships to counter market challenges
Indiana law firm opens first Michigan office in downtown Grand Rapids
Former Proos Manufacturing building in Grand Rapids sells for $7.1 million
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| 2024-01-24T18:12:03Z
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A Kentwood-based logistics and transportation provider has secured a $2 million state grant to build a new headquarters and create more than 350 jobs in West Michigan.
The Michigan Strategic Fund Board on Tuesday approved a request from B&L Systems LLC, doing business as Fifth Wheel Freight, for a $2 million performance-based grant that will support the company’s plan for a new headquarters in the region.
A specific location for the headquarters has not yet been identified, and total project investment could range from $1.5 million to $40 million, depending on where the expansion is located.
Founded in Lansing in 2012, Fifth Wheel Freight has been based in the Grand Rapids area since 2017 and has about 157 full-time employees.
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As the company prepared to expand, Fifth Wheel Freight’s current location on 44th Street SE offered limited opportunities for future growth, according to a Michigan Economic Development Corp. briefing memo on the incentives.
Fifth Wheel Freight was weighing options of creating a larger flagship headquarters or opening several new satellite offices throughout the Midwest and South, or both.
“This grant helps us remain here and continue to impact (the region) as much as we can,” CEO Brian Bennett told the Michigan Strategic Fund board. “We have a great team here, we’ve got a great nucleus here, and we look forward to continue to impact West Michigan.”
Erik Wilford, strategic project advisor at MEDC, said Michigan was competing with other states to win the company’s investment.
“The company has been looking at sites throughout the Midwest, as well as a bunch in Michigan,” Wilford said. “The idea with this incentive is to lock them into stopping focusing on the Midwest and some of the southern cities they have been looking at as well.”
With the expansion, the company expects to create up to 352 new full-time positions over an initial three-year period. The long-term vision for a new flagship headquarters could include more than 1,000 full-time employees in the future.
As a third-party logistics and transportation provider, the company offers less than truckload (LTL) and full truckload (TL) ground/air freight services across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The company relocated to Grand Rapids in 2017 to accommodate growth and moved into its current location in Kentwood in 2018.
In 2023, Fifth Wheel Freight announced it would take on a buy/sell business model to act as an intermediary between shippers and carriers. Company executives said last year that the move would position the company for future growth.
Rob Llanes, senior vice president of business development at The Right Place Inc., called Fifth Wheel Freight an “important part of our business community” since the company relocated from Lansing to Grand Rapids, noting that the company for seven years has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S.
Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Reporter Mark Sanchez contributed reporting to this story.
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Industrial developer gets creative with partnerships to counter market challenges
Indiana law firm opens first Michigan office in downtown Grand Rapids
Former Proos Manufacturing building in Grand Rapids sells for $7.1 million
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| 2024-01-24T18:12:07Z
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LANSING — Michigan continues to lose ground economically, and the largest contributing factor is slow growth in high-wage, knowledge-economy industries — not the weak growth in wages in auto manufacturing, according to a report released Monday.
Michigan Future Inc., a nonprofit focused on making the state prosperous, published an updated version of an analysis it first did in 2004, when it said that manufacturing would not drive economic growth.
That prediction has borne out. Michigan is now structurally one of the country’s poorest states, the report states.
Michigan had the 16th-highest per-capita personal income in 1999. As of 2022, it ranked 39th, having fallen 23 spots lower. States overtaking Michigan include neighbors Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana.
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The odds are strong, Michigan Future President Lou Glazer said, that the state will fall to 41st behind Georgia and Idaho when the 2023 data comes out.
“Michigan cannot be a high-prosperity state again, which we were for most of the 20th century, unless we become a leader in the high-wage knowledge economy,” he said during a media roundtable. “That is the only way that Michigan becomes high-prosperity again … to be concentrated in high-wage, knowledge-economy industries and, along with that, to be a place where 25- to 34-year-olds with bachelor’s degrees are concentrated.”
Donald Grimes, a University of Michigan economist, co-authored the report with Glazer.
“The story is that we used to get rich based upon having these industrial factory jobs. Michigan prospered during that time,” he said. “It’s not true anymore. It wasn’t true in 2004. I fear that we haven’t learned that lesson.”
Between 1999 and 2022, real personal income per capita in the U.S. grew by $19,389, from $46,081 to $65,470, or 42.1%. In Michigan, it rose to $57,038 from $45,943 — $11,095, or 24.2%. Relatively weak growth in employment-based earnings accounts for most of the growing gap between the state and the U.S.
The report attributes 29% of the difference to slow earnings growth in high-wage, high-education attainment industries and 23% to the drop in earnings in motor vehicles, machinery and fabricated metal manufacturing.
The report identifies seven high-wage, high-educational attainment industries in which the average wage surpasses $100,000: chemical manufacturing, computer manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing (mostly aerospace, but excluding auto), information, finance and insurance, professional and technical (including a lot of white-collar auto jobs), and company management. Auto manufacturing pays less, an average of $73,271 as of 2022.
“We had two things going on. Michigan was dependent on the auto industry, and the auto industry particularly in Michigan lost ground, although it also declined nationally in terms of contributing to personal income,” Grimes said. “So that hurt us, and everybody knows that. But nobody notices that the other aspect of the story is we didn’t gain the jobs and the income in the high-wage, high-education attainment industries. In fact, that is a more important reason.”
Business Leaders for Michigan, the state’s business roundtable, said last year that knowledge-economy jobs grew 35% nationally between 2000 and 2022 but 0% in Michigan.
Asked what policy missteps have been made over time and what should be done now, Glazer said: “Basically we have not had a knowledge-economy economic development strategy and we’ve not had a prepare, retain and attract young professionals strategy. This is true irrespective of who’s been in control of the governor’s office or the Legislature for decades.”
Most recently, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has spearheaded the creation of a multibillion-dollar fund that has helped to subsidize electric vehicle and EV battery plants.
Grimes likened the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve fund to “playing defense” to “save what you have. That’s manufacturing. But you don’t win unless you have an offense. … So you need more than SOAR.”
Glazer recommended that policymakers focus on revitalizing downtowns and offering transit — “creating places where young professionals particularly want to live.”
Michigan’s per-capita income in 2022 was 13% below the national average, its lowest-ever mark since the data was first compiled in 1929. The state in recent years has taken some steps aimed at boosting the percentage of residents with postsecondary degrees by offering college scholarships to new high school graduates and financial assistance to older adults who enroll in community college.
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Six people were killed after a small plane carrying Rio Tinto workers crashed near Fort Smith in Canada's remote Northwest Territories (NWT), the NWT Coroner Service said on Wednesday.
Four passengers and two North Western Air Lease crew members died in the crash, Chief Coroner Garth Eggenberger said in a statement, adding the plane had been travelling from Fort Smith en route to the Diavik Diamond Mine.
There was one survivor who was treated at the Fort Smith Health Centre before being taken to hospital in the provincial capital Yellowknife.
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said in a statement on Tuesday night that the company was devastated by the crash. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-24T18:48:51Z
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OTTAWA - An independent commission probing alleged foreign interference in Canada asked the Trudeau government on Wednesday to share information about possible meddling in elections by India, a development that could aggravate already-tense Ottawa-New Delhi relations.
The commission was set up by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in September to conduct a public inquiry into foreign meddling in Canadian affairs after reports of alleged Chinese attempts to influence elections and mounting pressure for an inquiry. Beijing has repeatedly denied any interference.
The commission said in a statement on Wednesday that it had requested the Canadian government to provide documents "relating to alleged interference by India related to the 2019 and 2021 elections."
"The commission will also examine the flow of information within the federal government in relation to these issues, evaluate the actions taken in response, assess the federal government’s capacity to detect, deter, and counter foreign interference, and make recommendations on these issues," it said.
The commission, led by Quebec Judge Marie-Josee Hogue, is charged with conducting an independent public inquiry into allegations of attempted foreign interference in Canadian affairs by China, Russia and others. It is expected to complete an interim report by May 3 and deliver its final report by the end of this year.
Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have frayed in recent months over Canada's allegations linking Indian agents to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year. India has rejected that allegation. Canadian authorities have yet to charge anyone with the killing.
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-24T18:49:01Z
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KYIV - Ukrainian military intelligence said Kyiv was not asked to ensure air space security on Jan 24 around the Belgorod area in southern Russia as had been the case during previous prisoner of war (PoW) swops with Moscow.
In a post on Telegram, it said Russia's accusations that Kyiv on Jan 24 shot down a military transport plane in the Belgorod area carrying 65 Ukrainian PoWs to a prisoner exchange could be "a planned action to destabilise the situation in Ukraine and weaken international support for our state".
The agency also said it had no reliable information on who was onboard the crashed Russian military transport plane.
Video posted on Telegram by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, and verified by Reuters, showed a large aircraft falling towards the ground near the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region and exploding in a fireball.
Russia said 74 people in all died, including six Russian crew members and three Russian soldiers.
In its statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said a swop of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war was indeed planned and Kyiv had met all the terms, but it was not informed by Russia about the number of planes carrying prisoners and their routes.
"At the same time, the Ukrainian side was not informed about the need to ensure the security of the air space in the area of the city of Belgorod at a certain period of time, as has been repeatedly done in the past," the agency added. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-24T18:49:12Z
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AMSTERDAM - Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will rule on Friday whether or not they will grant emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that the Israeli military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide.
The United Nations' top court issued a statement on Wednesday saying the 17-judge panel will hand down its ruling in court on Jan. 26 at 1200 GMT.
Earlier this month, in two days of hearings, South Africa asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to order an emergency suspension of Israel's devastating military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
Israel dismissed the genocide allegations as "grossly distorted" and said it had a right to defend itself and was targeting Hamas militants, not Palestinian civilians.
In the ruling on Friday, the ICJ will not deal with the main question if Israel is committing genocide.
The court will just look at possible emergency measures, meant as a kind of restraining order to prevent a dispute from getting worse while the court looks at the full case, which usually takes years.
If the ICJ does decide on issuing emergency measures it is not bound to order exactly what South Africa asked for.
Rulings by the court are legally binding and without appeal, but the court has no way to enforce them. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/world-court-to-rule-on-gaza-emergency-measures-in-israel-genocide-case-on-jan-26
| 2024-01-24T18:49:22Z
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Former NBA center Marcin Gortat said the league should pass a rule governing the length of players' finger nails, recalling his duels with former team mate Dwight Howard who left the Pole "bleeding in every practice".
The pair played together at Orlando Magic from 2007-2010 before Gortat, who retired in 2020, signed with the Phoenix Suns ahead of his Washington Wizards move in 2013.
"Covering Dwight in the game was a different story than covering him in practice. There were practices where I almost punched him in the face," Gortat told HoopsHype.
"I was bleeding in every practice, man. Every practice, my lip, my teeth, my hands were scratched. I still have all the scratches, everything from Dwight, my chest - everything. I mean, he never cut his nails."
Gortat, 39, added that the NBA should consider requiring players to trim their nails.
"There should be a rule about it. It's bad, not from a cosmetic standpoint of whether your nails look good or not. I'm talking about the health aspect," the Pole said.
"How many times you cut into skin, how many times you're shaving the skin because, obviously, you're swiping for the ball, but it's like you're trying to scratch people's hands, and you end up shaving off their skin.
"You know how many times I get hit in the face and get cut on the body? Yeah, I agree. There should be a rule, but you've got to cut the nails." REUTERS
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| 2024-01-24T18:49:32Z
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Zheng Qinwen reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time with her win over Anna Kalinskaya on Wednesday, and now the Chinese 12th seed wants to learn to be as chilled as men's world number one Novak Djokovic.
Zheng defeated Russia's Kalinskaya 6-7(4) 6-3 6-1 in the quarter-final and afterwards spoke of her brief chat with Djokovic the previous day when they crossed paths after her practice session, as the Serb was about to take on Taylor Fritz in his quarter-final.
"Well, that talk was really fast, honestly, I talk with him before his match," Zheng said.
"You know, he came to say hi to me, so chill. Looks like he doesn't have a match. Because me, before a match, I'm really focused and I don't want to talk with anyone.
"I really want to learn that chill from the top players, because I think that is what I'm missing."
The 21-year-old was far from chilled as she lost the opening set against Kalinskaya, despite breaking the Russian's serve twice early on.
"I think at the beginning of the first set I'm just thinking too much," Zheng said.
"That's why I lost the first set, because I got those early breaks, then later on I'm not able to keep my serve.
"Of course, that's one of my problems. So when I lost the first set I tried to tell myself to stay focused, don't think too much."
Zheng had no problem holding her serve in the next two sets, and she hit 10 aces over the match compared with Kalinskaya's two.
"I think my serve just gets better and better as the match goes on," Zheng said.
"Of course, I think there is lot of things I need to improve, especially in the percentage. I still think there is lot of margin I can still improve a lot in my serve."
There isn't much time to improve things now, as Zheng faces Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska on Thursday for a place in the final.
"Well, I don't know if you can improve in less than 24 hours," Zheng said with a smile.
"Yeah, basically I think just trying to recover, and I think about what I have to do for the next match and enjoy on court, focus on the present.
"I mean, there is nothing I can change too much in 24 hours, right? So, yeah, I just keep it simple and let's go for it." REUTERS
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| 2024-01-24T18:49:43Z
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NEW YORK - Some investors are already gaming out how the U.S. 2024 presidential election could impact markets, as former president Donald Trump’s victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary brings him closer to a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden
Any calculation of how stocks, bonds and currencies could react to the results of the November vote comes with caveats - especially since it’s early in the year and betting markets are split on which candidate will prevail. Most investors also believe drivers such as Federal Reserve policy, the economic cycle and corporate earnings will ultimately matter more for markets over the long term.
Nevertheless, expectations for politically fueled moves in asset prices around the 2024 vote are high among some strategists, with Goldman Sachs saying the election could be a “major market event.”
Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said a second term for either Biden or Trump could heighten focus on issues they have already emphasized in their first term, such as tax cuts for Trump and environmental spending for Biden.
“Neither one has really changed all that much with respect to their philosophy and what their goals are. If anything they might lean harder onto them,” he said.
For now, the market’s spirits are high. After a wild two-year ride, the S&P 500 stands at an all-time record on expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates later this year while the economy remains resilient. Bets on Fed easing have also brought down Treasury yields, which move inversely to prices, from last year’s 16-year highs.
FOCUS ON TAXES
Lower taxes could give a broad boost to equity markets if Trump wins and succeeds in making his 2017 cuts permanent - though fears of a revived trade battle with China might counterbalance some of those gains, analysts at TD Securities wrote in a recent report. Trump has proposed to increase tariffs by 10% across the board to bolster U.S. manufacturing.
Tax cuts could also stir fears of growing budget deficits and weigh on Treasury prices by pushing up term premium - a measure of the compensation investors demand for holding long-term bonds, the firm wrote.
Rating agency Fitch last summer downgraded the U.S. government’s top credit rating, citing factors including expected fiscal deterioration in coming years.
A Biden win might mean higher corporate taxes, a possible negative for stocks, according to TD’s analysts. The degree to which either candidate is able to push through his respective policies could well depend on which party gains control of the House and Senate, they added.
Shares of solar stocks and other renewable energy companies - many of which have been pressured by higher interest rates - stand to benefit from a re-election of Biden due to his expected support of clean energy initiatives, said King Lip, chief strategist at Baker Avenue Wealth Management.
“With rates coming down and continued high government spending on these projects ... I think the clean energy industry can do quite well actually under a second Biden administration,” Lip said.
Analysts at Neuberger Berman, meanwhile, said a Republican sweep could trigger a "significant relief rally" for large-cap pharmaceutical companies that would be less likely to see drug price controls implemented as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
"As a domestically focused sector, healthcare services could ... be a shelter from the trade policies of a Trump administration," wrote Joseph Amato, Neuberger’s chief investment officer, equities.
Some Trump-linked stocks have already seen sharp moves: shares of Digital World Acquisition, the blank check firm set to take his social media platform public, soared on Monday after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ended his 2024 presidential bid, though they have since pared those gains.
In foreign exchange markets, Goldman Sachs strategists said a Trump presidency could boost the U.S. dollar. Their analysis, which studied a period of dollar strength following Trump’s victory in the Iowa caucus on Jan. 15, “suggests that Trump’s trade and international agenda might ultimately be worth a further 5-10% of upside to the USD in the event of a Trump presidency,” they wrote in a Jan. 22 report.
Strategists warned, however, that markets may be slow to price in any possible outcomes this far from election day.
“The last few elections have really come down to the wire,” said Samana, of Wells Fargo. “I don’t see the market making big bets on either one unless it starts to look like it will be a runaway.” REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - The US Navy dock landing ship Gunston Hall left port on Jan 24 to mark the first movement for the largest Nato exercise since the Cold War, officials said.
What is happening?
Some 90,000 troops from the United States and fellow Nato allied nations are due to join the Steadfast Defender 2024 drills that will run through May.
More than 50 ships from aircraft carriers to destroyers will take part, as well as more than 80 fighter jets, helicopters and drones and at least 1,100 combat vehicles including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles.
The drills will rehearse Nato's execution of its regional plans, the first defence plans the alliance has drawn up in decades, detailing how it would respond to a Russian attack.
Why it’s important
Nato did not mention Russia by name in its announcement. But its top strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to Nato members' security.
The exercise comes at an important moment after Russia's invasion of Ukraine started the deadliest war on European soil in more than 70 years.
Key quotes
"#NATO today launched its biggest military exercise since 1988 with 90,000 personnel taking part in drills across the North Atlantic and Europe," Mr Matthias Eichenlaub, a Nato spokesman, said on X, formerly Twitter.
"The departure of the @USNavy's Gunston Hall from Norfolk marked the (official) start of #SteadfastDefender24."
Russian response
The scale of Nato's Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises mark an "irrevocable return" of the alliance to Cold War schemes, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the state RIA news agency in remarks published on Jan 21. REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia has called for an emergency U.N. Security Council session on Wednesday to discuss the crash of a Russian plane that Moscow says was carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers to a prisoner exchange.
Russia has accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the military transport plane carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers to the prisoner exchange in what it called a barbaric act of terrorism that had killed a total of 74 people.
Lavrov told a press conference at the United Nations that Russia had called for the Security Council meeting to be held at 3 p.m. ET (2000 GMT).
He called the downing of the aircraft on Wednesday a "criminal" act by Ukraine and said Russia sought the session so the Ukrainians could explain how the plane went down.
"The Ukrainian prisoners of war were transported to the Belgorod region in order to conduct yet another swap that was agreed between Moscow and Kyiv," Lavrov said.
"Instead of this, the Ukrainian side launched an air defense missile from the Kharkov region. It targeted the airplane and was a fatal strike."
Ukrainian military intelligence said Kyiv was not asked to ensure air space security on Wednesday around the Belgorod area in southern Russia, as had been the case during previous prisoner of war swaps with Moscow.
It said Russia's accusations that Kyiv shot down the transport plane could be "a planned action to destabilize the situation in Ukraine and weaken international support for our state." REUTERS
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BERLIN - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday the aim of a European Union special summit next week is for all EU member states to agree to financial aid for Ukraine.
A German government spokesperson said earlier on Wednesday that additional weapons deliveries to Ukraine to help it battle a Russian invasion will be a topic of discussion during the summit.
Scholz had urged EU allies in early January to step up their military aid to Ukraine. REUTERS
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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico reaffirmed support for Kyiv's bid to join the European Union at talks in Ukraine on Wednesday, but said policy differences remained on issues including NATO accession.
Fico, who was elected last year after appealing to pro-Russian sentiment, met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in the western Ukrainian town of Uzhhorod a day after raising eyebrows in Ukraine by suggesting there was no war in Kyiv.
"It surprised me, and I want to personally thank Prime Minister Shmyhal, that we were able to exchange these different opinions in constructive and friendly atmosphere," Fico said in video footage released by his office after the meeting.
He reiterated that he did not believe in a military solution for the war in Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion almost two years ago, and welcomed a peace plan proposed by Ukraine's president although he called it unrealistic.
Though he confirmed Slovakia's support for Ukraine's efforts to join the EU, he reiterated that he opposed Ukraine's aspirations to join the NATO defence alliance and would veto it if its membership bid came to a vote while he was in office.
Shmyhal said the two countries had signed a joint statement on strengthening relations "based on mutual trust and respect", and that Fico had assured him that he fully supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said Kyiv wanted to develop a policy of "new pragmatism" with the Slovak government that was beneficial for both sides, and quoted Fico as saying Bratislava would continue to back a 50-billion-euro ($54-billion) EU aid facility for Kyiv.
Shmyhal also said after the talks that Fico had promised not to prevent Slovak companies supplying weapons to Ukraine during the war with Russia. After taking office in October, Fico reversed course on Slovakia's foreign policy by ending military supplies from state stores for Ukraine and has said military aid is prolonging the war. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/slovak-pm-reaffirms-support-for-ukraines-eu-membership-bid
| 2024-01-24T18:50:35Z
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ANKARA -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he and Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi agreed at a meeting on Wednesday on the need to avoid steps that could further threaten Middle East stability three months into the Gaza war.
Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has harshly criticised Israel for its attacks on Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire, and backed legal steps for Israel to be tried for genocide.
Unlike its Western allies and some Arab nations, NATO member Turkey does not consider Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack on Israel led to the retaliatory Israeli military campaign on Gaza, a terrorist group.
Iran leads what it calls the Axis of Resistance, a loose coalition that includes Hamas and armed Shi'ite Muslim groups around the region that have militarily confronted Israel and its Western allies. It has voiced support for Hamas.
Speaking at a news conference after meeting Raisi in Ankara, Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed ending Israel's "inhumane" attacks on Gaza and the need to take steps for a fair and lasting peace in the region.
"We agreed on the importance of refraining from steps that will further threaten the security and stability of our region," he said, adding the two neighbours had also agreed to continue cooperation against cross-border militant threats.
In a sign of the conflict widening, U.S. and British strikes hit Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen this month, in response for attacks on Red Sea shipping. Erdogan slammed the strikes as a disproportionate use of force.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said last week he had spoken to his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts after the neighbours traded cross-border fire, and called for calm.
Despite its harsh rhetoric, Ankara has maintained commercial ties with Israel, prompting criticism at home and in Iran.
Raisi accused the United States of supporting what he called Israel's crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and repeated Tehran's appeal for Muslim countries to cut their economic and political relations with the "Zionist regime".
"What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is a crime against humanity ... and the United States and the West are supporting these crimes," he said. "Cutting economic and political ties with this regime can certainly have an impact on the Zionist regime to end its crimes."
Turkey and Iran have usually had complicated ties, standing at odds over a host of issues, primarily the Syrian civil war.
Ankara has backed rebels looking to oust President Bashar al-Assad and mounted several incursions into northern Syria against militants, while Tehran supports his government. Turkey has recently taken steps to improve ties with Damascus.
Raisi had twice postponed his visit, initially planned for November, over scheduling issues and attacks in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman. On Wednesday, the two leaders chaired a meeting of a Turkish-Iranian business council and signed various agreements. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/turkey-iran-agree-on-need-to-avoid-escalating-mideast-tensions-erdogan
| 2024-01-24T18:50:46Z
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SANTA BARBARA, California - Groundwater levels across the world have shown widespread and “accelerated” decline over the past 40 years, driven by unsustainable irrigation practices as well as climate change, according to a study published on Jan 24.
Groundwater is a major source of fresh water for farms, households and industries, and depletion could pose severe economic and environmental threats, including falling crop yields and destructive land subsidence, particularly in coastal areas, said the study, published in the Nature scientific journal.
“One of the most likely major driving forces behind rapid and accelerating groundwater decline is the excessive withdrawal of groundwater for irrigated agriculture in dry climates,” said Assistant Professor Scott Jasechko, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, one of the paper’s co-authors.
But drought, driven by climate change, was also having an impact, with farmers likely to pump out more groundwater to ensure their crops are irrigated, he said.
Depletion has been particularly pronounced in arid climates with extensive croplands, said the study, which analysed 170,000 wells in more than 40 countries.
Northern China, Iran and the western United States were among the worst-hit regions.
More than a third of the 1,693 aquifer systems - bodies of porous rock or sediment holding groundwater- monitored by the study fell by at least 0.1m a year from 2000 to 2022, with 12 per cent seeing annual declines of more than 0.5m.
Some of the worst hit aquifers in Spain, Iran, China and the US fell by more than 2m a year over the period.
In around 30 per cent of the aquifers studied, the depletion rate has accelerated since 2000.
Some aquifers did improve over the period, in part as a result of local measures aimed at restricting how much water can be pumped out.
Aquifers can also be replenished with water diverted from elsewhere. However, such recoveries were “relatively rare” and much more work still needed to be done, Prof Jasechko said. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/world-groundwater-levels-showing-accelerated-decline-study-shows
| 2024-01-24T18:50:56Z
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America Ferrara and her husband, Ryan Piers Williams will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary in June – and their special day is certainly one to remember.
The Barbie star – who is nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the billion-dollar film – wed her director/writer husband in New York surrounded by a star-studded guest list.
However, there was one famous face who played a very important role on the day.
America's Ugly Betty co-star Judith Light – who played Claire Meade – actually officiated her wedding to Ryan.
"I tell everybody she's my mother, and people are like, 'What?' I didn't come out of her body, but she is like a mother to me. I love her so dearly," the 39-year-old previously said on SiriusXM.
She continued "If you would have told my little self that Angela from Who's The Boss was going to officiate my wedding…
"There's no one in the world more aptly named, right? She is just light, she's the best and I love her to death."
But it wasn’t just Judith who made America and Ryan's day extra special, as her other co-star, Vanessa Williams, offered up her luxury Chappaqua mansion in New York for the venue.
"Here's the kicker, we got married at Vanessa Williams' house in New York – this was right after Ugly Betty and we're still a family," America explained.
"After I told Vanessa I was engaged she started sending me pictures of her backyard and was like, 'This is where you'll get married'.
"I didn't think she was serious, but she was, and we got married at Vanessa's house, Judith officiated, and I think every main cast member was there – it was amazing."
America and Ryan, 42, have been going strong since 2005. They met when he was casting for his first film after graduate school, a short film titled Muertas, and America was an undergraduate student attending the University of Southern California.
To mark their 18-year relationship and 12th wedding anniversary last year, America shared a throwback photo of their big day alongside a heartfelt message.
"Happy Anniversary to my emergency contact. My person and home for 18 years. Damn, we look young here," she penned alongside a photo of the newlyweds cutting their cake.
She also took to her Story to pen her husband a tribute, writing at the time: "My person. My home. Happy Anniversary. Sorry I was in the sky all day. Happy 18/12 years @ryanpierswilliams. Happy Anniversary, My Love."
America looked gorgeous in a strapless ivory-colored gown by Amsale’s Christos label. The dress boasted a French corded lace bodice and a dramatic tiered pleated tulle skirt. She also wore a floor-sweeping veil and Fred Leighton earrings.
Seven years after they wed in May 2018, America and Ryan welcomed their first child, a son named Sebastian – who they affectionately call Baz.
Two years later, the couple welcomed their daughter, Lucia Marisol Willams.
"LUCIA MARISOL WILLIAMS arrived on May 4th to give me my Mother's Day hugs and kisses herself," America wrote on Instagram.
She added: "Mama, Dada & Big Brother are over the moon to welcome her bright light to our family."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/511988/america-ferrera-husband-ryan-piers-williams-wedding-celebrity-officiant/
| 2024-01-24T18:51:33Z
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Barbie is back in the cultural zeitgeist once again after the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday, January 23rd.
The movie received eight nods, including one for Best Picture, but missed out on crucial mentions for Best Director for Greta Gerwig, and Best Actress for lead Margot Robbie.
Meanwhile, in the acting categories, Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera picked up nominations in their respective fields, though both shared their disappointment at the highly talked about "snubs."
The misses came as a surprise, given the film was a hit among critics circles worldwide and was a staple at awards ceremonies leading up to the Oscars, from the Golden Globes to the SAG Awards and Critics Choice ceremonies.
In particular, Margot and Ryan picked up mentions at nearly every major award show during the season, for their leading turns as Barbie and Ken, and from the very jump, both stars were placed on equal footing.
A report from Variety released back in 2022, based on expertise from industry professionals and studio executives, revealed that both stars were paid equal salaries for their contributions to the movie, amounting to a whopping $12.5 million each.
However, as the irony of the situation indicates, the movie does rest on the shoulders of Barbie aka Margot, and what sets the previously Oscar-nominated star apart is her role as a producer.
The actress was involved in the film from the very start with Greta, who also co-wrote Barbie, with the two working closely on the project with Mattel and finding a home in Warner Bros.
MORE: Where to watch the biggest award winners' movies and TV shows of 2024
The movie was produced by Margot's production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, which aims to create female-focused film and TV productions, and as a result, makes her win even larger.
Barbie quickly became a commercial juggernaut, having earned over $1.44 billion at the global box office. Among the film's many records, it is the highest grossing Warner Bros. production of all time, the highest by a solo female director, the highest grossing live action comedy of all time, the highest grossing film of the entire year, and the 14th highest grossing film ever (and second-highest non-franchise grosser ever, behind Titanic).
As a result of its monumental success, it was estimated in a report by Variety based on industry knowledge that as early as August, Margot stood to make as much as $50 million from the movie, thanks to a combination of her salary and box office.
"There is no Ken without Barbie," as Ryan pointed out in his statement released yesterday after the nominations were announced. "And there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film."
READ: Ryan Gosling treated differently from Margot Robbie on Barbie set: 'It was just surreal'
"To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement," he added, with many on social media quickly pointing out that the Academy had, in essence, replicated the plot of the fantasy-comedy.
Praising Margot and Greta, he wrote: "Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511993/margot-robbie-ryan-gosling-barbie-salaries-revealed-why-margot-stands-out/
| 2024-01-24T18:51:39Z
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Snoop Dogg's daughter Cori Broadus is still in the throes of recovery after her sudden stroke last week, though slowly but surely improving.
Cori, who is only 24 years old, shared news of the medical emergency on her Instagram on January 18, writing: "I had a severe stroke this a.m. I started breaking down crying when they told me," and: "Like I'm only 24, what did I do in my past to deserve all of this."
Now, her dad has given a subtle though hopeful update that she'll be out of the hospital soon.
Speaking with People at the Los Angeles premiere for his new comedy movie The Underdogs, Snoop shared that his daughter is thankfully "doing a little bit better," and agreed that the health scare definitely put life into perspective.
Cori is one of the rapper's four children. In addition to Cori, he shares Corde, 29 and Cordell, 26, with wife Shante Broadus – who he has been married to since 1997 – as well as Julian, 26, who he shares with ex-girlfriend Laurie Holmond.
Though Cori has been open in the past about her Lupus diagnosis, which she received when she was six, she has shared in subsequent updates from the hospital that doctors are still working on figuring out what caused the stroke.
In an Instagram Story from the hospital shared on January 23, she said she would "most likely" be discharged the following day.
MORE: Snoop Dogg's daughter, 24, suffers 'severe' medical crisis
MORE: Snoop Dogg's luxury mega-mansion he bought for a bargain
She also shared a clip of herself on the way to get a CT scan of her chest, "to see exactly what caused" her stroke, and promised her followers: "When I get out I'm going to share everything more in depth [for real]."
In September of last year, she opened up to People about her journey with Lupus, and how she was "better than I've ever been" after deciding to go "all natural" when it came to her medications.
"I stopped taking all of my medication like five months ago," she revealed at the time, adding: "I'm just doing everything natural, all types of herbs, sea moss, teas. I started working out, drinking lots of water. So now I think my body's like, OK, this is the new program and she's getting used to it."
She further explained: "I've had medication since I was 6 years old, depending on these drugs all my life. So I wanted better for myself.
"I wanted to change because it just became a lot. I'm only 24 years old, taking 10 to 12 pills every single day. So I kind of just went cold turkey."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/511992/snoop-dogg-update-daughter-stroke-still-in-hospital/
| 2024-01-24T18:51:46Z
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Simon Cowell is a doting father to his son Eric, nine, who he shares with his fiancée Lauren Silverman, as well as being a stepfather to Adam, 18, who is Lauren's son from her marriage to Andrew Silverman.
We've seen Simon with Adam together on a few occasions and it looks like the family-of-four are a close-knit clan.
Despite the nine-year age gap, half-brothers Eric and Adam seem to have a close relationship. The pair have been spotted holidaying together with Simon and Lauren before – even wearing matching swim shorts on a family trip to Barbados.
Take a look at these rare photos of Simon's stepson Adam...
Pebbles joins the family!
We loved this sweet photo shared by Simon on his Instagram page in January this year, introducing their new pet dog. "A couple more of us and Pebbles," Simon told his fans.
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Simon's Hollywood star
Simon was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018, and the whole family came along to support the music mogul. The TV judge posed alongside Lauren, Eric, and Adam, all dressed in white attire for LA event.
Simon and Adam at the races
A rare snap of Simon with Adam, Eric and Lauren the Epsom Derby Festival horse racing event at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey, in 2021.
Easter with friends
Simon's good friend Terri Seymour shared this lovely picture of the two families enjoying Easter together in 2023.
Terri wrote: "Easter 2023. Thank you @simoncowell & #LaurenSilverman we love you guys!"
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511976/simon-cowell-stepson-adam-with-lauren-silverman-rare-photos/
| 2024-01-24T18:51:52Z
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It kind of goes without saying that if you mix Maya Jama and a South African summer together you’re bound to get some seriously stunning stylistic looks.
Maya has been in SA for the last few weeks hosting Love Island's All-Star show and has made it very clear on her socials that when not on set filming break-ups, bombshells and British babes in bikinis, the star can be found living her best life exploring Cape Town.
If you’re planning a sunny holiday escape for yourself, then let Maya Jama and her insanely iconic Cape Town holiday wardrobe inspire your packing list.
A Saucy Date Night Gown
Technically Maya wore this gorgeous brown suede gown whilst on set, but that’s by the by. Complete with plunging side cutouts Maya showed off her sun-kissed glow and rib tattoo. Maya is renowned for sporting seriously sultry date night fits, proving that even when on holiday it’s essential to pack at least one glam gown.
A Sheer White Dress
This is possibly my favourite look ever of Maya’s. Proving that the sheer trend is still very much here to stay, she opted for a sheer white, slim-fitting maxi dress, adorned with tiny delicate flowers made from the same fabric. Pairing the dress with her natural brunette curls, a subtle no-makeup makeup look and bare feet, the star leaned into holiday mode while keeping her ‘fit cuter than ever.
A Striking Swimsuit
Putting tan lines aside, a bold swimsuit is a vacay must for Maya. Posing in a bikini, one-piece hybrid, the star showed off her curves in an Instagram post, captioning it “Everything’s better in the sunshine.” Agreeing with that statement, I love how Maya chose a swimsuit that complements her figure, supports the parts that need to be and looks chic.
A Simple Sun Dress
If there’s one thing you need to pack for your holiday away it has to be a simple sun dress. Maya proved that she’s just like us when it comes to island fashion, sporting a simple cottage-core white cotton dress to ride her bike in the countryside. A top tip from moi to you- pack your sundress in your carry-on luggage so that on the off chance the airline loses your luggage, you still have something cute to slip into for exploring.
A Pair of Sun Specs
Although it might be hard to remember the last time we needed a pair of sunglasses (can summer hurry up please?) A pair of UV protection sunglasses are an absolute must. Maya chose to sport a pair of black, square-framed cat-eye sunglasses to read her book under the trees.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/hfm/fashion-trends/511955/maya-jamas-holiday-wardrobe/
| 2024-01-24T18:51:58Z
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Since welcoming her children in December 2014, Princess Charlene, who will celebrate her 46th birthday on Thursday, has shared many lovely moments with them during public appearances.
Ahead of her special day, which the former Olympian will no doubt mark with her family, we're looking back at some of their sweetest interactions caught on camera…
Charlene and her family recently enjoyed a day at the circus, with Gabriella and Jacques donning red noses for the special event, which they could be seen wearing as they and their parents waved to gathered crowds!
Charlene also walked along with her children, talking and laughing as the youngsters held hands, wrapped up warm against the winter weather.
At Christmas, the palace released a series of Christmas photos that showed the Monaco family in front of an incredible Christmas tree, with Charlene in a glamorous dark gold gown and her children smiling in smart black clothes as their dad stood behind them.
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The Monaco royals dressed up again in November when they attended the Monaco National Day, an important day on the national calendar.
As well as their children, Prince Albert and his wife were also joined by Albert's sister Princess Stephanie.
A brunette Charlene was seen attending the traditional Monaco picnic, also known as U Cavagnëtu, last September with her family, with her children dressed in matching white clothing.
The event took place at Parc Princesse Antoinette after a two-year break and included a mass followed by a picnic accompanied by a choir and jazz music.
The family honoured the late Prince Rainer III, father of Prince Albert, Princess Stephanie and the duo's elder sister, Princess Caroline, as part of the celebration to mark the late crown prince's birth.
Princess Charlene looked on and smiled as her children cut a cake in honour of their grandfather.
Earlier in the year, just after the princess' 45th birthday, the twins could be seen taking part in Monaco's annual Ceremony Of The Sainte-Devote, carrying torches before enjoying a spectacular firework display, to mark the life of a saint who is said to have been martyred in the principality circa 303 AD.
The royal family enjoyed a fun festive outing when they went to view the Christmas Tree at Monaco Palace, with the young twins full of Christmas spirit as they enjoyed the day out.
Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques again looked so smart in 2022, when they attended the Monaco National Day alongside Prince Albert and Princess Charlene.
The royal sadly missed the event the previous year following a series of health issues that saw her spend several months in her native South Africa before eventually flying home.
The princess was clearly delighted to be reunited with her son and daughter when she was photographed hugging the young royals at a rugby tournament in 2022.
On Monaco's National Day back in 2017, the princess waved to royal well-wishers from the palace balcony, with her little children barely tall enough to see over the balustrade!
Charlene was pictured cuddling her daughter as well as pointing out the crowds.
As new parents, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene both exuded joy as they were photographed leaving the baptism of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella in 2015, when the twins were five months old.
Speaking about her desire to start a family, Charlene had previously told South African newspaper Sunday World: "Now I'm settled and I think kids will come. I don't put any pressure on myself. If it happens, it happens."
LISTEN: On our Right Royal Podcast, how the late Queen ‘adored’ grandson Prince Harry ‘right to the end’...
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511990/princess-charlenes-most-heartwarming-moments-with-her-children-prince-jacques-and-princess-gabriella/
| 2024-01-24T18:52:04Z
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Like fashion trends, what’s hot in home decor changes over time, and one decor trend making a comeback are standing floor mirrors. In fact, Costco released a $150 version of Anthropologie's stunning $1,200 gold mirror, but it's no longer available online and shoppers are saying you'll be lucky if you find it in-store.
I used to have a similar floor mirror years ago, and seeing the oversized gold mirrors trending on TikTok makes me regret ever letting it go!
But don’t worry if you missed out on the Costco bargain - I went on a hunt for some amazing lookalikes so you can still get the luxe look for less.
Anthropologie's gold floor mirror - the affordable options
Baroque-inspired gold floor mirrors like Anthropologie’s are a great vintage-inspired option which also looks just as great with both classic and modern decor. The charming pieces will give any space instant chic Parisian apartment vibes.
And we’re not the only ones who love this decor trend. Just one post by Instagram influencer Costcohotfinds about the Costco mirror earned over 134,000 likes, with comments ranging from “I grabbed it when I saw it! Love it!” to “That is very pretty. Still saving up for the Anthropologie one though.”
Thankfully Costco's not the only budget-friendly choice! I found great lookalikes at Wayfair, Amazon, Sam's Club and more retailers. There's even a lower-priced option at Anthropologie.
And if you love the ornate gold look, don't forget that you can even add the style to your home with smaller touches. I have a mirrored gold filigree Zara Home tray, similar to this $10.99 Amazon look, which adds interest to my more modern living room decor.
Why decorate with a floor mirror?
Mirrors reflect light to help make your space look bigger - for example, I have mirrored closet doors that serve double duty, giving both a dressing room effect and making my master bedroom look more spacious. But why choose a floor mirror?
- A freestanding full-length floor mirror will help take advantage of empty wall space, and add dimension and light. For an even more dramatic effect, style with plants or opposite a window to make your bathroom, living room, entryway or bedroom feel more spacious, bright and airy.
- Full-length mirrors are so versatile - they work in both large spaces and smaller homes. “We previously bought a floor standing mirror as we were living in a warehouse-style loft which needed large furniture,” says HELLO! Deputy News Editor Hannah Hargrave. “But when we moved, we found it was still a great way to expand the space - as well as being able to have a quick glance at what you look like before leaving the house. It's both a feature and functional and we love it.”
- A gold full-length mirror can instantly elevate a room, no matter what type of furnishings you currently have. "My vintage mirror makes the room look much bigger and brighter, and I feel opulent and grand with an antique alongside my Ikea sofa!" says Wellness Editor Melanie Macleod. "The wall facing it is also home to five gold mirrors, and when they reflect each other the room looks lovely and light."
How I chose the best gold floor mirrors to shop now
I searched high and low to find some options to shop - and here's what I took into consideration:
- Size & style: While you can find smaller versions, I looked for oversized mirrors that most closely resembled the Anthropologie look in both design and measurements.
- Verified reviews and ratings: Since I’m not able to see every mirror in person, I scoured opinions for verified shoppers and only included mirrors that received consistent positive reviews.
- Trusted brands: The options you’ll see in my edit are only from retailers we trust.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/shopping/511974/costco-anthropologie-floor-mirror-dupes-lookalikes/
| 2024-01-24T18:52:10Z
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Gypsy Rose-Blanchard is busy and happy settling into life after prison, and she and her husband Ryan Scott Anderson have family on their minds!
While the two have shared that they are not quite ready to have babies of their own, they are getting some practice thanks to their brand new puppy, Pixie.
Gypsy and her husband tied the knot in 2022 while she was still in prison following the death of her mother Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard, and have spoken candidly about their marriage since reuniting in January.
On Tuesday, Gypsy took to Instagram and announced that she was officially a "new puppy mom," in an adorable video asking her followers – eight million and counting! – for training tips.
"I want to introduce you guys to someone very special," she started her video, before bringing up to the camera Pixie, a black and white, eight-week-old Malshi, which is a mix of Maltese and the Shih Tzu.
"She is a sweetheart," she continued, adding: "And she is already spoiled rotten!" She went on to reveal that she and Ryan had welcomed little Pixie into their home about three days prior, and bought "everything she could possibly need" from PetSmart.
Gypsy then shared insight into how the first days of puppy training were going, sharing photos of how the pup had started the night sleeping in her own bed before making her way to Gypsy's, "like she owns it."
MORE: Gypsy Rose Blanchard all smiles as she shares first picture post prison
She further explained: "Ryan and I just wanted to get something that we both can kind of have to take care of and just have as an addition to the family."
"We're not ready to have a baby yet," she also confessed, noting: "So this was like the next best thing," and promised many more puppy pictures and videos to come.
MORE: Gypsy Rose Blanchard pops champagne as she shares picture with sister and dad
She then wrote in her caption: "Any tips on potty training would be great!" and the comments section under the post was quickly flooded with supportive messages from fans.
"You deserve nothing but happiness!" one wrote, as others followed suit with: "Aww congrats!!" and: "Now that is absolutely adorable, Gypsy and Pixie," as well as: "Pixie is the cutest name!" among plenty of suggestions for crating, potty training, and more.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511996/gypsy-rose-blanchard-new-addition-family-husband-ryan/
| 2024-01-24T19:04:44Z
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PS5 vs Xbox Series X|S vs Switch Launch Sales Comparison Through Month 38 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted 2 hours ago / 827 ViewsThis monthly series compares the aligned launch sales of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
It should be noted the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S had a worldwide launch, while the PlayStation 5 launch was split over the course of two weeks. Also, the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, while the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launched during the holidays in November 2020.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch Global:
- Switch: 56,398,807
- PS5: 52,647,376
- XSX|S: 27,228,480
Through the first 38 months available worldwide the Nintendo Switch is ahead of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch is ahead of the PS5 by 3.75 million units and is 29.17 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 25.42 million units.
The Switch has sold 56.40 million in 38 months worldwide, while the PS5 sold 52.65 million units and the Xbox Series X|S 27.23 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 38 months, the Switch is in the lead. The Switch has a 41.4 percent marketshare, the PS5 sits at 38.6 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 20.0 percent.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch US:
- Switch: 19,177,384
- PS5: 18,695,900
- XSX|S: 13,584,505
Through the first 38 months available in the US the Nintendo Switch is ahead of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch is ahead of the PS5 by 0.48 million units and is 5.59 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 5.11 million units.
The Switch has sold 19.18 million in 38 months in the US, while the PS5 sold 18.70 million units and the Xbox Series X|S 13.58 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 38 months, the Switch currently leads. The Switch has a 37.3 percent marketshare, the PS5 sits at 36.3 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 26.4 percent.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch Europe:
- PS5: 17,379,260
- Switch: 14,469,744
- XSX|S: 7,341,779
Through the first 38 months available in Europe the PlayStation 5 is ahead of the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Switch by 2.91 million units and is 10.04 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The Switch is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 7.13 million units.
The PS5 has sold 17.38 million in 38 months in Europe, while the Switch sold 14.47 million units and the Xbox Series X|S 7.34 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 38 months, the PlayStation 5 currently leads. The PS5 has a 44.4 percent marketshare, the Switch sits at 36.9 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 18.7 percent.
PS5 Vs. Xbox Series X|S Vs. Switch Japan:
- Switch: 13,410,334
- PS5: 4,966,352
- XSX|S: 543,660
Through the first 38 months available in Japan the Switch is ahead of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S by a wide margin. The Switch is ahead of the PS5 by 8.44 million units and is 12.87 million units ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The PS5 is ahead of the Xbox Series X|S by 4.42 million units.
The Switch has sold 13.41 million units in 38 months in Japan, while the PS5 has sold 4.97 million units, and the Xbox Series X|S 0.54 million units.
Looking at the marketshare through 38 months, the Switch currently leads. The Switch has a 70.9 percent marketshare, the PS5 sits at 26.2 percent, and the Xbox Series X|S at 2.9 percent.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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I think it's rather crazy to see how much Japan has been carrying Switch sales when compared to Europe. Its month 38 and Japan has 1 million less sold than all of Europe.
Same goes for the PS5, Europe is carrying the PS5.
Either way, these next months we will see if PS5 can keep up with pandemic-Switch sales. Good luck.
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Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.42 Releases Today, Adds New Cars and Café Menus - News
by William D'Angelo , posted 3 hours ago / 584 ViewsPublisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Polyphony Digital announced Update 1.42 for Gran Turismo 7 will release today, January 24 at 11:00 pm PT / January 25 at 6:00am GMT / 3:00pm JST.
The update adds three new cars - the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo Concept, Suzuki Jimny XC ’18 and BVLGARI Aluminum Vision Gran Turismo, as well as two Extra Menus to GT Café and the Jimny Cup added to World Circuits.
View a video on the update below:
Read details on the update via PlayStation Blog below:
Three new cars
BVLGARI Aluminum Vision Gran Turismo
A digital concept car infused with the DNA of BVLGARI.
The BVLGARI Aluminum Vision Gran Turismo is a digital concept car inspired by the iconic BVLGARI Aluminum watch from 1998 and shares the same spirit: sporty, smart and essential, yet precise and quality crafted. The shapes, materials, colours, and overall design language of the car are directly inspired by the form language and spirit of the aluminum watch.
The barchetta body style is an archetype of sportiness which expresses dynamic movement, lightness, and performance. The body design is an essential combination of pure and geometrical shapes, which are symbolic of Italian car design traditions of creativity and character, integrating some original references to the glorious era of ’60s and ’70s concept cars from Italian Carrozzeria. The result is a timeless design that is undeniably Italian in its innovative conceptual spirit and its expression of style and coolness, transcending all the temporary fashions and short-term trends, to affirm itself as a pure expression of BVLGARI design DNA.
Complimentary offer for owners of the BVLGARI Aluminum Gran Turismo Limited Models.
Those who purchase the BVLGARI Aluminum Gran Turismo Limited Model chronograph watch and register via the QR code will receive this car at no additional cost along with early access ahead of the official February release (to be distributed as a Car Ticket each month beginning late January). Take this opportunity to experience BVLGARI’s revolutionary digital concept car alongside this Vision Gran Turismo 10th anniversary commemorative chronograph watch.
Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo Concept
A sports coupe that embodies the athletic elegance sought out by Genesis.
The Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo Concept emotionally applies Genesis’ Athletic Elegance design philosophy. The design orchestrates the cab’s backward proportions with Genesis’ typical anti-wedge attitude that is structured around a virtual parabolical tensioned theory common to the entire Genesis model line-up.
The X Gran Berlinetta Concept design language is pure and muscular with the volumes centered around the wheels. It sports Genesis’ new front fascia that abstracts the crest grille and links it with the quad lights, structuring and connecting the volumes from front to rear with the two-line brand identifier. The fuselage extrudes itself towards the rear in an elliptical concave volume that can be found on other Genesis vehicles. It is framed by a rear spoiler and lateral trailing edges for aerodynamic high-speed stability.
The interior derives Genesis’ Beauty of White Space attitude by creating a purist environment for the pilot. The essential functions are prioritized to maximize track performance focus. The digital panoramic interface serves as information center linked to the surround digital monitoring system, while the steer-by-wire grip commands allow precise maneuvering. The quilted, padded bolsters protect the pilot while racing and during the speedy entrance and egress on pit stops. The X Gran Berlinetta Concept features an impressive aerodynamic fluidity.
The designers have achieved a drag coefficient of 0.34 by integrating aerodynamic aids and orchestrating internal and laminar flows. The X Gran Berlinetta Concept is powered by a front mid-mounted Lambda II V6 engine, electrically assisted by Genesis E-SC technology. The hybrid race-spec drivetrain delivers a total of 1,071 HP (1,071 BHP) 986 ft-lb (136.3 kgfm) of torque, ensuring that this car is as powerful as it is beautiful. The V6 screams at 10,000 rpm while delivering a maximum output of 870 HP (870 BHP) and 790 ft-lb (109.2 kgfm) while the Yasa E motor generates an additional 201 HP (201 BHP) 196 ft-lb (27 kgfm).
Suzuki Jimny XC ’18
Amazing all-terrain ability beyond its size. Japan’s mighty micro off-roader.
The Jimny is a cross-country style 4WD model that has been produced by Suzuki since 1970. While there have been variants in each generation that crossed over into the compact car class, the mainstay of the series is the ‘kei’ model. The series has continued to develop over the years with a 2nd generation model introduced in 1981, the 3rd generation introduced in 1998 and the 4th generation in 2018.
What has remained constant across the entire series though is its construction, which uses a ‘kei’ size body shell fitted to a ladder frame chassis with rigid axle suspension and oversized tires. The drivetrain used has always been a part-time four-wheel drive layout, though rear-wheel drive only models have appeared as well. The all-terrain ability that this thoroughbred offroad setup affords has earned it praise not only within its native Japan but across the globe as well. It has found a home as a commercial vehicle in areas with extreme snow and mountainous conditions, become a popular choice for outdoor leisure enthusiasts and even become a base car for off-road motorsports.
The main features of the 4th generation Jimny introduced in 2018, are its overtly square body and its round headlamps which take the design back to its roots. Additionally, its stability and ride comfort at high speeds, a common weakness of primarily off-road vehicles, have been greatly improved. Also, the 660 cc turbo engine has been specially tuned for the Jimny, and the classic part-time four-wheel drive system has been returned to a mechanical transfer case. To reduce wheel spin, the car comes with electronically controlled brake LSD traction control as standard. The most popular model in the line-up is the luxury XC grade which comes with a wide variety of extra features such as cruise control and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.
Café / Extra Menus
The following two Extra Menus have been added:
- Extra Menu No. 34: ‘Nissan Motorsports‘ (Collector Level 46 and above）
- Extra Menu No. 35: ‘Dodge’（Collector Level 32 and above)
World Circuits (Event)
A brand-new race event, the Jimny Cup has been added to World Circuits along with new Vision Gran Turismo Trophy races for 2 tracks.
- Jimny Cup Sardegna – Windmills / Willow Springs International Raceway / Lake Louise
- Vision Gran Turismo Trophy Tokyo Expressway / Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Scapes
Service Area and Turn the Camera Vertically have been added to featured Scapes.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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They have done a good job supporting this game with free updates. So much content.
when is lucid air and tesla model s plaid coming?
Lucid, I could understand, given how few cars they're selling. Tesla, on the other hand, I don't get. They should have everything from the Roadster to the new Model 3 on there. All of them.
Cool, I had finished the menu card and was working on buying the extras. Also was moving along for the new events/tracks in the future.
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PS5 System Update Out Now - Adds New Party and Audio Features - News
by William D'Angelo , posted 3 hours ago / 343 ViewsSony Interactive Entertainment have released a system update - Version: 24.01-08.60.00 - for the PlayStation 5.
The system software update adds new features to Parties, updated the device software for the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, improved the system software performance and stability, and improved the messages and usability on some screens.
Check out the patch notes below:
Version: 24.01-08.60.00
- We've added new features in Parties.
- In the Parties tab, you can now see the list of parties you've joined in the past. You can easily restart a party just by selecting it from the Recent list.
- We've updated the device software for the PULSE Explore wireless earbuds.
- You can now use the sound equalizer feature.
- You can now use the sidetone feature, which makes it easier for you to hear your own voice in voice chats.
- When you have a PULSE Explore wireless earbuds nearby, a notification will now appear to let you connect to them quickly. You can now easily switch the connection from your PC to your PS5 through this notification.
- We've improved system software performance and stability.
- We've improved the messages and usability on some screens.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Rumor: Until Dawn Headed to PS5 and PC - News
by William D'Angelo , posted 1 hour ago / 294 ViewsSony Interactive Entertainment might be releasing Until Dawn on the PlayStation 5 and PC, according to dataminer billbil-kun on Dealabs.
The dataminer expects Until Dawn for the PS5 and PC to be announced in the next 15 days. They claim this new version of the game has been in development for at least a year, however, it isn't known if it is a remaster or remake.
It was announced last week a movie based on Until Dawn is in development. Shazam! director David F. Sandberg will direct the movie. It, Annabelle, and The Nun screenwriter Gary Dauberman will be doing a pass on the script originally written by Blair Butler.
Until Dawn released for the PlayStation 4 in August 2015.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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His closest friends suffered from depression, loneliness from social isolation, and what they felt were stifling home environments during the April 2020 covid-19 circuit-breaker lockdown.
The four, all 18 then, were unable to meet for months and would share their struggles online.
How to help? What to say? Would he make matters worse by saying the wrong thing?
“I didn’t know whether I should provide a listening ear, or give advice,” says Mr Steve Chia, now 21. He was worried that he might say things that could “trigger them or make things worse”.
And so Mr Chia, in wanting to be a better friend, began his quest to learn about and champion mental health.
Now a computer engineering student at the National University of Singapore, he says: “I wanted to learn some new skills, contribute to society, and (at the same time), help the people that I care about.”
In late 2020, Mr Chia joined the Youth Corps Singapore’s Mental Health Cluster (MHC). The youth-led unit, which started in February 2019, aspires to become an inclusive and supportive youth advocacy group for mental health in Singapore through the events and online advocacy work they do.
Volunteering isn’t new to Mr Chia. Since his student council days in secondary school, he had been volunteering on an ad-hoc basis with the Youth Network under the People's Association and the Youth Corps.
His past volunteering experiences focused primarily on supporting the elderly and people with special needs.
Joining MHC was a significant chapter of his volunteering journey in two ways: It provided an opportunity to delve into long-term volunteering, which he believes would deepen the impact of his work, and contribute meaningfully to the mental health space in Singapore.
At the time, Mr Chia had just started national service. Even in camp during weekday nights, he would have virtual meetings with other MHC members to plan events. On weekends, he dedicated his time to facilitating these activities.
In 2023, Mr Chia stepped up as an executive committee member of MHC. His responsibilities now include volunteer management, training and welfare-related tasks.
What we sow
Having run and organised numerous events in Singapore over the last three years, Mr Chia and his peers at MHC started to explore opportunities and new platforms beyond Singapore.
This included an overseas service-learning project in Vietnam focused on mental health, called Project Untangle. “The name comes from the idea of untangling ‘knots’, or normalised patterns and ideas, that society may have inevitably tightened around youths,” Mr Chia explains.
The trip, held from Dec 14 to 28 last year, was a Youth Expedition Project (YEP) supported by the National Youth Council.
Project Untangle involves Mr Chia and 18 other Singaporean youth aged 20 to 35. It aims to reach Vietnamese youth aged 11 to 17 and their mothers, offering support and resources to help improve their mental well-being.
The team partnered with non-profit organisation Eco Vietnam Group (EVG), which supports service learning and community initiatives by connecting volunteers and sponsors with disadvantaged communities in remote areas of Vietnam.
Ms Eng Yiwen, the team lead for Project Untangle, shares that through their research and speaking with EVG, they found similarities in the challenges that Singaporean and Vietnamese youth face in the area of mental health. This allows the MHC team to easily adapt their workshop content and make it relevant to the overseas community.
The 35-year-old, who works in the public sector, is experienced with YEP; This is her fifth trip, and the fourth as leader.
Project Untangle covered two locations in Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, the team sought to normalise conversations around mental health among the youth and encourage them to seek help when needed.
In a village in the Tra Vinh Province of around 14,000 people, they focused on helping the local youth develop emotional awareness and cultivate healthy conflict resolution skills.
Ms Eng explains that the youth in the province typically “settle conflicts by fighting”. Part of the content was designed to help these young people identify and cope with their emotions, so they can resolve conflicts peacefully.
A unique aspect of this project involved 15 mothers in the province. The team shared with them the various developmental stages of kids to help them understand their child’s behaviour and needs, as well as foster better communication.
They also wanted to encourage mothers to care for themselves by acknowledging their own feelings and needs.
Mr Chia says talking about mental health is still a “huge societal and cultural taboo” in Vietnam. The YEP team had to navigate cultural sensitivities in preparing the content.
For example, in Singapore, workshops by MHC would adopt a more straightforward approach with conversations on the societal stigma surrounding mental health.
“But in Vietnam, we had to be more subtle,” Mr Chia explains. “We introduced ‘easier’ topics like how to identify emotions and conflict management, (which they can) quickly apply to their daily lives.”
How we grow
Ms Eng treasures the life lessons and personal growth from her five trips. Her greatest takeaway is the same lessons she imparted to Vietnamese youth on self-management: “The reminder to be conscious of what’s within my control, and what’s not.”
Ms Eng explains that there were times when, as volunteers, they may hope to see results fast and forget that advocacy work is a long journey. “In the work that we do, we are sowing seeds of change. We can’t be so fixated on achieving the impact and outcome we want immediately.”
“We need to learn to let go, knowing we have done our best.”
Even though the aim of every trip is to give back to the community, Ms Eng says: “We gain more than we give.”
For their post-trip project in Singapore, the YEP team will be working with local charity Shine Children and Youth Services on its ResiL!ence programme. In the pipeline is an event focusing on self-care and the five senses, such as using aromatherapy as a technique for relaxation.
ResiL!ence is a community-based youth mental health programme to help those aged 12 to 25 and their caregivers learn more about how to improve mental well-being.
It includes outreach and psychoeducation, mental health screening, and caregiver engagement and support. In psychoeducation, patients and their loved ones are provided with information and support to better understand and cope with mental health issues.
As for Mr Chia, he now aims to create more awareness that physical and mental health are equally important aspects of our overall well-being.
He feels his experience in MHC has equipped him with the skills and empathy to respond better and create a safe space for the people around him.
And that includes his three friends.
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DOHA - Free-scoring Iraq hope to emulate their heroes of 2007 by going all the way at the Asian Cup after storming through the group stage with three wins from three.
Having sprung a shock by beating Japan, Iraq celebrated finishing top of Group D with a last-minute 3-2 win over 10-man Vietnam, who were already eliminated.
Aymen Hussein netted twice including the winner deep in stoppage time in a frantic match and is the leading scorer in Qatar with five goals.
Japan finished second in the group after a 3-1 win over Indonesia, who look unlikely to progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Iraq’s perfect nine points in the group phase trumps the five they picked up at the same stage in 2007 on the way to their first and only continental title.
They defeated three-time champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final in Jakarta, the fairytale triumph sparking huge celebrations back in deeply fractured Iraq.
The current crop of players remembers it well.
“I was watching this game at the time with my family,” midfielder Osama Rashid said in Qatar when asked about the historic win.
“We were very happy and went outside to celebrate with friends. Many people speak about these moments,” said Rashid, who scored in the 3-1 win over Indonesia in Doha.
‘Going to be hard’
The Spaniard Jesus Casas was named coach in late 2022 and Iraq promptly won the eight-team Gulf Cup on home soil.
Rashid said that meant the players “know the feeling of winning a cup and how they can make the Iraqi people happy”.
Upsetting the odds once again in Qatar would make “a lot of people – 40 million Iraqi people – very happy”, said Casas, a former assistant to Luis Enrique with Spain’s national team.
Having already topped the group, Iraq rested players for the Jan 24 match with Vietnam at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium and fell behind when Bui Hoang Viet Anh poked home off a Khuat Van Khang free-kick.
That would be Khuat’s last attacking involvement – he was sent off in first-half stoppage time for a second yellow card.
Defender Rebin Sulaka equalised immediately after the restart with a header from a corner and Hussein continued his fine form to put the Iraqis ahead with a powerful header with less than 20 minutes left.
Hussein squandered a chance to extend the lead when he struck a penalty against the post.
It looked like he would live to regret it when Nguyen Quang Hai got behind the Iraqi back line to score on the stroke of the 90th minute, making it 2-2.
But Vietnam gave away another penalty in the 11th minute of added time and this time Hussein did not miss.
Defeated coach Philippe Troussier – the Frenchman who guided Japan to the Asian crown in 2000 – said Iraq “could be a great candidate for the title”.
But Casas insisted on looking only to the next match, for which their opponent is yet to be determined.
“We can win,” he said.
“But I know it’s going to be hard.” AFP
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ABIDJAN - Morocco coach Walid Regragui was suspended for two matches just hours before his side’s final group match at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Confederation of African Football officials said.
Regragui, who led his country to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, had been involved in an on-field spat with Democratic Republic of Congo captain Chancel Mbemba at the end of their Group F match in San Pedro on Sunday.
The incident led to scuffles between opposing players as well as staff on the pitch and alleged fighting in the tunnel at the stadium, but out of public view.
Morocco said they were appealing the decision, which came ahead of Morocco’s showdown against Zambia in San Pedro on Wednesday, which will brings the group phase of the tournament to a close.
Regragui had gone to shake Mbemba’s hand at the end of the match but held onto it as he tried to remonstrate with the defender, who repeatedly tried to pull away before breaking loose. REUTERS
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BUENOS AIRES - Lionel Scaloni confirmed he will stay on as coach of Argentina after casting doubt over his future with the World Cup holders last November.
The 45-year-old Scaloni had said he was contemplating walking away from his post after Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, saying: "It's complicated to keep going and it's complicated to keep winning."
Local media reports said earlier this month that Scaloni reached an agreement with the Argentine FA to remain at the helm until at least the end of this summer's Copa America.
"There was a lot of talking, but I always told the truth. There were moments to think and know what to do. It was not a farewell or anything," Scaloni said in an interview with Italian television.
"I was thinking about how the national team goes on and the moment also to allow space for the youngsters, and this is important for us. It was a moment of reflection."
Scaloni took over as coach in 2018 and led Argentina to the Copa America title in 2021 - their first major trophy since the 1986 World Cup - and their third World Cup triumph the following year. REUTERS
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KORHOGO, Ivory Coast - Tunisia limped out of the Africa Cup of Nations finals with a whimper after they were held to a 0-0 draw by South Africa in the sweltering heat of Korhogo on Wednesday, a result that sends their opponents into the last-16.
The onus was on Tunisia to make the play as they needed a win to move off the bottom of Group E, but they created very little in the contest and failed to break down a resolute South Africa.
Mali top the pool with five points from their three games following a goalless draw with Namibia, with South Africa in second place on four points. Namibia also qualified for the first time as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Tunisia are the third-ranked African side at the tournament in the Ivory Coast behind Morocco and Senegal, but following a shock loss to Namibia in their opening game, they could only manage draws with Mali and South Africa and join Algeria and Ghana as surprise casualties in the pool phase. REUTERS
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After a quarter in which Netflix reaffirmed its dominance in streaming video, its $5 billion deal to acquire rights to broadcast live wrestling suggests the streaming pioneer is taking a page from the old-school cable TV playbook.
Netflix said on Tuesday it will carry World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) flagship weekly program, "Raw," from next year, deepening its investment in live programming and offering its subscribers outside the U.S. other weekly wrestling shows including "SmackDown."
Although company executives said the deal did not signal a change to its focus on entertainment, it nevertheless sets Netflix on a collision course with traditional media as the streamer builds out its advertising business.
Netflix will be able to combine its deep cache of prestige dramas such as "The Crown," reality shows like "Squid Game: The Challenge," and movies including Bradley Cooper's Oscar-nominated "Maestro," with the must-watch immediacy of live sports and entertainment.
"Streaming is recreating the cable bundle," said Laura Martin, senior analyst for Needham & Co. "All of these streamers are going to have to have news and sports. Live events drive new sign-ups."
Indeed, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Warner Bros Discovery's Max and other streaming services already offer live professional sports.
Netflix on Tuesday said it added 13.1 million subscribers in the December quarter, its largest-ever fourth-quarter subscriber growth.
The WWE deal comes as streaming approaches the pervasiveness of cable TV in its heyday, prompting Netflix to pave new avenues of growth. The number of U.S. households that subscribe to a streaming service has reached 85%, according to data from researcher HarrisX.
The recent Hollywood strikes, which shut down U.S. production of scripted shows and films, may well have prompted more consumers to cancel their cable subscriptions and seek cheaper options, according to MoffettNathanson Research.
Indeed, media companies fed the Netflix "beast" during this period of light output by licensing shows like "Suits" and "Young Sheldon," MoffettNathanson noted. These reruns are capturing more viewer time.
Netflix was forced to invest billions in original content as major media companies clawed back TV series and films for exclusive use on their own streaming services, noted MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson in a broker note titled "More Rock, Less Maestro."
"Now, due to industry-wide challenges, Netflix has been able to flip that model back. This time, it seems for good," said Nathanson, who anticipates Netflix will revisit its strategy on original films, as financing these productions is a less attractive model than licensing previously released movies for home viewing.
Netflix is replicating "the best" of broadcast TV - which boasts prime-time shows with broad appeal and premium cable networks like HBO - with its collection of high-profile dramas, standup comedy specials, movies and boxing, said Marc DeBevoise, media veteran and CEO of streaming technology company Brightcove.
Professional wrestling - a hybrid of sports and entertainment - also delivers millions of viewers each week, providing reach that is attractive to advertisers.
"It's one of the few things that drives a 10 million-plus audience on the moment, which is what you need to drive an ad business," said DeBevoise. Netflix is trying to make advertising a key revenue-driver by 2025.
BROADENING INTEREST
Needham's Martin said the WWE deal was a defensive move, allowing Netflix to match the breadth of live content that is available on rival services, such as Warner Bros Discovery's Max and NBCUniversal's Peacock, in a relatively low-cost way.
For instance, Peacock's exclusive National Football League wild-card game earlier this month reached 27.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. NBCUniversal parent Comcast said it was the most-streamed live event in the history of the U.S. Sports now make up 23.5% of all national TV hours watched, up from 14.1% in 2018, according to GroupM.
Insider Intelligence senior analyst Ross Benes reckons Netflix will venture into more live events, though it is unlikely the streamer will bid for more expensive sports rights.
Bank of America media analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich said Netflix was well-positioned to sell ads and develop "sports-adjacent" programming that may bring professional wrestling to a new audience, much as the "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" documentary series fueled the global popularity of racing. Nielsen found that this series inspired a U.S. audience to start watching more Formula 1 races.
"They've done such a phenomenal job in raising interest in sports that were of interest, but maybe not mass-audience before," said Ehrlich, referring to Netflix's earlier sports-related programs. "It's not just monetizing, it's broadening the demo and interest, on a global basis." REUTERS
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Eight-times world rally champion Sebastien Ogier is still hungry for success, even as a Toyota part-timer, as he starts a new season chasing a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Rally win this weekend.
The oldest and most evocative round of the championship is based in the south-eastern town of Gap, the 40-year-old French driver's birthplace, and he knows the treacherous mountain roads as well as anyone.
"Numbers are never my main motivation, but if I could get a 10th win on this event it would be something very special," last year's winner said in the build-up to an asphalt rally notorious for ice and snow.
"I think it’s the rally that you need to respect more than any other as the conditions can be so challenging, which means that nothing is guaranteed."
Team mate and reigning champion Kalle Rovanpera is taking time out this season, driving selected events, with Welshman Elfyn Evans Toyota's main title contender after finishing overall runner-up three times in the past four years.
Evans has yet to win in Monte Carlo, finishing second in 2021.
Estonia's Ott Tanak, returning to Hyundai after a year away at M-Sport Ford, led the way in Wednesday's short and dry shakedown ahead of Evans and Hyundai's Thierry Neuville with Ogier fourth.
"It’s always a difficult challenge," commented Tanak. "Even if I've been here before, it's still a little bit unknown."
The big change in the championship for this season is a new scoring system aimed at providing more excitement on the final day.
Points will now be allocated at the end of Saturday's action on a scale of 18-15-13-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 and providing the crews complete the rally on Sunday, with the final day providing more points on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
The final Power Stage offers up to a further five bonus points.
The rally proper starts with two evening stages on Thursday, with three stages run twice each on Friday and again on Saturday before the finish on Sunday and official prize-giving in Monaco's Casino Square. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/rallying-ogier-chasing-record-10th-monte-carlo-win-as-new-season-starts
| 2024-01-24T20:22:35Z
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MELBOURNE - Carlos Alcaraz rued missed opportunities after coming up short against Alexander Zverev in a thrilling Australian Open quarter-final early on Jan 25 but said he could leave Melbourne with his head held high.
The world number two threatened a stunning comeback on Rod Laver Arena after being outplayed for nearly three sets by the German but in the end went down 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4.
Alcaraz had stormed into the last eight for the loss of just one set but struggled against the laser-like Zverev serve and could not get a foothold in the match.
But, seemingly down and out, he broke the sixth seed as he served for the match at 5-3 in the third set and produced breathtaking tennis in the tie-break.
Despite huge support from a rapt crowd, he was unable to maintain his stellar level and two breaks in the fourth set took Zverev over the line.
Alcaraz said he played “great tennis” at the end of the third set but his level had dipped.
“I played good tennis in the fourth set,” he said.
“Obviously not to my best level but, you know, it was a good one.
“Didn’t make my chances. You know, a lot of ups and downs with my level, with my tennis, with the serves.”
It is an early exit by the standards of the 20-year-old. He missed last year’s Australian Open with an injury but reached the semi-finals of the French Open before winning Wimbledon and then making the last four at the US Open.
But Alcaraz said overall he was pleased with his work in Melbourne.
“In general, you know, I leave the tournament happy, forgetting about today’s level,” he said. “But in general I think I did a pretty good tournament.
“I played great matches and obviously a quarter-final of a Grand Slam is good. It is not what I’m looking for, but is not bad, you know.”
Energy
Alcaraz said the energy of the fans had lifted him when it looked as though he was sinking to a straight-sets defeat.
“I think there was a fourth set because of the crowd, and the way that they bring energy to me,” he said. “It was crazy.
“I was down, totally down, and they started – or they didn’t stop supporting me, so it was crazy.
“So I want to thank them, you know, to stay there, believing in me, supporting me in every ball, in every point.”
Alcaraz was the only man to beat world number one Novak Djokovic at Grand Slams last year – in the Wimbledon final – but he said the players remaining in the draw have the ability to beat the Serbian 10-time Australian Open champion.
“It’s not easy to beat Novak in a tournament, but I think it’s even tougher in a Grand Slam,” he said. “But he has to face (fourth seed) Jannik Sinner – he’s playing an unbelievable game.
“He has not dropped a set in this tournament. That means that he has the level and the capacity to beat Novak.”
Zverev will face third seed Daniil Medvedev in the other semi-final on Jan 26. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/alcaraz-rues-missed-chances-but-leaves-australian-open-happy
| 2024-01-24T20:22:45Z
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BOGOTA - Colombia's inspector general on Wednesday suspended Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva from his role for three months over possible irregularities in the tender process for producing passports in the Andean country.
Leyva last year declared the bidding process void after just one company, Thomas Greg & Sons - which was already producing Colombian passports - tendered an offer.
The government took emergency steps to ensure passports were produced, allowing Thomas Greg & Sons to continue printing them, while authorities prepared for a new tender round.
"The Foreign Minister could have incurred two disciplinary offenses, provisionally classified as very serious," the inspector general said in a statement.
The possible offenses include declaring the bidding process void and declaring the process urgent, without grounds to do so, the statement said. "The minister could have overstepped his duties."
Colombia's inspector general, who is authorized to investigate public officials and remove them, suspended Leyva over the accusations to avoid possible repeat offenses by the minister who would oversee any new bidding process, it said.
Colombia's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Thomas Greg & Sons filed a lawsuit against Colombia's government last year, seeking 117 billion pesos ($29.7 million) for the suspension of bidding for the passport contract.
The company declined to comment. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/colombia-inspector-general-suspends-foreign-minister-for-3-months
| 2024-01-24T20:22:56Z
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ANTWERP - The European Union together with European port authorities on Thursday launched a new public-private alliance to boost expertise and information sharing to help tackle drug smuggling and organised crime in the bloc.
The alliance comes as seizures of cocaine in the EU are at record levels, with more than 300 metric tons seized annually, the EU said in a statement.
"Europe has a huge problem of organised crime, and we know its source of income is drugs," Home Affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters at Belgium's Antwerp port, where police last year seized 116 tons of cocaine, beating record-year 2022 by six extra tons.
Johansson said the increase in drug seizures at the Antwerp port, the highest in the EU, was due to having more boots on the ground but also signalled that there was a higher level of cocaine inflow.
Belgian interior minister Annelies Verlinden added that a Europe with a robust network of its own is the only way to fight the criminal network successfully.
In Europe, nearly 70% of all drug seizures made by customs take place at ports and Europol's chief Catherine De Bolle said that drug trafficking is still the largest criminal market in Europe.
EU ports contribute to 75% of external trade volumes but are particularly vulnerable to drug smuggling and exploitation by high-risk criminal networks, with Port of Antwerp-Bruges CEO Jacques Vandermeiren telling Belgian media last year that measures were needed to fight organised drug crime.
"Port companies are victims of this problem. Their workers are approached and threatened by criminals," Vandermeiren told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad last year.
The partnership, which also involves the help of Europol and Eurojust, will give 200 million euros to help EU customs and aims to raise awareness while also supporting port authorities. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/eu-teams-up-with-several-european-ports-in-war-on-drugs
| 2024-01-24T20:23:06Z
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BERLIN - Britain has offered Germany a swap of cruise missiles that could allow the German government a way to overcome concerns over a suggested delivery of missiles to Ukraine, Germen newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday.
Kyiv has been pushing Berlin to supply its Taurus missiles, which could give Ukraine the ability to cause significant damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory, but the German government has remained hesitant out of concern that could trigger an international escalation of the conflict.
The paper cited government and diplomatic sources as saying that the British government has proposed to Berlin several weeks ago that it could export Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine and, in turn, receive the German Taurus missiles.
The office of German chancellor Olaf Scholz has been analysing this proposal, the report added.
The German government declined to comment.
A person familiar with the negotiations said that the proposed swap could potentially find support in Berlin.
The German government has repeatedly said it will only act in concert with Washington on arms deliveries to Ukraine. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-24T20:23:16Z
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COPENHAGEN - Maersk said explosions nearby forced two ships operated by its US subsidiary and carrying US military supplies to turn around when they were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait northbound accompanied by the US Navy.
“While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles,” Maersk said in a statement, adding it was suspending Red Sea transits by vessels of the US subsidiary.
Both vessels are operated by Maersk Line, Limited (MLL), its US subsidiary that carries cargo for the Department of Defence, Department of State, USAID, and other US government agencies.
They are both enrolled in the Maritime Security Programme (MSP) and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) with the US government, which is why they were escorted through the strait by US Navy vessels, Maersk said.
MSP and VISA are programmes run by the US Defence Department to transport forces, supplies and equipment during times of war or national emergency.
The vessels and crew were unharmed and were being escorted back to the Gulf of Aden by the US Navy, Maersk said. Bab al-Mandab is the outlet of the Red Sea, between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast.
Yemen’s Houthi forces on Jan 24 fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles towards the US-flagged container ship Maersk Detroit as it was transiting the Gulf of Aden, the US Central Command said separately.
There were no reports of injuries or damage to the ship, it added in a statement.
On Jan 5, Maersk said it would divert its container vessels away from the Red Sea for the foreseeable future. Until Wednesday, MLL ships were the exception, but that would no longer be the case, Maersk said.
“Following the escalation of risk, MLL is suspending transits in the region until further notice,” it said on Jan 24.
Seafarers remain in the firing line, and have signed agreements to receive double pay when going into the high risk zones.
“There’s a feeling of vulnerability,” Mr Stephen Cotton, general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, the leading union for seafarers, told Reuters.
“The feedback from the (ship) captains is certainly on the container trades, they are much happier to go around the Cape.”
US maritime labour organisations have been separately concerned about the impact on US flagged ships, which in recent weeks have been subjected to what nine unions called “the most significant attacks on the United States Merchant Marine in more than half a century”.
“It is critically important that US-flag vessels carrying commercial, military and foreign aid cargoes are provided the necessary protection from the United States military as they transit the increasingly treacherous waters of the Red Sea,” the unions wrote in a Jan 19 letter to the US Transport Command. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/us-navy-intercepts-missiles-in-red-sea-while-escorting-maersk-ships
| 2024-01-24T20:23:27Z
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Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart have one of the most steady unions in Hollywood, having been together for two decades, and married for over 13 years.
Ford, 81, and Flockhart, 59, have also been seen supporting each other on the red carpet more so than usual, most notably at the Critics Choice Awards, where the actor was honored with the Career Achievement Award (which you can watch in the clip below).
Flockhart was a guest on the latest installment of Live with Kelly and Mark, where she was asked about the moment, and host Kelly Ripa praised their relationship.
"Dare I say, you bring out the soft, puppy dog side of Harrison Ford we mortals might not necessarily know is there," she said, referencing the screen legend's famously gruff demeanor.
Flockhart played along with the joke, leaning in to tell the daytime host: "I have something…he's afraid of me," which left the entire studio in hysterics as she proudly watched.
"I'm just saying," she quipped, with Kelly telling her co-host and husband Mark Consuelos: "Pay attention to that," and he couldn't bring himself to disagree with her.
"He was so emotional, and so were you," Kelly continued, to which the Ally McBeal star responded: "It was so beautiful. His body of work is so incredible, and it was so well deserved. I feel very proud of him and happy for him."
The All My Children actor then posed an interesting question to his guest, asking: "Do you have a favorite Harrison Ford movie?" and while many would expect her to list off one of the beloved Indiana Jones or Star Wars flicks, her answer was quite unexpected.
"I have a few, but I would have to say, right off the bat, The Mosquito Coast," she replied. The 1986 drama, directed by Peter Weir and co-starring Helen Mirren, Andrew Gregory, and River Phoenix, was initially a critical and commercial disappointment.
At the time, it was the only Harrison Ford movie to not break even at the box office. However, it has since been reviewed much more positively and holds a 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
MORE: Harrison Ford reveals surprising insight into life with son Liam and Calista Flockhart
In an earlier interview with People, the Feud actress spoke about her husband thanking her in his Critics Choice speech for offering him her "support," and she affirmed that it was in fact mutual. "He supports me a lot. It's a mutual thing."
The couple met at the 2002 Golden Globes, almost exactly 22 years ago, and quickly embarked on a relationship, with the Shrinking star telling HELLO! in 2003: "I'm in love."
MORE: How Harrison Ford's son Liam with Calista Flockhart is different from his other children
"Romantic love is one of the most exciting and fulfilling kinds of love and I think there is a potential for it at any stage of your life," he continued. "I was not surprised that I was able to fall in love, and I wasn't surprised that I did."
In 2009, they announced their engagement and in June 2010, eight years after they started dating, they tied the knot in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Flockhart had adopted a son, Liam, a year before meeting the actor, and Liam was in turn adopted by Ford shortly after the wedding.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/511997/calista-flockhart-reveals-why-harrison-ford-is-different-around-her/
| 2024-01-24T20:23:46Z
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Harry Clark has made quite the impression after joining season two of The Traitors. Hailed as 'the greatest player ever', the 22-year-old has even surprised his girlfriend – influencer Anna Maynard – with his antics on the show.
Following Harry's betrayal of Paul, Anna joked that she was "putting him up for sale" after seeing how "unloyal" and "dishonest" he'd been. Taking to Instagram, she wrote: "I think we should debrief on that episode, don't you? Erm, if anyone wants an unfaithful, unloyal, dishonest, a traitor as a boyfriend, be my guest.
"I'm putting him up for sale. I don't need that energy in my life, like, this whole thing, my perception has just changed. I'm sure there will be lots of you, I'm sure."
No stranger to the world of reality TV, Anna herself has appeared on our screens before, presenting CBBC's Got What It Takes. And she's also got two famous brothers. Want to learn more? Keep reading…
Meet Harry Clark's girlfriend Anna Maynard
Recognised for her presenting gig on CBBC, Anna also boasts an impressive following, with 151k followers on Instagram, not to mention 325k subscribers on YouTube. The 23-year-old, who's based in Brighton, has famous relatives too. Among them, are brothers Conor and Jack Maynard.
An established singer, Conor, 31, has released three albums, and he's also had a stint on Broadway, playing the lead role in Kinky Boots from 2018 to 2019. The 31-year-old is also known to release covers on his YouTube channel, and he's even roped Anna in for a performance or two.
Meanwhile, Jack, 29, is a full-time entertainer and content creator, who appeared on the 2017 series of I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here.
In the past, Anna has joked about what it's like growing up with two famous brothers. Posting on Instagram in May, she quipped that being Conor Maynard's sister has become her "personality trait at this point." Nonetheless, Anna's determined to chart her own course, regardless of family relations.
MORE: The Traitors star Miles talks response to ‘murdering’ Diane: ‘I’m the real victim here’
READ: The Traitors season two: who has been banished or murdered so far?
When did Harry Clark and Anna Maynard start dating?
The couple got together in April 2022, and they've been going strong ever since.
Opening up about their relationship in January 2023, Anna revealed that they'd first met in a nightclub. "I feel like you always meet people when you're least expecting it," she said, explaining that she wasn't "in a position to consider having a boyfriend," at the time.
Following their fortuitous meeting, the pair have since travelled extensively together, with Anna calling Harry "the one."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511852/the-traitors-star-harry-clark-who-is-his-famous-girlfriend-anna-maynard/
| 2024-01-24T20:23:52Z
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Viewers were startled on Wednesday when subtitles drastically misquoted Carol Kirkwood, with the popular weather presenter being alerted to the gaffe following the morning's live BBC Breakfast broadcast.
Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to share that subtitles said that she'd uttered the words "50 bras" when she was actually talking about strong winds, with one social media user posting a screenshot to the site.
They captioned it: "As if the wind wasn’t enough, poor @carolkirkwood has to contend with erroneous captions @bbcweather. Thank you for giving me a big chuckle this morning!!"
Carol responded after the show had ended, with the down-to-earth star writing: "WHAT?!!! Good grief!! [laughing emoji] x."
Carol was mis-quoted in the subtitles
The weather presenter only recently returned to TV screens following time off after her winter wedding to new husband Steve Randall. The happy couple tied the knot in late December in what Carol later described as an "intimate" ceremony.
"It was the most perfect and romantic and intimate wedding. We are both so incredibly happy," she told BBC Breakfast after sharing photos from the special day.
The 61-year-old weather presenter looked breathtakingly beautiful for her second wedding, which took place in Buckinghamshire. Carol, who has been a regular face on our screens since 1998, wore a satin wedding gown with a fitted waist and a striking Bardot neckline.
The princess-style gown boasted a full skirt and was perfectly paired with a simple silver necklace. Carol styled her blonde locks in a classic updo, with loose curls framing her face.
Her makeup look was glowing and natural, with a sweep of rosy blusher highlighting her cheeks and pink gloss on her lips. Steve, 48, meanwhile looked dapper in a black suit with a silver tie.
Carol's colleagues past and present were moved by the first-look photos, taking to Instagram to express their congratulations to the happy couple.
Dan Walker shared: "Congratulations to Carol and Steve. Steve is one very fortunate gentleman and Carol is the best of us all. She is kind, caring, brilliant at her job and a wonderful person to be around. I wish them every happiness in their new life together."
Steph McGovern commented: "How gorgeous and happy do Carol and Steve look? Congratulations. So pleased for you both". Carol recently confessed her plan to wed Steve in secret before "[telling] everyone later" so it seems none of her colleagues were invited to her special day.
While speaking to an audience at Good Housekeeping Live earlier in the year, she admitted that she should "get on with it", adding: "I imagine we are just going to go and do it and tell everyone about it later."
The TV star also opened up about her relationship with Steve, explaining that she wasn't looking for romance when they first met. "Steve came into my life when I was already very happy, I didn't need a man in my life — but I want him in my life — and that's the difference," she said. The couple, who live in Berkshire, have largely kept their romance out of the public eye.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511998/bbc-star-carol-kirkwood-reacts-fan-comments-on-air-blunder/
| 2024-01-24T20:23:58Z
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Eva Mendes is finally sharing her own take on her longtime partner Ryan Gosling's nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his turn as Ken in Barbie.
The 49-year-old actress couldn't be prouder of her boyfriend, 43, and the father to their daughters Esmeralda, nine, and Amada, seven, and stated as such on Instagram.
Eva referenced the polarized reactions the Canadian-American actor first received when the first poster of him as Ken was released, with many criticizing him for being "too old" to play the character.
However, since then, Ryan has been inundated with immense critical acclaim for his performance, being a major player all throughout awards season, culminating with his well-deserved Oscar nod.
Eva shared excerpts from an article from The Rolling Stone that derided his casting in the Greta Gerwig-helmed project, and she wrote alongside it: "So proud of my man.
"So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it. Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars."
She concluded with a sweet: "So beyond proud to be this Ken's Barbie," and received a barrage of positive responses from fans, who praised Ryan's work and gushed over their private but loving relationship.
Fellow Barbie star America Ferrera, who also received a nod for Best Supporting Actress, responded with a comment that read: "He is brilliant as Ken! Pulled off a triple somersault performance! We're so lucky it was him and I'm so grateful for the way he showed up with his super stardom, and continues to show up to support all the women in this process!! He is a class act and insanely deserving and talented."
POPULAR: Eva Mendes shares rare picture of holiday celebration at home with Ryan Gosling and two daughters
While the Hitch star hasn't done any red carpets or press with her partner during the movie's promotional and awards circuit, she has been consistently supportive from the jump.
However, while Ryan's nomination was received well, the exclusion of his co-star Margot Robbie from the Best Actress category and that of Greta from Best Director caused a considerable stir online.
The La La Land star shared a personal statement on the matter soon after, stating emphatically: "There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film."
He continued to uplift the film's two main leads, adding: "No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius.
"To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement."
MORE: Where to watch the biggest award winners' movies and TV shows of 2024
Ryan added: "Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees."
However, he ended by expressing his gratitude and cheering on the other nominees. "Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511999/eva-mendes-reacts-ryan-gosling-oscar-nomination-for-barbie/
| 2024-01-24T20:24:05Z
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Jennifer Garner is one of the most famous stars in Hollywood but is notoriously private about her family.
However, the down-to-earth star lifted the lid into her home life and parenting style in a rare interview with Dr. Aliza Pressman, in the latest episode of her podcast, Raising Good Humans.
Jennifer and Aliza's children go to the same school, and know each other pretty well, making for an incredibly eye-opening chat between two friends.
During the conversation, Jennifer spoke about a recent task she'd given her kids, and reflected on just how different her daughters, Violet, 18, and Seraphina, 13, are in the temperament.
When Violet and Seraphina were asked to write some of their goals for the upcoming year, they couldn't have been more different.
"It was interesting thinking about temperament. Their personal mission statements and value statements were as if they had never met," Jennifer explained.
The 13 Going on 30 star went on to reveal that this was part of a New Year's Eve tradition that she does every year with her kids, letting them all open up about their hopes and feelings.
"On New Year's Eve, my kids and I, we always do something, we write down something we want to let go of, something we want to manifest, etc," she said.
The doting mom - who shares Violet, Seraphina, and 11-year-old Samuel with ex-husband Ben Affleck - added: "They never show it to me, I wish! I let them have their privacy whatever...!"
During the chat, Jennifer also spoke about how her number one hope for all her children was for them to have a sense of humor. "Funny is number one. Please be funny, that's why I had you," she joked. Luckily, it appears she got her wish: "Check, check, check, that's one thing, thank god!" she concluded.
The star went on to speak about the importance of having her own life in order to give her children space to grow and be themselves. "When I had my first, I was so over that kid," she admitted.
"The best thing for them was for me to build up my own life so I wasn't so on top of them It gives them space."
Jennifer has done an incredible job at shielding her children from the public glare of Hollywood and never shares photos of them on social media.
The family live in a beautiful home in Los Angeles, close to Ben and Jennifer Lopez's house, so that the children can see both parents easily.
Parenting expert Lucy Shrimpton recently told HELLO!: "Jennifer Garner seems like the type of mum you’d just want to be friends with – or have! She seems laid back, caring, present and confident."
What's more, the 13 Going on 30 actress recently asked her children for advice when it came to playing a teenager in the recent movie Family Switch.
Lucy observed: "By taking advice from her kids on her professional career Jennifer shows that she values their opinion, and she should as after all it is their demographic that her films often want to target! Not only is she encouraging them as she shows that she trusts their opinion but she is teaching them to listen to others’ advice and be open minded to their thoughts."
Read more HELLO! US stories here
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/512000/jennifer-garner-talks-daughters-contrasting-personalities-rare-interview/
| 2024-01-24T20:24:11Z
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The EU is preparing additional sanctions against Russia and financial support for Kyiv before the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the Financial Times and Bloomberg. The measures aim to boost waning Western assistance to Ukraine as the war continues.
The package includes a 13th round of sanctions targeting Russian businesses and individuals connected to the 2022 invasion, as well as a long-delayed agreement on €50 billion ($54.5 bn) for Kyiv over four years. Some funds could be released immediately once a deal is reached, the FT reports.
In December 2023, the European Union implemented its most recent 12th sanctions package, which involved prohibiting the import of Russian diamonds, tightening controls on Russia’s procurement of military-use goods, and imposing stricter regulations on the $60-per-barrel price limit for oil.
EU adopts 12th package of economic and individual sanctions against Russia
The new EU sanctions will focus on expanding the asset freeze and travel ban list, per people familiar with the talks. Discussions are ongoing over establishing a new fund to provide Ukraine military aid. Some EU nations want to use the fund to revamp the current funding mechanism, known as the European Peace Facility.
The EU may also sanction an embargo of Russian aluminum, according to Politico. This would impact the Russian energy sector if the restrictions are approved. However, the EU’s stance on aluminum sanctions remains uncertain.
The bloc’s foreign affairs arm proposed giving the fund an annual budget of about €5 billion but has not achieved consensus among member states.
The €50 billion aid package, suggested last year, has been held up by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The European Commission is now open to concessions to get Orbán’s support, including allowing him to review the aid later.
The FT reports confidence among EU diplomats that Orbán will eventually relent, as he has on past Ukraine-related measures. Part of the aid could be advanced to Ukraine quickly after approval to help it avoid economic collapse.
Read more:
- EU imposes sanctions on Russia’s Alrosa, world’s largest diamond mining company
- Ukrainian activists to call on EU to impose more sanctions on Russia over blocking POWs exchanges
- Zelenskyy imposes sanctions on Russian individuals, companies operating in occupied territories of Ukraine
- EU adopts 12th package of economic and individual sanctions against Russia
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| 2024-01-24T20:36:51Z
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On 24 January around 4 pm Kyiv time, Russian forces shelled the town of Hirnyk in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, leaving two dead and eight injured, according to the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
“According to preliminary data, the occupiers struck the town with a missile. Two women, aged 66 and 84, were killed,” the statement on Facebook said.
Among the wounded were minors, specified Vadym Filashkin, head of Donetsk Regional Military Administration.
“A 16-year-old boy is in extremely critical condition. Two apartment buildings and 43 private houses have been damaged,” he wrote on Facebook.
Filashkin also urged the evacuation of all those who still remain in the Ukraine-controlled territory of Donetsk Oblast, as Russia seeks to capture it completely with intense ongoing battles centered around Avdiivka.
Read more:
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/24/russia-shells-hirnyk-donetsk-oblast-2-women-killed-teen-critically-injured/
| 2024-01-24T20:37:31Z
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Moscow has summoned an urgent session of the UN Security Council in connection with the crash of the IL-76 in the Belgorod region, stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as reported by the BBC.
“Moscow hopes that the French presidency [France currently presides over the UN Security Council] will schedule the meeting as soon as possible,” Lavrov said.
The BBC clarifies that Russia expects the session to be held on Wednesday, 24 January, at 3:00 PM New York time (10:00 PM Kyiv time).
On 24 January, a Russian IL-76 military cargo plane crashed in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the plane, which they claim was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers for a prisoner exchange, in what it called a “barbaric act of terrorism” that killed 74 people total.
The Russian Defense Ministry said there were six Russian crew members and three Russian soldiers on the IL-76 military transport plane.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reacted to the crash of the Russian IL-76 in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. Their statement can be seen as a hint, but not a direct confirmation that the Ukrainian military shot down the Russian plane.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to take measures to destroy means of delivery and airspace control in order to eliminate the terrorist threat, including in the Belgorod-Kharkiv direction,” the statement published on Facebook says.
So while not an outright admission, the General Staff’s vow to keep targeting Russian assets near the border leaves open the possibility Ukraine was behind the IL-76’s downing.
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate has confirmed that a prisoner exchange scheduled for 24 January did not occur but they “currently lack reliable information on who exactly was aboard”.
Ukraine’s intelligence also stressed that Ukraine fulfilled all preparations for the prisoner swap, delivering Russian prisoners to the agreed location where they stayed unharmed. Yet Russia, responsible for Ukrainian POWs’ safety, gave no heads-up about securing airspace near Belgorod when transferring them, despite past coordination.
“Landing a transport plane in an active 30km battle zone endangers any prisoner exchange unless coordinated by both sides. Russia’s failure to discuss risks could signal premeditated attempts to destabilize Ukraine and erode our international backing,” Ukraine’s intelligence state on Facebook.
Mykhailo Podoliak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, told Reuters: “Comments will come a little later. Time is needed to clarify all the data.”
So far, Russia’s claims cannot be verified, however they raise doubts. First, it is difficult to imagine how 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were guarded by only three Russian military men. Second, as one Ukrainian OSINT analyst told RBC-Ukraine, the crashed IL-76 aircraft with registration number RA-78830 previously flew through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea and Iran, disappeared from radars near Syria, and then reappeared over Belgorod.
So, according to the analyst’s version, “everything indicates that the IL-76 was transporting weapons from the East and so far there are no signs that POWs could have been there.”
Read more:
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/24/russia-urgently-convenes-un-security-council-after-il-76-crash/
| 2024-01-24T20:38:11Z
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The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reacted to the crash of the Russian IL-76 in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. Their statement can be seen as a hint, but not a direct confirmation that the Ukrainian military shot down the Russian plane.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to take measures to destroy means of delivery and airspace control in order to eliminate the terrorist threat, including in the Belgorod-Kharkiv direction,” the statement published on Facebook says.
So while not an outright admission, the General Staff’s vow to keep targeting Russian assets near the border leaves open the possibility Ukraine was behind the IL-76’s downing.
On 24 January, a Russian IL-76 military cargo plane crashed in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the plane, which they claim was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers for a prisoner exchange, in what it called a “barbaric act of terrorism” that killed 74 people total.
Video captures the moment of the Russian transport IL-76 crash in Belgorod Oblast, Russia.
The Kremlin says the Ukrainian army shot down the plane, claiming dozens of 🇺🇦 POWs on board. Ukrainian military officials yet to comment. pic.twitter.com/1UbHeuxKjl
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) January 24, 2024
The Russian Defense Ministry said there were six Russian crew members and three Russian soldiers on the IL-76 military transport plane.
A representative of the Chief Intelligence Directorate, Andriy Yusov, confirmed to Radio Liberty that a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was scheduled for January 24. According to Yusov, whether any Ukrainian prisoners of war were aboard the Russian IL-76 is still being verified.
Mykhailo Podoliak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, told Reuters: “Comments will come a little later. Time is needed to clarify all the data.”
So far, Russia’s claims cannot be verified, however they raise doubts. First, it is difficult to imagine how 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were guarded by only three Russian military men. Second, as one Ukrainian OSINT analyst told RBC-Ukraine, the crashed IL-76 aircraft with registration number RA-78830 previously flew through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea and Iran, disappeared from radars near Syria, and then reappeared over Belgorod.
So, according to the analyst’s version, “everything indicates that the IL-76 was transporting weapons from the East and so far there are no signs that POWs could have been there.”
Read more:
- Ukraine: prisoner swap planned, POWs’ presence on crashed Russian IL-76 still unclear
- Russian IL-76 aircraft crashes in Belgorod Oblast, Russia claims it carried Ukrainian POWs
- ISW: Russian air operations drop over Azov Sea after Ukraine strikes hit radar plane, command aircraft
- Ukraine’s top general wants more military aircraft to turn the tide of war
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/24/ukraine-military-on-russian-il-76-hints-but-no-clarity/
| 2024-01-24T20:38:51Z
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Russia accuses Ukraine of shooting down its military transport plane IL-76. It says there were 65 Ukrainian POWs on board.
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate has confirmed that a prisoner exchange scheduled for 24 January did not occur.
“A prisoner swap planned for today did not occur. Russia claims this resulted from their IL-76 being downed while allegedly carrying Ukrainian captives. We currently lack reliable information on who exactly was aboard,” Ukraine’s intelligence said on Telegram.
Ukraine’s intelligence also stressed that Ukraine fulfilled all preparations for the prisoner swap, delivering Russian prisoners to the agreed location where they stayed unharmed. Yet Russia, responsible for Ukrainian POWs’ safety, gave no heads-up about securing airspace near Belgorod when transferring them, despite past coordination.
“Landing a transport plane in an active 30km battle zone endangers any prisoner exchange unless coordinated by both sides. Russia’s failure to discuss risks could signal premeditated attempts to destabilize Ukraine and erode our international backing,” Ukraine’s intelligence determined.
On 24 January, a Russian IL-76 military cargo plane crashed in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the plane, which they claim was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers for a prisoner exchange, in what it called a “barbaric act of terrorism” that killed 74 people total.
Video captures the moment of the Russian transport IL-76 crash in Belgorod Oblast, Russia.
The Kremlin says the Ukrainian army shot down the plane, claiming dozens of 🇺🇦 POWs on board. Ukrainian military officials yet to comment. pic.twitter.com/1UbHeuxKjl
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) January 24, 2024
The Russian Defense Ministry said there were six Russian crew members and three Russian soldiers on the IL-76 military transport plane.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reacted to the crash of the Russian IL-76 in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. Their statement can be seen as a hint, but not a direct confirmation that the Ukrainian military shot down the Russian plane.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to take measures to destroy means of delivery and airspace control in order to eliminate the terrorist threat, including in the Belgorod-Kharkiv direction,” the statement published on Facebook says.
So while not an outright admission, the General Staff’s vow to keep targeting Russian assets near the border leaves open the possibility Ukraine was behind the IL-76’s downing.
A representative of the Chief Intelligence Directorate, Andriy Yusov, confirmed to Radio Liberty that a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was scheduled for January 24. According to Yusov, whether any Ukrainian prisoners of war were aboard the Russian IL-76 is still being verified.
Mykhailo Podoliak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, told Reuters: “Comments will come a little later. Time is needed to clarify all the data.”
So far, Russia’s claims cannot be verified, however they raise doubts. First, it is difficult to imagine how 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were guarded by only three Russian military men. Second, as one Ukrainian OSINT analyst told RBC-Ukraine, the crashed IL-76 aircraft with registration number RA-78830 previously flew through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea and Iran, disappeared from radars near Syria, and then reappeared over Belgorod.
So, according to the analyst’s version, “everything indicates that the IL-76 was transporting weapons from the East and so far there are no signs that POWs could have been there.”
Read more:
- Ukraine military on Russian IL-76: Hints but no clarity
- Ukraine: prisoner swap planned, POWs’ presence on crashed Russian IL-76 still unclear
- Russian IL-76 aircraft crashes in Belgorod Oblast, Russia claims it carried Ukrainian POWs
- ISW: Russian air operations drop over Azov Sea after Ukraine strikes hit radar plane, command aircraft
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/24/ukraine-prisoner-swap-with-russia-fails/
| 2024-01-24T20:39:31Z
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The emergence of treponemal diseases, the unpleasant gang of illnesses that includes syphilis and yaws, has been a long-standing mystery that’s been hotly debated for decades. Thanks to a new study, the bodies of four prehistoric people found in Brazil have recently added an intriguing piece to the puzzle.
Scientists at the University of Zürich have managed to get their hands on the oldest known genomes of Treponema pallidum bacteria from a set of prehistoric human remains found in Brazil. Dating to around 2,000 years old, they're the oldest reconstructed ancient T. pallidum strains by more than 1,000 years.
The strains were obtained from human remains discovered at Jabuticabeira II in the Laguna region of Santa Catarina along the Brazilian coast. Among the many bodies discovered at the site, at least four individuals had been infected with a treponemal disease.
Using advanced genomic techniques, the team managed to piece together and reconstruct the genomes of the T. pallidum bacteria that had infected them.
These people would not have been suffering from venereal syphilis, the notorious sexually transmitted infection. There are three subspecies of T. pallidum, each of which causes a different disease: yaws, bejel, and syphilis.
Analysis of the genomes indicates the bacteria were most closely related to the modern subspecies that causes bejel, also known as nonvenereal endemic syphilis, a condition that causes lesions of the skin and bones.
Nevertheless, the research may help shed some light on the subspecies of T. pallidum bacteria that causes the sexually transmitted form of syphilis.
“With molecular clock dating, one can illuminate the evolution of a species by calculating the divergence times of the whole T. pallidum family and the difference subspecies. With these calculations, we can see that the venereal syphilis-causing strains evolved later than the bejel-causing strains,” Verena Schünemann, study author from the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zürich, told IFLScience.
“Now we have an idea that treponemal diseases were present in pre-Columbian America and can even identify the subspecies. Although we cannot yet uncover the origins of the venereal syphilis subspecies, it shows that other subspecies such as bejel-causing strains also played an important role in the past and need to be integrated into these theories,” she added.
Most crucially, the study shows unequivocal evidence that treponemal diseases were present in the Americas before European colonization.
How they got here, however, remains unclear. Maybe T. pallidum originated here in the Americas through a local zoonotic spillover or perhaps it was brought over from Eurasia during the early human migrations into the Americas.
When looking at the global spread of syphilis, the best known of all treponemal diseases, it’s often assumed that the crew who sailed with Christopher Columbus brought the bacteria back to Europe in the late 15th century after colonizing the Americas and “intermingling” with the locals. The first documented outbreak of syphilis occurred in 1495 CE when the army of France’s Charles VIII fell sick with the bug during an invasion of Naples.
While it might seem that evidence of treponemal disease in pre-Columbian America affirms this theory, the researchers' previous work on T. pallidum strains in Early Modern Europe suggests the opposite: the T. pallidum family was likely to be lurking across the world long before Columbus set foot in America.
“The existence of a treponemal disease in prehistoric South America and the resulting molecular clock dating of the divergence time of the Treponema pallidum family (12,000-550 BCE) suggests that the bacterial family had already spread globally in pre-contact times or emerged on the American continent,” Schünemann explained.
“Based on these results we cannot favor one of the two options. However, if we also take previous studies into account, like the huge diversity of three different T. pallidum lineages that we found in 15th-17th century Europe, it seems to be more likely that the bacterial family [was] already prevalent globally before Columbus sailed to the Americas,” she concluded.
The study is published in the journal Nature.
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https://www.iflscience.com/2000-year-old-bones-in-brazil-shed-light-on-the-family-tree-of-syphilis-72611
| 2024-01-24T21:19:03Z
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Dotted throughout the mountainous Kabayan municipality in the Philippines, dozens of secretly concealed "fire mummies" have lain undisturbed for hundreds of years. Known by locals as meking, these well-preserved corpses belong to the ancient ancestors of the Indigenous Ibaloi, yet environmental changes now threaten to destroy these revered remains.
The popular term "fire mummy" derives from the process by which these bodies were preserved. Though the exact mummification method has never been written down and is now largely forgotten, it’s believed that the meking were smoked over long periods, resulting in an excellent state of preservation.
The mummified bodies were then placed in caves atop the highest mountains in the Benguet region. At altitudes of almost 3,000 meters (9,840 feet), the cold mountain conditions helped to protect the bodies from degradation and decay, although climate change, leaks, and human interference have seen some of these mummies become infested with mold and insects.
In an attempt to preserve the meking, researchers from the University of Melbourne have installed environmental monitors in some of the caves that house these ancient mummies. This will allow scientists to track changes in moisture and temperature before deciding on the best course of action to protect the mummies.
And while the team is hopeful of safeguarding the fire mummies’ future, other researchers are still trying to piece together the history of these macabre relics. Because the secrets of the Kabayan mummification process have only been passed down by word of mouth, the discontinuation of the tradition means that many of the details have now been lost.
For instance, no one knows exactly how many mummies exist or where their caves are located. It’s also unclear how and when the tradition started, although local legend suggests that the first person to become a fire mummy was a 12th-century ruler and demigod named Apu Anno.
Like many other fire mummies, Apu Anno’s body was so immaculately preserved that the tattoos covering his body are still visible. Stolen from its resting place in 1918, the legendary leader’s mummy was later paraded as a carnival attraction in Manila before winding up in an antique shop, only to be finally returned to the Ibaloi in 1999.
Sadly, Apu Anno’s mummified body is currently invaded with fungal spores and now lies in a cave that cannot be accessed by the public while scientists attempt to preserve the corpse.
So far, researchers have not accurately dated the remains of Apu Anno, although radiocarbon dating of other fire mummies has indicated that some are between 150 and 200 years old. This suggests that Kabayan mummification was practiced all the way up to the 19th century.
The procedure itself is also largely unknown, although it’s believed that bodies were strapped to a contraption called a "death chair" while they were cleansed with salt water and dried with the smoke of burning herbs. No one knows for sure which plants were used, although interviews with local Indigenous elders have indicated that many of the ingredients – including a native plant called Embelia philippinensis – were specifically chosen for their antimicrobial properties.
According to local beliefs, the meking were placed atop mountains so they could be closer to the gods. Unless their destruction is averted, some believe that disaster will befall present and future generations of the Ibaloi.
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https://www.iflscience.com/ancient-fire-mummies-residing-on-philippine-mountaintops-are-at-risk-of-destruction-72606
| 2024-01-24T21:19:09Z
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Animals should have the right to vote, according to a recent paper. Check your calendars – we promise it’s not April Fool’s Day yet.
“The idea that animals should have the right to vote sounds preposterous,” the paper begins, accurately summarizing most people’s thoughts upon reading that headline. But, author Ioan-Radu Motoarcă goes on to argue, it may be worth a second look.
Debates around the “personhood” of certain animals have raged for many years. In a world where an actual body of water was granted personhood status, the idea of the same protections being afforded to an orangutan or Pablo Escobar’s smuggled hippos quickly begin to sound less farfetched.
Granting suffrage to animals might be considered a natural extension of these conversations. Motoarcă clarifies that there is no suggestion of animals lining up two-by-two at the ballot box. Rather, the system would involve “appointed representatives casting votes on behalf of animals”. Again, there is a precedent for something like this: Some governments already allow representatives to stand up for the legal rights of animals, and individual animals have been named as plaintiffs in US federal lawsuits.
In 2018, for example, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit on behalf of an 8-year-old horse called Justice, seeking to recover medical costs and compensation from his owner Gwendolyn Vercher, who had previously pleaded guilty to criminal neglect. And there’s the famous case of Tilikum v. Sea World Parks & Entertainment, Inc., brought on behalf of an orca who became a household name after the damning documentary Blackfish shone a light on the controversial practice of holding the species in captivity.
In a similar way, Motoarcă argues, animals could have their votes cast by a human proxy. But before you sit down with your pet cat to find out their opinions on government spending or foreign policy, you should know that Motoarcă is suggesting animal voting be restricted to issues that directly impact them.
“[A]nimal proxies would not be voting on bankruptcy reform or securities regulation, but could vote on issues like the mandatory size of chicken cages on industrial farms,” the paper explains.
Underpinning this mildly farcical discussion is a serious point: the “all affected interests” principle, which states that everyone affected by the decisions of a government should have the right to participate in the political process.
Unthinkable though it may be to many in the modern world, arguments for restricting voting rights solely to white male landowners used to sound reasonable, even obvious, to lots of people. Motoarcă argues that having animals participate in our democracy “is a natural extension of our best theories concerning the constitution of a democratic community.”
The paper makes the case that a lack of physical or mental competence to vote on the part of animals should not be a barrier. People with physical disabilities are not disenfranchised, so similar accommodations could be applied to animals. As to the competence question, Motoarcă explains how that very quickly gets into tricky territory, and that any “test” of political competence risks “unjust treatment” of other groups, such as adults with intellectual disabilities who should retain the right to vote.
Clearly, this is all very complex. Motoarcă does not go so far as to designate which animals might be covered by the proposed voting system, and the whole thing would require extensive legal wrangling.
Rest assured, no one is going to ask you to submit Fluffy’s vote along with your own in November’s presidential election. But in a year that will almost certainly see major political upheaval on both sides of the Atlantic, this paper certainly puts forward some intriguing arguments to consider.
Ultimately, Motoarcă says that “there is no way of satisfactorily showing that extending the franchise to animals would have worse electoral outcomes than the status quo.”
So: Votes For Chickens? Stranger things have happened.
The study is published in the journal Analysis.
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https://www.iflscience.com/animals-should-be-able-to-vote-on-issues-that-matter-to-them-says-new-paper-72609
| 2024-01-24T21:19:15Z
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Dolphins have been observed interacting with manatee calves in unusual behavior, some of which has been aggressive and hostile. But while researchers are not sure why they are doing it, it is clearly deliberate.
Over a 21-year period, researchers documented 10 interactions between bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) and Antillean manatee calves (Trichechus manatus manatus) in Belize, in the Caribbean Sea. The interactions, which were directed at orphaned calves as well as those accompanied by their mothers, are complex and hard to understand, but some were just outright violence.
Bottlenose dolphins and Antillean manatees share their range and preferred habitats in these waters where they hunt and forage among the same seagrasses. This likely increases the chances of them encountering one another, but it is not currently clear whether the aggressive behaviors recorded by researchers were due to random encounters or whether they were targeted.
“The dynamics of these interactions remain poorly understood,” Dr Eric A. Ramos and colleagues write in a new paper on the subject. “For example, it is unclear whether dolphins encountered calves by chance or not, or if they approached and interacted with them out of curiosity, or if they actively sought out lone calves, or if dolphins separated the calves from their mothers.”
But “regardless of the circumstances by which encounters took place, dolphins clearly initiated interactions with manatee calves in all cases.”
Ambiguous and unambiguous activities
Although scientists are still not sure what is going on, dolphins are known to display certain behaviors towards their own young and the calves of other species. Some of these behaviors were observed between dolphins and manatee calves.
For instance, in one case described by Ramos and his team, a group of five adult dolphins were seen interacting with a young manatee in 1999. The group detected a manatee calf and then “surrounded” it. But in this interaction, the behavior observed appeared to be “affiliative” as the animals rubbed against the calf and demonstrated supportive behaviors similar to those practiced with their own young.
But in other cases, things got a bit murkier or turned nasty.
In 2015, an adult dolphin appeared to be harassing a baby manatee on footage recorded by bystanders. In 2018, four dolphins were seen interacting with a group of manatees. These animals appeared to be harassing a mother and trying to separate her from her calf. Then a single adult dolphin focused in on the calf and “was observed displaying aggression and attacking” it. This included ramming the calf and biting it. The calf was manually retrieved by conservationists and rehabilitated.
In 2009, a sick solitary female manatee calf was rescued from the water and taken to Belize City to recover. During an examination of its body, the calf had multiple deep skin lacerations and marks consistent with dolphin tooth rakes. The calf recovered from its condition and was reintroduced to the wild in 2012.
The examination of multiple other calves recovered during this period also demonstrated clear signs of attack from dolphins, some of which died before they could be rescued. Although it cannot be said that their deaths were a direct result of these attacks, it does show that these animals are interacting more frequently than previously thought and that the nature of these interactions is complex.
“Identifying if interactions with dolphins contributed to the death of manatee calves was not possible,” the authors write. “For example, bottlenose dolphins interacting with a manatee calf may unintentionally or intentionally separate it from its mother leading to a mother-calf separation. Additionally, these calves may be physically impaired and have underlying health complications that increase their likelihood of becoming lost or abandoned by their mothers.”
Understanding what is going on here and what the driving forces behind these interactions are will require further investigation.
“Future stranded manatees should be systematically examined and complete necropsies should be conducted to identify the cause of death. The use of aerial drones proved highly effective for describing the interaction between dolphins and manatees at a relatively fine spatial and temporal scales.”
Still, while we are not completely sure what is going on here, the research provides insights into a previously unreported interspecies interactions.
Dolphins can certainly be jerks, as has been observed on many occasions in the past, but if their behavior is impacting the lives of manatees then conservationists need to know, as the latter are already a threatened species.
The study is published in PLOS ONE.
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https://www.iflscience.com/dolphins-are-deliberately-harassing-baby-manatees-but-no-one-knows-why-72607
| 2024-01-24T21:19:21Z
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Of the many alternative ways the universe might end, nothing is as scary as "false vacuum decay". This scenario is based on the idea that a fundamental field in the universe is not at its lowest possible state. Under that “false” stable region, our own universe has grown. The field might spontaneously jump into a more stable value, creating a bubble that wipes out all reality.
We don’t know enough about the field in question – the Higgs field that gives mass to everything – to know how likely this is as a possibility. False vacuum decay is when a not-stable state turns into a true stable state, though In general, there’s a lot we don't understand about how this bubble formation works, especially experimentally. Now, a group of Italian experimentalists and British theoreticians have produced the first experimental evidence of vacuum decay.
"Vacuum decay is thought to play a central role in the creation of space, time, and matter in the Big Bang, but until now there has been no experimental test," explained Ian Moss, Professor of Theoretical Cosmology at Newcastle University. "In particle physics, vacuum decay of the Higgs boson would alter the laws of physics, producing what has been described as the 'ultimate ecological catastrophe'."
For the first time, scientists have observed the bubbles forming in a controlled atmoic system. The analogous setup they used for the false vacuum scenario was a supercooled vapor at a temperature less than a millionth of a degree from absolute zero. This is a metastable state, which means that it's not the most stable configuration but it could stay like that for an indefinite amount of time. You can picture it as a little valley on the side of a hill. The lower energy state is at the bottom but this little dent could work for a while.
In quantum mechanics, things don’t even have to have the extra energy to get out of the little valley. They can simply tunnel and decay to the lowest energy state. In the analogous setup, thermal effects work similarly, leading to the formation of a bubble. The bubble expands leading the system into its lowest energy state, akin to the true vacuum.
"Using the power of ultracold atom experiments to simulate analogs of quantum physics in other systems—in this case, the early universe itself—is a very exciting area of research at the moment," co-author Dr Tom Billam, also at Newcastle, added.
The team's goal is to push the temperature of the system closer and closer to absolute zero. Under those conditions, the thermal effects will become less relevant but the quantum effects should appear, delivering a more accurate analogous to the false vacuum decay.
The study is published in Nature Physics.
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https://www.iflscience.com/first-experimental-evidence-for-the-most-terrifying-way-the-universe-might-end-72603
| 2024-01-24T21:19:27Z
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Animals have a whole range of means to survive the cold, from thick fur and warm dens to simply sleeping through the cold winter months. Alligators might not be the first creatures that come to mind when thinking about survival tactics for cold weather, but videos reveal that freezing right along with the lake is the best way for them to get through a cold snap.
In Texas and North Carolina, videos are emerging on social media of “gatorcicles”. Found in frozen bodies of water, these are alligators that have let the water freeze solidly around them. Only their noses and mouths poke out of the surface of the ice, allowing the animals to breathe.
One video shared by gatorcountytx on TikTok showed exactly that.
According to the South Carolina Aquarium, this is a process called brumation, a period of dormancy where the heart rate and other processes within the body slow down in response to cold weather. In alligators and other reptiles, it consists of a decreased body temperature, lethargy and decreased metabolism.
As these animals are cold-blooded and require warmth from the sun for their metabolism, if the temperatures get too cold, they can die. However, this period of brumation typically lasts 4-5 months in response to cold weather. It's similar to hibernation as the animals go without eating, but it is distinct in that they will continue to drink and are not in quite as deep of a sleep state.
The TikTok account 2guysandsomeland also shared a video of "swamp puppies" frozen in their habitat and it gives a good idea of how out of it these alligators are – the person in the video is able to "boop the snoot", although that's definitely not recommended. And neither is licking them, even if they have been compared to popsicles.
Elsewhere in the US, more frozen animals are causing chaos, as it's "dodge the falling iguana" time again in Florida.
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https://www.iflscience.com/forbidden-frozen-alligator-popsicles-seen-in-north-carolina-and-texas-but-dont-lick-them-72610
| 2024-01-24T21:19:33Z
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Tables get dull pretty quickly. Sure they may have a nice pattern on them, or be made of some particularly fancy wood, but once you've seen one, you've basically seen them all. Just variation after variation of the "big flat thing on top of some legs" model which hasn't really changed since we first started using them.
But spend long enough on the Internet and you will see the fancy design – known as a Tensegrity Table – somehow kept upright despite no obvious lifting from legs.
The tables are not held up by magic, so what is keeping them upright? And would they be of any practical use?
As you'll have intuited at some point, string or malleable wires are not great for pushing. Nobody has ever asked somebody else to "grab that string and help me give this a push", because of the obvious inherent floppiness of string.
These tables are kept upright by the pulling of the string in tension. The tables work with string, paper and harder wires too, though they can only lift what the string is capable of lifting before it will break.
The four wires or strings placed at the corners of the tables are there for overall stability, rather than to provide any upwards force to keep the table upright. The easiest way to see what is keeping it up is to imagine the four strings are removed. If you were to keep the table in the same position and push down evenly (and not too hard to break the wire or string) it would remain where it was, and you can see why; you are simply pulling on the string between the two solid arms, preventing you from moving it downwards further.
"Two wires that are attached to the bottom and one to the top [...] provide compression resistance," Jerry explains on the YouTube channel funbygum. "The wires are in compression and the center string is in tension. These three components provide the support between the top and the bottom."
While awesome, they are not exactly practical, their strength being dictated by the string, and are unstable to boot.
"My table legs are simply string in tension that provide mechanical integrity. Of course this table had to be put together and fine-tuned so this so that the string tension is the same all the way around otherwise the table would sway and slope," he added, "because of unequal tension from one side to the other."
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https://www.iflscience.com/how-do-these-impossible-tensegrity-tables-actually-work-72506
| 2024-01-24T21:19:39Z
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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and a clutch of like-minded folks are constructing a monumental clock that’s designed to last for 10,000 years. Its purpose, apparently, is to be an icon of “long-term thinking” and inspire people to dream far beyond the limited scope of a human lifetime.
The project is the brainchild of computer scientist Danny Hillis who first drummed up the idea in the 1980s. Writing in an essay for WIRED Magazine in 1995, Hillis explained: “I want to build a clock that ticks once a year. The century hand advances once every 100 years, and the cuckoo comes out on the millennium… If I hurry, I should finish the clock in time to see the cuckoo come out for the first time.”
His plan didn’t remain a lofty pipedream. To get the ball rolling, Hillis partnered up with Stewart Brand and founded the Long Now Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to “foster long-term thinking.” They’ve received support from Bezos, who’s reportedly injected $42 million into the construction of the giant clock.
"Civilization is revving itself into a pathologically short attention span [...] Some sort of balancing corrective to the short-sightedness is needed,” Brand said in a post explaining the philosophy of the clock.
“Such a clock, if sufficiently impressive and well-engineered, would embody deep time for people. It should be charismatic to visit, interesting to think about, and famous enough to become iconic in the public discourse. Ideally, it would do for thinking about time what the photographs of Earth from space have done for thinking about the environment. Such icons reframe the way people think,” he added.
The 10,000-Year Clock will be “hundreds of feet tall,” although there’s no word yet on exact measurements, and will sit deep within a mountain in West Texas. It will feature dozens of vast dials that are built to last and a chime generator, which has been designed by ambient music wizard Brian Eno.
Installation of the clock began in 2018 (or the year 02018 as the Long Now Foundation likes to call it). However, preparation work – namely excavating the site for the clock – started long before. In 2012, Bezos released an update explaining they had just finished digging the 152-meter (500-foot) deep vertical shaft for the clock.
According to the project’s website, no completion date has been set. I guess there’s no rush if you think in millennia-long timespans. For the time being, there is a scaled-down prototype of the clock on display at the Science Museum in London.
The 10,000-Year Clock has its critics. For some, the clock is a demonstration of ivory tower thinking, Silicon Valley utopianism, and obscene wealth. WIRED, which gave the clock its first public debut, published an article in 2020 titled The 10,000-Year Clock Is a Waste of Time, which denounced the project as a "Gilded Age distraction".
But hey, let’s see who’s laughing in 10,000 years.
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https://www.iflscience.com/jeff-bezos-is-building-a-giant-clock-thatll-keep-time-for-10000-years-72618
| 2024-01-24T21:19:45Z
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The birthplaces of stars have never looked this good. Thanks to the keen infrared eye of JWST, which can see through some of the gas and dust that make up star-forming clouds, humans have gotten new insights into some incredible nebulae – and with beautiful pictures, too.
The latest one is an image of N79 using the space telescope's Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI). N79 is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the largest and closest satellite galaxies to our own, the Milky Way. N79 is about 1,630 light-years across, but this image focuses just on a small portion called N79 south.
The mid-infrared view provided by MIRI allows one to peer deep inside the nebula, highlighting the glowing moving gas which is located deeper inside the cloud. It would be invisible with a telescope that only sees the light that the human eye can see.
And it’s not just shrouded gas and dust – there are also stars and proto-stars within the nebula, including an object bright enough to create the typical diffraction spike pattern.
This pattern appears due to how the secondary mirror is being held in the telescope. The mirror is held by three struts, and as light moves around them, the light gets diffracted. Each strut produces two spikes 90 degrees from each other. That makes six spikes, but if you look at the picture you’ll notice that there are two extra spikes almost at the vertical. There is another feature that creates spikes, and that’s the hexagonal mirrors of the system. This also creates six spikes, but everything is aligned so four spikes overlap in the images, so there are only eight visible.
N79 is similar to another nebula imaged by JWST called the Tarantula Nebula, or 30 Doradus, which is also located in the LMC. Both of these nebulae are producing stars at a rate not seen in our galaxy for billions and billions of years, and N79 is doing so twice as efficiently as 30 Doradus.
Understanding star formation in the LMC gives us insight into the same phenomenon in the distant universe. The LMC is more primitive in composition and more active than the Milky Way, so it’s a good analogous of galaxies from the distant past.
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https://www.iflscience.com/jwst-spots-new-star-forming-nebula-that-looks-like-a-painting-of-heaven-72612
| 2024-01-24T21:19:51Z
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Here at IFLScience, we love some good animal news – and today, it comes in the form of Ariel the cocker spaniel. Born with multiple birth defects and abandoned at 11 weeks old, Ariel was then rescued and has now successfully received surgery that removed her two extra limbs, giving her a bright future ahead.
Ariel was discovered in a supermarket car park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, back in October 2023. Taken in by Greenacres Rescue, a trip to the vet revealed that the dog had an extra vulva and two additional legs that had partially fused together. Further CT scans also showed that Ariel was missing her right kidney.
“Due to having two hip joints on one side, Ariel's pelvis never formed properly. As a result her normal back right leg had virtually no muscle tone,” Mikey Lawlor, founder and manager of Greenacres Rescue, told the BBC.
The way Ariel’s back legs had fused is what led to her being named after The Little Mermaid – the staff at the vets thought that the legs resembled a mermaid’s tail. However, the extra legs were not functional, and it was decided that she would require surgery.
After a fundraising appeal raised around £15,000 ($19,000) towards the procedure, the surgery was successfully carried out at Langford Vets Small Animal Hospital last Thursday. According to a press release from the University of Bristol, which owns Langford Vets, the complexity of the procedure meant that it required a wide range of specialists, including soft tissue, radiology, and anesthesia teams.
Before the surgery, there were initial concerns that Ariel’s back right leg would also have to be removed, but thankfully this was not the case. “Great care was taken not to damage any of the nerves or blood vessels to the right hindlimb that was being preserved to ensure this remained as functional as possible,” reads the statement.
The next step for Ariel is recovery, but it seems the young pup is already doing well.
"The next day she was up, walking around and eating and drinking,” said Lawlor. "Now we just need to keep our fingers crossed she doesn't get any infections, but she really is in the best hands."
A long stretch of physiotherapy will also be involved – this aims to build up muscle mass and strength in Ariel’s right back leg. After that, it’s hoped she’ll finally get to her “fur-ever” home, and from what Lawlor has said, we don’t think there’ll be any problems with that.
"The response we've had to Ariel's story so far, including calls and emails from as far away as New York and Australia, has been incredible – so I've no doubt she'll be snapped up.”
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https://www.iflscience.com/meet-ariel-6-legged-mermaid-dog-has-successful-surgery-to-remove-extra-limbs-72608
| 2024-01-24T21:19:57Z
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A firm hoping to place the first private space station into low-Earth orbit has taken its latest steps towards that goal, inflating and then blowing up a test module.
Sierra Space, based in Colorado, designed an expandable module which is only inflated to its full capacity once it is in orbit. The Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) modules are over 6 meters (20 feet) tall, and comparable in size to an average family home, according to the company.
The main advantage of expandable space stations, should everything go to plan, is how much living/working space they will provide per each (expensive) launch.
"Life will achieve 1/3 of the volume of the ISS in one launch," Leanne Thompson, Systems Engineer at Sierra Space, said in a video, "where that previously took 10 to 15 launches to achieve that same volume."
The module, made from woven materials that become rigid under pressure, was put to an Ultimate Burst Pressure (UBP) test at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Essentially, as the name implies, you just keep on inflating the module until it can't take the pressure anymore and fails.
It exploded pretty spectacularly, but that was to be expected. The International Space Station runs at the operational level of 101.3 kilopascal (14.7 psi), which is about the atmospheric pressure at sea level. NASA recommends that modules should be able to withstand four times a maximum operating pressure of 104.8 kilopascal (15.2 psi). LIFE exceeded this by 27 percent, withstanding an impressive 531 kilopascals (77psi) before failing, nearly the pressure within a champagne bottle.
“Over the past two years, our team has worked tirelessly to reach this point. Working with our key suppliers and strategic partners, Sierra Space has guided our collaborative effort and reached new heights with this latest UBP test,” Shawn Buckley, Senior Director of Engineering and Chief Technologist of EarthSpace Systems, added in a press release. “We have assembled the expertise and knowledge that is required to propel this amazing technology to the next steps – Low Earth Orbit and beyond.”
As exciting as that is, there is a lot of testing to be done before anybody floats around inside. The team will continue with UBP tests as well as developing the atmospheric barrier for the module, and layers to help protect it from orbital debris.
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https://www.iflscience.com/space-firm-tests-space-station-module-by-blowing-it-up-72614
| 2024-01-24T21:20:04Z
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Representing a 3D world on a 2D map is always going to end up with some issues and some compromises. No matter how accurate you try to make it, you will end up with stretched areas, squashed countries, or else parts of the map cut out altogether.
The map you are likely familiar with is one based on the Mercator projection, published by cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It's a cylindrical map projection, in which you place the globe into a cylinder and then project each point of the map onto a corresponding point on the cylinder. Meridians (imaginary vertical lines going through the Earth from the North to the South Pole) are mapped onto vertical lines equally spaced apart on the map, and circles of latitude (imaginary horizontal lines from east to west) are mapped onto equally spaced horizontal lines.
The Mercator projection is good for navigation because it represents courses of constant bearing as straight segments, meaning ships have to course correct for the curvature of the Earth less frequently. However, it also results in distortions of size and shape.
In cylindrical maps – as is the case with the Mercator projection – areas around the equator remain roughly accurate, but the further you move from the equator, the more distorted and inflated landmasses become. Essentially, this is why Greenland appears gigantic and is represented as the same size as Africa, when in fact it's 1/14 as big.
There are maps which show you the true size of countries, but you wouldn't want to navigate using them.
“One can’t make everything perfect,” Richard Gott, emeritus professor of astrophysics at Princeton explained in press release. “A map that is good at one thing may not be good at depicting other things.” The Mercator projection, for example, depicts local shapes well but distorts the surface areas near the North and South Poles to the point that the polar regions are often chopped off.
In 2007, Gott and his colleague David Goldberg developed a system for scoring maps based on measurement of distortions within it, finding that the Winkel-Tripel projection scored the best for having the fewest distortions.
However, it wasn't perfect, including a "boundary cut" in the Pacific Ocean, making the distance between Hawaii and Asia appear bigger than it actually is.
Years later, the team decided to make their own flat map, drawing inspiration from a map made by Buckminster Fuller, which preserved the size of countries and areas by turning the world into this monstrosity, introducing big gaps between close countries and hacking several in two.
The team had the idea of creating a two-sided map, showing either the Eastern and Western Hemispheres or the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. On the Northern-Southern Hemisphere map, the edge of the map is quite neatly the equator, and both versions include no boundary cuts.
“If you’re an ant, you can crawl from one side of this ‘phonograph record’ to the other,” Gott said. “We have continuity over the equator. Africa and South America are draped over the edge, like a sheet over a clothesline, but they’re continuous.”
Using the map, you can measure distances between two points more accurately than on any other map, as it includes fewer distance errors. According to their score system, it is the most flat map of Earth.
“Our map is actually more like the globe than other flat maps,” Gott added. “To see all of the globe, you have to rotate it; to see all of our new map, you simply have to flip it over.”
A paper discussing the map is posted to preprint server arXiv.
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https://www.iflscience.com/this-is-the-most-accurate-flat-map-of-earth-72602
| 2024-01-24T21:20:10Z
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In a rare event, the Sun has simultaneously released two mighty solar flares separated by 500,000 kilometers (300,000 miles).
The last 48 hours have seen remarkable behavior on the Sun, even by the standards of its last, highly active, year. Two sunspots, AR3559 and AR3561, have been filmed flaring simultaneously. The flares do not reach X-class, even together, instead having a combined value of M5.1 (halfway through the second highest energy flare class). Nevertheless, the explosive duet is a rare phenomenon and a sign of the Sun’s current activity.
Rather than a coincidence, the paired explosions are an example of “sympathetic solar flares,” where magnetic loops in the solar corona trigger simultaneous explosions. Astronomers have known about sympathetic solar flares for decades, and analyzed thousands for patterns, but until recently we have lacked the ability to film them in all their glory. Moreover, with the flares sometimes more than 90 degrees apart, it’s often the case that only one is directly visible from Earth.
One of the sunspots responsible, AR3561, has been labeled as hyperactive, having released more than a dozen M-class flares within 36 hours, along with at least seven C-class flares. AR3561 looks smaller and less intensely dark than AR3559. Indeed, in still photographs it doesn’t stand out next to the nearby cluster of sunspots collectively known as AR3556. However, it has developed exceptionally fast, not having been present at the start of the week, and is accompanying that growth with flares almost every hour. Solar astronomers say its magnetic complexity indicates an increased potential for more, and possibly more powerful, flares to come.
Some of the flares have brought coronal mass ejections with them. According to Spaceweather.com, none of these are large enough, or approaching Earth directly enough, to be expected to produce major impacts here. However, minor geomagnetic storms (G1-class) are considered possible over the next three nights from glancing blows to Earth’s magnetosphere, particularly on Thursday and Friday. This is likely to be accompanied by auroral activity, but probably only at high latitudes.
The combined flares, the majority of whose energy came from AR3359, managed to produce moderate radio blackouts, according to NOAA, mostly affecting the southern hemisphere.
After the unexpected strength of solar activity last year, debate raged as to whether solar cycle 25, initially expected to peak in 2025, had reached its maximum early, or if this year would be bigger still. The last five months of 2023 had fewer sunspots than June-August, favoring the early peak theory. However, AR3561 appears to be trying to change that story on its own, and this year may be the most active we’ve seen for decades.
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https://www.iflscience.com/watch-two-connected-solar-flares-explode-half-way-across-the-sun-from-each-other-72613
| 2024-01-24T21:20:16Z
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NEW YORK - Microsoft’s stock market value crossed the US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) milestone for the first time on Jan 24, retaining its place as the world’s second most valuable company, just behind Apple.
Microsoft and Apple shares have been vying for the top spot as the most capitalised stock on Wall Street since the start of 2024, with the iPhone maker briefly losing its crown to the software giant earlier in January.
Shares of Microsoft hit a record high of US$405.63, up 1.7 per cent, enabling it to breach the US$3 trillion market capitalisation level. Apple’s shares pared earlier gains and were trading at US$194.82, down 0.35 per cent, giving it a market value of US$3.01 trillion, according to LSEG data.
Backed by its investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Microsoft is widely seen as a frontrunner in the race for market dominance in the rollout of generative artificial intelligence (AI) among other tech heavyweights, including Google owner Alphabet , Amazon.com, Oracle, and Facebook owner Meta Platforms.
Using OpenAI’s technology, Microsoft has rolled out newer versions of its flagship productivity software products as well as its Bing search engine, which is expected to better compete with Google’s dominant search offering.
Apple, on the other hand, is facing slowing demand for its iPhones, particularly in China, where the company is offering customers rare discounts to boost sales amid stiff competition from homegrown rivals such as Huawei Technologies.
“I think it’s AI optimism for Microsoft,” said Stifel analyst Brad Reback, adding that Apple doesn’t seem to have the same “clear AI story” coupled with concerns about iPhone sales growth rates and penetration.
The 54 analysts covering Microsoft’s stock have a median price target of US$425, up from US$415 a month ago, and their average recommendation is “buy”, according to LSEG data.
Buoyed by AI optimism, Microsoft shares gained nearly 57 per cent in 2023 and are up 7.3 per cent this year. Apple’s stock rose by 48 per cent last year and is up 1.3 per cent year-to-date.
Wall Street’s run-up to record highs will be put to the test in the coming weeks as megacap US technology-related companies begin reporting results. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/microsoft-hits-us3-trillion-market-value
| 2024-01-24T21:54:21Z
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NEW YORK - Wall Street stocks mostly rose on Jan 24, lifting the S&P 500 to a fresh record following strong Netflix results and data suggesting US economic health.
Shares of Netflix surged more than 10 per cent as it reported adding some 13 million subscribers in the most recent quarter, raising hopes about results from other tech giants.
Analysts also cited favourable US purchasing managers’ survey data from S&P Global that showed both manufacturing and services in expansion.
The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.1 per cent at 4,868.55, logging a third straight record.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.3 per cent to 37,806.52, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.4 per cent to 15,481.92.
The upbeat US data “continues the same trend that we saw last year when the economic growth was stronger than expected all year and the big slowdown that people were looking for never occurred,” said LBBW’s Karl Haeling.
“This is overall a good situation for stocks because it gives you hope for a soft landing,” he said.
Besides Netflix, most other large tech companies including Amazon and Meta Platforms climbed higher ahead of earnings reports.
Microsoft edged above US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) in market value before finishing the day just below it with a gain of 0.9 per cent.
Among other companies reporting results, diaper and paper product brand Kimberly-Clark dropped more than 5 per cent after reporting weaker than expected earnings due in part to unfavourable currency movements.
Others to move following earnings were Global Dynamics, which won 4.9 per cent and Texas Instruments, which dropped 2.5 per cent. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/sp-500-notches-new-record-as-netflix-surges
| 2024-01-24T21:54:31Z
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A study by the National University of Singapore found that a balanced world view, which establishes equal priorities between family and tradition, broader societal well-being, and social status and wealth, is associated with greater life satisfaction. In contrast, materialistic values, which disproportionately fixate on acquiring possessions and status, were associated with the lowest levels of happiness.
One potential response to the study’s findings is to view them with hope. While our financial situation is often subject to external conditions beyond our control, each of us always has the option to establish our outlook and life priorities. From a broader social perspective, this also raises the possibility that a single generation could break away from unhealthy materialistic mindsets, paving the way to intergenerational mobility of happiness.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/are-memories-of-poverty-keeping-us-stuck-in-a-material-world
| 2024-01-24T21:55:13Z
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/cartoons/a-cartoonist-s-view-lee-chee-chew-jan-25-2024
| 2024-01-24T21:55:23Z
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I refer to the report on noise impacting people living in HDB blocks (Living hell: When noisy neighbours drive you crazy, Jan 20).
HDB should consider building flats with better soundproofing of walls and windows. This might increase the cost of the flat, but I think home owners would not mind paying more if it helps reduce noise and prevent possible conflicts with noisy neighbours.
To prevent noise from children playing in void decks, these spaces could also be converted into air-conditioned function rooms to be rented out to residents for events such as weddings and funeral wakes.
HDB could also avoid having blocks with void decks, and use the space to build ground-floor units instead. With an ageing population, ground-floor units would be preferred by senior residents who would not have to depend on the lift or climb the stairs.
Lee Yim May
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-better-soundproofing-of-hdb-flats-can-cut-down-on-noise
| 2024-01-24T21:55:34Z
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After nearly three years in a senior leadership role at a global company in the creative industry, I was recently retrenched. The reason was “financial challenges” and not “an indication of my contributions or performance”.
I was informed that I would not be getting any severance benefits because there are no labour laws in effect that protect employees. I was specifically told that the Ministry of Manpower gives only broad recommendations – with any severance done purely out of goodwill, not because of legislation. Sadly, my contract did not include any provision for retrenchment benefits either.
A friend urged me to speak with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, which referred me to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices.
Both officers who spoke with me were sympathetic, but ultimately said they could only point my company to the best practice and could not enforce anything.
My story isn’t the only one.
The recent high-profile retrenchment exercise at Lazada has exposed a weakness in Singapore’s labour and workplace laws – these laws are geared towards supporting companies, not employees.
I have worked in Britain and Australia – both these countries have workplace laws that protect employees who are retrenched. These are common practices in many developed countries.
As a country that has ambition to be a hub for companies in the region, Singapore should update its Employment Act to give more legal protection to employees.
If we are unable to give adequate protection to employees and strike a fair balance in the employment relationship, I worry about how competitive we will be on the global stage.
Shawn Low
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-strengthen-employment-laws-to-protect-retrenched-staff
| 2024-01-24T21:55:44Z
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In the past three months, my wife and I have been victims of unauthorised transactions on our credit cards.
Around 30 foreign small-value transactions were charged to our credit cards in total across consecutive days from the same commercial entity. These multiple transactions added up to hundreds of dollars.
We were able to detect these unauthorised transactions quickly from our banking app, and reported them to the bank promptly to cancel our credit cards and dispute the transactions.
Initially, the bank’s call agent insisted we pay these transactions in full first, as it might take up to 12 weeks to complete the investigations. After we pursued the matter, the bank offered to credit the full amount of the unauthorised transactions to my next credit card bill to offset the charges. If this was not done, I could call the bank again for the refund.
Why can’t banks in the first place hold such disputed transactions in the interim while they investigate them, especially since the multiple foreign transactions appear highly suspicious?
If the unauthorised transactions were of larger amounts, in the thousands or more, would it be fair and reasonable for bank customers to pay first?
Albert Foo
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-unfair-for-customers-to-pay-bank-first-for-disputed-transactions-on-credit-cards
| 2024-01-24T21:55:55Z
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I was driving along Bedok North Avenue 3 on Jan 23 at around 10.20am when I heard sirens and saw the lights of an ambulance.
Cars were stopped at a traffic light and the right lane was closed due to road works, so the vehicles in its way could not make way for it. The workers involved in the road works immediately redirected traffic so that the ambulance could proceed by driving on the “wrong side” of the road.
I have always appreciated these workers for leaving their families behind and helping to build our city. Kudos to them for coming forward to help so readily.
Doreen Foo Kim Lian
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-workers-directed-traffic-to-let-ambulance-pass
| 2024-01-24T21:56:05Z
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Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently released the findings of the 2022 Quality of Life Survey. They found that Singaporeans have become less happy over the past decade, despite real incomes rising over this period. That said, measures of well-being – such as life satisfaction, happiness, enjoyment, achievement, sense of control and purpose – were all positively correlated with the household incomes of the respondents.
In other words, the richer a household, the greater its sense of well-being tends to be.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/weighed-down-by-our-own-expectations-despite-money-in-the-pocket
| 2024-01-24T21:56:15Z
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Kelly Clarkson isn't so sure she's interested in keeping any of her exes within her circle of friends.
In her love life, the "Since U Been Gone" singer is best known for having been married to Brandon Blackstock from 2013 to 2021, though even more so for their contentious divorce and the costly legal battles that followed.
The talk show host has never shied away from hinting at an estrangement between her and her ex because of it, and recently didn't hold back when asked if she's able to stay friends with any of her exes.
Speaking with Common on The Kelly Clarkson Show this week, the two got to debate some of the most controversial topics that have been previously discussed on the show, through a segment aptly titled "Finding Common Ground."
"Can you be friends with an ex," was the first question, to which the rapper replied: "Yes, I could definitely be friends with an ex."
"Like how long was the relationship," Kelly in turn wondered, and Common explained: "I mean I've been friends with a lot of exes that I've had, and they've been long relationships, because most of them [have ended] pretty good."
He added: "I mean we go through stuff at the beginning of the breakup, but then, once we come to our grounds, it's like… we [are] good people, we [are] cool people."
MORE: Kelly Clarkson is flawless as she dons skintight dress with plunging neckline
Common then turned the question to the host, who gave a long, whispered "no…" quickly prompting plenty of laughter and cheers from the audience.
MORE: Kelly Clarkson opens up about new start in personal life after feeling 'alone' following divorce
"But a couple of them…" she continued, and noted: "I don't have many exes but like, a couple of them are cool people, nothing wrong with them, if we ran into each other we'd be totally friendly."
Common then wondered what her reaction would be if an ex invited her to a party, and she said: "Depending on the ex, I'd be like, 'Okay cool I'll show up.' I just feel like it can get awkward… it depends on who ended it or who it is."
"It's situational," she quipped, before ultimately saying: "But for mostly… No, no, no. I feel like that's awkward. No common ground there!"
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/512002/kelly-clarkson-admits-difficulties-keeping-friendship-with-an-ex/
| 2024-01-24T21:56:17Z
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Steph McGovern recently celebrated her daughter's fourth birthday, although she typically keeps her little girl out of the public eye.
On Wednesday, she was happy to pose for a mother-daughter photo, though – this time with her own mum! The pair enjoyed some quality time as they spent the day together, going by train to Middlesbrough, where Steph is from.
The TV presenter shared the sweet snap with her mum, which saw them sitting together at a train table, her mum smiling as she looked at the camera, holding her phone and with a novel in the table in front of her.
Closer to the camera, Steph grinned, with her 2024 diary in one hand. "Back to Boro with my mum," she captioned the picture, adding a timestamp of 12:51.
Later, she shared another photo from the Strictly Come Dancing live tour, which took place in Newcastle that evening. Steph has previously paid a heartfelt tribute to her mum, when she shared a series of never-before-seen snaps with her mum to mark Mother's Day, and wrote: "Happy Mother's Day Mam.
"From collecting twigs in the woods in Middlesbrough to going to Boro football matches together to tasting a bit of the high life at Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Garden Party... We've had some cracking times…"
The adorable photos, which included some from Steph's childhood, sparked a huge reaction from fans – with many commenting on the similarities between mother and daughter.
The Steph's Packed Lunch star also doesn't often talk about her young girl, but she made a reference to the youngster recently when the mum-of-one visited a baby bank.
Steph shared photos of herself with volunteers at the Leeds centre, which helps parents struggling with their finances look after their baby by providing free access to items like clothes or baby formula.
In her caption, Steph penned: "It was an honour to visit @leedsbabybank and see the work they do to look after children in the local community. As the mam of a four-year-old girl, it was quite overwhelming to see how much care they take of the families most in need.
"People who have fled domestic violence or landed on tough times. The bank gets them back on their feet. If you want to know more about the baby banks near you have a look at the brilliant @baby_basics."
Steph's followers were full of praise for the star while others shared their continued sadness following the cancellation of the star's Channel 4 show.
Explaining the decision to cancel the show, the broadcaster stated: "With audience habits changing quicker than ever, we have to make difficult decisions about which programmes to invest in to best drive our digital-first strategy and we have decided not to recommission Steph's Packed Lunch when its existing production contract ends in December 2023.
"We remain as committed as ever to our mission to help level up the TV industry outside London and to our 50% origination out-of-London target. We will be reinvesting the budget previously committed to Steph's Packed Lunch into other nations and regions productions."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/512004/steph-mcgovern-delights-rare-mother-daughter-photo/
| 2024-01-24T21:56:23Z
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For the past week, India’s popular Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been filmed and photographed entering one Hindu temple after another. On Jan 22, he turned priest himself, personally taking part in the consecration ceremony of a massive temple dedicated to the Hindu god Ram, an event he hailed as the dawn of “a new era” for India.
“We take a pledge to build an India that is not just self-reliant, but resonates with grandeur and divinity,” he said, going on to describe the temple as a symbol of peace and harmony.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/what-does-the-ram-temple-stand-for-in-modi-s-new-era
| 2024-01-24T21:56:26Z
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Kourtney Kardashian has been a mom for over a decade and during this time, her parenting style has naturally changed.
The Kardashians star loves nothing more than being a mom and considers it her most important job, caring for four children ranging from teenagers to newborns.
Over time, Kourtney has valued her privacy more and more, which has seen a shift in how much her children have been seen in public, in contrast to their cousins.
Both Mason - now 14, and Penelope, 11, were on Keeping Up with the Kardashians since birth, with their births even being filmed as part of the reality show. Reign also grew up on the family's popular programme.
However, Kourtney has become a lot more private in recent years, and while her relationship with husband Travis Barker is well documented, a lot of their day-to-day lives isn't.
So much so, that when Rocky was born, the couple waited a while before officially announcing it.
So far, the two-month old has only appeared in several candid photos on his parents' Instagram feeds, all of which shield his face from the spotlight.
Lucy Shrimpton, Parenting Expert at The Baby Show, and founder of The Sleep Nanny, gave her analysis on the star's parenting style, and in particular, what she's adopting when it comes to parenting baby Rocky.
"Kourtney Kardashian-Barker is a devoted mum, evidently wanting to give her children the very best start in life. She adopts a 'gentle' and 'loving' approach," she explained.
"While her sister confesses that she is the stricter of the two, tending to get more ‘frazzled’, Kourtney tends to take things in her stride, particularly since having therapy.
"She is a mindful parent, aware of the time and effort she puts into becoming the best parent she can be, attempting to be present as much as possible. She’s said that she is more 'lenient' with her children allowing them to skip school if they’ve had a 'hard day', showing that she really listens to her children when they need a break, especially during difficult times.
"Now, with her youngest, Rocky 13, she has chosen to use the attachment style with a strong emphasis on emotional responsiveness and physical touch, creating secure emotional bonds that will allow her children to flourish in the future."
While very few photos of Rocky have been posted in the public domain, proud mom Kourtney recently opened up about her baby's arrival in a blog post on her lifestyle website, Poosh.
Kourtney wrote that her only daughter was responsible for packing the outfit for the baby to come home in, which she'd bought herself as a surprise. "P picked this out and bought it for the baby as a surprise for me, the sweetest."
Other items included were hats with matching swaddles, rubber pacifiers, car seats, extra clean wipes and diapers, and extra outfits (with matching swaddle blankets and hats, of course).
Kourtney also used a seam ripper to rid the outfit of all tags beforehand, writing: "I'm a little crazy and cut each tag out of every outfit for baby's comfort." Items from the Poosh founder's own bag include matching SKIMS pajamas for herself and Travis (which retail for $120 each), a toiletry bag with several creams, Arnica montana, nursing bras, and disposable black underwear ("The hospital provides white mesh ones but I like black. Anything to feel your best after birth is worth it – without sacrificing comfort").
She also added high-waisted postpartum underwear ("I've never tried them, but heard these are amazing after birth to help get your organs back into place"), Milkmaid tea, colostrum, collagen, cold packs, compression socks, and an outfit for her to go home in.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/512003/kourtney-kardashian-parenting-style-changes-from-mason-to-rocky/
| 2024-01-24T21:56:29Z
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King Charles broke with royal tradition earlier this month when he and Queen Camilla headed to Balmoral after Christmas rather than staying at the family's Sandringham residence as monarchs typically do.
He has since headed back to Norfolk, however, suggesting that he is likely to undergo his prostate surgery in England rather than Scotland.
His Scottish estate, Balmoral, meanwhile, is preparing to welcome visitors over the next few days, with a stunning photo from its official Instagram account showing the castle grounds lightly dusted by snow.
The accompanying caption read: "Escape the noise this weekend with a visit to Balmoral – open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "Breathe in the fresh air, soak in the scenery and keep warm with a hot drink from our mews café!"
There was some disappointing news for potential visitors, though, as the caption went on: "There is no admission fee or requirement to book tickets during this period but please be aware there will be no audio tours, mobility scooters or access to the ballroom.
"The castle grounds, café and gift shop will be open 10am to 4pm. Paid parking is available in the car parks, located next to the A93 at Crathie. For full details of our January and February opening schedule please visit our website."
Last weekend, the royal couple kept a low profile but the previous Sunday, they were photographed heading to church at Crathie Kirk, close to Balmoral. It was clearly chilly and the monarch and his wife needed to wrap up warm for their outing, as a light smattering of snow could be seen on the ground ahead of their car, which was driven by the King.
The pair appeared to be in good spirits despite the cold, however, as they chatted and smiled in the photos. Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, always stayed at Sandringham from just before Christmas until early February, when she marked the anniversary of her father's death.
It was initially believed that the royal couple would spend several weeks in their Birkhall home on the Balmoral estate, which is one of their favourite residences.
However, last week, Buckingham Palace released a statement revealing that the King would be undergoing a surgical procedure for an enlarged prostate and shortly afterwards, he left Scotland.
In light of the King's forthcoming surgery, his planned engagements at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, which were to include a dinner and meetings related to his King's Foundation charity, have been postponed.
It is understood that Charles was keen to share his diagnosis, in order to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked in line with health advice, a move praised by men's health charities.
As Camilla visited an art gallery in Aberdeen last Thursday, she said her husband was "fine" and "looking forward to getting back to work".
Buckingham Palace's announcement about Charles' upcoming hospital procedure came just 90 minutes after Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess of Wales is recuperating at The London Clinic following abdominal surgery.
LISTEN: Why King Charles is the ‘happiest’ he has been despite royal dramas
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/512001/king-charles-home-prepares-visitors-amid-snow-following-royal-break-tradition/
| 2024-01-24T21:56:35Z
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