Hong Kong will display 2,500 panda sculptures to capitalize on a local bear craze

Thousands of giant panda sculptures will greet residents and tourists starting Saturday in Hong Kong, where enthusiasm for the bears has grown since two cubs were born in a local theme park. The 2,500 exhibits were showcased in a launch ceremony of PANDA GO! FEST HK, the city’s largest panda-themed exhibition, at Hong Kong’s airport on Monday. They will be publicly displayed at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, a popular shopping district, this weekend before setting their footprint at three other locations this month. One designated spot is Ocean Park, home to the twin cubs, their parents and two other pandas gifted by Beijing this year. The design of six of the sculptures, made of recycled rubber barrels and resins among other materials, was inspired by these bears. The cubs — whose birth in August made their mother Ying Ying the world’s oldest first-time panda mom — may meet visitors as early as February. The panda sculptures will be installed at various sites in Hong Kong. Chan Long Hei/AP In a separate media preview event on Monday, the new pair of Beijing-gifted pandas, An An and Ke Ke, who arrived in September, appeared relaxed in their new home at Ocean Park. An An enjoyed eating bamboo in front of the cameras and Ke Ke climbed on an installation. They are set to meet the public on Sunday. The displays reflect Hong Kong’s use of pandas to boost its economy as the Chinese financial hub works to regain its position as one of Asia’s top tourism destinations. Pandas are considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country’s giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy. Hong Kong’s tourism industry representatives are upbeat about the potential impact of housing six pandas, hoping to boost visitor numbers even though caring for pandas in captivity is expensive. Officials have encouraged businesses to capitalize on the popularity of the bears to seize opportunities in what some lawmakers have dubbed the “panda economy.” The organizer of the exhibitions also invited some renowned figures, including musician Pharrell Williams, to create special-edition panda designs. Most of these special sculptures will be auctioned online for charity and the proceeds will be donated to Ocean Park to support giant panda conversation efforts. Pandas pictured at Monday’s event. Chan Long Hei/AP Ying Ying and the twin cubs’ father, Le Le, are the second pair of pandas gifted by Beijing to Hong Kong since the former British colony returned to China’s rule in 1997. The first pair were An An and Jia Jia who arrived in 1999. Jia Jia, who died at 38 in 2016, is the world’s oldest-ever panda to have lived in captivity. The average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 14 to 20 years, while in captivity it’s up to 30 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature.

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‘Unlimited’ enemy troops, no sleep: Ukrainian soldiers fight to hold on to Russia’s Kursk region

The dawn assault inside Russia’s Kursk region never even got to a gunfight, yet betrayed the intensity of the battle in Kremlin territory. Five Russians edged forward in the grey Sunday dawn but, as thermal drone imagery shows, were killed or wounded by a drone as they tried to hide in the treeline. “I have this impression that (the Russians) have unlimited people,” said Oleksandr, a unit commander with the 225th assault battalion, describing the clash from a cafe in the Ukrainian city of Sumy, 11 hours later. “They send groups, and almost no one remains alive. And the next day, the groups go again. The next Russians, it seems, do not know what happened to the previous Russians. They go there, into the unknown. No one tells them anything about it, and no one comes back.” Oleksandr and two colleagues with whom he is sitting are hard of hearing from the constant shelling. They provide a rare insight into the nearly four-month-long Ukrainian occupation of Kursk. The August invasion marked a rare tactical success and strategic gain for Kyiv, although the use of significant manpower and armor in the assault has led to criticism that shortages created by the invasion contributed to Russia’s advance across the Donbas eastern front. Advocates of the Kursk operation suggest it provided Kyiv with vital leverage for any future peace talks – perhaps initiated by US President-elect Donald Trump – which means Ukraine needs to retain a foothold in the area into spring at the least. A funeral ceremony in Irpin, Ukraine, is held last month for Serhii Solovyov, a soldier who died during the Kursk offensive. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Oleksandr expressed confidence his unit could hold on, but less certainty as to why. “I don’t know what the goal really is,” he said. “Maybe we should walk around here for four months and turn around and leave, for example… If the goal is to hold on to it until a certain point, we will.” Asked what his message for Trump would be, Oleksandr demanded the West uphold the security guarantees it gave Ukraine in return for Kyiv giving up its nuclear weapons, in a 1994 treaty known as the Budapest Memorandum, in which Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States gave Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan assurances for giving up their Soviet-era nuclear weapons. “You took away our nuclear weapons? You promised us your roof,” Oleksandr said, using a slang word for protection. “Keep your word. We’re being slaughtered, and you’re still trying to play games, to defend your interests. You had to give everything you could to end this war in two days. Who will believe the words of the US or England, who are pissing themselves in front of Russia? Pardon my English,” he said laughing, in explanation of his profanity. Recent Russian assaults in his area of Kursk have proven as ineffective as costly, he said. Separately, Ukrainian officials have admitted that 40% of the territory they took in the late summer has since been reclaimed by the Russians. Oleksandr’s unit has not slept for three days, he said, or left the frontline for eight months, and has been involved in ferocious combat in the Ukrainian cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Chasiv Yar. He said the Russian troops Ukrainians faced in Kursk were a mixture of well-trained paratroopers from the 76th Brigade, but also less organised Chechens, and African mercenaries. But he has seen no sign of the 12,000 North Korean troops that, according to the Pentagon, have been sent to Kursk. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also told the Japanese Kyodo news agency Sunday that some North Koreans had been killed by Ukrainian forces and that they would ultimately be used as “cannon fodder” by the Kremlin. “When we catch them or see a body,” Oleksandr said, “then I’ll know for sure that they’re here.” Three weeks earlier, his unit had faced an assault from 40 armored vehicles and about 300 infantry, he said. His drone commander, callsign “JS” for Java Script, said the unit killed 50 Russians that day. “The vehicles that managed to get through unloaded the infantry,” JS recounted, “then we finished off the infantry. And it went like this for nearly 24 hours, no sleep, and the next day we finished off those who managed to hide from the drone-bombing on the first day.”

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Alex Consani becomes first transgender Model of the Year

American model Alex Consani has become the first transgender woman to win Model of the Year, following a string of high-profile runway appearances for labels like Chanel, Stella McCartney and Victoria’s Secret. The in-demand 21-year-old, who is known for her distinctive bleached hair and eyebrows, claimed the title at the 2024 Fashion Awards in London on Monday evening. In her acceptance speech, Consani told a star-studded audience at the Royal Albert Hall that her victory marked a “big step in the right direction.” “Now, more than ever, it’s an important conversation that should be had about how to truly support and uplift one another within this industry, especially those who have been made to feel insignificant,” she added, to cheers from the crowd, after collecting her trophy from model and body activist Ashley Graham and “Baby Reindeer” star Nava Mau. “Because change is more than possible — it’s needed.” Consani takes the stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London to accept the award for Model of the Year. Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Having signed with IMG Models (an agency representing supermodels including Claudia Schiffer, Hailey Bieber and the Hadid sisters) in 2019, Consani rose to prominence through TikTok, where she now boasts almost 4 million followers. She made her catwalk debut for Tom Ford in 2021 and later walked for top labels such as Alexander McQueen and Versace. In October, Consani and Valentina Sampaio made history by becoming the first trans models to appear on the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Wearing a ripped Union Flag dress by Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglu, California-born Consani used her acceptance speech to honor the Black transgender women — including fellow models Connie Fleming and Aaron Rose Philip — who “really fought for the space … that allowed me to flourish today.” She also paid tribute to her parents for supporting her modeling aspirations. Related articleCan a troubled Victoria’s Secret successfully write its next chapter? It’s certainly pulling out all the stops Recognizing the “the global impact” of someone who has “dominated the industry” in the last 12 months, the prestigious Model of the Year prize combines the opinion of an industry panel with the result of a public vote, according to award organizers the British Fashion Council. Black trans model Kai-Isaiah Jamal was among the nominees for last year’s award, which was ultimately won by plus-size model Paloma Elsesser. Elsewhere at Monday’s ceremony, Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe and founder of JW Anderson, won the coveted Designer of the Year award for the second consecutive year. And Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour presented Tom Ford with the Outstanding Achievement Award. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, who took home the Cultural Innovator Award, were among the stars in attendance. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Featuring performances from Blondie singer Debbie Harry and Afrobeats star Wizkid, the glitzy ceremony saw major fashion industry figures rub shoulders with the stars of entertainment, music and sport, including Rita Ora and Venus Williams. Also in attendance (and wearing an eye-catching blue furry hat) was Rihanna, whose partner A$AP Rocky took home the Cultural Innovator Award. Categories for the best British menswear and womenswear designers were meanwhile awarded to Grace Wales Bonner and Simone Rocha, respectively. Rocha’s acceptance speech was among several political moments, as she took the stage with a call to “free Palestine.” Earlier in the evening, an animal rights demonstrator stormed the red carpet to protest the fashion industry’s use of feathers — just days after London Fashion Week’s announced that it will become the first of the “big four” fashion weeks to ban exotic animal skins on its runways.

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South Korean president declares martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address, accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and anti-state activities. Yoon did not say what measures would be taken. He cited a motion by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal. “To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements… I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in a live televised address to the nation.

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China hits out at latest US effort to block Beijing’s access to chip technology

  The Chinese government has slammed America’s introduction of fresh export controls on US-made semiconductors that Washington fears Beijing could use to make the next generation of weapons and artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The new measures, unveiled by the outgoing Biden administration, have raised the political temperature between the world’s top two economies ahead of the imminent inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made self-sufficiency a major pillar of his economic strategy to make China a tech superpower. On Monday, the US Commerce Ministry announced curbs on the sale of two dozen types of semiconductor-making equipment and restrictions on numerous Chinese companies from accessing American technology. The goal of the new controls, US Commerce Ministry officials said, was to slow China’s development of advanced AI tools that can be used in war and to undercut the country’s homegrown semiconductor industry, which threatens the national security of the US and its allies. China’s Commerce Ministry condemned the move, accusing the US of “abuse” of export controls and posing “a significant threat” to the stability of global industrial and supply chains. “The US preaches one thing while practicing another, excessively broadening the concept of national security, abusing export control measures, and engaging in unilateral bullying actions. China firmly opposes such actions,” the ministry said in a Monday statement. A day later, it banned outright the sale of a number of materials crucial for the production of semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries to the US. The export of gallium, germanium, antimony and other “super hard” materials will not be permitted because they may be used for military purposes, according to the ministry. China had restricted the sale of some of these materials last year, as the tech rivalry between the two sides escalated. However, there was previously an option for companies to apply for special permits to export to the US, a loophole that now appears to be closed. The race for an edge in military technology has shaped US-China relations amid growing US concerns about a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan in the coming years. China’s ruling Communist Party, which claims the self-ruled democratic island as its own territory despite never having controlled it, has adopted an increasingly aggressive stance toward Taiwan in recent years. ‘Strongest ever’ controls Senior US officials have also accused China of outright stealing American-made AI software, which Beijing denies. “They’re the strongest controls ever enacted by the US to degrade the PRC’s ability to make the most advanced chips that they’re using in their military modernization,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told reporters Sunday, using the acronym for the country’s official name, the People’s Republic of China. The new rules include restrictions on the sale of of high bandwidth memory chips, which are critical for high-end applications such as generative AI training, plus fresh software and technology controls. Monday’s announcement is the third round of export restrictions imposed on Beijing by the Biden administration in as many years. Last October, the Commerce Ministry reduced the types of semiconductors that American companies can sell to China, citing the desire to close loopholes in regulations announced in 2022. In September, the Commerce Ministry separately proposed a ban on the sale or import of smart vehicles that use specific Chinese or Russian technology, citing security concerns. The incoming Trump administration has also talked tough on China, including by threatening tariffs. For its part, China is intensifying its goal to dominate advanced technologies of the future. In May, Beijing announced plans to set up its largest-ever semiconductor state investment fund worth $47.5 billion. With investments from six of the country’s largest state-owned banks, including ICBC and China Construction Bank, the fund underscores Xi’s push to bolster China’s position as a tech giant.

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Delta Air Lines refused to transport stowaway to the US, Paris airport official says

Delta Air Lines will not fly the Russian woman who stowed away on a flight to Paris last week back to New York, a Paris airport official told CNN. She was due to leave France on a flight at 2:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday, a Paris airport official told CNN. The woman was onboard the plane when Delta refused to fly her, according to the official. “We are going to try to send her back again with a French escort,” the official said. CNN has reached out to Delta Air Lines for comment. The 57-year-old woman got past multiple security checkpoints at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and boarded a plane to Paris last week. She was scheduled to be on a flight to the US on Saturday afternoon but French authorities removed her from the aircraft after she started screaming, according to an official. A man who was on the plane told CNN that the woman was sitting across the aisle from him and his family. “She kept on saying ‘I do not want to go back to the USA. Only a judge can make me go back to the USA,’” Gary Treichler said. The woman was expected to be accompanied by six US marshals on Tuesday’s flight back to New York, authorities said. Authorities in the US are continuing to investigate how the woman sneaked onto the initial Delta flight without a ticket. Inspectors from the Transportation Security Administration are preparing a civil case against the stowaway after reviewing airport security video from inside John F. Kennedy International Airport, agency spokesperson Alexa Lopez told CNN. “The TSA will open civil cases against passengers when there’s evidence that procedures may have been violated,” Lopez said. The TSA cannot bring criminal charges, though it can refer them to the Justice Department. Delta has not said how the woman was able to board the plane once she made it past the TSA checkpoint. The airline said it “is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred,” but declined further comment.

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Gotham Awards 2024: Zendaya honors mom, while Nicole Kidman and Pamela Anderson bring ’90s nostalgia

The stars were out Monday night for this year’s Gotham Awards, held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The event “honors visionary talent in front of and behind the camera, expands the audience for groundbreaking film and television, and supports the year-round work of the not-for-profit The Gotham Film & Media Institute,” according to the organization’s site. Zendaya received the Spotlight Tribute for her role in the film “Challengers,” and she used the moment to honor her mother, Claire Stoermer. “To my mom,” the 28-year-old actress said. “My mom’s here tonight. Shoutout mom; she’s embarrassed.” Nicole Kidman was nominated for her work in the erotic thriller “Babygirl” in which she plays a married executive who embarks on an affair with a younger intern. Kidman arrived in a vintage Dolce & Gabbana gown from 1998, while Pamela Anderson hit the red carpet with a makeup-free face. Nominated for her role in “The Last Showgirl,” Anderson has made recent headlines for her lack of glam, she told People she’s not against makeup. “I love to wear makeup too sometimes,” she said. “It has a time and a place. I just feel in my personal life, it just didn’t really make sense.” Timothée Chalamet and James Mangold received the Visionary Tribute for their collaboration on “A Complete Unknown,” the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic. Angelina Jolie received the Performer Tribute for her rendition of the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in Pablo Larrain’s film “Maria.” Franklin Leonard and his company, the Black List, the platform dedicated to nurturing written storytelling and empowering writers to maximize their professional potential, received The Gotham Anniversary Tribute. Denis Villeneuve received The Gotham Director Tribute for his remarkable world-building and storytelling prowess in “Dune: Part Two.” The cast of “The Piano Lesson,” which includes Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, and Erykah Badu, received the Ensemble Tribute “for their captivating chemistry and artistry.” The other winners of the night include the following: Best Feature – “A Different Man” Best International Feature – “All We Imagine as Light” Best Documentary Feature – “No Other Land” Best Director – RaMell Ross for “Nickel Boys” Best Screenplay – Azazel Jacobs for “His Three Daughters” Breakthrough Director Gotham – Vera Drew for “The People’s Joker” Outstanding Lead Performance – Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing” Outstanding Supporting Performance – Clarence Maclin in “Sing Sing” Breakthrough Performer – Brandon Wilson in “Nickel Boys”

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Jaguar reveals first concept car after controversial rebrand

British luxury automaker Jaguar has revealed its Type 00 concept car, the first glimpse of a new electric vehicle following a controversial rebrand that has divided opinion. The manufacturer said it was “introducing an unmistakable, unexpected and dramatic physical manifestation of Jaguar, as the brand continues its transformation,” in a statement published Tuesday after the car was revealed at Miami Art Week. The Type 00 has a long bonnet (a hood in US English) and a fastback profile, as well as 23-inch alloy wheels. It is presented in two colors: Miami Pink and London Blue. “The former reflects the iconic Art Deco surroundings of its reveal, the latter references its British heritage,” said Jaguar in the release. The concept has provoked some strong reactions online. Jaguar Land Rover While the Type 00 is a concept and will therefore never enter production, it has divided opinion online. One commenter on X said the car “looks sleek,” but another said that “00 is how many you’ll sell. Beyond ugly.” Jaguar said it will become an electric-only brand focused on luxury vehicles, but the evolution goes further than that. “This transition extends beyond the products Jaguar designs and engineers; it represents a reimagination of the entire brand,” said the automaker. This new brand identity also stoked controversy when it was revealed in November. The Type 00 pictured in London Blue (left) and Miami Pink (right). Jaguar Land Rover Under the tagline “copy nothing,” Jaguar published a promotional video featuring a diverse cast of models posing and moving through an otherworldly landscape, which drew the ire of traditionalists. “Umm where are the cars in this ad? Is this for fashion?,” wrote one commenter on X. The 102-year-old luxury automaker is replacing its former logo, resplendent in all capital letters, with a new one that is supposed to be a “powerful celebration of modernism,” the company announced on November 18. Other changes to Jaguar’s branding include a redesigned pouncing cat logo, called the “Leaper,” and a new monogram that incorporates the “J” and “R” in the brand name. Car and Driver reports that the Leaper, which has adorned its cars for several decades, is being eliminated in favor of the badge. “This is a reimagining that recaptures the essence of Jaguar, returning it to the values that once made it so loved, but making it relevant for a contemporary audience,” said Gerry McGovern, Jaguar Land Rover’s chief creative officer, in a press release last month. The first production car under Jaguar’s new direction will be a four-door electric grand tourer, which will be built in the UK. It will be revealed in late 2025, said the automaker. Jaguar is also planning to open a number of brand stores around the world, the first of which will open in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.

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Ex-boyfriend sentenced to life in prison in femicide case that gripped Italy

A judge in Italy has sentenced a 23-year-old man to life in prison for the stabbing murder of his former girlfriend, a heinous act of femicide that has put violence against women in the spotlight in this country. Filippo Turetta who admitted to murdering Giulia Cecchettin, 22, in November 2023 a week before she was due to graduate from the University of Padua, was found guilty Tuesday with extenuating factors in a court in Venice of murder, illegal possession of weapons, kidnapping and concealment of a corpse. He was also ordered to pay financial damages to the victim’s family in addition to covering their legal fees. In the Italian criminal justice system, verdicts and sentencing are generally ruled on by either a panel of judges or judges and lay jurors at the same time. After he murdered her, he said he stuffed her body into garbage bags and dumped her in a ravine and went on the run. He was arrested in Germany 10 days after Cecchettin disappeared. Turetta, who was present in court, was emotionless, staring at the desk in front of him and flanked by his lawyers when the verdict was read. Cecchettin’s father Gino, who was also in the courtroom, did not look at the killer of his daughter. Cecchettin’s mother died from an illness in 2022. After the verdict, Gino Ceccettin said after the verdict that he felt strange. “I’m no more relieved or sad than I was before the verdict,” he said. “As a father, nothing has changed.” The chief prosecutor Andrea Petroni asked for a life sentence, which is no more than 30 years in Italy, based on aggravating circumstances including how Turetta had procured knives, tape, a shovel, black garbage bags, ropes and a wet sock to stifle Cecchettin’s screams. He kept the items in his car for several days before he lured his former girlfriend into his car on a false promise that he would stop stalking her and that they could just be friends, he told the court. Turetta testified in his 10-week trial, where he admitted to killing her and hiding her body. He admitted writing a plan that included a list of what he needed to do it, and he hypothesized how he would carry out the murder but insisted he didn’t intend to do so. “I was angry, I had many thoughts, I felt resentment that we had argued again, that it was a terrible period, that I wanted to get back together and so … I don’t know,” he testified. “In a way it made me feel good to write this list to vent, to hypothesize this list that calmed me, to think that things could change. It was as if I didn’t have to define it yet, but I had thrown it down.” Debate on violence Turetta’s lawyer Giovanni Caruso argued that his client should not be given an “inhumane and degrading” life sentence. “He is not Pablo Escobar,” Caruso told the court, referring to the notorious Colombian drugs lord who was killed in 1993. The court also heard a list Cecchettin wrote entitled “15 reasons I should leave Filippo” that her family found. Among them, “He complained when I put fewer hearts than usual [in messages]” and “He has strange ideas about taking justice into one’s own hands for betrayals, torture, stuff like that.” She also wrote, “He needs to know everything, even what you say about him to your friends and the psychologist.” The case has stirred the debate on violence against women, as well as what is largely seen as a failure to prevent the scourge. One woman is killed by a boyfriend, husband or ex-partner every three days in Italy, according to government statistics. More than 106 women were killed in the year since Cecchetin’s murder. The youngest was a 13-year-old girl allegedly pushed off a balcony by her 15-year-old boyfriend in early November. Giulia Cecchettin was the 105th victim of 2023. Cecchetin’s sister Elena and father have launched a campaign to combat violence called the Giulia Cecchettin Foundation and blamed the government under Giorgia Meloni for failing to do enough beyond producing a brochure to outline the signs of an abusive relationship. Members of Meloni’s government have insisted that the patriarchy is no longer a problem in Italy. “Giulia was killed by a respectable, white Italian man,” Elena Cecchetin wrote on social media, adding, “What is the government doing to prevent violence?”

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South Korea president declares emergency martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address Tuesday, accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and of anti-state activities. Yoon did not say what specific measures would be taken. He cited a motion by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal. Yoon labeled the opposition’s actions as “clear anti-state behavior aimed at inciting rebellion.” He further claimed these acts have “paralyzed state affairs and turned the National Assembly into a den of criminals.” He describing martial law as a necessary measure to eradicate these “shameless pro-North anti-state forces.” He justified the decision as essential to protect the freedoms and safety of the people, ensure the country’s sustainability, and pass on a stable nation to future generations. The parliament speaker is traveling to parliament and plans to convene a session, according to local broadcaster YTN TV. Yonhap news agency reported though that the entrance to parliament is blocked and lawmakers are unable to enter. Yoon accused the opposition of turning the nation into a “drug haven” and creating a state of disorder detrimental to public safety and livelihood. He also said the Democratic Party was attempting to overthrow the liberal democratic system, declaring, “The National Assembly has become a monster undermining liberal democracy, and the nation is in a precarious state, teetering on the edge of collapse.” He assured the public, “We will eliminate the anti-state forces and restore the country to normalcy as quickly as possible.” While acknowledging that martial law might cause some inconvenience, he promised efforts to minimize its impact on the public.

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By reviving a century-old patent for blue paint, this architect reflects on a powerful, lesser-told history

A century ago, the scientist and inventor George Washington Carver filed two patents related to his new method for making paints and stains from Alabama’s clay. He had discovered the iron-rich soil could be used in a chemical reaction with a potassium compound and nitric acid to produce a vibrant blue pigment. It was a familiar hue: Prussian Blue, as it is known, had already changed the course of art history around 1705 when a paint maker in Berlin accidentally discovered its chemistry. It’s the same pigment Pablo Picasso used in his melancholic “blue period,” the rich hue Japanese artist Hokusai chose for the monumental tides of “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” and the color used in architectural plans that gave “blueprints” their name. Carver, however, had found a way to readily produce it straight from the ground. Despite his numerous inventions over the course of his life — including his best-known experiments with peanut-based products — this discovery was one of the only ones he patented. But his paint pigments were never commercialized, and Carver’s method became just one of millions of patents forgotten in the archives; his pigments were only seen by those who witnessed it painted around Tuskegee University, the historically Black school where Carver taught, and in nearby towns. But over the past three years, the Chicago-based artist and architect Amanda Williams has been reviving Carver’s blue with the help of researchers and scientists. “Typically, blue is produced synthetically… but he was able to source that from this ingredient they had in abundance,” Williams said in a video call with CNN. “So there was a practicality to it, but there was also ingenuity in figuring out that things around you can yield unexpected results.” An arts building at Xavier University painted in Carver blue. Tom Harris/Amanda Williams LLC Williams knew that Carver had a lesser-known artmaking practice — he had even exhibited a painting at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. But she wondered why, out of all of his output, two out of the three inventions he chose to patent were related to pigment-making. (The third was a peanut-based pomade.) “It just struck me as very strange. Given all the work it takes to receive a patent — especially in that era, (for) a Black man, when they were so often denied — why would he expend all this energy on paint?” she posed. Her inquiry took her to Tuskegee’s library and the labs of The University of Chicago, the latter where she partnered with chemistry students to revive and update Carver’s method to produce the deep blue from clay. Now, as part of the art triennial Prospect.6 in New Orleans, Williams has painted two architectural structures important to African American history in Carver blue as both a testament to his capabilities and to Black innovation more broadly. The first is an arts building at Xavier University, the only Catholic HCBU — historically Black college or university — which was founded in 1925. The second is a shotgun-style house on the campus of the New Orleans African American Museum, located in Tremé, the oldest Black neighborhood in the country, where Williams notes there is a “lineage” of self-determination. Shotgun houses are modest railroad-style homes that proliferated after the end of the Civil War for African American families. A shotgun-style house at NOAAM that was known for its pink exterior is now a mix of pink and blue. Tom Harris/Amanda Williams LLC The buildings will remain blue through the end of the triennial, and possibly for longer. Tom Harris/Amanda Williams LLC With Williams having studied shotgun houses during her schooling as an architect, and having family in the South — including a cousin who supplied soil from Montgomery, Alabama, for the pigment testing — she connected “a really beautiful thread” to her own biography in the course of the project, she explained. Color and race Williams never expected to find herself in such a deep rabbit hole over Carver’s history — after all, the scientist was best known for his work with agricultural crops. But the two find parallels in an unexpected place: their beliefs of the potency of color within complicated systems of race, power and inequity. Carver may be best remembered for his peanut-based products, but he was a painter as well. GBM Historical Images/Shutterstock For Carver, color was a tool to beautify the homes of the region’s poorest residents that could be achieved through natural resources. Like with his encouragement of local farmers to enrich themselves by growing bounteous crops (which included soybeans, pecans and sweet potatoes, in addition to peanuts), color was a key component of his plans for autonomy, dignity and prosperity for Black families in the South. He encouraged people to freshly paint their homes in bright colors, and wanted to provide the materials to do so. Williams has continued the idea of color as a vehicle for transformation in her home city of Chicago, but she has often employed it to highlight structural inequities. For her project “Color(ed) Theory,” from 2014-16, she painted condemned houses on the historically underfunded South Side neighborhood of Englewood in vivid monochromatic colors pulled from products marketed towards Black consumers — from the bright blue hair product Ultra Sheen to the deep purple of whisky Crown Royal’s packaging. But the colors also had a second meaning, as they resembled the shades on discriminatory government maps of US cities that were used to deny financial services to primarily African American neighborhoods in the 20th century. The practice, known as redlining, had deep effects that have continued to impact struggling communities today. Williams’ previous project, “Color(ed) Theory,” transformed a number of condemned homes in Englewood through paint. Courtesy the artist The empty homes became sculptural, with a familiar color palette taken from products and services marketed to Black residents, that also spoke to systemic inequities. Courtesy the artist But for her commission for Prospect.6, titled “In Her Rich Deposits of (Blue),” Williams chose to focus on “signaling joy, and not inequity or

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Intel CEO resigns after a disastrous tenure

Intel Monday announced CEO Pat Gelsinger has resigned after a difficult stint at the company. The once-dominant chipmaker’s stock cratered as it missed the AI boom and was surpassed by most of its rivals. Gelsinger took over as Intel’s chief executive in February 2021, returning to the company at which he worked for decades, including as chief technology officer. He had left Intel for a stint as CEO of software giant VMWare. At Intel, Gelsinger was tasked with turning around the iconic American tech giant that was struggling against unprecedented competition, production delays and the departure of top talent. But during his tenure, the company’s prospects continued to decline, as it became clear the company had fallen behind on another major technology wave and despite billions of dollars in US government spending to support its domestic chip manufacturing. Intel’s (INTC) stock plunged 61% during Gelsinger’s tenure. The stock rose 3% in early trading. The company announced in August that it would lay off 15% of its staff as part of an effort to slash $10 billion in costs and “fundamentally change the way we operate,” as Gelsinger said at the time. Intel once had a stranglehold on the world’s computer chip market, with Intel chips inside PCs and Macs. But the mobile computing wave of the past two decades caught the company off-guard, leaving it to fall behind rivals. In recent years, Intel was caught on its back foot by the AI wave. The year after Gelsinger took over as CEO, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, which took the world by storm. The rest is history: Nvidia, which was once a tiny Intel competitor, is now the second-most-valuable company in the world after it bet big on chips that can power the massive datacenters that power AI. Nvidia’s $3.4 trillion market value is 33 times bigger than Intel’s $104 billion value. Nvidia’s stock has surged nearly 720% over the past two years, as the company became the talk of the tech world and one of the most valuable public companies in the world. Intel’s struggles have raised questions about a potential takeover by a rival like Qualcomm, a possibility that may be more practical under the incoming Trump administration, which is expected to be less aggressive in pursuing antitrust concerns. A company in transition Gelsinger stepped down as CEO and resigned from Intel’s board effective December 1, the company said Monday. He will be replaced by interim co-CEOs David Zinsner, Intel’s chief financial officer, and Michelle (MJ) Johnston Holthaus, general manager of Intel’s client computing group, as the company conducts a search for a permanent new CEO. Holthaus has also been named to the newly-created CEO of Intel products, which will oversee, among other things, its data center and AI product efforts. “While we have made significant progress in regaining manufacturing competitiveness and building the capabilities to be a world-class foundry, we know that we have much more work to do at the company and are committed to restoring investor confidence,” Frank Yeary, Intel’s independent board chair, who has been named interim executive chair following Gelsinger’s exit, said in a statement. “With Dave and MJ’s leadership, we will continue to act with urgency on our priorities: simplifying and strengthening our product portfolio and advancing our manufacturing and foundry capabilities while optimizing our operating expenses and capital. We are working to create a leaner, simpler, more agile Intel,” Yeary said. Intel’s new co-CEOs will oversee a risky and expensive bid to transition the company’s business model to manufacture processors for competitors like Apple, putting it into more direct competition with chipmaking giant TSMC. That effort has been central to a push by the Biden administration to revitalize chip manufacturing on American soil. But even that has been dogged by delays. Intel last week announced that the $8.5 billion grant it had been awarded by the Biden administration in March under the CHIPS Act to support the construction and expansion of its US manufacturing facilities was being cut to $7.86 billion, after Intel delayed its timeline for investing in and opening some new plants. The company said the reduced award reflected a separate, $3 billion award from the government to produce chips for US defense efforts.

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‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’: How Netflix brought the imaginary town of Macondo to life

How do you bring to life one of the most beloved Latin American towns — one that has a century of history, but never existed at all? That was the task facing the production team of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” (or “Cien Años de Soledad”), the long-awaited Netflix adaptation of a novel widely lauded as being among the 20th century’s greatest literary works. Written in 1967 by the Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez, the book follows seven generations of the Buendía family, who follow cyclical paths of obsession, yearning, idealism and detachment, and are tied inextricably to the fate of their home, Macondo. From one of the first scenes, as Colonel Aureliano Buendía faces down a firing squad against a bloodied, white stucco wall on a clear day, viewers are transported into Macondo, an isolated riverside settlement that flourishes into a prosperous town before confronting war and colonialist exploitation. As one of the most famous works in the magical realism genre, the book’s setting teems with the supernatural and the dreamlike, though they are treated as everyday occurrences. Early on, an insomnia plague sinks residents into a haze of short-term memory loss; later, a single trickle of blood turns corners, crosses streets and climbs curbs to alert the family matriarch, Úrsula, of a shocking death. Filmed entirely in Colombia, the native country of author Gabriel García Márquez, the two-season show is set in the fictional town Macondo, which was founded by José Arcadio Buendía after he led followers on a harrowing multi-year journey to find the sea. Mauro González/Netflix Before his death in 2014, Marquez credited his storytelling style to that of his grandmother, who talked of fantastic things “with complete naturalness.” “What was most important was the expression she had on her face,” he told The Paris Review in 1981. “In previous attempts to write ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude,’ I tried to tell the story without believing in it. I discovered that what I had to do was believe in them myself and write them with the same expression with which my grandmother told them: with a brick face.” The meticulous building of Macondo Macondo has never been found on any map — though it might have, had an ill-fated 2006 proposal to change the name of Marquez’s birthplace, Aracataca, succeeded — but it has lived in the minds of readers for decades. It is also steeped in real Colombian history. Because of that, the Netflix show, which will span two seasons and premieres on December 11, was filmed exclusively in the country and is entirely in Spanish. The show also has the blessing of the author’s family, with Marquez’s sons, Rodrigo Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia Barcha, serving as executive producers. Production involved building meticulous town-sized sets and creating faithful costumes from the 1800s and 1900s. “‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ occurs during a specific time in Colombian history,” said production designer Bárbara Enríquez in a translated video call with CNN. “We treated it as a period piece.” To fulfill the “realism” of the magical realism genre, the production team built three full towns that are faithful to the period of Colombian history in which the novel takes place. El Departamento/Netflix Two versions Macondo were built in Alvarado, a town in the Colombian Andes, to show the passage of time as the town prospers. Mauro González/Netflix Enríquez took over production design in 2022, after Eugenio Caballero, best known for his Academy Award-winning “Pan’s Labyrinth” sets, stepped down from the project. (Caballero and Enríquez previously worked together on Alfonso Cuáron’s Academy Award-winning “Roma” in 2018). The production of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is one of the largest in Latin American history, according to Netflix, and required the building of three different towns. The first served as the unnamed village of mud huts and bamboo, where cousins José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula Iguarán grow up and marry one another before leading part of their community on an exodus across mountain ranges and disorienting swamplands to establish Macondo. Then, there were two versions of Macondo itself: the simple thatched homes and dirt roads of its early years, followed by the verdant streets and elegant multi-story homes that develop as the town becomes increasingly connected with the outside world. Magical realism is “actually just reality wherein magical things occur,” Enríquez said. “From the set design perspective, what we wanted to do was a very rigorous historical set, so that we could then insert the extraordinary parts within the ordinary.” Jerónimo Barón as young Aureliano and Marco Antonio González as his father, José Arcadio, in a scene that Aureliano remembers for the rest of his life: The wonderment of seeing a block of ice for the first time. Mauro González/Netflix But that didn’t mean that individual props couldn’t evoke a sense of wonder. Take the first significant prop seen in the show — the parchment book in which gypsy character Melquíades writes, in Sanskrit, the entirety of Macondo’s history (which becomes the novel itself). To create it, the production team worked with a Sanskrit translator who adapted the the full text, as well as a calligrapher who worked on the giant tome, according to Enríquez. Then there’s the first block of ice ever seen in Macondo, brought in by traveling gypsies, that stays in Aureliano’s memories for the rest of his life. Presented like an enormous, glittering diamond in a gold chest, which erupts into fog when opened and casts a soft light onto José Arcadio and his two sons, the indelible ice was real. “It was so important to have the authentic look and feel, and so that when (young Aureliano) touched the ice, the actor’s reaction was authentic,” recalled Enríquez. How a house became a character At the figurative center of the town is the Buendía household, ever expanding to accommodate the needs of its revolving members. Its bedrooms are filled with lovelorn characters coming of age and finding intimacy beneath their mosquito nets; its alchemic laboratory hosts the obsessive scientific experiments

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NFL legend Randy Moss asks for ‘prayers’ while revealing he is ‘battling something internally’

  NFL legend Randy Moss says he is “battling” a health issue and called for his fans to send him “prayers.” The former wide receiver, who now works as a pundit, posted two videos on Instagram Sunday to explain why he’s been wearing tinted sunglasses during his television appearances this week. “Throughout the week of the holidays, your boy has been battling something internal,” he said in a video, along with a caption which read “get (your) checkups.” Moss, who in 2018 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, then addressed the issue at the top of ESPN’s coverage of Sunday NFL Countdown. “I just wanted to share something with you all,” the 47-year-old said. “I put a post up maybe a few minutes ago on Instagram just telling people – you were talking about my eyes last week – and I just want to let the viewers know that me and my wife, me and my family, we are battling something internally. “I have some great doctors around me. I couldn’t miss the show, I wanted to be here with you guys.” The analyst appeared to be in high spirits as he joked with colleagues on the show, saying he felt “great.” It comes after concern grew last week, when viewers noticed Moss’ eyes appeared yellow. He has since started to wear sunglasses during television appearances. Moss playing for the San Francisco 49ers on January 20, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images “It’s not being disrespectful,” he explained on Sunday’s show. “Because I’m on television. I’m battling something. I need all the prayer warriors. God bless you all and thanks for the prayers.” Moss did not reveal any details about what he was battling. The NFL legend played 14 seasons in the league, most notably with the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots. He is considered one of the greatest wide receivers in the sport’s history, being named a first-team All-Pro four times and leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns on five occasions. Over his stellar career, Moss had 15,292 receiving yards and 156 touchdowns.

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Four friends posed for a photo on vacation in 1972. Over 50 years later, they recreated it

In the photo, four young women walk arm in arm, smiling and laughing, on a beach promenade. They’re dressed in mini skirts and flip flops, and there’s what looks like a 1960s Ford Corsair in the background. This is clearly a snapshot from a bygone era, but there’s something about the picture — the womens’ expressions, their laughs — that captures a timeless and universal feeling of joy, youth and adventure. For the four women in the photo, Marion Bamforth, Sue Morris, Carol Ansbro and Mary Helliwell, the picture is a firm favorite. Taken over 50 years ago on a group vacation to the English seaside town of Torquay, Devon, the photo’s since become symbolic of their now decades-long friendship. Whenever they see the picture, they’re transported back to the excitement of that first trip together. “It’s always been our memory of Torquay,” Sue Morris tells CNN Travel. “The iconic photograph — which is why I got the idea of trying to recreate it.” ‘The iconic photograph’ Bamforth, Morris, Ansbro and Helliwell were 17 when the photo was taken, “by one of these roving photographers that used to roam the promenade and prey on tourists like us,” as Morris recalls it. It was the summer of 1972 and the four high school classmates — who grew up in the city of Halifax, in the north of England — were staying in a rented caravan in coastal Devon, in southwest England. It was a week of laughs, staying out late, flirting with boys in fish and chip shops, sunburn, swapping clothes, sharing secrets and making memories by the seaside. Fast forward to 2024 and Bamforth, Morris, Ansbro and Helliwell remain firm friends. They’ve been by each other’s sides as they’ve carved out careers, fallen in love, brought up families and gone through heartbreak and grief. Sue enjoys keeping scrapbooks and photo albums of the women’s adventures. Here’s a page from her Torquay 1972 scrapbook. Courtesy Sue Morris Over the years, the foursome have enjoyed adventures together to destinations including Majorca and Portugal. And this year, to celebrate turning 70, they decided to return to Torquay, where it all began. “We always said, when we were younger, that one day we would go back to Torquay,” Ansbro tells CNN Travel. “And because we were reaching the big 7-0, we decided to finally go. Then Susan decided she’d love to recreate the picture that we’d taken when we were 17. But at first me, Mary and Marion weren’t very keen…” It’s always been our memory of Torquay. The iconic photograph — which is why I got the idea of trying to recreate it. Sue Morris This hesitation mostly revolved around the thought of wearing clothes that at least evoked, if not directly resembled, outfits they’d last worn in the early 1970s (“I don’t wear skirts or dresses now,” says Bamforth, who recalls that in the original photo, three of the women are wearing near-identical skirts from then-UK shopping stalwart Tammy Girl). Concern was heightened by the fact the trip was scheduled for late fall (“It was going to be October and we were going to be freezing cold in those mini skirts…” says Ansbro). But in the end, it didn’t take much for Morris to win her friends over. She’s always been the archivist of the group, putting together photo albums and scrapbooks of their adventures over the years (“Sue is very good at doing things like that,” says Helliwell). Morris convinced her friends that the recreation would be a fun way to mark their 70th birthdays and toast their decades of friendship. So, in the lead up to the Torquay trip, the four friends spent hours scouring thrift stores and online second-hand sales, searching for clothes that resembled their teenage outfits. And then the next thing they knew, the group were squeezed into a Torquay public bathroom, stripping off their October-ready winter coats and getting changed into their teenage-adjacent summer dresses and bright-colored blouses (“We didn’t want to be walking around with those clothes on all day long,” says Morris.) The public bathroom changing experience involved some last minute creativity — such as when Ansbro realized her shirt didn’t really fit, so she “just hacked off the bottom.” There were a lot of laughs as the foursome helped one another into clothing and helped arrange each other’s hair. Then, aided by a member of staff at their hotel, the group tracked down the exact spot where the original picture was taken. A couple of other friends, Jane Brook and Carole Connell, who were also on the trip, took the recreated photo. Brook and Connell directed Bamforth, Morris, Ansbro and Helliwell, helping them accurately recreate their original poses. The result? A pretty note-perfect recreation: in the 2024 photo, Bamforth, Morris, Ansbro and Helliwell, are once again captured mid-walk, arms linked, smiles on their faces. When the four friends saw the recreated photo, and then saw it side by side with the original, they were struck by the lumps in their throats. “It was both emotional and we were elated,” says Morris. “We were really pleased with how the latest photo turned out,” says Bamforth, who adds that she “agrees with Sue, it was very emotional.” Bamforth was also happy that “it was a good photo of all of us.” “It was good fun with the best company,” says Helliwell. “It was a great idea by Susan,” agrees Ansbro, who found herself thinking of “all that’s happened to us in between the pics.” “That day we recreated the photo is a cherished memory too, now,” she adds. The ‘beauty’ of friendship Here’s the recreated photo, taken in October 2024. Pictured from left to right: Marion Bamforth, Sue Morris, Carol Ansbro and Mary Helliwell in Torquay, Devon in the UK. Courtesy Jane Brook and Carole Connell A few weeks after they returned from Torquay, the group decided to submit the two photos, with an accompanying write-up by Ansbro’s husband, to the Halifax Courier, their local newspaper

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Fan violence at soccer match in Germany leaves 79 people injured, including 10 police officers

Fan violence at a soccer match in Germany left 79 people injured on Saturday, local police said. Supporters of FC Carl Zeiss Jena and BSG Chemie Leipzig clashed following the fourth-division match, which Jena won 5-0, in an episode of “disinhibited violence,” police said. The statement from Thuringia Police said some of the visiting Leipzig supporters threw pyrotechnics towards the home fans after the match, which prompted both sets of fans to “forcibly open” two gates separating them. This led to a “brief, uncontrolled clash,” police said. “The situation could only be stopped by the police forces who intervened with the use of irritant gas and batons,” the statement added. Of the 79 injured, 64 were fans, 10 were police officers and five were match stewards. Police said a total of 40 criminal and misdemeanor charges were filed, while “massive property damages” were also reported. In a statement, Leipzig called the actions of its own fans throwing and shooting pyrotechnics towards Jena supporters “despicable,” but added it was the “misconduct of a minority.” “1,200 Chemie fans travelled to Jena and loudly supported their team, even in the face of a heavy defeat that was looming early on,” the statement read. “This positive image has faded into the background in light of the misconduct of a minority. We will therefore not only remember the day in a bad light because of the performance on the pitch. As a club, we suffered great damage yesterday. “We condemn violence in the form of physical confrontations, especially the use of pyrotechnics against people. This has no place at our football matches and will not be tolerated by us.” Jena called it an “unpleasant ending” to the match, adding: “FC Carl Zeiss Jena wishes those affected a speedy recovery. The club will get a comprehensive picture of what happened in the next few days so that it can then make a well-founded statement on the incident.”

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Australia’s biggest cocaine bust seized from broken down boat at sea

Australian police seized the country’s largest haul of cocaine aboard a fishing boat that had broken down near the coast of Queensland, arresting 13 people alleged to be part of a drug-smuggling syndicate. Authorities tracked a recreational fishing boat as it traveled out to sea where it allegedly met a mothership in international waters to fetch the cocaine – some 2.34 metric tons with a street value of nearly half a billion dollars. The boat suffered a suspected mechanical breakdown, leaving the alleged traffickers stranded 18 kilometers (11 miles) off the northeastern tip of K’gari island, formerly known as Fraser Island, on Saturday. Police seized their chance to board the boat, arresting two men at sea in a joint investigation between federal and local forces. Another 11 were arrested on shore, including two juveniles. The arrests include the Brisbane vice president of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, which is accused of engaging in violence, extortion and trafficking, police said. All the suspects are accused of being part of a criminal syndicate and have been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of drugs. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment. Police found 2.34 metric tons of cocaine wrapped in bales with roped netting around them on a recreational fishing vessel. Australian Federal Police Police said the haul was the equivalent to 11.7 million individual street deals. “We know that criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their own lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause to Australian communities,” Commander Stephen Jay said. “This alleged attempt to collect more than 2 tons of cocaine from the ocean shows that criminals will do anything for their own greed and profit.” The police operation began in November following a tip-off that the Comanchero biker gang was allegedly planning to bring the drugs into the country. Australian police have warned in recent years that international drugs cartels are increasingly targeting the country, where a surge in cocaine use combined with some of the highest street prices in the world has fueled a lucrative illicit market. Last week, six so-called “narco subs” stuffed with cocaine were captured in a Colombian-led international anti-drug operation. Among the haul was 225 metric tons of cocaine, 5 tons of which was found aboard a semi-submersible vessel plying a marine trafficking route from Colombia to Australia, according to the Colombian Navy.

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Putin approves record defense spending – a third of Russia’s budget

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a record-breaking defense budget, setting aside a staggering third of the government’s total spending as the war in Ukraine drains resources from both sides nearly three years on. The budget for 2025, which was published Sunday, allocates about $126 billion (13.5 trillion rubles) to national defense – amounting to 32.5% of government spending. The defense budget is about $28 billion (three trillion rubles) higher than the previous record set this year. The new three-year budget forecasts a slight reduction in military spending for 2026 and 2027. Lawmakers in both houses of the Russian parliament approved the budget. Russia’s war in Ukraine is the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. Moscow is currently making gains at key spots along the front lines and fighting a counteroffensive in Kursk region – the site of Kyiv’s only major military success this year. But the slow, grinding war – often called a war of attrition, where both sides are trying to wear down the other – has drained both countries’ resources. Ukraine has always been on the back foot when it comes to both material and manpower, though it has received billions of dollars in help from its Western allies, including more than half a billion in new military equipment pledged by Germany on Monday. How much aid will continue to come from the United States once President-elect Donald Trump takes office remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Russia has more weapons, more ammunition and more personnel – but the strain on its economy and population is growing. Russia has massively increased its military spending over the past two years and its economy is showing signs of overheating: inflation is running high, and companies are facing labor shortages. Trying to control the situation, the Russian Central Bank raised interest rates to 21% in October, the highest in decades. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to receive significant military assistance from its allies. On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kyiv for the first time in more than two years, where he pledged more than 650 million euros ($684 million) in military equipment to Ukraine. “Germany will remain Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe,” Scholz said. Scholz’s visit came after he rankled Ukrainian officials last month by calling Vladimir Putin, ending a years-long European effort to isolate the Russian President following his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Scholz meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv on Monday. Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images Meanwhile, although Russia has many more people than Ukraine, it is suffering significant battlefield losses and recruitment of new troops is already a problem – the last time the Russian military introduced a partial mobilization, hundreds of thousands of men fled the country. North Korea recently sent an influx of soldiers to help Russia fight on the front lines – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in November that about 11,000 North Korean soldiers were in Kursk. Some of Russia’s weaponry is also North Korean, accounting for almost a third of the ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine this year, according to Ukrainian defense officials and CNN’s tally of attacks. The North Korean troops may help Russia’s efforts for some time – but the material losses could be harder to make up for.

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Elton John says he has lost his eyesight

Elton John says he still cannot see, months after suffering a severe eye infection. Speaking on stage at a gala performance of the “The Devil Wears Prada” musical in London on Sunday, John thanked his husband, David Furnish, saying he “has been my rock.” “I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because, as you know, I have lost my eyesight. So it’s hard for me to see it. But I love to hear it and, boy, it sounded good tonight,” said John, who wrote the score for the show. In an interview with “Good Morning America” last week, John said the issue has been affecting his ability to work. “I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see, and my left eye is not the greatest,” he said. “So, there’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK, but… I’m kind of stuck at the moment, because I can do something like this (the interview), but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know, because I can’t see a lyric for a start.” John, who is 77, first spoke publicly about his sight problem in September, when he shared on his Instagram page that he had been “dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye.” “I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye,” John wrote, before thanking the “excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family” for taking such good care of him. “I have been quietly spending the summer recuperating at home,” he wrote, adding that he is “feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far.” While John officially retired from touring in 2023 after decades of performing live, he wrote the music for the musical of “The Devil Wears Prada.” It is based on the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger, which was also turned into a movie in 2006.

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Oxford’s word of the year is a modern condition familiar to most of us By Rosa Rahimi, CNN

  There’s a name for that feeling you get after spending too long scrolling aimlessly, and Oxford University Press (OUP) has chosen it as its word for the year for 2024. “Brain rot” took the title in a vote in which more than 37,000 people participated, as well as public commentary and analysis of OUP’s language data. In a statement released Monday, OUP, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, defined “brain rot” as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” While the use of “brain rot” rose 230% this year, it actually first appeared more than a century ago. According to OUP, it was first used by author Henry David Thoreau in his book “Walden” as he criticized society’s tendency to devalue complicated ideas in favor of simple ones. “While England endeavors to cure the potato rot,” wrote Thoreau, “will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot – which prevails so much more widely and fatally?” All these years later, it seems brain rot is well and truly established. The term has gained traction over the past year, however, especially as worries grow about the impact of over-consuming low-quality content online. Earlier this year, a behavioral healthcare provider in the United States began offering treatment for brain rot, describing it as a condition of “mental fogginess, lethargy, reduced attention span, and cognitive decline.” The healthcare company cited doomscrolling and social media addiction as examples of brain rot behavior, which could be prevented by setting limits on screen time or doing a digital detox. “’Brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time,” said Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, in Monday’s announcement. “I also find it fascinating that the word ‘brain rot’ has been adopted by Gen Z and Gen Alpha… These communities have amplified the expression through social media channels, the very place said to cause ‘brain rot,’” he added. “It demonstrates a somewhat cheeky self-awareness in the younger generations about the harmful impact of the social media that they’ve inherited.” The word beat out five other shortlisted contenders, which included “lore,” meaning a body of (supposed) facts, background information and anecdotes required to fully understand something; “romantasy,” a portmanteau for literature combining elements of romantic fiction and fantasy; and “slop,” which refers to low-quality content generated by artificial intelligence. “Demure,” a word that went viral over the summer following a popular TikTok video, was also shortlisted. The word, which means being reserved in appearance or behavior, had already been named word of the year by Dictionary.com last week. Last year, Oxford chose “rizz” as its word of 2023. Derived from the word charisma, it refers to a person’s ability to attract a romantic partner.

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11,000 jobs on the line as another German company stumbles

Thyssenkrupp Steel has announced plans to eliminate 11,000 jobs by the end of this decade — about 40% of its workforce — becoming the latest German industrial giant to opt for drastic action to prop up its fortunes. The company said Monday that it is aiming to cut around 5,000 roles by 2030, through reducing production and streamlining administration. A further 6,000 jobs will be transferred to external service providers or shed through the sale of business units. “Increasingly, (global) overcapacity and the resulting rise in cheap imports, particularly from Asia, are placing a considerable strain on competitiveness,” Thyssenkrupp Steel said in a statement. “In addition, urgent measures are needed to improve Thyssenkrupp Steel’s own productivity and operating efficiency, and to achieve a competitive cost level.” The news is the latest blow to Europe’s biggest economy, where storied manufacturers face a perfect storm of competition from Chinese rivals, traditional disadvantages such as steep labor costs and high taxes, and energy costs driven higher by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Germany’s economy shrank last year for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. And it is set to contract again this year, according to forecasts from the European Union’s executive body, the European Commission, earlier this month. Thyssenkrupp, Germany’s largest steel producer, joins the country’s biggest manufacturer Volkswagen in setting out a major overhaul to cut costs and bolster competitiveness. Volkswagen said earlier this month that it would reduce employee pay by 10% to protect jobs and safeguard the company’s future. The German automaker also plans to close at least three factories in its home country and lay off tens of thousands of staff. Although not a German company, fellow carmaker Ford (F) said last week that it would cut almost 4,000 jobs in Europe over the next three years, mostly in Germany and the United Kingdom. The US company has urged the German government to improve market conditions for automakers, including through lowering costs for manufacturers and increasing public investment in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Struggling German industry The troubles at Thyssenkrupp and Volkswagen reflect worsening conditions in the broader private sector in Germany. According to a recent study commissioned by the Federation of German Industries, an umbrella organization for business lobby groups, one-fifth of Germany’s industrial output may disappear between now and 2030, primarily due to high energy costs and shrinking markets for German goods. Industrial output encompasses sectors such as manufacturing and the production of chemicals, among other activities. “The lead that the country has built up over decades in areas such as combustion technology is losing importance, and the German export model is increasingly under pressure due to growing geopolitical tensions, global protectionism and locational weaknesses,” notes the report, co-authored by Boston Consulting Group and the German Economic Institute. “Locational weaknesses” include high energy costs, onerous red tape, and outdated physical and digital infrastructure. The study concludes that the German economy needs “the biggest transformation effort since the post-war period,” requiring additional investments in everything from infrastructure and research and development, to education and green technologies of around €1.4 trillion ($1.5 trillion) by 2030.

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Warren Buffett just shared his most detailed plan yet for his fortune when he dies By Bryan Mena, CNN

Warren Buffett shared on Monday his most detailed plan yet for his fortunes after death, while announcing he will continue to give away his staggering wealth. In a letter to shareholders, the iconic investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO, who is 94, reflected on the nature of mortality, referencing how he once hoped his late first wife would outlive him and decide how to distribute their fortune. “Father time always wins,” Buffett wrote. “But he can be fickle – indeed unfair and even cruel – sometimes ending life at birth or soon thereafter while, at other times, waiting a century or so before paying a visit. To date, I’ve been very lucky, but, before long, he will get around to me.” In the nearly 1,300-word letter, Buffett said he hopes his three children — Susie, Howard and Peter Buffett, who are in their 60s and 70s — will live long enough to decide what philanthropic causes their father’s fortunes will be donated to. When Buffett passes, they will be tasked with unanimously deciding how to give away his wealth. But, in case his children aren’t able to determine the fate of his fortune, Buffett also designated three potential successor trustees. He did not name them in the letter. “The expected life span of my children has materially diminished since the 2006 pledge,” he wrote. “I’ve never wished to create a dynasty or pursue any plan that extended beyond the children.” Buffett also announced he is turning 1,600 Class A shares of his company into 2.4 million Class B shares, which have fewer voting rights. Of those shares, 1.5 million will be donated to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after his late first wife, and 300,000 to three other foundations led by his children — all worth about $1.2 billion. The donations add to annual gifts made to the four family foundations, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since 2006, Buffett has pledged to steadily give away his wealth, which is estimated to be $150 billion, according to Bloomberg. He has said the rest of it will be given away after his death. Warren Buffett smiles during an interview in Omaha, Nebraska, in May 2018. Nati Harnik/AP

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Photos shine a light on Taiwan’s ‘betel nut beauties’

Mong Shuan was just 16 when she turned to an unconventional source of income: selling betel nuts from a little stall in northern Taiwan. The stimulant, a small, oblong fruit derived from areca palms, is chewed by millions of people across Asia. For the next three years, Mong would work six days a week for the equivalent of around $670 a month. A small bonus was tacked on for dressing provocatively to entice male customers. Her job was to slice the nuts open and add a pinch of slaked lime (or calcium hydroxide, which increases the body’s absorption of the stimulant they contain), before neatly wrapping each one in a leaf. To meet her sales targets, the betel nut “must be delicious.” she told CNN in an email. But hoping to attract more business, Mong would wear her dyed red hair long, a little makeup and a schoolgirl outfit in the style of Japanese anime character Sailor Moon. “The most important thing is your appearance,” she added. Vendors like Mong, who left the job in February, are known locally as “betel nut beauties.” The phenomenon emerged in the late 1960s, when the Shuangdong Betel Nut Stand, a stall in rural central Taiwan, successfully marketed their products with a campaign centered on its “Shuangdong Girls.” By the turn of the 21st century, tens of thousands of the neon-lit booths, which dot roadsides and industrial neighborhoods across the island, were staffed by young women. A betel nut stall in Taipei. Constanze Han Hoping to document the phenomenon, photographer Constanze Han spent a month in 2022 driving down the highway connecting the island’s capital, Taipei, to the southern city of Kaohsiung, meeting betel nut beauties along the way. Her fascination with the women dates back to the summer trips she used to make to her grandfather’s courtyard house on the outskirts of Taipei. “I loved driving there because there were the betel nut girls,” she recalled in a phone interview. “As a child, I didn’t really understand (who they were). My family had been to Amsterdam one time and we’d walked past the red-light district, so I thought it was a similar thing.” While the scenes of women, scantily clad in glass booths, might resemble brothels, selling betel nuts is not widely linked to prostitution in Taiwan. In fact, the women rarely leave their stalls except to approach drivers in their high heels. Nonetheless, the very existence of provocative betel nut beauties seemed strange in “a quiet, conservative culture” like Taiwan’s, said Han, who hoped her project could help dispel some of the stereotypes the women faced. A seller looks for customers while she prepares betel nuts. Constanze Han “(People with) engrained ideas of respectability, without really knowing or having interacted with these girls, might be like, ‘Oh those are girls from the wrong side of the tracks,’” she said. But in reality, Han added, “they all seemed quite level (headed) and responsible.” The photographer, who grew up between Hong Kong and New York with stints in Latin America, has always been interested in the jobs women take to survive regardless of the stigma associated with them. She was inspired by the work of Susan Meiselas, whose 1970s photo series “Carnival Strippers,” captured women working hard and long hours performing stripteases at carnivals in New England. “I always end up gravitating towards women,” said Han, who would spend time getting to know her subjects before asking to take their photos. “The conversation part, where there are no photographs, is such a big part of it. I end up having more honest conversations with women and I feel more curious about the nuances of their experiences.” Betel nuts are sometimes packaged in boxes featuring imagery of young women. Constanze Han Changing habits Han photographed 12 women, mostly in their late teens or early 20s, apart from one slightly older subject named Xiao Hong, who dresses more conservatively as she prepares the product wearing bright blue gloves at a betel nut stall in New Taipei City. The others appear drenched in the neon light of their booths or are shot gazing out of the windows; one woman’s face is distorted by the reflection of the busy streets outside. The photographer would spend hours capturing small, quiet moments that reveal the job’s mundane nature. Han’s experience as a former fashion editor comes through in the photos, which often look as if they were staged or taken from the pages of a glossy magazine. But it’s important that her images are “as honest as possible,” she said. The women would usually arrive for work in their normal clothes and get changed into more revealing garments in the booths, Han explained. Sometimes, owners would incentivize them to dress in a sexier way, though some of Han’s subjects said they would have done so anyway, because it helps them sell more products. One of Han’s subjects, Ju Ju, is pictured at a booth in the city of Taoyuan. Constanze Han One of the women Han photographed, Ju Ju, is pictured wearing red lingerie as she looks out of her strobe-lit booth in the city of Taoyuan. She began selling betel nuts to help make ends meet, the photographer said, adding that employment opportunities were limited for the young mom, who has no higher education. But Ju Ju has since grown to value the stability of the job. She has now been promoted to a manager position of two booths, and hopes to buy her own stall one day, Han added. Nonetheless, concerns that the women are victims of exploitation persist in Taiwan, and have prompted some regulation over the past two decades. In 2002, for example, the local government in Taoyuan county implemented a strict dress code that requires sellers to cover their breasts, butts and bellies. Although it is traditionally served by Taiwan’s indigenous communities at important gatherings, use of the addictive stimulant is also declining sharply. The island’s Ministry of Health and Welfare — which notes that users are 28 times more

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‘Not your parents’ Love Boat’: The buzzy features bringing new passengers to cruise ships

On Disney’s newest cruise ship, the Treasure, kids ride a slide down to enter a children’s club. While they play and design their own Avengers costumes, adults can grab a cocktail at a bar themed to Disney’s classic ride, the Haunted Mansion. Later in the day, kids, parents and grandparents can meet up at a restaurant intricately themed to Pixar’s “Coco.” That’s just a snapshot of what cruising looks like today versus a decade ago or more when some industry experts say many would-be cruisers still thought of it as something only grandparents did. But after the pandemic, there has been a surge in new cruise passengers. “Everybody wanted to cruise all of a sudden, and the cruise lines were coming up with more and more entertaining equipment, so you could do almost anything at sea. It’s not your parents’ Love Boat anymore,” said Beci Mahnken, president and CEO of MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel. “You have rock climbing walls and ice-skating rinks and princesses, and all kinds of things to do on board ships.” The race to add bigger and more elaborate features at sea has been intensifying in the years since the first megaship debuted more than three decades ago. Those ever-evolving offerings are paying off. The Haunted Mansion Parlor caters to adults aboard the new Disney Treasure, with its fan-favorite theme and specialty cocktails. Kent Phillips/Disney At her travel agency, Mahnken said she’s seeing demand for cruises at its highest in 25 years. She said there are spaces on large ships that cater to each age demographic, so family members can split up to find their own fun and rejoin each other later for quality family time. A report by industry group Cruise Lines International Association shows more than 30% of families traveling by cruise go with at least two generations, and 28% of them go with three to five generations. That intergenerational appeal seems to be helping drive a growing interest in cruise travel. The report also noted that 27% of passengers in the past two years were first-time cruisers, an increase of 12% compared with the prior two-year period. And there were a total of 31.7 million cruise passengers worldwide in 2023, almost 7% more than the last pre-pandemic year, 2019. The growth comes as the industry focuses simultaneously on reducing its environmental footprint. “We do know that ‘cruise’ is actually the most powerful segment of the travel space right now. It is growing, whereas other parts of the travel industry are not,” said Kyle Valenta, editor and senior SEO manager at Cruise Critic. A slide delivers kids to the Oceaneer Club aboard the Disney Treasure. Kent Phillips/Disney Disney doubles down It’s no wonder, then, that Disney is betting big on cruises. The Treasure is their sixth ship in the fleet, but the company announced in August an expansion to 13 ships around the world by 2031. Across the industry, “there’s about 56 new ships on order for the next four years alone,” Valenta said. “So Disney isn’t really doing anything out of the ordinary in general in the cruise business. What is interesting is that Disney has very quickly decided to place a really large bet on diving into ‘cruise’ and owning more of the cruise space.” Valenta said that is notable, coming from a company that is very cautious and strategic about what it does. He said it signals a confidence in the growth of cruising. Two of Disney’s upcoming ships will be sailing exclusively in Asia. The Disney Adventure, Disney’s biggest ship yet, will launch in December 2025 out of Singapore, with a capacity for more than 6,000 passengers. In 2029, the Oriental Land Company, which owns Tokyo Disney Resort, will launch a Disney cruise ship out of Japan. “It’s a smart move, because they already have Hong Kong Disney and Tokyo Disney … and Shanghai Disney,” Mahnken said. “They’re very popular. So to bring the brand over in terms of a cruise ship is again another brilliant move on their part. It’s a good risk.” Those familiar with the Disney brand know that it involves deeply immersive stories and themes. The Disney Treasure will embark on its maiden voyage in December. Kent Phillips/Disney On the Treasure, which takes its maiden voyage in December, Disney fans will find the first cruise ship bar themed to a Disney ride: the Haunted Mansion. The lounge has an aquarium with a special effect, so that those walking around it will see “ghost fish” appear and disappear. Disney told CNN that one of the original Imagineers of the Haunted Mansion attraction wanted to have an effect like that on the ride, but the technology wasn’t available in the 1960s. This effect is an homage to the original design team. Another upcoming ship, the Disney Destiny, is expected to begin sailing in November 2025 and will be themed to heroes and villains. A new Hercules musical will debut on board. Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Signature Experiences, said Disney Cruise Line has the highest guest satisfaction ratings of his entire department, which also includes Disney theme parks, National Geographic expeditions, Aulani Resort in Hawaii and Disney Vacation Club. Occupancy is high on Disney ships, at 98% across the five existing ships in fiscal year 2024, according to a company fact sheet. “Forty percent of guests who cruise with us for the first time have told us that the only reason they cruise is because we happen to be in this space,” Mazloum said. Competition on the high seas Of course, everyone wants a piece of the same cruise passenger pie. Bigger players, such as Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line, have more ships in their fleet than Disney Cruise Line and have been in the business longer. In January, Royal Caribbean launched “Icon of the Seas,” the largest cruise ship in the world, with the largest ice arena at sea, the largest swimming pool at sea, six slides and the first family raft slides at sea. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is currently the world’s largest

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Flight attendants share secrets to surviving holiday travel

Navigating airports and airplanes can be stressful at the best of times. As millions of travelers take to the skies over the busy holiday period, that inbuilt stress can hit new heights. But it doesn’t have to, just ask the world’s flight attendants. If anyone’s got surviving holiday travel down, it’s these aviation experts who fly every day, sometimes multiple times a day. To learn from their wisdom, CNN Travel chatted with Florida-based flight attendant Hunter Smith-Lihas, who works as a flight attendant on a major US airline, and veteran Australian flight-attendant-turned-psychologist Liz Simmons, to hear their tips, tricks and aviation secrets. Whether you’re flying home for Thanksgiving or heading abroad on a New Year’s Eve getaway, here’s a cabin crew’s guide to surviving the ups and downs of holiday air travel. Give yourself a buffer day If you’ve got a buffer day, a canceled flight doesn’t automatically equal canceled Christmas. Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters Everyone wants to maximize their vacation time, but flying at the last possible minute is a risky business, says Smith-Lihas. If you want to avoid missing the Thanksgiving meal or the clock striking midnight on New Year’s Eve, “give yourself at least one buffer day in between your travel and the event,” advises Smith-Lihas. Whether you’re traveling in the northern or southern hemisphere, there’s a potential for storms and weather delays, which can cause cancellations. If you’ve got a buffer day, a canceled flight doesn’t automatically equal canceled Christmas. “You at least still have that entire day to get rebooked on another flight,” says Smith-Lihas. Leave buffer time for layovers too With this same idea in mind, Smith-Lihas recommends travelers give themselves at least 90 minutes between connecting flights. Sure, the idea of sitting around in the airport waiting isn’t appealing. But missing your connecting flight is a much worse outcome. “I see a lot of people who book their layover flight connection times with less than 45 minutes,” says Smith-Lihas. “That is not enough time.” If your first flight is delayed, you can easily end up missing the second, says Smith-Lihas “especially if you’re connecting in a foreign country and you have to go through customs and immigration.” Some people go the other way and book multi-hour layovers with the thought they could explore a layover city in between flights. “Personally I have never been brave enough to do that,” says Smith-Lihas. “I just love to get into the airport and get out onto my next flight.” For cheap flights, avoid peak flying days and times Avoiding peak days and times can help you avoid crowds. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images If you’re still considering a last-minute holiday getaway, there may still be some good deals out there, suggests Simmons. Her recommendation is to avoid peak flying days and times, like weekends, and search for midweek flights for better deals. “Midweek flying, you can really pick up some good deals during those days,” she says. Book directly via the airline There are many third-party travel websites out there, but Smith-Lihas says he always tells his friends to book flights directly via their airline of choice. He suggests third party platforms are more likely to automatically book travelers onto flights with super tight connection times. “And then also, I see people running into issues if they need to change something with their ticket, because the airline doesn’t have access to fix the problem,” he says. Check your passport expiration date well before you travel Don’t forget to check your passport expiration date before embarking on an international trip. Mike Blake/Reuters If you’re traveling internationally, don’t forget to check your passport expiration date before you travel. The last thing you want is to be caught out at the airport and turned away. Do it with plenty of time in hand and you’ll hopefully be able to renew it before the departure date, if needed. “A lot of countries do require that your passport is valid for six months or more,” says Smith-Lihas. “If you’ve had your passport for a couple years now, you definitely want to check that out.” Opt for the first flight of the day It might be tempting to book a post-work evening flight, but Simmons and Smith-Lihas both recommend getting the first flight of the day, if possible. “If you’re trying to dodge any delays, flying at the beginning of the day is beneficial, because any delays or cancellations will roll on throughout the day,” explains Simmons. “And if the flight is canceled, you at least still have that entire day to get rebooked on another flight,” adds Smith-Lihas. If there are cancellations, flight tracking apps can be helpful for keeping an eye on updates. Simmons likes FlightRadar, while Smith-Lihas is a fan of FlightAware. If you’re trying to dodge any delays, flying at the beginning of the day is beneficial, because any delays or cancellations will roll on throughout the day. Liz Simmons, former flight attendant “With FlightAware, you’re able to track exactly where your plane is. You can see what city your plane is coming from, what time it’s arriving, what time it’s going to be landing,” he says. “You can see the weather and route on that app. It has really up to date information about delays and cancellations. And I just like the fact that you can see exactly where your plane is coming from and what time it’s landing.” “It’s also worth checking the airline apps,” adds Simmons. “And generally the airline has up-to-date information on X and Facebook.” If you have kids, book flights around nap times New parents might find themselves traveling with young children for the first time around the holidays. Simmons, who is a mother of two, suggests that “if you can, book your flights around nap times to avoid sort of that overtired meltdown.” Bring supplies for your kids If you’re traveling with kids, make sure you’ve got all the supplies they need. Joshua Lott/Getty Images Simmons also recommends bringing snacks or books and any “comfort items”

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Elon Musk floats buying MSNBC, but he’s not the only billionaire who may be interested

Elon Musk has called MSNBC “the utter scum of the Earth.” He has said the channel “peddles puerile propaganda.” Just a few days ago he said, “MSNBC is going down.” And now he is posting memes about buying the channel. Conventional wisdom holds that Musk — the world’s richest man and key Donald Trump ally — and his friends are just joking. But Musk’s posts are adding to the anxiety that MSNBC staffers are feeling about the reelection of Donald Trump and the recently announced spinoff of Comcast’s cable channels. I spent Sunday on the phone with sources to gauge what might be going on. I learned that more than one benevolent billionaire with liberal bonafides has already reached out to acquaintances at MSNBC to express interest in buying the cable channel. The inbound interest was reassuring, one of the sources said, since it showed that oppositional figures like Musk (who famously bought Twitter to blow it up) would not be the only potential suitors. But contrary to claims that Trump’s allies are posting on X, Comcast has not put a “for sale” sign on MSNBC’s door. If Comcast chief Brian Roberts really wanted to sell the liberal cable news channel, he could have done that already. Instead, he is moving MSNBC and a half dozen other cable channels into “SpinCo,” a pure-play cable programming company. The hope is that spinning off the pressured-but-profitable channels will boost shares of both Comcast and “SpinCo.” Comcast says the transaction will take about a year. At that point, could someone swoop in with a bid for MSNBC? It’s complicated. “SpinCo” is structured as a tax-free spinoff, and immediately divesting an asset would have tax implications that could forestall any such sale. “Typically, we would expect a two-year waiting period before any potential further strategic action by the SpinCo to preserve the tax-free nature of the spin although we believe there are scenarios where industry consolidation including SpinCo could happen earlier,” analyst Benjamin Swinburne of Morgan Stanley wrote in a note to investors last week. (Morgan Stanley is a financial advisor to Comcast.) Plus, “SpinCo” executives may well conclude that offloading MSNBC is not in the best interest of shareholders, since the channel’s loyal audience is a form of leverage in negotiations with cable distributors. Executives involved with the spinoff say they intend to be predators, not prey – buying new channels, not selling off old ones bit by bit. Selling MSNBC to win favor with the president-elect is simply not the plan. I have sensed quite a bit of enthusiasm at MSNBC about “SpinCo,” actually, because the new structure should allow for more investment into MSNBC, CNBC and the other brands. Musk’s allies pile on That said, Musk’s posts shouldn’t be ignored. He famously foreshadowed his pursuit of Twitter with a tweet that asked, “How much is it?” On Friday, he similarly asked of MSNBC, “How much does it cost?” He was responding to Donald Trump, Jr., who posted a meme that (falsely) said MSNBC is for sale and wrote, “Hey @elonmusk I have the funniest idea ever!!!” Joe Rogan jumped in and said, “If you buy MSNBC I would like Rachel Maddow’s job.” (He misspelled her name.) “I will wear the same outfit and glasses, and I will tell the same lies.” The trio’s fans ate it up, and Musk kept posting about the idea all weekend long, at one point promoting a homophobic meme that equated Maddow with Mark Cuban. By Sunday, Trump Jr. wrote, “I think I started something here. The amount of people that want this to happen is incredible!!!!” Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz replied, “I 100 percent want this to happen.” The mockery is the point, and maybe it’s nothing more than that. The ‘media capture’ model While Musk and his friends trade memes and crack each other up, there’s a serious undercurrent here. It’s known as “media capture.” This happened in Hungary when far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán’s “close allies also purchased private television and radio outlets to convert them into pro-government outlets,” CNN reported earlier this month. “Media capture” is a subset of what Protect Democracy executive director Ian Bassin calls “autocratic capture,” where “the government uses its power to enforce loyalty from the private sector.” On a recent episode of Vanity Fair’s “Inside the Hive,” Bassin said “I think we are in danger of seeing that happen across the American marketplace in all sorts of sectors.” Gábor Scheiring, a former member of the Hungarian parliament, wrote in a new essay for Politico Magazine that Orbán “consolidated media control through centralized propaganda, market pressure and loyal billionaires.” In the US, he wrote, “liberal-minded billionaires should not sit idly by as they did in Hungary, watching the right take over the media.” Would Cuban, a key billionaire surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris, have any interest in MSNBC? I asked him Sunday night. “I don’t think there is anything anyone can do to change the impact of linear TV news. So the answer is no,” Cuban replied. “People feel like MSNBC is not doing enough to rival Fox. I don’t see that. What could they do differently? Manufacture conspiracy theories? Go all in on crypto?” Cuban added: “I would rather promote Bluesky and hope it helps them aggregate audience, and create a network affect that gives agency to all viewpoints. I think with the addition of real time news and sports, it could give Twitter a run for its money.”

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‘Demure’ is Dictionary.com’s 2024 word of the year

“Demure,” a word that went viral over the summer, has been named Dictionary.com’s 2024 word of the year — beating out other contenders like “brainrot,” “brat,” and “weird.” In an announcement Monday, the site said that the word experienced a “meteoric rise in usage” in 2024 — up 1,200% between January and August — a spike that was largely attributed to TikToker and beauty influencer Jools Lebron’s popularization of the phrase “very demure, very mindful” in a series of satirical videos that shook the internet. “You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful,” Lebron says in one of her TikToks, donning a slightly pared-down version of her usual makeup of black, winged eyeliner and fake eyelashes. “The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job. A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like (her sisters) Patty and Selma. Not demure,” she adds, using characters from “The Simpsons” TV show to make her point. “Demure” has historically been used to describe discrete and reserved behavior, but “a new usage has spread through social media,” Dictionary.com said, highlighting the word’s recent associations with a person’s appearance and the way they act at work or in public places. “Every video is me just referencing me,” Lebron says in another video with the playful caption “obscurity of demurity,” where she explains the joke after users wondered if people should be judged on their appearances at work. “That’s the joke!” The satire is clearest in a clip in which the TikTok star asserts that she’s going to behave in a demure, mindful way while going out on the Las Vegas Strip. Her sober assertions that she’ll be back in bed by 10 p.m. are intercut with scenes of Lebron from later that night, giggling at a club and struggling to find her hotel room. Notable figures like Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and “Drag Race” host RuPaul have all taken advantage of the trend to promote their brands. In photos from a recent campaign for her shapewear brand Skims, Kardashian used the phrase in the caption: “See how I take my bts pictures…very cutsie (sic), very mindful, very demure…not like the other girls” Taking to Instagram, Jennifer Lopez captioned a post promoting her cocktail line Delola with the caption “very demure…very mindful,” along with a video of her elegantly sipping. “See how I’m reading this book? Very demure. I don’t dog-ear pages, I put in a bookmark,” RuPaul said in a video promoting online bookstore Allstora. “And I don’t divulge the ending to my friends. Very considerate. And also, my cell phone is on do-not-disturb. Very demure. Very mindful.” Lebron also appeared in a video with makeup artist Patrick Ta, who was promoting a new skin foundation from his beauty line. Lebron, who is transgender, said that the fame from her “demure” videos has helped her finance the rest of her transition. “I used to be crazy and out of control and then I found some demurity, and along with that came success,” she said, on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. She has now amassed more than 2.3 million followers on TikTok. Dictionary.com said that its decision to choose “demure” this year was informed by a deep analysis of social media trends, news headlines and words that transcended conversations online, seeping into everyday dialogue. The site’s word of the year in 2023 was “hallucinate” — a reference to the rise of chatbots and artificial intelligence that can often spur misinformation. “Brat,” another word that has taken on new meaning in 2024, was named Collins Dictionary’s word of 2024 for being one of the most talked about words on and offline.

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Hong Kong is becoming a hub for financial crime, US lawmakers say

Hong Kong has become a center for money laundering and sanctions evasion under the tightening grip of Beijing, US lawmakers have warned, calling for a re-evaluation of America’s close business relationship with the Asian financial hub. In a letter to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Monday, bipartisan leaders of the House Select Committee on China demanded greater scrutiny from Washington of Hong Kong’s much prized financial sector, a pillar of the economy that’s home to many big US banks and accounts for more than one-fifth of the Chinese territory’s gross domestic product. Hong Kong has become a “global leader” in illicit practices, it said, including in the export of controlled Western technology to Russia, the creation of front companies to buy Iranian oil and the managing of “ghost ships” that engage in illegal trade with North Korea. Since Beijing imposed a national security law on the city in 2020, “Hong Kong has shifted from a trusted global financial center to a critical player in the deepening authoritarian axis of the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea,” the lawmakers said. “We must now question whether longstanding US policy towards Hong Kong, particularly towards its financial and banking sector, is appropriate,” they added. CNN has reached out to the US Treasury Department and the Hong Kong government for comment. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump revoked the special treatment Hong Kong had long enjoyed under US law, to punish Beijing for imposing the national security law on the once-outspoken city. The executive order effectively ended the city’s separate customs treatment from mainland China by suspending a 1992 law granting Hong Kong special economic status. Since then, dozens of Hong Kong-based companies have been hit by US sanctions for evading extensive measures imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, including the supply of critical dual‑use goods such as semiconductors. Hong Kong officials have previously said the city has no obligation to implement unilateral sanctions imposed by other countries – including when a mega yacht linked to a Russian oligarch sanctioned by the US, the European Union and the United Kingdom dropped anchor in the city in October 2022. The committee’s letter cited research published this year that shows nearly 40% of goods shipped from Hong Kong to Russia between August and December 2023 were high-priority items that are likely fueling Moscow’s production of military goods such as missiles and aircraft. The lawmakers asked Treasury Department officials to brief the committee on “the current status of American banking relationships with Hong Kong banks, how our policies have shifted to account for the changes in Hong Kong’s status and posture, and the measures the Treasury plans to implement to address these risks.” The letter, signed by Republican Rep. John Moolenaar, who chairs the committee, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the panel’s top Democrat, highlights the growing scrutiny on Hong Kong in the escalating great power rivalry between the US and China. It comes as Trump is poised to return to the White House with a cabinet stacked with China hawks, including Marco Rubio, who has been named secretary of state. Rubio, a fierce critic of Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong, has sponsored legislation that sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong officials for alleged human rights violations in the city. He has also proposed a bill now being considered in Congress to let the secretary of state strip certification from Hong Kong’s economic and trade offices in the US. Trump has also named hedge fund executive Scott Bessent as his treasury secretary. Isaac Stone Fish, CEO of Strategy Risks, a business intelligence firm that focuses on China, said even if Yellen declines to act upon the letter, Bessent – who in a recent interview described Beijing as a “despotic regime” – is expected to take a more hawkish approach to China. “In fact, it appears like he’ll be the most hawkish Treasury Secretary since the 1970s. This has massive implications for US businesses with big exposure to Hong Kong,” Fish said. “Sadly, the idea of Hong Kong as autonomous from China is now a farce … US companies need to understand that their Hong Kong operations will likely fall under increased scrutiny.”

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A capital on lockdown, internet shutdowns and protesters clashing with police. What’s going on in Pakistan?

Thousands of supporters of Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through barricades around the capital Tuesday and marched into Islamabad, clashing with security forces and demanding his release. Authorities have enforced a security lockdown in the country, imposed internet blackouts and barricaded major roads leading into the capital to prevent protesters from entering, after Khan called for his supporters to march on parliament. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters that protesters could remain on the outskirts of Islamabad, but threatened extreme measures if they entered the city. The latest protests came as Islamabad bolstered security for an official visit by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who arrived in the capital on Monday for three days of talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Here’s what to know. What’s happening? Policemen fire tear gas shells to disperse supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party during a protest to demand the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad on November 26. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images A convoy of vehicles carrying protesters set off from the city of Peshawar Sunday as part of a “long march” with the aim of reaching the capital, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) away. Led by Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – where Khan’s party remains in power – the protesters planned to hold a sit-in at D-Chowk, a large square near the country’s parliament. Protesters reached the outskirts of Islamabad Monday, defying a two-day security lockdown and a ban on rallies. Along the way, police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds and blocked roads with shipping containers to prevent them pushing through. Video showed a police post ablaze and several fires on the highway. Reuters reported 22 police vehicles were torched just outside Islamabad and elsewhere in Punjab province. At least one police officer was killed and several officers and demonstrators were injured in clashes, authorities said. Doctors at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences told CNN that five people had died, including four security officials and one civilian. Multiple sources told CNN a car rammed into them during the protests. By Tuesday morning, protesters had breached the city limits and a large crowd was marching past Zero Point, an interchange well inside the city. The convoy then moved on to the Blue Area, Islamabad’s business and commercial district, before arriving at D-Chowk. Soldiers could be seen outside key government buildings in Islamabad, including parliament, the Supreme Court and the Secretariat. Will the protests continue? Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister, said security forces had suffered bullet wounds, but police were “showing restraint” with protesters. He warned that if protesters crossed the line, security forces had been authorized to fire back, and he could take extra measures including imposing a curfew or deploying the military. A Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s supporter attempts to throw back tear gas shells fired by riot policemen in Hasan Abdal, Punjab province, Pakistan, on November 25. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images Paramilitary soldiers stand guard at a blocked road leading towards the Red Zone area ahead of a protest rally by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Islamabad on November 24. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images “Rangers could open fire and there will be no protesters there after five minutes,” Naqvi said. “Anyone who reaches here will be arrested.” Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has accused the government of using excessive force, saying “bullets were fired at protesters” who it described as “peaceful.” The PTI said about two dozen protesters had been injured. CNN cannot independently verify the reports from either side and internet blackouts have compounded communication issues. In recent days, thousands of Khan supporters have been arrested in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as authorities tried to prevent the protest march. Schools in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi closed on Monday and Tuesday, and officials and witnesses said all public transport between cities and terminals had been shut down, according to Reuters. PTI senior leader Kamran Bangash said protesters were “determined, and we will reach Islamabad,” adding that “we will overcome all hurdles one by one.” Why are they protesting? Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s supporters shout slogans as they protest to demand the release of former prime minister Imran Khan, in Hasan Abdal, on November 25. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images Protesters are demanding the release of Khan and what his supporters deem political prisoners. They also want a new constitutional amendment to be repealed, which has increased the government’s power to select superior court justices and pick those judges to hear political cases. Khan’s supporters also believe February elections were not free and fair, calling it a “stolen mandate.” Khan was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022 and has since led a popular campaign against the current government led by Prime Minister Sharif, accusing it of colluding with the military to remove him from office. The former star cricketer turned populist politician has been in jail for over a year and faces dozens of criminal cases ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets, all of which he and his party deny. Khan and the PTI – the country’s largest opposition party – remain popular, and his detention has turbocharged an already tense showdown between the country’s powerful military and his supporters. Khan has repeatedly urged his supporters to take to the streets demanding his release, and violence has broken out in several cities. A march to Islamabad from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in early October demanding Khan’s release was met with similar road blockades and mobile and internet cuts and ended in clashes with police. The protests come at a sensitive time for Pakistan, which has seen a wave of sectarian violence and separatist militant attacks that have killed dozens of people in recent months.

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Dominique Pelicot rape trial: Prosecutor requests 20-year sentence | CNN

Dominique Pelicot, the man who organized for more than 50 men to rape his unconscious wife, is “fully responsible” for his actions, a French public prosecutor told court after requesting the maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Public prosecutor Laure Chabaud told the packed courthouse in Avignon, southern France, on Monday that the sentence would be “long” but “not enough considering the serious nature of these acts.” “There are many examples in history of criminals capable of presenting themselves in a charming light and who at the same time are capable of the worst atrocities. Dominique Pelicot fits this bill. He was an attentive husband, father and grandfather,” Chabaud said. “He suffers from no mental illness, so he is fully responsible for the acts he committed. We must ask ourselves about the future, which appears relatively bleak. His is considered incredibly dangerous,” she added. A huge crowd of journalists and supporters gathered in the courtroom inside Avignon’s Tribunal de Grande Instance on Monday morning for the final day of oral arguments in a case that has made headlines at home in France and around the world. Gisele Pelicot leaves the courthouse in Avignon on November 19, 2024. Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters Pelicot has been accused of organizing for more than 50 men to visit his house in the southern French village of Mazan and rape his wife, Gisele Pelicot. Over a period spanning nearly 10 years, Dominique Pelicot used an online website and messaging platforms to seek out men from a radius spanning roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers). Pelicot has admitted to habitually drugging his wife with a strong sedative before allowing strangers to sexually abuse her. Dominique Pelicot kept his eyes closed and looked down at the ground during the hearing. All 50 other defendants were also present in court, with many using face masks to conceal their faces from the cameras. The case has sparked a fervent debate about attitudes in France towards consent. The prosecutor highlighted the issue again in court on Monday, saying: “We can’t say in 2024 that because she (Gisele Pelicot) didn’t say anything she consented.” “There was nothing ambiguous about Gisele Pelicot that could make the men think she was giving her consent,” Chabaud added. Throughout the court case that began in September, defense lawyers for the accused have tried to undermine Gisele Pelicot’s claim that she was unaware of her husband’s actions. Chabaud told the court on Monday that she didn’t want to return to the “question that keeps coming up, ‘how is it possible that she didn’t realize anything was going on?’” “For years, she tried to understand what was wrong with her, she had pains in her lower abdomen, vaginal discharge, hemorrhoids and so on. No analysis was able to determine the cause,” the prosecutor added. Beatrice Zavarro, the lawyer for Dominique Pelicot, told journalists outside court after Monday morning’s hearing that the request wasn’t a “surprise for us” and had been entirely “predictable.” Despite this, she said it was still “difficult” to tell a 72-year-old man such as Pelicot that he may have to spend the next 20 years in prison. The court is set to reconvene again on December 20 when judges will hand down the sentences in what is considered to be one of the darkest criminal cases in modern French history. On the eve of the final hearing, protesters pasted posters outside the courthouse with the slogan “20 years for all,” calling for all 51 defendants to receive the maximum sentence. Huge crowds attended a protest in Paris on Saturday calling for changes in societal attitudes towards consent. They carried placards with the slogan, “shame must switch sides” – a reference to a quote Gisele Pelicot made during court proceedings.

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Celebrity lookalike contests are taking over the internet. But they aren’t new

In German folklore, doppelgängers are considered to be a bad omen whose presence brings about misfortune. It feels all the more fitting then, that amid today’s geopolitical conflicts, increasing climate catastrophes and economic uncertainties, we’re seemingly hooked on celebrity lookalike contests. It began with actor Timothée Chalamet. In October, hundreds of onlookers turned up at Washington Square Park to watch more than a dozen chocolate-haired 20-somethings jostle for the title of Chalamet’s unofficial doppelgänger. The event, organized by YouTuber Anthony Po, ended in a handful of arrests, a $500 fine and an appearance from the Oscar-nominated actor himself. “It was insane,” Reed Putman, a Chalamet lookalike contestant, told CNN after the competition. “People were flooding (around you) recording you and taking photos or asking quick questions.” After that, things moved quickly. In Ireland, mulleted men compared thighs in 5-inch Gaelic Athletic Association shorts, hoping to have their likeness to Paul Mescal verified by a jumbo cheque for €20 ($21) (a second contest took place at a pub in London, apparently making Mescal the first actor to inspire two competitions). Hopeful Harry Styles lookalikes also emulated the popstar’s trademark fashion sense at a competition in London. Matthew Chattle/Cover Images/AP Max Braunstein won the Glen Powell lookalike contest held in Austin, Texas on November 24, 2024, and was awarded $5 and a cowboy hat. Mikala Compton/American-Statesman/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Days later, more young men, this time dressed in pussy-bow blouses and three-strand pearls, piled into London’s Soho Square looking to be crowned the best Harry Styles lookalike. Then there was the search for actor Dev Patel’s doppelgänger in San Francisco, and singer Zayn Malik’s in New York. And not since the taping of a “Top Chef” episode has so many apron-wearing men gathered in one place for the Jeremy Allen White competition in Chicago earlier this month. There were cigarettes, farmer’s market flowers and yards of fake tattoos — all in reference to paparazzi shots of White as well as his character Carmy Berzatto in “The Bear.” Just this past week, Zendaya — because who else? — became what appears to be the first female celebrity to have her own viral lookalike contest in Oakland, California while one for actor Glen Powell was held over the weekend in Austin, Texas. Thanks to social media a new competition poster seems to go viral each week, with many awarding a small cash prize and an item associated with the celebrity or celebrity’s character (White’s lookalike took home a pack of Marlboro Reds, while the organizers of Zendaya’s contest threw in a bottle of shampoo and conditioner of a brand that the actor reportedly uses). Like a dog whistle for a particular type of online Gen Z or Millennial, these contests spread like wildfire. But the idea of a lookalike contest is in fact a time-honored form of entertainment. Nine girls in a Fox Films and Daily Telegraph Shirley Temple lookalike contest in Sydney, Australia, October 1934. Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales In his memoir, Charlie Chaplin Jr. wrote that his famous father had not only entered but came third in his own lookalike competition — held at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood sometime between 1915 and 1921. (Dolly Parton said she also participated in one held of her, at a gay bar in Santa Monica decades later. She lost). There were Shirley Temple contests in the 1930s — including one in Sydney, Australia in 1934 and one in 1935 at the Cleveland Food Show, where more than 900 children entered. The event was so popular, the Cleveland organizers reportedly staged three more — one for femme fatale Myrna Loy, one for singer Alice Faye and one for actor Katharine Hepburn. For the last 40 years, a bar in Key West, Florida has been staging an annual Ernest Hemmingway lookalike competition. But British sociologist and celebrity cultural critic Ellis Cashmore believes there’s a reason we’re seeing a resurgence of these types of contests now. “I don’t think this is a vestige of the Golden Age of Hollywood,” he told CNN over the phone. “I think (the most recent ones) capture something that we believe in the 21st century… That biology isn’t destiny.” To Cashmore, our current society is defined by the idea that “you can potentially do anything and be anything you want to be.” “What (the audience) is looking at is a transition in process,” he said. “They know this isn’t really Harry Styles on stage, but if someone who looks so much like him, could even be him, you’re giving someone an indication of just how malleable and changeable we are as human beings. Humanity isn’t fixed.” Oscar Journeaux won the Harry Styles lookalike competition on November 9 in London. Leon Neal/Getty Images In 1979, Angie Huntley, aged 33, won a Dolly Parton lookalike contest in Toronto, Canada. Jim Wilkes/Toronto Star/Getty Images There’s a chance to build a real community, too, he says. “These lookalike contests provide us with an opportunity to relate and form new relationships with people we might hitherto not know and would never cross paths with and wouldn’t even say hello to them in a gym, in a club, in a bar, in a supermarket or anywhere,” Cashmore added. “But the fact is, they share a common interest, and that is celebrity.” Andy Harmer, professional David Beckham tribute act and founder of Lookalikes, one of the UK’s top celebrity impersonator agencies, believes it’s more to do with the fact that “humans are interested in all kinds of symmetry.” Harmer, who is writing a book on the history of his unique industry, recounts examples of lookalikes in nature: “Stick insects use (similarity) to survive. And some flowers look like bees,” he told CNN in a phone interview, referring to the bee orchid which mimics the appearance of a female bee to encourage pollination. “It’s a natural thing,” he said. His career as Beckham’s double hasn’t always been smooth sailing, however. “When he (Beckham) got sent off against Argentina (during the 1998 World

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Emily Calandrelli, 100th woman in space, refuses to bow to ‘small men on the internet’

Gazing out the window of a rocket at Earth’s glistening blue perimeter, Emily Calandrelli’s mind was likely far from away from the trolls that inhabit the internet on this planet. But less than 24 hours after the MIT engineer and TV host known as “Space Gal” became the 100th woman to venture into space, “hoards of men” online sexualized her raw and emotional response, the author and astronaut said in a social media post. In a video released by Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company Blue Origin, a wonderstruck Calandrelli, who was one of six space tourists to join the launch, can be seen looking out the window and gushing, “Oh my God, this is space.” It was an emotional and poignant reaction to achieving what Calandrelli called a dream “decades in the making.” New Shepard, a Blue Origin rocket, ascends into space during the NS-28 mission Blue Origin Hundreds of social media users shared messages of support for Calandrelli, calling her an inspiration for women and young girls. Several women commented on her post saying they had watched the live stream of the launch with their daughters. But trolls seized on her reaction, making so many offensive comments that Blue Origin took down its original video from the launch and replaced it with an edited one, Calandrelli said. CNN has reached out to Blue Origin for comment. Calandrelli said she would not let online trolls ruin an experience that brought her “the most life-altering spectacular joy and awe.” “I refuse to give much time to the small men on the internet. I feel experiences in my soul,” Calandrelli said in the post. “I will not apologize or feel weird about my reaction. It’s wholly mine and I love it.” A representative for Calandrelli said she did not wish to comment further and would prefer to focus on the inspiration her journey has given others, rather than posts by “misguided” trolls. Astronaut Emily Calandrelli during training at Blue Origin’s Launch Site One. Blue Origin Friday’s mission was Blue Origin’s ninth human spaceflight on the rocket used for space tourism. The mission was to fly above the Kármán line – the boundary separating Earth’s atmosphere from outer space – for several minutes before returning to Earth. Joining Calandrelli on board were Sharon Hagle, Marc Hagle, Austin Litteral, James (J.D.) Russell, and Henry (Hank) Wolfond. Upon landing safely at Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas, Calandrelli compared seeing Earth from space for the first time to motherhood. “I immediately turned upside down and looked at the planet and then there was so much space, and I kept saying, like, ‘that’s our planet!’ “It was the same feeling I got when my kids were born where I’m like, seeing it for the first time.” The New Shepard booster comes in for a smooth landing at Launch Site One during the NS-28 mission. Blue Origin In June 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina V. Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space, but it would be 20 years before another woman would leave Earth. Astronaut Sally K. Ride became the first American woman to visit space in June 1983. Calandrelli said she was crying on the flight home from the mission because of the online reaction and texting her “space sisters” for advice. As she was getting off the flight, Calandrelli said the Southwest flight attendant recognized her and whispered, “don’t let them dull your shine.” “I felt an immediate sense of camaraderie with her, with all women,” Calandrelli said.

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The possibility of romance may be behind the spike in running

The journey to the London City Runners clubhouse is a test of willpower in many ways. If the thought of a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) run isn’t enough to put you off, its location on the famous Bermondsey Beer Mile, with the aromas of bakeries and microbreweries spilling onto the street, may entice you. But something else is brewing for those with the fortitude to continue. Despite the clubhouse’s declared focus on running with its walls adorned with pictures and medals from races past, the club is a veritable hub of romance. There have been at least 20 marriages between couples who met at the club, according to founder Tim Navin-Jones. The possibility of romance was clearly not lost on the new members making nascent attempts at flirting outside the clubhouse on one gray and waterlogged London evening. As the endless scrolling through dating apps has become a feat of endurance, running clubs such as this one have developed a reputation for romance. Runners who spend any time on social media probably already know “run clubs are the new dating apps” trend. And as the night’s run got underway, taking the group past the Tower of London, a runner from Guatemala revealed that this trend is exactly why he joined the club. Three friends catching their breath in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral said they were looking for a way to socialize and meet people that didn’t involve copious amounts of alcohol. As the run came to an end, a sea of phones emerged to exchange numbers. What’s cool about running? When you think of running, the idea of romance may be the furthest thing from your mind. Trudging away, mile after mile, has long filled many with a sense of dread. “When I started in 2003, there was nothing cool about running,” said Mike Saes, founder of NYC Bridge Runners, a popular running crew in New York City with around 27,000 followers on Instagram. A crew culture is based on building community, according to Saes. “It’s become a lifestyle. Running has always been a punishment — now I call it ‘funishment.’” Recently though, running has exploded in popularity. The workout tracking app Strava has become one of the most ubiquitous among runners. According to a spokesperson, its user base has increased by 80 million since 2019. Data from the app suggests running in groups, or clubs, has also spiked. “Over 20% of runs on the weekend are done with at least one other person,” Strava spokesperson Chloe Thompson told CNN, noting a 12% annual increase in the number of weekend runs done in groups of at least six people. “People are social beings, and they like to do things together,” said Dr. Hidde Bekhuis, an assistant professor at the Behavioural Science Institute at Radboud University in the Netherlands. While traditional sports clubs are seeing their numbers decline, “informal groups” such as running clubs are seeing their numbers boom, Bekhuis said. For women, safety in numbers A possible romance isn’t the only advantage to being part of a running group. Members also cite the mental health benefits of finding a support network. Cavan Images/Getty Images Men and women can have a very different experience when running alone. Almost 70% of women have “experienced some form of abusive (behavior)” while running, according to 2024 research conducted by the UK’s University of Manchester. The study surveyed 498 women who ran in the Greater Manchester and Merseyside areas of North West England. Nevertheless, running is exploding among young women. Strava’s growth among Generation Z women is double what it was last year, according to Thompson. The Strava spokesperson said that “women are 16% more likely to be part of weekend group runs than men, with over half of women in 2024 having participated in a run with at least one other person.” Establishing a “safe space” for female runners was a primary concern when Molly Slater-Davison founded the all-female run club These Girls Run in York, England. The club has seen a tripling in the number of venues it hosts in the last year, and Slater-Davison said that safety has been a massive contributor to women joining up. Feeling unsafe while running alone is “a conversation we have a lot,” she told CNN. A community of runners and support Stephen, a member of LGBT+-inclusive club London Frontrunners, said that while “there’s probably a lot of hookups going on,” many people who join are new to the city and looking to form a community. “I’ve met my best friends here,” the club’s copresident, Wojciech Pankow, told CNN. “I’ve never made these kinds of relationships in the gay community before.” One of the club’s newer members, Joe, said that dating wasn’t a motivating factor for him and that his mother encouraged him to join. “I wanted more gay friends,” he said. “All my connection to gay culture was in a very sexualized way. One of the times I came here, I felt kind of euphoric. (The club) breaks down a lot of stereotypes for what being gay is.” Mental health benefits of community Runners emphasize the mental health benefits of finding a support network through their groups. One member of London City Runners, Phil, said that the club had become his family and that he had been “ready to give up on life” before joining. “I was in a very bad place mentally. A friend told me to come to this place, and since then it’s been great. It’s brought me new friends and a new lease on life.” ‘All about camaraderie’ While it’s true that the dating element was what drew some people to running at first, it’s not what kept them in the game. “We have marriages, we have children, but romance is a side effect,” said Saes, the NYC Bridge Runners founder. “It’s really all about camaraderie and bringing people together, rather than ‘I’m going to run tonight to meet my next wife.’”

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‘Like climbing Mount Everest:’ Inside the grueling world of the Chess World Championship

Ding Liren slumped over the board with fallen chess pieces scattered in front of him in the moments after he won the Chess World Championship last year. His head bowed, his expression blank, he seemed as if he was collecting himself after a brutal fight, still reeling from the blows his opponent Ian Nepomniachtchi had landed, wary to move in case his legs gave out under him. The pair had been dueling each other for three weeks, maintaining a mind-boggling level of concentration during that time, for any momentary lapse could cost them the game. The Chess World Championship is an extraordinary, singular event. Its first edition was held 138 years ago but, in that time, just 17 players have become world champion. “Chess demands total concentration,” Bobby Fischer, the only American ever to hold the title, once noted, and only those capable of maintaining that focus for weeks on end can achieve the biggest prize in the sport. “It’s our Mount Olympus,” Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand, a five-time world chess champion, tells CNN Sport. “It’s the thing you spend a lot of time trying to achieve, aiming for, dreaming of, since you learned the game. It’s like climbing Mount Everest or crossing the Amazon.” On Monday, this year’s edition of the grueling tournament will begin in Singapore with China’s Ding seeking to defend his title against India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, who is still just 18 years old and could become the youngest ever person to be crowned world champion. Ding Liren (left) defeated Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in last year’s world championship. Zhang Shuo/China News Service/VCG/Getty Images “You lose weight during a chess tournament of this intensity. The pressure is absolutely enormous,” Malcolm Pein, chess correspondent for English newspaper The Daily Telegraph, tells CNN Sport. “A lot of the time, it comes down to exhaustion. Players are very well-matched, very prepared. It’s very hard to get an advantage, but sooner or later somebody becomes tired and that might make them make a mistake.” Even now, with the tournament shorn of Magnus Carlsen – the world’s best player who is sitting out his second world championship – and the increasing popularity of the shorter rapid and blitz formats of the game, becoming chess world champion is an accolade that still transcends the sport. But the buildup to this tournament has been unlike any other since Ding has struggled with personal difficulties and mental health challenges after his win, taking an extended break from chess to focus on his mental health. Now, he “is not so bad, not so good,” he told chess YouTube channel “Take Take Take,” and sees himself as the “underdog” going into this tournament. ‘Tossing and turning’ A long history of epic world championships and rivalries looms over both Ding and Gukesh. Most famously, Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov faced off for five months across 48 games of chess at the 1984 tournament as they sought to reach the six victories that would crown them world champion. Karpov had taken a seemingly unassailable 5-0 lead early on, but Kasparov clawed his way back, winning the 32nd, 47th and 48th game to make it 5-3. He was still behind, but he had all the momentum. Karpov, meanwhile, had lost 22 pounds during the championship as he fought to maintain his lead. Eventually and controversially, the match was called off to preserve the players’ health. Now, the tournament lasts weeks instead of months, but players must still withstand its immense pressures, each one developing “something habitual in how they compose themselves,” says Danny Rensch, the chief chess officer of Chess.com. “Some of them have the habit of getting up and not actually spending a lot of time sitting at the board when it’s not their turn … to keep their blood flowing. Some of them do this just because that’s how they deal with the stress and nerves,” Rensch tells CNN Sport, adding that others sit at the board locked in the same position. Vishy has won five world championship titles. Dipayan Bose/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images Chess is a game that takes place almost entirely within a player’s mind, their calculations and machinations visible only to a skilled viewer predicting the next move. Several questions are running through a chess player’s head when an opponent makes a move, says Pein, rattling them off. “The first thing you do when your opponent makes a move is you say to yourself, ‘Why did they make that move? What’s changed on the board? Is there a threat? And is there a threat to my position from this move directly? And who do I think stands better, and why …. How long do I want to think about my reply? And then also, am I playing for a win? Am I trying to save this position, or is there no way to avoid a draw?’” These games and calculations can go on for hours at a time; in 2021, Carlsen took seven hours and 47 minutes to defeat Nepomniachtchi in one game on his way to his fifth world title. So in between games, sleep is “the most important thing,” says Vishy, though it has to be a deep sleep where “you’re not thinking about the game, you’re actually resting. “There’s no point tossing and turning … because you either can’t get the previous game out of your head or you’re worried about the next one … I used to go the gym very often right before sleep, so I was exhausted enough to fall asleep.” Gukesh D is competing in his first world championship. Dipayan Bose/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images Although the players are barely moving compared to other sports, the huge amounts of brainpower required mean that they must maintain their physical as well as mental fitness. When Vishy was training in the months before his world championship matches, he would run or cycle for an hour each morning to build up his endurance before turning to chess for six or seven hours a day, working out his opening moves, trying to predict

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‘They came and demolished everything’: Palestinians fear more evictions in the West Bank under Trump

Where the high hills of the occupied West Bank tumble into the Jordan valley, half a dozen heavy Israeli diggers pound the ancient rocks around the Palestinian village of Bardala. Low-scudding, rain-laden clouds threaten to soak a group of Palestinian farmers huddling around their ramshackle sheep sheds as the Israel Defense Forces troops drive up to serve them eviction notices. Sixty-year-old farmer Khalid Sawafta, his head swaddled in a traditional red-and-white keffiyeh, has tears in his eyes. His Israeli orders state: Vacate the land by 9 a.m. on December 4 – just 16 days away – or lose everything. Such evictions are common in the West Bank, according to the United Nations. Similarly, according to activist group Peace Now, in the past year alone 227 Palestinian families in the territory have been evicted, as the Israeli government has authorized more than 8,600 new housing units for Israelis in the West Bank and increased funding for settler projects. Since Hamas’s brutal attacks on Israel on October 7 last year, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 250 others hostage, settler leaders in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have been pushing for the annexation of the whole West Bank. The new worry for Palestinians is that Donald Trump’s pick for US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who has many fans among Israeli settlers, could accelerate their land losses. During a visit to Israel in 2017, the former governor of Arkansas told reporters: “There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria,” he said, using the Israeli term for the land. The eviction notice Israeli officials handed to a Palestinian farmer near the village of Bardala in the occupied West Bank, ordering him to leave his land. Nic Robertson/CNN “There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.” Israeli settler leader and activist Yishai Fleisher, who met Huckabee during several of his visits to Israel, said: “Mike recognizes our claim, (he is) not an anti-Arab, but he does recognize Jewish claim to this land.” Fleisher thinks Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, could do even more than Trump’s last ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who helped convince the then-president to declare Jerusalem Israel’s capital – a step that was hugely popular with Israelis. Noting that Friedman is Jewish, Fleisher said: “David Friedman has legitimacy with Israelis and Jews. I think Huckabee will have legitimacy with millions of Bible-believing folks… He just knows their language and he knows how to talk to their heart. He’s a preacher.” But Alon Pinkas – an Israeli diplomat and former adviser to Shimon Peres, the last Israeli prime minister to take significant steps towards peace with Palestinians – believes settlers are misguided and that Trump won’t sacrifice his interests in the broader region. “If Israel unilaterally annexes large parts, large swath of the West Bank, this is not going to fly well in the Arab world.” Donald Trump’s pick for US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, visits the West Bank Israeli settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah, on August 18, 2009. Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images/File Pinkas believes Trump wants to secure what Biden failed to achieve: normalization of Israel’s relations with Arab countries, the holy grail of Middle East diplomacy. “He’s going to want to build on the Abraham Accords,” Pinkas said, referring to an agreement that normalized Israel’s ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. “He’s going to be pressured by the Saudis, the Qataris and the Emiratis to strike a bigger deal.” But Israel’s war in Gaza and the killing of so many Palestinians has driven up the price of that grand bargain. Trump’s friend, the powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, has said normalization can only happen if Israel agrees to a Palestinian state. Former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh thinks MBS will stick with this position. “Maybe there is an opportunity with Saudi Arabia for us, and that is why we’re closely coordinating with Saudi Arabia,” he said. Ultimately, it’s Trump’s friends rather than Huckabee who’ll succeed in influencing the Israeli government, Shtayyeh believes. “This man is not the one who will be dictating the shots.” Israel’s finance minister Belazel Smotrich, for his part, is hopeful that the West Bank will soon be part of his country. “The year 2025 will be, with God’s help, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” he said in November. Back in Bardala, Israeli officials claim a recent security threat triggered them to build the new barrier that will almost entirely encircle Bardala and two other villages, population about 4,000, effectively cutting them off from their agricultural livelihoods. “The goal is to displace the residents from this region,” local council leader Ibrahim Sawafta told CNN. He shows documents he says prove Palestinian ownership of Wadi Salman, the tiny dirt valley that’s refuge to farmer Khalid’s sheep sheds, dating back 100 years. Ibrahim said they’d appealed to Israeli officials to move the barrier, “but they refused entirely, claiming the road was already planned.” Around Bardala, annexation is all too familiar. Khalid, who just got his eviction notice, says he was evicted seven years ago too. “They came and demolished everything, leaving me with nothing,” he said. The hard reality in Bardala, as elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, is that even before Trump’s approaching inauguration, the Palestinian state had become a distant dream.

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UAE arrests three over death of rabbi Israel says was murdered in ‘antisemitic act of terror’

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested three people in connection with the death of an Israeli rabbi who, according to Israel, was killed in an “antisemitic act of terror.” Zvi Kogan, who also holds Moldovan citizenship and is a representative of Chabad, a religious movement of Hasidic Jews with communities, synagogues and other institutions in many countries, was found dead on Sunday, according to the local authorities. He had been missing since Thursday afternoon. Chabad’s website says he was abducted from Dubai – one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE. The UAE’s Ministry of Interior said on Monday it had started legal proceedings against three Uzbek nationals who were arrested in connection with Kogan’s murder. It said the authorities were committed to “swiftly take the necessary measures to uncover the details, circumstances, and motives of the incident.” On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel would “use all means at its disposal to bring the murderers of Kogan and those who sent them to justice.” Extending his “heartfelt condolences” to the Kogan family, Netanyahu added that “the murder of an Israeli citizen and Chabad emissary is a heinous, antisemitic act of terror.” Israeli authorities have reissued travel advice for nationals, recommending against non-essential travel and say visitors should minimize movement and stay in secure places. Kogan worked alongside other Chabad emissaries to establish and expand Judaism in the UAE. He founded the first Jewish education center in the region, as well as helped make kosher food widely available, according to the Chabad movement’s official website. Kogan’s wife Rivky is a US national, whose uncle Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg was killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The White House said Kogan’s murder was “a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coesistence.” “It was an assault as well on the UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said. “The United States is working in close coordination with Israeli and UAE authorities, and we have offered all appropriate forms of support,” Savett added. The UAE has a small Jewish community, thought to number thousands. Last year, the Gulf state opened its first-ever purpose built synagogue. Called the “Abrahamic Family House,” the interfaith complex also houses a mosque and a church. Relations between the UAE and Israel have thawed in recent years. In 2020, the UAE became the most prominent Arab nation in decades to open relations with Israel, under the US-brokered agreement known as the Abraham Accords. But Reuters says the public presence of Israelis and Jews has receded since the October 7 attacks. Jewish community members told the agency that informal synagogues in Dubai were closed in the wake of the attacks due to security concerns.

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Israeli cabinet sanctions country’s oldest newspaper over critical coverage and publisher’s comments

Israel’s cabinet unanimously voted to sanction the nation’s oldest newspaper, Haaretz, on Sunday citing its critical coverage of the war following the October 7 Hamas attacks and comments by the outlet’s publisher calling for sanctions on senior government officials. Haaretz, which is widely respected internationally, has provided critical coverage of Israel’s war following the Hamas attacks on October 7, including investigations into abuses allegedly committed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as military operations expanded across Gaza and into neighboring Lebanon. The proposal, put forward by communications minister Shlomo Kar’i, will end government advertising in the newspaper and cancel all subscriptions for state employees and employees of state-owned companies. Haaretz described the move as an attempt to “silence a critical, independent newspaper.” In a statement following the vote, Kar’i wrote: “We must not allow a reality in which the publisher of an official newspaper in the State of Israel will call for the imposition of sanctions against it and will support the enemies of the state in the midst of a war and will be financed by it, while international bodies are undermining the legitimacy of the State of Israel, its right to self-defense and are actually imposing sanctions against it and its leaders.” Amos Schocken, the newspaper’s publisher, drew criticism for referring to Palestinian “freedom fighters” during a speech at an event organized by the outlet in London on October 27. “It (the Netanyahu government) doesn’t care about imposing a cruel apartheid regime on the Palestinian population. It dismisses the costs of both sides for defending the settlements while fighting the Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls terrorists,” he reportedly said. Following widespread criticism of the comments in Israel, Schocken clarified his comments saying that he did not believe Hamas militants were freedom fighters. In an editorial Haaretz said that Schocken was referring to “Palestinians living under occupation and oppression in the West Bank.” Still, it said Schocken had “erred” by referring to anyone who deliberately harms and terrorizes civilians as “freedom fighters,” arguing that the correct term was “terrorists.” In the speech Schocken also called for international sanctions on Israeli leaders as the only way to force the government to change course. “In a sense, what is taking place now in the occupied territories and in part of Gaza is a second Nakba,” he said. “A Palestinian state must be established and the only way to achieve this, I think, is to apply sanctions against Israel, against the leaders who oppose it and against the settlers.” In addition to Schocken’s comments at the London event, Kar’i singled out the newspaper’s coverage of the war in his statement on Sunday. “The decision came in the wake of many articles that damaged the legitimacy of the State of Israel in the world and its right to self-defense,” he said. Haaretz slammed the move in a statement on Sunday, calling it “another step in Netanyahu’s journey to dismantle Israeli democracy.” “Like his friends Putin, Erdoğan, and Orbán, Netanyahu is trying to silence a critical, independent newspaper,” the statement said. “Haaretz will not balk and will not morph into a government pamphlet that publishes messages approved by the government and its leader.” The move comes two months after the military raided and shut down Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah and six months after the government shut down the broadcaster’s operations inside Israel in May, prompting condemnation from the United Nations and rights groups. On Friday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said preliminary investigations showed at least 137 journalists and media workers had been killed covering the war, making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992.

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Israel investigating after Hamas releases photos purportedly showing body of female hostage

Israel says it is investigating after Hamas released photos purportedly showing the body of a female hostage in Gaza. Speaking during his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at this point Israel could not verify the images. “We are in contact with the family, and a relevant notice has been issued to all families. Our hearts are with them,” Netanyahu said. He stressed that Israel’s government is committed to bringing back all the hostages, including those who are dead. The prime minister also said he had spoken with the mother of the hostage purportedly shown in the photos. “It is hard to describe the nightmare she is enduring. We embrace her and her family,” he said. Hamas’ military wing claimed on Saturday that a female hostage had been killed in an area of northern Gaza that was “under Israeli aggression.” It did not identify her by name but shared two photos of the hostage’s body. Israel has made no comment on the circumstances surrounding the alleged death. More than 250 people were taken hostage and about 1,200 killed during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023. A handful of hostages have since been rescued and in November 2023 more than 100 were released as part of a short-lived hostage-and-ceasefire deal. Some 101 hostages are still being held in Gaza, 97 of whom were taken on October 7, Israeli authorities believe. At least 34 of the hostages taken on October 7 are thought to be dead. Israel has in the past accused Hamas of releasing footage and information about the hostages as a form of “psychological terror” aimed at ramping up pressure on Netanyahu’s government to agree a ceasefire deal. Near-weekly protests calling for the government to secure the release of the hostages have taken place across Israel, including near Netanyahu’s residences, often involving family members of the hostages. Last week, the pressure on Netanyahu intensified with the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant for his arrest. Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire-for-hostages deal in Gaza have all but ground to a halt. Except for a brief flurry of activity last month, there have been no real negotiations since six Israeli hostages were executed by Hamas and discovered in a Gaza tunnel at the end of August. Qatar announced this month it was suspending its role as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas after concluding that the two sides are no longer negotiating in good faith.

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Romania in shock after far-right populist enters presidential election’s runoff with most votes

  Romania’s political landscape is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election, electoral data showed Monday, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister. Calin Georgescu, who ran independently, will face off against reformist Elena Lasconi in a runoff in two weeks. Georgescu, 62, was ahead after nearly all ballots were counted with around 22.95% of the vote. Lasconi of the progressive Save Romania Union party, or USR, followed with 19.17%. She beat by a slim margin incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, who stood at 19.15%. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, took 13.87%. It is the first time in Romania’s 35-year post-communist history for the PSD not to have a candidate in the second round of a presidential race, serving a huge blow to the country’s most powerful party and underscoring voters’ anti-establishment sentiment. After polls closed on Sunday, 9.4 million people – about 52.5% of eligible voters – had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau. The second round of the vote will be held on Dec. 8. Georgescu, 62, won 43.3% of the vote in Romania’s large diaspora, compared to Lasconi who got 26.8%. Most local surveys predicted he would win less than 10% of the vote. The president serves a five-year term in the European Union and NATO member country and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy and judicial appointments. After casting his ballot on Sunday, Georgescu said in a post on Facebook that he voted “For the unjust, for the humiliated, for those who feel they do not matter and actually matter the most … the vote is a prayer for the nation.” According to his website, Georgescu holds a doctorate in pedology, a branch of soil science, and held different positions in Romania’s environment ministry in the 1990s. Between 1999 and 2012, he was a representative for Romania on the national committee of the United Nations Environment Program. Despite not having a clear political agenda, his videos on TikTok are popular, amassing 1.7 million likes. But his rising popularity will be tested when he faces Lasconi. Lasconi, a former journalist and the leader of the USR, has been running on an anti-corruption reformist agenda. She told The Associated Press ahead of the vote, that she saw corruption as one of the biggest problems Romania faces and expressed support toward increased defense spending and continued aid to Ukraine. If she wins the final vote, she will be the first female president in Romania’s history. Romania will also hold parliamentary elections on Dec. 1 that will determine the country’s next government and prime minister.

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A mother’s agony: What Allyson Phillips has endured during the trial of the man accused of killing her daughter, Laken Riley

For Laken Riley’s mother, the anguish of losing a child in a gruesome attack is amplified by the horror of hearing details about the final minutes of her daughter’s life. But a relentless pursuit of justice has brought Allyson Phillips to the front row of a Georgia courtroom’s cold, barren benches each day of suspect Jose Ibarra’s murder trial. The prosecution rested Tuesday, and the defense will resume calling witnesses Wednesday. The case could go to the judge for a decision later in the day. Phillips, her husband John, and Riley’s father, Jason Riley, have sat through hours of agonizing testimony and evidence. The suspect, an undocumented migrant from Venezuela, has shown little emotion throughout the trial. A few yards away, Riley’s mother has openly wept numerous times – including when an officer testified about missed calls between Riley and her mother the morning Riley died. These are some of the most intense revelations from the trial so far: Surveillance video captures Riley’s final jog Riley, a former cross-country runner, was last seen alive jogging near the University of Georgia’s Oconee Forest Park the morning of February 22. She was a student at UGA until spring 2023, before switching to Augusta University’s College of Nursing in the same city of Athens. UGA surveillance video shows Riley jogging with her phone in her left hand – a device that would play a key role in the trial. Phillips sobbed as she watched footage of her daughter the day she died. Hours after Riley left for her run, the surveillance footage shows two of her roommates and their dog searching for their missing friend near a trailhead. They leave about 20 minutes later, with Riley nowhere to be found. Riley fought her attacker, prosecution says Forensic evidence shows Riley “fought for her life” and “fought for her dignity,” before she died, the prosecution said. Genetic testing of fingernail clippings from Riley revealed a link to the genetic profile of Ibarra, Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab scientist Ashley Hinkle testified Tuesday. For someone to get another person’s DNA under their fingernails, it generally “either has to have some sort of scratching or contact with the inside of the nail,” Hinkle said. In separate testimony Monday, UGA police Sgt. Joshua Epps said he encountered Ibarra the day after Riley’s killing and noticed what “looked like fingernail scratches.” “While speaking to him, I noticed on his right arm, his bicep, there was a scratch,” Epps said. “On his left arm, he had a forearm scratch that was very similar – which in my mind, looked like fingernail scratches to me.” “I also noticed on his left wrist, just below the palm, he had a puncture – maybe half an inch wide – that, through my experiences playing sports in high school, and receiving the same injury from fingernails in football, I could see, like, wet flesh, like almost like it was fresh,” Epps said. “It wasn’t very old.” As Epps described the injuries he saw on Ibarra’s arms, Riley’s mother cried and wiped away tears. Missed texts and frantic calls Perhaps the most poignant testimony came Tuesday when UGA police Sgt. Sophie Raboud recounted Riley’s last communications on her cell phone. Minutes before her death, Riley called and texted her mother to see if she wanted to catch up. The missed call would be the last time Riley reached out to a loved one. Phillips sobbed in court as she listened to the police sergeant, who also sounded emotional when describing the following timeline: 8:55 a.m.: Riley sent her final text to her mother: “Good morning,” she wrote. “About to go for a run if you’re free to talk.” 9:03 a.m.: Riley called her mother, but she did not answer. 9:11 a.m.: Riley called 911. 9:12 a.m.: The 911 operator called Riley back twice within one minute. 9:24 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter back, but Riley didn’t answer. 9:37 a.m.: Riley’s mother texted her daughter: “Call me when you can.” 9:51 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again. 9:53 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again. 9:58 a.m.: Riley’s mother texted her daughter: “You’re making me nervous not answering while you’re out running. Are you OK?” 11:04 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again. 11:12 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again. 11:15 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again. 11:19 a.m.: Riley’s sister tried to call. 11:47 a.m.: Riley’s mother texted her daughter: “Please call me, I’m worried sick about you.” 12:07 p.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again. 12:20 p.m.: Riley’s stepfather tried to call. At 12:38 p.m., police found Riley’s body in a wooded area near Lake Herrick. Medical examiner says Riley was asphyxiated and had blunt-force head trauma Riley’s father, mother and stepfather left the courtroom before a medical examiner testified about their daughter’s injuries and cause of death. The 22-year-old died from the combined effects of blunt-force head trauma and asphyxia, said Dr. Michelle DiMarco, an associate medical examiner with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Asphyxia relates to a lack of oxygen and can be caused by hanging, manual strangulation or physical compression. DiMarco said she was not able to pinpoint the type of asphyxia Riley suffered. Riley also had injuries to her face and a skull fracture – injuries that “could be consistent with a rock,” DiMarco said.

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The disputed region of India that bakes bread to rival France

In Indian-administered Kashmir, long before the morning call to prayer reverberates across neighborhoods, the city of Srinagar’s kandurs, or bakers, have fired up their tandoor ovens. Located in the snowy Himalayas, at the northern tip of India, this disputed region between India and Pakistan is a paradise of snowy glaciers, ice-blue lakes, fir-lined mountains, and gushing, stormy rivers. So famed is its beauty that Mogul Emperor Jehangir once remarked, “If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here.” Kashmir’s rich history includes the legacy of Buddhist pilgrims, Islamic rulers, Sikh dynasts and Central Asian Silk Road traders, who brought their arts, crafts and rituals to this treasured land that remains one of the world’s most militarized regions, marred with decades of conflict and violence. But beyond the troubled state’s borders, few talk of the artisans who work with flour, water and ghee (clarified butter) to give Kashmiris their daily bread. Many of the region’s breads are prepared in an oven or over a flame. Faisal Khan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Here, bakers prepare breads that will be eaten at iftar, the fast-breaking meal during Ramadan. Faisal Khan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Kandurs (bakers) make and sell bread in kandarwans (bakeries). Mukhtar Khan/AP The region’s rich bread culture is a patchwork of the legacy of the Silk Road, an ancient trade route that connected Europe, the Middle East and Asia along the way. While rice is the staple that’s cooked in households across Kashmir, bread is what drives the local community and economy. Local bakeries churn out roughly 10 kinds of bread a day, each with its own peculiar ritual and time of day to be consumed. With so much traditional knowledge guarded and passed down through generations, Kashmir’s bread culture could qualify for a UNESCO intangible heritage listing and possibly rival France’s boulangerie tradition. So why does no one talk about this culinary legacy? Mehvish Altaf Rather, a Kashmir-based documentary filmmaker, tried to change that when she made her film “Kandurwan: Baking History,” in 2019. The piece offers a peep into life in the valley, of which the kandurwan (bakery) forms an integral part. “I wanted to capture the daily life of Kashmiris and talk about the one thing that everyone can identify with, a love for food,” she tells CNN. Bothered by the singular narrative around bloodshed and politics emerging from Kashmir, Mehvish turned to another aspect of local culture to tell a larger story. “The identity of Kashmiris is constantly threatened, so bread is part of a culture that we hold onto very dearly,” she says, explaining how the kandurwan is a place of congregation and culture in Kashmiri society. Kandurs, the traditional bakers of Kashmir, use clay tandoor ovens to prepare various breads. This baking tradition is similar to those found throughout Central Asia. The term “tandoor” comes from the Persian word “tanur,” meaning oven. Despite its ancient origins, the technique of using the clay oven for bread making has remained largely unchanged, deeply ingrained in Kashmiri culture. A boy sells breads at a street stall in Kashmir. Mukhtar Khan/AP Dal Lake (pictured) is a popular tourist attraction and home to a ‘floating’ vegetable garden in warmer months. Muzamil Mattoo/NurPhoto/Getty Images On their way back from the mosque, locals pick up freshly made, crisp-on-the-outside, pillowy-on-the-inside, circular girdas and crunchy, thin lavasas for the entire family. As they wait for the shop boys to wrap up their warm breads in yesterday’s newspaper, locals swap daily news, essential information and, more often than not, gossip. “These kandurs are experts in extracting information out of you! The conversation will start with an innocent ‘Did you hear the news?’ and after some raised eyebrows, it will lead to the customer divulging the juiciest bits of news,” says food writer and author Marryam H. Reshii, who lives between Srinagar and New Delhi. “Sometimes when my husband takes more than 30 minutes for what is actually a five-minute job of picking up the morning bread, I know he’s catching up on all the local news at the kandurwan.” Brought up Catholic in Goa, an erstwhile Portuguese colony that is now India’s sunshine state, Reshii was fascinated by her Kashmiri husband’s bread traditions. They differed vastly from those in Goa, where Portugal’s bread-making techniques blended with local ingredients and tastes. “India has a very diverse bread culture, but Kashmir’s is wholly unique,” she explains. For starters, most breads in Kashmir are cooked in an underground tandoor at a kandurwan, while across India, they’re cooked on a pan or baked in an oven. Besides girda and lavasa, Kashmir’s bread pantheon includes the croissant-like katlam, kulcha, the bagel-esque, sesame-seed dusted tschowor, the festive sheermal, the flaky bakarkhani and roth, to name a few. “There’s a very complex ritual around what one should eat with which bread and at what time of the day. But it’s not documented and no one tells you. You simply have to learn by observation,” says Reshii. In the morning, girda and lavasa are consumed with noon chai, a savory tea made with milk, butter and salt. The breads are also paired with eggs or butter and jam. In the afternoon, one might eat a tschowor, that’s often introduced to outsiders as an equivalent to the bagel. Then there’s bakarkhani, served on special occasions. The layered bread is often large, with a diameter that can extend up to 36 inches. It goes well with mutton dishes like lamb rogan josh. Roth, which is sweet, spongy and sometimes studded with dry fruits, is a celebratory food, and a favorite across Hindu and Muslim families in the region. “Every Kashmiri has their favorite bread and is partial to their family kandur,”explains Jasleen Marwah, the chef-founder of Folk, a regional Indian cuisine cafe in Mumbai. Her father hailed from Kashmir so for her, summertime equals Kashmir, and Kashmir equals a warm, pillowy girda. ”Our family’s morning order of girda was seven. I’d always buy eight so that I could eat a freshly baked one on my way home from the kandurwan,” says Marwah. While she enjoyed eating the breads of Kashmir as a child, it was only

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Rafael Nadal: Farewell to the ‘King of Clay’

With tears in his eyes, Rafael Nadal said goodbye to professional tennis on Tuesday. In a message to his adoring fans, one of the all-time greatest athletes said he just wanted to be celebrated for something so simple. “I just want to be remembered as a good person and a kid that followed their dreams and achieved more than what I’ve ever dreamed,” the Spanish great modestly said after playing in his final match. Despite Nadal and Spain having just been shockingly ousted from the Davis Cup by the Netherlands, the 38-year-old appeared at peace with his decision to walk away from a trophy-laden career while listening to his peers praise him in a tribute video. “It was such a privilege to play with you but especially against you,” Roger Federer said. “Congratulations on the most incredible career.” Novak Djokovic added, “Your tenacity, your fighting spirit, the energy that you brought, the power, is something that will be studied and something that will be transferred to many, many generations that are coming up. “I’ve been very honored and thrilled to be called your rival.” Serena Williams admitted, “You inspired me to have so many wins – to keep going – to fight – to get better – to improve – to basically play like you.” The accolades could have continued for hours. As he walked off the court, the tennis great blew kisses to the crowd and hugged his Spanish teammates before waving goodbye. Full circle moment Nadal’s singular career began in 2001, when he turned professional at the age of just 14. It wasn’t until April 2002, when Nadal was two months shy of his 16th birthday, that he recorded the first ATP Tour win of his career, which fittingly came on his home island of Mallorca. Nadal then propelled himself from world No. 199 to No. 49 in 2003, winning Challenger titles and matches at Masters 1000 events, as well as recording his first two wins over top 10 opponents – including his current coach, Carlos Moyá. The following year would be Nadal’s breakthrough on tour and cement his place as a Spanish hero. He won the first ATP singles title of his career at the Pokrom Open and then, at just 18 years of age, beat world No. 2 Andy Roddick in the final of the Davis Cup on home soil to help Spain win the title for only the second time in history. It is fitting that Nadal bade farewell to tennis on the stage that helped make him in Spain. That year, 2003, there was also the small matter of a first meeting with Federer, a straight sets win for Nadal at the Miami Open that surely nobody predicted would be the beginning of arguably tennis’ greatest rivalry. “All that buzz I’d been hearing about you — about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday — it wasn’t just hype,” Federer wrote of that match in his farewell message to Nadal. But 2004 was the year Nadal truly shot to stardom and became a household name. He won 24 straight matches during the clay court season, breaking Andre Agassi’s Open Era record for most consecutive victories by a teenager, culminating in his first French Open title in his tournament debut. He may not quite have been the King of Clay just yet, but his game on the red stuff was already looking princely. Rafael Nadal serves during a French Open match in 2018. Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal 1 of 45 PrevNext Nadal became the first male teenager to win a grand slam since Pete Sampras won the 1990 US Open and climbed to a career high No. 3 in the world. It was the first of four straight French Open titles, before he was stunned by Robin Söderling in the fourth round in 2009 for his first ever defeat at Roland Garros. That loss would be the first of just three that Nadal suffered at the French Open, though he had to retire injured ahead of his third-round match in 2016, giving him a 112-3 record on the Parisian clay, a win rate of 97.39%. “On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground,” Federer wrote. “You made me reimagine my game – even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.” Greatest match ever? Nadal’s relentless brilliance on clay redefined what it means to dominate a surface. The Spaniard finished his career with 14 French Open titles, two Australian Opens, two Wimbledon titles and four US Opens for a total of 22 grand slams, second all-time behind only Djokovic. “I’ve been able to compete against him a couple of times, get wins over him which, again, you tell the little kid that’s watching him on TV winning 14 Roland Garros in a row, it’s pretty special,” world No. 9 Alex de Minaur told CNN Sport. “All those experiences of sharing the court with him is something I’ll take with me for a very long time and I’ll pass it on to generations to come.” Though grass was considered Nadal’s weakest of the three grand slam surfaces, it was on Wimbledon’s Centre Court that he enjoyed arguably his most iconic moment. In the fading late-evening summer light, Nadal finally toppled Federer in 2008 and ended the Swiss’ five-year winning run at Wimbledon in a match that spanned almost seven hours from start to finish due to rain delays. Nadal celebrates after beating Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final in 2008. Alessia Pierdomenico/Pool/Getty Images That was the last year Wimbledon was played without a roof on Centre Court, putting an end to matches being interrupted by dramatic hours-long delays. Federer beat Nadal in the final in 2006 and 2007, but the Spaniard had demolished Federer 6-1, 6-3, 6-0

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Jaguar is changing its iconic logo

Jaguar has unveiled a new logo that emphasizes its posh British pronunciation as it transitions into a “new era” that emphasizes its upcoming all-electric vehicle lineup. The 102-year-old luxury automaker is replacing its former logo, resplendent in all capital letters, with a new one that is supposed to be a “powerful celebration of modernism,” the company announced Tuesday. It’s also a little less of the American “Jag-wahr,” and a bit more of the traditional “Jag-you-are,” as it’s said across the pond. Perhaps best known for its pricey race cars and luxurious sedans, Jaguar has stripped itself down to one model in the US, the F-Pace SUV, and stopped selling cars entirely in the British market as it tries to re-invent itself as an electric vehicle maker. The first electric vehicle after the company’s re-imagining is planned to go into production in 2026. The gold-colored Jaguar letters, designed with a custom font, are spaced out and in lowercase, except for “G” and “U,” which the company says demonstrates the “unexpected by seamlessly blending upper and lowercase characters in visual harmony.” Jaguar’s new logo. Jaguar The redesigned “Leaper.” Jaguar Other changes to Jaguar’s branding include a redesigned pouncing cat logo, called the “Leaper,” and a new monogram that incorporates the “J” and “R” in the brand name. Car and Driver reports that the Leaper, which has adorned its cars for several decades, is being eliminated in favor of the badge. “This is a reimagining that recaptures the essence of Jaguar, returning it to the values that once made it so loved, but making it relevant for a contemporary audience,” said Gerry McGovern, Jaguar Land Rover’s chief creative officer, in a press release. He even joked a press event that Jaguar has “not been sniffing the white stuff — this is real,” according to Car Dealer Magazine. What all the new branding will look like on the cars will be unveiled at a Miami Art Week event on December 2.

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Anonymous male celebrity files extortion lawsuit against attorney representing Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accusers

An anonymous male celebrity says he is the victim of an extortion scheme and is suing a high-powered Texas attorney who is representing several people in civil lawsuits that accuse Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault. The unnamed plaintiff, described in the lawsuit as “a celebrity and public figure who resides in Los Angeles,” filed his complaint under a “John Doe” pseudonym this week in Los Angeles Superior Court. He has accused Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee and his firm of “shamelessly attempting to extort exorbitant sums from him or else publicly file wildly false horrific allegations against him.” A spokesperson for Quinn Emanuel, the law firm representing Doe, confirms that the complaint was filed on Monday. Buzbee has said he is representing at least 120 alleged victims of Combs. Over the past month, he has filed more than a dozen civil lawsuits against Combs, in some cases accusing the producer of drugging and sexually assaulting plaintiffs, some of whom allege they were minors at the time. Combs, who is in jail awaiting his criminal trial, has denied the allegations against him. The lawsuit filed by the anonymous celebrity claims that Buzbee’s firm is trying to capitalize off the “explosive allegations against Sean Combs” by roping in public figures who have been acquainted with Combs. Attorneys for Doe claim that Buzbee sent a demand letter earlier this month in which his firm “threatened to unleash entirely fabricated and salacious allegations of sexual assault” that include “multiple instances of rape of a minor, both male and female” if their client “refuses to comply with their demands.” In the demand letter, attorneys for the male celebrity said that Buzbee characterized their famous client as “having been friends with Mr. Combs based on the fact that the two often attention similar events frequented by celebrities.” “These baseless accusations are nothing more than a weapon in a calculated plot to destroy Plaintiff’s high-profile reputation for profit, despite the complete absence of any factual basis for such claims,” the lawsuit states. Doe’s lawsuit states that he is filing anonymously to avoid “irreparable harm to reputation.” Buzbee denied the extortion claims against him, in an Instagram post in which he wrote that his firm “won’t allow the powerful and their high-dollar lawyers to intimidate or silence sexual assault survivors,” and in a statement to CNN. Tony Buzbee speaks during a press conference in Houston, Texas, on October 1, 2024. CNN “If you are trying to hide your identity and you claim you did nothing wrong, doesn’t seem very smart to take this approach,” Buzbee told CNN in an email on Monday. “We will address it in due course.” “I have confidence that with full public disclosure all of this will sort itself out,” Buzbee wrote. Questions about claims by unnamed accusers The celebrity’s lawsuit applauds Combs’ accusers who have spoken out with their names attached to their lawsuits but cast doubt on some of the allegations filed anonymously as a “Jane Doe” or “John Doe,” stating that Buzbee’s firm has “managed to find some 120 plaintiffs” who “claim to have been sexually assaulted by Combs.” The lawsuit accuses Buzbee of creating “a pocket industry that capitalizes on the bravery of those victims who came forward to shakedown innocent celebrities, politicians, and businesspeople with an army of masked accusers.” Last month, a judge ruled that one of Buzbee’s civil suits against Combs could not proceed with the female accuser filing under a pseudonym, stating that Combs has the right to defend himself by investigating the plaintiff. Shortly after her “Jane Doe” status was denied, the accuser refiled her complaint under her real name. In an interview with CNN last month, Buzbee explained that his firm initially files cases anonymously in an effort to protect the safety of his clients. But he said that each of his 120 clients are prepared to testify and publicly reveal their names. “They think that (if) the person’s name is revealed that maybe they’ll go crawl back under a rock and we’ll never hear from them again,” Buzbee said. “I’ve told every client when we file your case, be prepared that your identity will be revealed.” Buzbee has said that he does not believe Combs acted alone in his alleged misconduct. He said in a press conference last month that his clients have shared information pertaining to celebrities, entertainment executives, business entities and other high-profile individuals that were complicit or engaged in Combs’ alleged abuse. In Doe’s lawsuit this week, his attorneys paint a different picture. “It is a cynical extortion scheme that is dressed up in vindicating victims of actual sexual abuse,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants corrupting this righteous cause by trying to monetize the victimization of the women who suffered at the hands of this one guy.”

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Funeral for former One Direction member Liam Payne to be held in England

  Mourners will gather to remember Liam Payne in England on Wednesday, according to PA Media, after the British singer died last month. Close family of Payne, 31, and his former One Direction band members are among those expected to attend the funeral, PA Media reported. The service will be held in an undisclosed location outside of London. The British singer died on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his system, according to the country’s public prosecutor’s office, which launched an investigation. Three people are facing preliminary charges for crimes related to his death. The musician spoke publicly about his challenges with substance abuse and his mental health. In the summer of 2023, he said he was marking six months of sobriety after completing treatment in a US facility. Later that year, he delayed his tour after suffering a kidney infection. He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shared with singer Cheryl Tweedy. The couple confirmed they had split in 2018 but continued to co-parent. Payne soared to global fame as part of One Direction, the group that was created on the British talent show “The X Factor” in 2010. He and his former colleagues – Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson – subsequently embarked on solo careers, after going on an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016. The quartet were “completely devastated” over his death, according to a joint statement on Instagram. “We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” Malik, Styles, Horan and Tomlinson posted on social media. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.

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Biden administration approves sending anti-personnel mines to Ukraine in another major policy shift

The Biden administration has approved sending anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time in another major policy shift, according to two US officials. The decision comes just days after the US gave Ukraine permission to fire long-range US missiles at targets in Russia, a shift that only occurred after months of lobbying from Kyiv. The US intends for Kyiv to use the anti-personnel mines in the eastern part of the country, where Russian troops have made slow and steady progress against Ukrainian defensive lines. The grinding battle has cost Moscow tremendously, with Ukraine claiming Russia suffered its highest number of casualties this week. But Russia’s unrelenting pressure, coupled with shortages in Ukrainian manpower and ammunition, has allowed the Russian military to gradually seize more territory. The US expects Ukraine to use these anti-personnel mines to bolster defensive lines within sovereign Ukrainian territory, not as an offensive capability in Russia. The US has also sought assurances that Ukraine will try to limit the risk to civilians from the mines. The administration’s decision was first reported by the Washington Post. Since the early days of the war, the US has provided Ukraine with anti-tank mines to blunt Russia’s numerical superiority in armored vehicles. But until now, the Biden administration had not provided Ukraine with anti-personnel mines over concerns about the enduring danger they may pose. Human rights groups have long criticized the use of anti-personnel mines because they can kill indiscriminately and can remain armed for years after the conflict in which they were initially used has ended. In June 2022 – four months after the start of the war in Ukraine – the Biden administration pledged to limit the use of anti-personnel mines. In announcing the decision, which was a reversal from the earlier Trump administration, the White House said there was a “need to curtail the use of (anti-personnel mines) worldwide.” The US said that it would no longer develop or export anti-personnel mines and would work to destroy all of its existing stockpiles. (The one exception to the policy was South Korea.) In a picture taken with a night vision camera, a unit of miners carries out a combat mission to mine the territory between Ukrainian and Russian positions with remotely controlled mines in Pokrovsk Frontline, Ukraine, on November 17, 2024. Kostya Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images The announcement of anti-personnel mines for Ukraine, especially with only weeks left in the Biden administration, is a sudden change on what had been a long-standing policy. The type of mines the US provides to Ukraine will be “non-persistent,” according to the officials, meaning they have an internal mechanism to shorten the lifespan of the trigger. The mines are designed to become inert after a set period of time ranging from as little as four hours to two weeks, the officials said. The mines use an electrical fuse that requires a battery, and the mine becomes inert when the battery runs out. Russia has deployed anti-personnel mines and anti-tank mines since the earliest days of the war. As Russian forces advanced into Ukraine and established their own defensive lines, they established minefields to slow any Ukraine counterattack. Last summer, as Ukrainian forces mounted an ultimately unsuccessful counteroffensive, one Ukrainian official described the density of Russian mines as “insane.”

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Ukraine fires US-made longer-range missiles into Russia for the first time

Ukraine hit a Russian weapons arsenal with US-made ATACMS missiles that it fired across the border for the first time, according to two US officials, in a major escalation on the 1,000th day of war. The attack comes just two days after the Biden administration gave Kyiv the green light to use the longer-range American weapons against targets inside Russia. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine fired six ballistic missiles at a facility in Bryansk at 3:25 a.m. local time (7:25 p.m. ET) Tuesday and that ATACMS missiles had been used in the attack. The attack marks the first time Ukraine has used the longer-range American weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia, and shows that Kyiv has wasted little time in making use of its newly-granted powers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declined to confirm or deny the attack during a Tuesday news conference but said: “Ukraine has long-range capabilities. Ukraine has long-range drones of its own production. We now have a long ‘Neptune’ (Ukrainian cruise missiles) and not just one. And now we have ATACMS. And we will use all of this.” Russian air defenses said they shot down five of the missiles and another was damaged. Fragments from the damaged missile fell on the territory of a military facility, causing a fire that has since been extinguished. There were no casualties or damage. On the same day of the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin updated Russia’s nuclear doctrine where Moscow will consider aggression from any non-nuclear state – but with the participation of a nuclear country – a joint attack on Russia. In what appeared to be a fresh round of saber rattling, the Kremlin said Tuesday the revised military doctrine would, in theory, lower the bar to the use of nuclear weapons. US President Joe Biden had authorized Ukraine to use longer-range American missiles inside Russia on Sunday, ending a months-long prohibition aiming to help Ukraine defend itself while not drastically escalating the conflict. The decision came at a crucial moment in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia is probing on the frontlines in Ukraine’s east while pummeling its cities with missile and drone strikes, aiming to disable Ukraine’s power grid and weaponize the freezing temperatures for a third consecutive winter. Meanwhile, thousands of North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops launched a daring counteroffensive in the summer. In a press briefing Monday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the involvement of North Korean troops in the war was “a major escalation by Russia, bringing in an Asian military to a conflict inside Europe.” The decision to allow the use of the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, inside Russia had been under consideration for months, with American officials divided on the wisdom of allowing the new capability. Some had concerns about escalating the war, while others worried about dwindling stockpiles of the weapons. Other Western allies remain more cautious. At the G20 summit in Brazil on Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his stance of withholding Taurus missiles from Ukraine, adding that “supplying cruise missiles would be a mistake.” Although Kyiv has repeatedly used Ukrainian-made drones to hit targets in Russia – deeper into the country than Bryansk – Moscow has long maintained that using far-reaching Western weapons would constitute a major escalation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow will view launches of US-made longer-range missiles as a “new phase of war” by the West. American officials said they were unsurprised by the news of Putin updating Russia’s nuclear doctrine. “Russia had been signaling its intent to update its doctrine for several weeks,” a US official told CNN. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said at a briefing that the US doesn’t have any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon within Ukraine, adding, “It’s the same irresponsible rhetoric that we’ve seen before and that we’ve seen, frankly, for the past two years.” An ATACMS missile is loaded onto the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Queensland, Australia, on July 26, 2023. Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Dickson/U.S. Army/AP In more than two-and-a-half years of war, Russia has often rattled the nuclear saber in response to perceived escalation by Ukraine and its allies. After French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this year that he would not rule out sending European troops to Ukraine, Putin ordered a tactical nuclear weapons drill in response to what he called “threats” by the West. For months, Ukraine’s President Zelensky had argued that “long-range capabilities for our army” is a key part of his “Victory Plan” for winning the war. Responding on Sunday evening to reports of Biden’s green-light, Zelensky said: “Strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves.”

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Hong Kong hears from jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai for the first time in four years at his trial

Jimmy Lai, the pugnacious Hong Kong media tycoon whose now shuttered tabloid Apple Daily was a regular thorn in Beijing’s side, took the stand Wednesday in his own defense for the first time in a high stakes national security trial that could send him to prison for life. The 77 year-old, known for his decades-long support of the city’s pro-democracy movement and outspoken criticism of China’s leaders, hasn’t been heard from since he was arrested nearly four years ago amid a deepening crackdown on dissent. Dressed in a green cardigan and a brown blazer, a visibly thinner Lai smiled and waved at a public gallery packed with supporters, as he entered the courtroom flanked by officers. His wife and daughter were seated next to Cardinal Joseph Zen, an outspoken former bishop of Hong Kong and a friend of Lai’s. He faces two counts of colluding with foreign forces, a crime under a sweeping national security law introduced in 2020 that has transformed Hong Kong, as well as a separate sedition charge. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. In his defense, Lai stressed that he had always opposed violence during the anti-government protests of 2019 and called the idea of advocating for Hong Kong and Taiwan independence as “crazy.” Both issues are deemed anathema by Beijing and seen as “red lines.” The tycoon called allegations of him lobbying for independence a “conspiracy” to trap him, adding that “I never allow any of our staff or our newspaper to mention … this.” He said he never hired anyone at Apple Daily who advocated the idea. In US court rooms, defense lawyers often advise their clients against testifying in court. But in Hong Kong, court testimony offers a rare chance for detained democracy figures to have their voices heard in a system where national security charges have resulted in months and years of pre-trial detention as well as restrictions on speaking out. On Tuesday, more than 40 of Hong Kong’s best known pro-democracy figures were sentenced to prison terms of up to 10 years on subversion charges at a separate national security trial. Among them was Joshua Wong, a former student leader and poster child of the city’s once thriving pro-democracy movement, who shouted “I love Hong Kong” before he left the dock. Lai’s testimony comes just weeks after Donald Trump, who has previously vowed to free the media tycoon, won the White House and has announced a proposed cabinet stacked with multiple China hawks. Lai said on the stand he had never spoken with Trump, though he knew two people who had unofficial access to the first Trump administration. “I don’t think he knew me. I think his aides knew me and briefed him about me,” said the former businessman. In later testimony Lai subsequently named the two people as Jack Keane, a retired US army general, and former deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz. Britain has also called for the release of Lai, who has a British passport. On Monday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised the issue with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil. “We’re concerned by reports of Jimmy Lai’s deterioration,” Starmer told Xi in their first meeting. A heavy police presence is seen outside the West Kowloon Law Courts Building ahead of the national security trial against pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, in Hong Kong, China on November 20, 2024. Chris Lau/CNN High-profile trial Lai has been in jail since December 2020 awaiting trial on multiple charges linked to his support for Hong Kong’s democracy protest movement through his media business. He was the founder of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy, anti-Beijing newspaper that was forced to shut down in 2021. The trial, which began in December 2023, is the most high-profile prosecution of a Hong Kong media figure since the city was handed over from British to Chinese control in 1997. It is resuming following a lengthy pause after Lai’s attorneys’ unsuccessful attempt to have the charges dismissed. Around 100 people waited in line under cold rain on Wednesday morning ahead of the trial testimony, with some expressing support for the media tycoon. Chiu Mei-ying, a woman in her 70s, said she got to court at 4am this morning. “Lai represents the spirit of Hong Kong,” she told CNN. “After the closure of Apple Daily, there is no real news (to read).” On Wednesday, Lai began his defense by laying out what he called the core values of Apple Daily, which he said included the rule of law and the pursuit of democracy and personal freedoms. He also recounted how he built his media empire in the aftermath of Beijing’s bloody crackdown on the pro-democracy Tiananman Square protests in 1989. As a businessman who had made “a bit of money,” he wanted to be involved in distributing information to the public, he said. “The more information you have, the more you are in the know, the more you’re free,” he told the court. Prosecutors allege that articles published by Apple Daily violated Hong Kong’s national security law by calling for overseas sanctions against the city’s leaders following the imposition of the national security law in 2020. Chinese and Hong Kong officials say the law, enacted in the wake of anti-government protests in 2019, has “restored stability” and closed loopholes that allowed “foreign forces” to undermine China. But critics say it has decimated Hong Kong’s freedoms and altered the city’s legal landscape. Like all national security trials in Hong Kong, Lai’s trial does not have a jury and is presided over by three judges picked from a national security committee that is approved by Hong Kong’s leader. An Apple Daily journalist holds freshly-printed copies of the newspaper’s last edition outside their office in Hong Kong early on June 24, 2021 Daniel Suen/AFP/Getty Images Overseas lobbying Lai, a businessman who made a fortune selling clothing before becoming a publisher, has long been an unapologetic thorn

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Kevin Costner saw the fan outrage over his ‘Yellowstone’ character’s fate and he has thoughts

Kevin Costner has left “Yellowstone,” and some viewers are not happy about it. The actor, who played the patriarch John Dutton on the hit series, addressed some backlash over his character’s exit. “Fans have a voice in things and they choose to follow stuff,” Costner told E! over the weekend. Costner said he had earlier pitched “Yellowstone” on how to conclude his storyline, but the producers decided on the exact details of his character’s exit due to a gunshot wound. “They do what they want to do,” he said. “That’s fine with me.” Costner announced on social media in June that he would not be returning to “Yellowstone.” “I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that’s required, and thinking about ‘Yellowstone,’ that beloved series that I love, that I know you love,” Costner said at the time. “I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5b or into the future.” A planned second installment that has been postponed. Costner told E! he’s still working on what will happen next. “I’m gonna try to figure that out,” he said with a laugh. “I make these things, I will figure out how to get it to an audience.”

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With swastika flags and bellowed slurs, neo-Nazi marchers strode through Columbus. Ohio’s governor and officials condemn it

  Ohio officials have denounced a small contingent of neo-Nazis who paraded Saturday afternoon through a Columbus neighborhood – waving flags featuring swastikas and shouting a racist slur – in the latest public demonstration by White nationalists in recent years across the United States. Around a dozen people in black pants, shirts and head coverings – their faces obscured by red masks – marched along the street near downtown Columbus as three carried black flags emblazoned with red swastikas, footage provided to CNN affiliate WBNS shows. At least one person yelled, “N***er,” again and again, according to the video that’s garnered online attention far beyond Ohio’s capital. The group strode past low-rise brick buildings housing a salon and a clothing boutique, along with cafés serving tacos, coffee, cookies and bar grub, as its leader shouted through a black bullhorn. Columbus public safety dispatchers got 911 calls around 1:30 p.m. reporting a group marching in the Short North area, the dispatchers told the station. Columbus’ mayor condemned the “cowardly display” and asserted the city’s commitment to standing against “hatred and bigotry.” “We will not allow any of our neighbors to be intimidated, threatened or harmed because of who they are, how they worship and whom they love,” Mayor Andrew Ginther, a Democrat, wrote on social media. Ohio’s governor also condemned the demonstration, describing those involved as “spewing vile and racist speech against people of color and Jews.” “There is no place in this state for hate, bigotry, antisemitism or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it,” Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said. The number of events organized or attended by White supremacists in the United States hit a new high last year at 282, the anti-hate Anti-Defamation League reported. Marches and public gatherings of White nationalists or people with Nazi flags have unfolded in recent years in Nashville, New Hampshire, Boston, Arkansas, Virginia, Washington, DC, and Michigan, where flags with swastikas were toted this month outside a community theater performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” The swastika since 1945 has been the most significant and notorious of hate symbols, anti-Semitism and White supremacy for most of the world, with roots tracing to the murderous legacy of Germany’s Nazi Party, especially the Holocaust, according to the Anti-Defamation League. In Ohio, no arrests were made during Saturday’s event, though police briefly detained some marchers, according to WBNS. CNN has reached out to Columbus police for more information. Columbus community leaders organized a unity march Sunday in response to Saturday’s neo-Nazi gathering, CNN affiliate WSYX reported. “Take your flags and the masks you hide behind and go home and never come back. Your hate isn’t welcome in our city,” City Attorney Zach Klein said on social media of Saturday’s march. “This is not who we are, and we will not tolerate or normalize this disgusting ideology in any form.”

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