Ludhiana: Second phase of ‘ Buddha Dariya kar seva ’ has started under the leadership of Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal . Seechewal spoke to Ludhiana deputy commissioner, municipal corporation and Punjab Pollution Control Board officials over phone and asked them to strictly stop poisonous water falling into the river. He has also made it clear to the administrative officials that in the second phase of the ‘kar seva’, a front had been opened to stop dirty and poisonous water falling into the Buddha Dariya. It is worth noting that during the first phase of ‘Buddha Dariya kar seva’, which started on Feb 2, a large number of saplings were planted on its banks and roads were constructed to reach the river. On Sunday, Akhand Paath Sahib was started before the ‘kar seva’ of the Buddha Dariya at Gau Ghat Gurdwara. During this, Seechewal took stock of the dirty water falling into Buddha Dariya and also inspected the direct and indirect dirty and poisonous water of dairies and factories. He said by calling Buddha Dariya as Buddha Nullah, many are denying the existence of the river itself. He appealed to the environmentalists to come forward to restore the ancient form of the river. Seechewal has appealed to the people of Punjab that restoring the ancient heritage of Buddha Dariya was the moral duty and religion of every Punjabi. He added that the youth had immense power and they should come forward for this work. Seechewal said twice in 2008 and 2011, poisonous and dirty water of Kala Sanghian drain was stopped with the help of people as this poisonous water was becoming a cause of cancer. This water falls into Sutlej through Chitti Bei and then goes to Malwa and Rajasthan through Harike Patan where people are forced to drink this poisonous water without treatment. Seechewal also expressed happiness that recently people had come out on the streets for their rights against the poisonous and dirty water falling into the Buddha Dariya. He said he had always been saying that till the time people do not become aware, rivers and drains of Punjab could not be cleaned. We also published the following articles recently Not just Buddha Dariya, Sidhwan is polluted too Ludhiana's Sidhwan Canal pollution persists as a key election issue, impacting residents' health and leisure. Despite past cleanup efforts and temporary challaning, illegal dumping continues. Residents and candidates advocate for increased patrolling, CCTV surveillance, and community involvement to restore the canal and potentially utilize it for drinking water. Effluents in Buddha Dariya: NGT asks PPCB to explain The National Green Tribunal (NGT) questioned Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) over allowing Bahadur K Road Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) to discharge effluents into Buddha Dariya, violating environmental clearance terms. Activist Jaskirat Singh highlighted authorities' misinterpretation of an order, permitting discharges. The NGT clarified its stance, emphasizing adherence to environmental norms. 12 kids fall ill due to food poisoning at anganwadi Suspected food poisoning struck an anganwadi in Kochi's Ponnurunni East, affecting at least 16 individuals, mostly children. After consuming food on Thursday, twelve children, three parents, and a helper experienced diarrhea and vomiting. Water samples have been collected for testing. While the incident occurred on Thursday, authorities were only alerted on Saturday. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Two Sasquatch hunters were found dead after they went missing while searching for the mythical beast on Christmas Eve . The men, aged 37 and 59, were found after a 60-strong volunteer search and rescue team joined authorities in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State . They had intended to be home for Christmas Day, but a family member reported them missing to Skamania County authorities after they didn’t return by the morning. Police said the harsh weather conditions and their ill-preparedness for the forest contributed to the men’s deaths. Seven law enforcement agencies and the Coast Guard used canines, drones, ground teams and helicopters to locate them. “Their exhaustive search efforts resulted in bringing family members home to their loved ones,” the sheriff’s office said of the search teams. The force extended their “deepest sympathies and condolences to the families” involved. Loved ones of Hudson Meek, the teen actor who died in a car accident last week, gathered to celebrate his life on Saturday. The “celebration of life” service, held at a Baptist church in Homewood, Alabama, was livestreamed on the Baby Driver star’s Instagram. Several of the loved ones shared their favorite memories of the 16-year-old, and a choir sang in tribute. Fans expressed their appreciation for the service and their condolences in the comment section. “Wonderful celebration of Hudson’s life,” wrote user @melindaeubankswest, while @jeanniecmom added, “Praying for Hudson’s family at this difficult time. Fellow teen actor Grace Culwell shared in the comments that she was in attendance, writing: ”Such a beautiful service & so glad we were able to be there. Sending so much love & prayers to you all.” Meek died on Dec. 21 in from injuries sustained during a fall from a moving car on Dec. 19 in his hometown, Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Meek was known best for appearing in the 2017 crime movie Baby Driver alongside Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx. A post shared by Hudson Meek (@hudsonmeek) Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Boxing Week sales are still in full swing, folks! As an avid J.Crew fan , I can honestly say that the brand’s discount-laden factory store (the brand’s online outlet) is a great way to get high-quality wardrobe staples without the big price tag. J.Crew Factory always offers discounts up to 40 percent off J.Crew, but for a limited time, you can unlock even more savings from already discounted items. Right now, J.Crew Factory is offering 70 percent off clearance items with the code SALE70 at checkout. Now’s the time to invest in evergreen staples like jeans and office-friendly blazers while they’re half off, or grab a few outwear essentials to round out your cold-weather lineup. The sale also includes tons of denim for just $50, pure cotton crewneck T-shirts for $20, and even new arrivals like NYE frocks and cashmere items. And the sale is not just for women; the gents’ and kids’ sections are equally full of additional savings. Andy Cohen’s biggest gripe with CNN star and New Year’s Eve partner-in-crime Anderson Cooper? Cooper’s annual giggle fit. Cohen explained to People why the anchor’s unceasing laughter adds extra chaos throughout their annual special. “Well, [it’s] that I have to be the straight guy,” Cohen said. “Literally, he’s in a puddle of giggles for the last 90 minutes of the broadcast, and I’m the one that’s hitting all the commercial breaks.” Cohen said he turns “into Mr. CNN for the last 90 minutes” while Cooper becomes “Mr. Bravo.” “It’s a very funny role reversal,” the Bravo star said. The longtime friends have hosted the CNN event together since 2017 after former co-host Kathy Griffin was booted in the wake of backlash for posing with a mask depicting the severed head of Donald Trump. Cohen and Cooper have found themselves in various antics since then— some alcoholic , some not —leading to Cooper’s own frustrations with the Bravo host. Cooper joked on Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live earlier this month that he constantly worries about “who [Cohen’s] gonna insult and what the clean up on aisle 3 is gonna be in the morning.” Billionaire businessman Charles Dolan, who founded HBO and Cablevision and whose family owns Madison Square Garden and a number of New York City sports teams, died on Saturday—he was 98. Dolan created Cablevision Systems Corporation in 1973, merging several small Long Island cable TV systems, according to the New York Times . At the time, the company served just 1,500 customers. But when he sold it for $17.7 billion in 2015, it supplied cable TV to over three million households in the New York metropolitan area, the Times reported. He also launched HBO in the early ’70s—it was at the time a pioneering cable TV channel that offered feature-length movies with no commercials. After his death, Dolan’s family will continue to be a powerful and influential force in the worlds of media and sports. His son Patrick is the owner of Newsday , the Long Island-based newspaper he and Charles bought in 2016. The family also owns MSG in New York City and the professional sports teams that play there, the NHL’s Rangers and the NBA’s Knicks. All three entities are led by Dolan’s son James. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. If you’re looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and don’t have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike . The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possible—and by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. In fact, according to the brand, the CAROL bike is “proven to deliver double the health and fitness benefits in 90 percent less time compared to regular cardio.” Free Returns | Free Shipping Not only is it a huge time-saver, but the CAROL Bike is also designed to be personalized to the rider’s individual fitness levels, goals, and preferences, making the workouts easy to follow, time-efficient, and super effective. CAROL’s AI and Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) technology optimizes the workout to your ability and fitness level, so every second matters. The personalized, optimal resistance levels are automatically adjusted as you work out—at exactly the right time—making the most efficient workouts easy to follow. “ CAROL Bike is designed to maximize training efficiency, with the shortest, most effective workouts, backed by science. And new rider-inspired features that give riders more flexibility to exercise their way,” says Ulrich Dempfle, CEO & Co-Founder at CAROL. You can try the CAROL Bike for yourself risk-free for 100 days, and the brand offers free shipping (7-10 business days) in the U.S. Tina Knowles sprang to her daughter Beyoncé’s defense after online trolls criticized her NFL halftime show performance on Christmas Day. Knowles clapped back at critics by reposting a message about her famous daughter on her Instagram on Friday. In the screenshot, user @iamkrisiman praised Beyoncé and wrote that “no matter how undeniably talented you are, people will always, ALWAYS, always have some negative ish to say.” Knowles cosigned the post in a lengthy caption. “It is mind-boggling to me that you would take your precious Christmas day and watch a performance of someone you hate and you don’t think has talent so that you can go talk ish about it later,” she wrote. “Obviously you are so obsessed with them, addicted to them, and secretly admire them,” she added. According to the New York Post, Knowles’ post came after some social media users called Beyoncé “overrated.” Fans and celebrities in the comments of Knowles’ response seemed to love her mama bear energy. “Period!!! Ms. T,” singer LeToya Luckett wrote. “All. Of. This!!!!!!” Oscar winner Octavia Spencer added. A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinaknowles) Elon Musk appeared to borrow a line from the 2008 film Tropic Thunder in an ongoing social media fight about H1B visas. Musk hit back against MAGA’s top players in a series of X posts, alleging that H1B visas are the reason why he, “and hundreds of other companies that made America strong,” are in the country. To a skeptical X user, Musk blasted: “Take a big step back and F--- YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.” Although some were shocked by Musk’s sudden escalation—with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon calling him a “toddler”—others noticed that the disparaging remark was similar to a line in Tropic Thunder . Character Les Grossman, played by Tom Cruise, says in the film: “First, take a big step back, and literally, F--- YOUR OWN FACE ... I don’t know what kind of pan-pacific bulls--t power play you’re trying to pull here, but Asia, Jack, is my territory. So whatever you’re thinking, you’d better think again.” In response to Musk’s comment, the X user tweeted, “Bro was just memeing. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.” Nothing beats the classics pic.twitter.com/MRSdXifhH5 Charles Shyer, the writer-director best known for directing the 1991 Steve Martin comedy Father of the Bride has died at 83. According to Deadline, Shyer died Friday and no cause of death was given by his family in a statement. “His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he’s left behind. We honor the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him,” his family told the outlet. In addition to directing, Shyer gained notoriety for his screenwriting and nabbed an Oscar nomination in 1981 for co-writing the Goldie Hawn-led military comedy Private Benjamin alongside Harvey Miller, and fellow writer-director Nancy Meyers. Meyers and Shyer married in 1980 before calling it quits in 1999. They share two daughters. Other notable films co-written by Shyer include Jumpin’ Jack Flash , The Parent Trap , and Baby Boom , which he also directed. His most recent credit behind the camera was co-writing and directing the 2023 Netflix Holiday film Best. Christmas. Ever. A Norwegian chess champion left mid-tournament after refusing to change his outfit for judges. Magnus Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion, was competing in New York’s FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday when he was asked to change. According to The Telegraph , Carlsen was first fined $200 for breaking the wardrobe rule before being told he would have to leave if he didn’t change. “I said, ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s OK.’ I didn’t even realize it today, but they said, ‘Well you have to change now.’ At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me,” Carlsen told chess outlet Take Take Take in an interview. “Honestly, I am too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do,” he added. As for why he wore the jeans in the first place, Carlsen said he had little time to change before the tournament as he was coming from a meeting. The grandmaster made light of the debacle on X where he tweeted a photo of the now notorious jeans. “OOTD,” he captioned the snap. OOTD pic.twitter.com/9reOP6zuJv Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. 2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur . It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black , vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini. Gossip Girl star Chanel Maya Banks , who made headlines last month after denying her family’s claims that she had gone missing, has filed a restraining order against her mother and cousin. The 36-year-old submitted the request in Los Angeles on Thursday, alleging her mom, Lutchmin Judy Kumar, and cousin, Danielle Singh have harassed her, TMZ reported. The actor also claimed that her mother and cousin were working to destroy her credibility. In October, Banks’ family reported her missing. She denied the claims in a post days later. Banks wrote in the restraining order filing that Kumar and Singh broke into her apartment in November while she was gone and attacked her husband. She also alleged that an Apple AirTag was put on her car to track her. After the attack, she alleged that her mother and cousin accused her husband of murder and said that Banks should be in a psychiatric hold. Sources told TMZ that they’re happy she is safe and are “moving on with their lives.” R&B singer Ne-Yo announced Friday that a popular professional boxer under his management has died at age 35. In a joint statement posted by the Grammy-winner and the boxer’s family, Ne-Yo, real name Shaffer Chimere Smith, announced “the passing of beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives.” Hailing from Puerto Rico, Bamba became one of the first boxing talents to sign to Ne-Yo’s management company in 2024. Bamba won all of his bouts in 2024 by knock out and recently claimed WBA’s secondary “gold” cruiserweight title after knocking out Rogelio Medina. “He was a fierce yet confident competitor with an unrelenting ambition to achieve greatness. But more than anything, he was a tremendous individual who inspired many with his exceptional drive and determination,” the statement added. Bamba was the No. 12 ranked contender by the WBA and seemed set on fighting in more high profile matches—challenging boxer Jake Paul to “holla at us” in one post. Paul shared his condolences on X, writing, “RIP Paul Bamba.” RIP Paul Bamba https://t.co/ovu7egrGHn
NEW YORK, Dec. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) between February 8, 2024 and October 29, 2024, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”) and those who purchased Chipotle call options or sold put options during the Class Period, of the important January 10, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm. SO WHAT: If you purchased Chipotle securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Chipotle class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=30587 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 10, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Chipotle’s portion sizes were inconsistent and left many customers dissatisfied with Chipotle’s offerings; (2) in order to address the issue and retain customer loyalty, Chipotle would have to ensure more generous portion sizes, which would increase cost of sales; and (3) as a result, defendants’ statements about its business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Chipotle class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=30587 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com
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Why does someone risk their life, their freedom, to fight for the rights of others? That kept going around my head while on a video call on December 19 with eight women Nobel peace laureates, brought together by the temporary release from prison of 52-year-old Narges Mohamm edi, Nobel Peace Prize, Iran , 2023. Hello, I’m Maria Ressa, and I’m one of the 4 co-founders of Rappler . I received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 , making Rappler the only fully functioning Nobel newsroom today. During this emotional call, Rappler was having our Christmas party, and I actually showed Narges and the Nobel women our office and our team, who at that moment were singing “Defying Gravity” (the theme of the night). Which is exactly what Narges has been through: “arrested 13 times, convicted five times and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes,” said the Nobel committee . Jailed in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, she was released for 21 days in December for an operation to remove a tumor. When she was wheeled out, she carried a picture of Mahsa Amini , and yelled, “Women. Life. Freedom.” Despite the looming end of her freedom, Narges was smiling and resolute. We spoke about gender apartheid , mass executions , protests , wars — how could we not with Jody Williams (1997, United States), Shirin Ebadi (2003, Iran), Leymah Gbowee (2011, Liberia), (Tawakkol Karman (2011, Yemen), Malala Yousafzai (2014, Pakistan), and Oleksandra Matviichuk (2022, Center for Civil Liberties, Ukraine) on the call. BUT we also spoke about perseverance, about helping each other, about commitment, about love. When you’re on the front lines, you celebrate every win. World is worse than you think It almost seems like these qualities underlying the courage of the women on the call — hard work, empathy, the values behind the world’s major religions (in Christianity, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) — have gone out of style. Everyone wants quick rewards, the dopamine high of popularity (leading to populism at scale). The world is turned upside down by the perverse incentive structure of the technology that connects us all: when lies laced with fear, anger and hate pound open the sensitive fracture lines of our societies, for profit. That system of “engagement” and microtargeting is the most powerful tool of manipulation of those seeking and maintaining power. When politicians use it, it’s information operations; when nations use it, it’s information warfare — and it is reshaping the world. It’s worse than you think: the new “axis ” — Russia, China, Iran and North Korea — are united by their grievances against the West, especially after sanctions largely failed after Russia invaded Ukraine , and helped bring them together. With the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and our ongoing near-daily confrontations in the West Philippine Sea, it’s increasingly clear that conflicts around the world are interconnected. Look at Syria, Serbia, Venezuela, or North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Another complication: Russia, China, and North Korea already possess nuclear weapons, while Iran may only be weeks away from a nuclear breakthrough if it were to aggressively pursue it. Are we already in World War III ? Elections are manipulated My latest book, How to Stand up to a Dictator , has been translated into about 25 languages, including Mongolian, Georgian and Romanian. I was in Tbilisi, Georgia, earlier this year and listened to its citizens prepare to fight a Russian-style foreign agents law. As I write this, more than 200,000 Georgians have been out on the streets for nearly a month demanding new elections, protesting for its democratic values. (Add Venezuela , Mozambique , and many others in these electoral protests.) Shortly before that, in Romania, its Constitutional Court voided elections after a little known candidate without a political party and supported by the Kremlin’s information operations on TikTok took first place in its run-off elections. This is the first and most decisive move any nation has taken against the information warfare social media has enabled since 2016. As I have said repeatedly for years now, we cannot have election integrity with the manipulation of our emotions enabled by social media. Nerve’s latest report before the US elections shows exactly what can happen: the manipulation of the youth, the weaponization of race and gender, among them. This new “axis” — what Anne Applebaum called Autocracy, Inc — is not united in any political ideology – only pulled together in its thirst for power and money. It begins in the public information ecosystem. The global trend in 2024, the super-election year (74 national elections globally , with the last one taking place December 29 in Chad) shows democracy losing: we started the year with 71% of the world now under autocratic rule, and while some in media see election results as a failure of incumbents in 10 major countries (the first time this has ever happened in almost 120 years), those of us who have lived through this (and survived) see this as the success of insidious voter manipulation on social media . What Rappler is doing Over the last decade, we at Rappler have dealt with and become frustrated by analysis paralysis. The attacks we lived through and our data analysis since 2014 pushed us to the forefront of the fight for information integrity. Our journalism remains the same: investigative reports that hold power to account. Read and watch our best in 2024 . We learned that the form and substance of journalism is not enough. It needs to be coupled with the best of what technology has to offer — to reimagine what technology could do without surveillance capitalism. What would a public interest tech stack look like that brings trusted information to our communities, the citizens in our democracy? If we succeeded, could we stitch together a global community — with news organizations as tent pegs in a global federation? In 2020, we launched Lighthouse : its movements feature allowed us to bring some partners and NGOs into our tech stack. In 2022, we began creating a PH-wide data lake with an ontology, knowledge graph, and vectorDB to allow generative AI to automate creation of pages anchored on facts. In mid-2023 after OpenAI launched its chatbot, we zoomed GPT-4 onto each story page and created a 3 bullet-point summary of every Rappler story. Around that time, we were one of 10 from 1000 global groups selected by OpenAI to use its chatbot for democratic consultation (aiDialogue) . Working with the Quezon City local government, we began to finetune AI use for public consultations . It was exciting to think of the ability to widen democratic participation in a more systematic manner. Finally, a year ago, we launched Rappler Communities , a matrix protocol chat app that allows real people to have real conversations in a shared reality essential for any democracy. At this existential moment for news, we’ve created an MVP not only for survival but which we believe will allow news to thrive with a sustainable business model in a global public information ecosystem anchored in facts. Don’t be overwhelmed Our times demand you act. Choose and build the world you want. We can’t begin to work on solutions for climate change unless we agree on the problem. Leaders can’t govern until we begin to bring nuance and complexity back into the public domain. The good in each of us can’t emerge until we restore an environment of trust. That can’t happen if each of us is being insidiously manipulated. So download and join our community: first in the Philippines, followed by Indonesia, South Africa, and Brazil. Try our new RAI — what generative AI looks like if you want to anchor in facts! If you’re a news group that wants to join, let us know. If you’re a funder who wants a systemic solution, help us build. I’ve learned a lot in the years we’ve been under attack. In 2019, we created the International Fund for Public Interest Media to help bring new money to news groups. In 2021, we created a whole of society distribution system for facts — #FactsFirstPH in partnership with the Google News Initiative (parts of which were replicated in other parts of the world). In 2022, I became the vice chair of the leadership panel of the UN’s Internet Governance Forum to try to understand the multilateral system, and in 2023, I accepted the chair of the World Movement for Democracy to understand how human rights and civil society groups work together. Each of these taught me lessons in governance as well as showing me why our world today is broken. The year ahead We’re at a global inflection point, and 2025 will push us to a tipping point for violence, for fascism. Or not. It depends on what each of us does now. So don’t be overwhelmed. Don’t be depressed. Don’t disengage. Instead, take the four action points I recommend from the last speech I gave in 2024, my first in a Jewish temple in front of Muslims, Christians, Palestinians — a truly interfaith and diverse community of young and old alike. Religion and faith are crucial parts of our world views. It’s why I will return to the Vatican in January to help Pope Francis kick off the Jubilee, which happens once every 25 years. Hope for a better future comes from action, from perseverance. And faith. That’s what the Nobel Women showed me. That’s why we risk our freedom and dedicate our lives to fighting for all our rights. – Rappler.com
Transparency had only recently celebrated the finding by Brazil ’s federal prosecution service that claims it had sought to benefit from fines paid by companies to settle corruption cases were unfounded. But supreme court justice Dias Toffoli – who had instigated the original inquiry – decided to continue the investigation anyway. Transparency categorically rejects the claims it did anything wrong and dismisses the investigation as harassment. It believes it is being targeted because of its previous high-profile support for the anti-corruption effort that came to be symbolised by the historic Car Wash probe. “It is worrying but also a signal that we are on the right path,” says Bruno Brandão, the organisation’s executive director in Brazil. [ Rot at heart of Brazilian democracy exposed amid dark charges against Bolsonaro and military Opens in new window ] Transparency’s recent travails are an illustration of how the subsequent implosion of Car Wash, which uncovered evidence of multibillion-euro kickback schemes involving Brazilian companies, has seen the country’s fight against corruption go into reverse. The accusations made against Transparency have been levelled by Brazilian meat-processing giant J&F, one of whose owners infamously recorded himself on tape discussing bribes with then-president Michel Temer. J&F is now seeking the fines levelled against it after it confessed multiple crimes annulled. The case is before Toffoli who has declined to recuse himself even though his wife Roberta Rangel represents J&F. With most Brazilians no longer much interested in cases that once obsessed the nation, this conflict of interests causes little indignation. Brazil is a society that for now seems resigned to official impunity after the tumultuous heave against corruption of the last decade ended with the judges and prosecutors who led it in disgrace. Brazil’s supreme court had always been a somewhat reluctant supporter of Car Wash, forced to follow the path blazed by crusading judge Sergio Moro and the team of federal prosecutors in southern Brazil which targeted companies that won public contracts by paying kickbacks and the politicians who received them. [ Over 160 workers in ‘slavery-like conditions’ found at BYD factory site in Brazil Opens in new window ] Moro oversaw a sophisticated public relations campaign to win over public opinion and thus the space to pick holes in decades of jurisprudence that ensured the rich and powerful were rarely punished for wrongdoing. But the operation started to unravel after revelations in the media of illegal collusion between Moro and Car Wash prosecutors. This provided the supreme court the excuse to move against them under cover of correcting the errors and excesses it had tolerated when Moro enjoyed the status of national hero. “Did the crimes revealed by Car Wash happen? Of course they did. Nobody doubts there was a corruption scheme involving some of Brazil’s biggest companies and political parties. Car Wash revealed so much,” says Eloísa Machado de Almeida, professor of constitutional law at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo. “But the judiciary missed its opportunity to make Car Wash a great example of the republican application of the law. It was a great chance for the country to rethink all these [corrupt] practices. But it was a huge waste as Car Wash collapsed because of its own errors.” While acknowledging the operation’s errors, Transparency’s Brandão sees an alternative explanation for the supreme court’s move against Car Wash. “In fact the operation was only liquidated when it reached the judiciary and threatened to reveal corruption among judges in the higher courts. The legislature and executive were unable to halt it. But the judiciary was.” [ Brazil’s president Lula leaves hospital after brain surgery Opens in new window ] Supreme court justice Toffoli is central to this interpretation of history. He has been the most prominent member of the supreme court in overturning convictions in lower court. This included his unilateral decision to annul evidence of wrongdoing provided by executives from the construction giant Odebrecht. Among the evidence tossed was an email in which Car Wash’s most notorious witness – Odebrecht’s president – asked two colleagues whether a deal had been reached with “the friend of the friend of my father”, whom he later told prosecutors referred to Toffoli, then Brazil’s attorney general. The shifting fates of Car Wash at the hands of a supreme court that appears more attentive to politics than jurisprudence also highlights the potential risks in the future for other high-profile cases, including the investigation into former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn his defeat in 2022′s presidential election. This is because the process against Bolsonaro and his circle of serving and retired generals is being conducted by Toffoli’s supreme court colleague Alexandre de Moraes. In this role, he has taken on the task of lead investigator as well as judge in a case in which he also figures as one of the potential victims of the plotters, allegedly having been targeted for assassination. Critics have warned that this confusion of roles risks leaving the case open to similar charges of judicial overreach that Moro faced and could provide grounds for appeal and the eventual overturning of any future conviction. But in an echo of the euphoria that gripped the country when seeing powerful businessmen and politicians arrested for corruption, Moraes has become something of a national hero for facing down Bolsonaro’s coup-mongering, even among those on the left who denounced him as a “fascist” when he was first appointed to the court in 2017. He has shown no sign of recusing himself from the case and instead appears to be enjoying the protagonist role it has brought him. [ Man jailed for 10 years after admitting smuggling €21.6m cocaine on cargo ship from Brazil Opens in new window ] Moraes has already ensured Bolsonaro’s exclusion from running for public office until 2030 because of his public efforts to undermine the presidential election he lost in 2022. But the former president remains the biggest vote-getter on the right, and he and his circle have made clear they will seek the promise of amnesty from anyone seeking his endorsement in the 2026 presidential election. His supporters are also using Moraes’s handling of the cases against Bolsonaro as an excuse to launch impeachment proceedings against him. For now Bolsonaro and his coterie are facing almost certain trial, given the evidence federal police have already gathered of their coup-plotting. But a political swing back towards the right after 2026 could create the political conditions for the unwinding of another investigation that uncovered evidence of wrongdoing but in the shadow of accusations of judicial overreach. Standing in the way of the hard right’s hopes of a return to power is President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the country’s most popular politician of recent decades. He staged one of the great political comebacks, emerging from 580 days in jail after his conviction by Moro, to evict Bolsonaro from the presidency, benefiting from the supreme court’s move to kill Car Wash. But he will be 81 at the next election and a majority of Brazilians tell pollsters they do not want him to seek a fourth term. Without him, the race between left and right will likely be far more competitive. The future of the judicial cases facing Bolsonaro should not depend on the political weather. But in Brazil it almost certainly does.Senores Pharma, Ventive Hospitality debut at premium; Carraro shares list at 8% discount
Big Ten could place four teams in playoff, thanks to IU's riseOne of the easiest ways to boost is through because of the portfolios they provide. Under-the-radar ASX ETFs could provide extra diversification that the biggest ETFs can't. If we look at some of the most popular ETFs, we can see that their portfolios are focused on just a few stocks. The ( ) has a heavy exposure to a few and . The ( ) is heavily allocated to the largest US companies. There are other share markets that are more attractive than Australia and the US, and there are other tech companies with growth potential beyond the largest ones. So, I'm going to outline two ASX ETFs that could be helpful investment options. Betashares India Quality ETF( ) India is a fascinating country with more than 1.4 billion people, according to the World Bank. Its economy is rapidly growing – Goldman Sachs suggests the Indian economy could grow at an average of 6.5% per year between 2025 and 2030. Goldman Sachs also suggests the Indian economy could be "relatively insulated against global shocks over the coming year — including tariffs levied by the new administration of US President-elect Donald Trump." The investment bank also expects the businesses represented within the 'MSCI India' to see earnings growth of 12% and 13%, respectively, for the calendar years 2024 and 2025. That's a little less than what other analysts expect. How can we gain exposure to the Indian economy? The IIND ETF owns a portfolio and . Since inception in August 2019, the ASX ETF has returned an average of 10.1% per year, which I think is a solid return. Betashares Cloud Computing ETF ( ) The world is becoming increasingly technological, partly thanks to businesses that provide operations related to the Internet and cloud computing. As Betashares says: Cloud computing has been one of the strongest-growing segments of the technology sector, and given much of the world's digital data and software applications are still maintained outside the cloud, continued strong growth has been forecast. Businesses must make a large percentage of their revenue from cloud computing services. Inclusion in the portfolio is prioritised for companies that generate a majority of their revenue from cloud-based services. The sorts of businesses that are in this ASX ETF's portfolio of 37 names include , , , , , and . Companies with digital operating models usually have pleasing operating leverage. They have already built their digital infrastructure, so more users or subscribers can boost profit margins because the new revenue can largely drop to the operating profit ( ) line of the financials.
SINGAPORE, Dec 29 : Over 10,000 Sikhs gathered in Singapore on Sunday to promote community, understanding, and harmony, marking the conclusion of Naam Ras, a four-day religious and cultural fair. Singapore’s Law and Home Minister K Shanmugam and Zaqy bin Mohamad, a senior minister of state for Manpower and Defence, attended the festivities. They also welcomed interfaith groups representing non-Sikhs to the biennial gala ‘mela’ which ran from December 26 to 29. The ministers were honoured with the traditional Sikh Saropas (scarves). Malminderjit Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Advisory Board here said the Naam Ras Kirtan Darbar is a ground-up event designed to foster community, understanding, and harmony. He added that the event was organised by the Singapore Sikh community, along with support from well-wishers, donors, and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) of Singapore. Overall, more than 50,000 Singapore Sikhs attended the four-day carnival-style festival, showcasing the community’s deep cultural links to its ancestral homeland in Punjab and northern India. Minister Shanmugam congratulated the Sikh organisations, led by gurdwaras and social services units here, for organising the event. “Events like this build greater bonds in the community,” he said, noting the gathering of people from all over the region at the event. “It is one of the largest Sikh gatherings outside of India,” said Professor Nirmal Singh Randhawa who hails from Amritsar and has been part of the biennial event since the beginning as a lead advisor and preacher of Sikh cultures. Sikhs from the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and the Southeast Asian countries, where the community has flourished over a century but maintained close relations with their ancestor homes, attended the event. Volunteers, including migrant workers from northern India, ran the show that showcased the lifestyle of Sikhs, a flourishing but minority community of 12,000 in the prosperous city-state. The event, which was held from 5.30 to 10 pm each evening, gave non-Sikhs insight into backgrounds and cultures and offered a unique opportunity to explore the rich traditions of the Sikh faith, said Malminderjit Singh. The show included performing arts, Sikh traditional music and live drama performances on Sikh history. (PTI)
Editorial: Still waters run deep