Mitchell rescue group launches fundraiser for live trap to aid stray dog efforts
According to reports, the crew of a Russian ship in the Baltic Sea fired signal ammunition at a German military helicopter during a reconnaissance mission. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned the incident briefly during a NATO meeting in Brussels, highlighting the ongoing tensions and the need for increased surveillance in the region. Baerbock announced on social media platform X that surveillance of pipelines and data cables in the Baltic Sea would be stepped up as hybrid threats from Russia and its supporters were on the rise. The use of signaling ammunition is only permitted in emergencies. “Putin is attacking our peace order with hybrid attacks,” the minister wrote. Last month, damage to two sets of communication cables in the Baltic Sea — linking Finland and Germany and Sweden and Lithuania — in less than a day has drawn the authorities’ attention to possible subterfuge. Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025 ) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts. Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here. Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and i nvest in Africa’s finest startups here . German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius declared the severing of a communication cable between Germany and Finland an act of “sabotage” and implied that “hybrid actors” were behind the attack. However, the reason for the attack was not yet known, Pistorius added. Sweden, Germany and Lithuania all launched investigations last week, looking into the role the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 played in the incident, as it was in the vicinity of the damaged cables at the time. Several European governments and NATO’s Secretary-General have accused Russia of ramping up hybrid attacks on Western nations since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility for such attacks. Hybrid warfare typically refers to activities designed to destabilize nations through non-traditional and diverse means, including cyberattacks, infrastructure sabotage and misinformation campaigns. The ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia continues to be a major point of contention. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to significant geopolitical tensions, with NATO and Western countries, including the USA and Germany, providing support to Ukraine. The conflict has also disrupted global trade routes and caused economic instability. China and Russia have strengthened their alliance, conducted joint military exercises and increased economic cooperation. This partnership has raised concerns among Western nations about a potential new Cold War scenario. The USA and China are engaged in a strategic rivalry, with issues ranging from trade disputes to military posturing in the South China Sea. China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict has further strained relations with the USA. Germany’s Role : Germany, as a key member of the European Union and NATO, has been actively involved in supporting Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. Germany’s economic ties with China also add a layer of complexity to its foreign policy decisions. Global Security Concerns : The interconnectedness of these issues has led to broader security concerns. For example, Russia’s partnerships with countries like North Korea and Iran have implications for global stability and the security of the USA and its allies These tactics often aim to weaken states without provoking direct military conflict, these issues highlight the intricate web of alliances and conflicts shaping the global political landscape in 2024. The geopolitical landscape in 2024 is quite complex, with several key issues involving Ukraine, Russia, China, Germany, and the USA.
Alex Pereira has some fatherly advice for Jamahal Hill . Ahead of a pivotal light heavyweight matchup at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, Hill and Jiri Prochazka have ramped up their war of words, with Prochazka saying that Hill showed “nothing” when he lost to Pereira at UFC 300 , and Hill firing back that he showed more in his defeat at Pereira’s hands than Prochazka has in two losses against “Poatan.” Now, the 205-pound champion has chimed in himself, telling Hill not to look past his clash with Pereira. Calm down, my son. Pass this test and Dad will give you a second chance. Calma meu filho, passa nesse teste e o pai vai te dar uma segunda chance. pic.twitter.com/ywr6gqj9XG “Calm down, my son,” Pereira wrote on Twitter. “Pass this test and Dad will give you a second chance.” While it’s possible that Pereira was also addressing Prochazka, it’s Hill that was quick to take offense as he issued his own response via social media. Beat it funny how you rushed lil ass roundtree and dumbass Jiri like you were the man but waited until the refs got in the way to swing at me!!! You will see me again at 100% soon and we both know the fear that was in your heart!! https://t.co/ARC4XQyNQq “Beat it,” Hill wrote. “Funny how you rushed lil’ ass [ Khalil Rountree ] and dumbass Jiri like you were the man, but waited until the refs got in the way to swing at me. You will see me again at 100 percent soon and we both know the fear that was in your heart.” Hill’s tweet refers to a pivotal moment in his fight with Pereira, where referee Herb Dean moved in to pause the action when it appeared that a Hill kick glanced Pereira’s cup. Pereira waved Dean off and shortly after finished the fight with a knockout punch. In the aftermath, Hill has maintained that Pereira used the pause in action to sneakily close the distance. He continued to complain about the seven-month-old result in his replies, which can be seen below. Herb stepped behind me and said continue blocking my left side! This all happened in 4 seconds so to say that didn’t play a factor is retarded!! I accept I should of been more on point and not showed sportsmanship when I wasn’t given any it was dumb on my part but you learn Again no excuse just what happened I gave the thumbs up and asked if he was good! Then he paired my hands he never touched glovers Also go look where my foot landed and look wear he grabbed On camera he closes the distance during the break cutting off my right side and herb steps behind me cutting my left side and says fight! If you do think that plays a factor with somebody that has power you don’t know fighting Like I said a million times not an excuse just what happened I shouldn’t of showed sportsmanship to somebody that had none and stayed locked in my mistake and it won’t happen againIreland's general election 2024 has drawn to a close - so what next?
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In the wake of the 2024 General Election, the next major election to take place will be the 2025 Seanad to be held in January to elect 60 Senators. The breakdown of the 60 seats: National University of Ireland - 3 Trinity College/ Dublin University - 3 Agricultural Panel - 11 Labour Panel - 11 Industrial and Commercial Panel - 9 Administrative Panel - 7 Cultural and Educational Panel - 5 Taoiseach's Nominations - 11 This is the last election involving the NUI/TCD 3-seat constituencies and will be replaced by a six-seater 'Higher Education' constituency for any Seanad elections from after March 2025. In terms of the Panel elections, the electorate are the 949 City and County Councillors, the 60 Outgoing Senators and 174 incoming TDs, of which there are some overlap. In terms of individual party strength, and therefore votes for the panel elections, each party has: Fianna Fáil - 248 Councillors + 48 TDs + 20 Senators = 316 Fine Gael - 245 + 38 + 16 = 299 Sinn Féin - 102 + 39 + 2 = 143 Labour - 56 + 11 + 4 = 71 Social Democrats - 35 + 11 + 0 = 46 Green Party - 23 + 1 + 4 = 28 Independent Ireland - 23 + 4 + 0 = 27 Solidarty/People Before Profit - 13 + 3 + 0 = 16 Independents/Others - 204 + 19 + 9 = 232 Most of those parties will be a figure a little bit below that number due to councillors/senators being elected as TDs or councillors who have left the party since the Local Elections. In terms of the breakdown of party seats per panel based on each party's vote and past elections it looks like it will be something close to this perhaps - Agricultural/ Labour Panel (11 Seats/ Quota ~ 95) - 3 FF, 3 FG, 1 SF, 1 LAB, 1 IND (10 and 11th seats could go to FF4, SF2, or IND2) Industrial and Commercial Panel (9 Seats/ Quota ~ 114) - 2 FF, 2 FG, 2 IND, 1 SF, 1 LAB (9th seat could go to FF3 most likely) Administrative Panel (7 Seats/ Quota ~ 143) - 2 FF, 2 FG, 1 SF, 1 LAB, 1 IND Cultural and Educational Panel (5 Seats/ Quota ~ 190) - 2 FF, 2 FG, 1 SF Taoiseach's Nominations - 5 FF, 5 FG, 1 IND (On premise that FF/FG go into government with a group of Independents). TUD - 3 IND (No Norris or Bacik for the first time in a long time so Ruane, Clonan and MacNeill? Maybe Hazel Chu will contest this or Maureen Gaffney just missed out in the by-election) NUI - 3 IND (Mullen, McDowell, and Higgins again unless McDowell retires?) This would roughly leave it with a breakdown of the 60 seats conservatively as: FF - 17 (up to 18/19 possible) FG - 17 (up to 18) SF - 5 (up to 6/7) LAB - 4 IND - 12 Some potential changes here are I wonder if Labour, Greens and Social Democrats may form a pact for these elections as the Soc Dems and Greens do not have enough voting power by themselves for a seat although Niall O'Tuathail almost won a seat for the Soc Dems on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. If they combined, they could easily give the Greens and Soc Dems 1 seat each on the two 11-seaters, and support Labour for the other 3 panels as Labour have almost as much as Greens and Soc Dems combined. Additionally, the Independent vote is so fractured so they could easily win more seats on the panels if they coalesced behind candidates but many of the gene-pool FF/FG independents must support party rather than independent candidates. I wonder if Independent Ireland may try run any one here who may have a decent profile? Niall Blaney having a Seanad seat is the biggest waste of one that I can pick out. Finally, based off the recent General Election, and the last Seanad, who are some of the potential Seanadóirs for the 27th Seanad? In my opinion, you have three categories, the perpetual or perennial senators who harbour no Dáil ambitions, the outgoing senators who unsuccessfully contested either this or the previous General Election, and General Election candidates who came close to winning seats such as TDs who lost seats so they can maintain a public profile or councillors/candidates who performed well and want a higher profile. Fianna Fáil: Perpetual Senators - Mark Wilson, Diarmuid Wilson, Denis O'Donovan, Niall Blaney, Paul Daly, Aidan Davitt, Ned O'Sullivan, Gerry Horkan Former GE candidates/Outgoing Senators - Fiona O'Loughlin, Lisa Chambers, Robbie Gallagher, Shane Cassells, Pat Casey, Ollie Crowe, Mary Fitzpatrick, Lorraine Clifford-Lee GE Candidates - Edel MacSharry, Anne Rabbitte, Imelda Goldsboro, Dee Ryan, Deirdre O'Brien, Tony Fitzgerald, Alison Comyn, Joe Flaherty, Stephen Donnelly, Deirdre Heney, Teresa Costello, Gráinne Seoige?? Fine Gael - Perpetual Senators - Martin Conway, Paddy Burke Former GE candidates/Outgoing Senators - Garrett Ahearn, Tim Lombard, Nikki Bradley, Maria Byrne, John McGahon, Seán Kyne, Joe O'Reilly, Aisling Dolan, Mary Seery-Kearney GE Candidates - Mark Duffy, Clodagh Higgins, TP O'Reilly, Leonora Carey, Billy O'Shea, Michael Creed, Noel O'Donovan, Mark Stanton, Shane O'Callaghan, Sharon Tolan, Linda Nelson Murray, David Fitzgerald, Cathal Byrne, Alan Farrell, Aoibhinn Tormey, Noel Rock Sinn Féin - Perpetual Senators - Fintan Warfield Former GE candidates/Outgoing Senators - Paul Gavan GE Candidates - Chris MacManus, Gerry Murray, Pauline Tully, Martin Browne, Joanne Collins, Nicole Ryan, Aoife Masterson, Maria McCormack, Chris Andrews, Niamh Whelan, Cathleen Carney Boud Labour - Former GE candidates/Outgoing Senators - Rebecca Moynihan, Annie Hoey GE Candidates - Laura Harmon, John Walsh, Darragh Moriarty Green Party - Former GE candidates/Outgoing Senators - Róisin Garvey, Vincent P. Martin, Pippa Hackett, Pauline O'Reilly GE Candidates - Catherine Martin, Ossian Smyth, Neasa Hourigan, Hazel Chu (best chances of regaining seats next time) I imagine the Social Democrats would like to get Elisa O'Donovan, Susan Doyle, Hugo Mills or Eoin O'Broin into the Seanad while Independent Ireland may run Michael Clarke or Declan Geraghty although they may view it preferable for their candidates to remain on County Councils and stay prominent in their local communities. Hopefully Bernard Durkin is one of FGs Taoiseach nominations Re Labour - Former GE candidates/Outgoing Senators - Rebecca Moynihan, Annie Hoey I don't think Rebecca Moynihan and Annie Hoey will be running. GE Candidates - Laura Harmon, John Walsh, Darragh Moriarty I'd add Helen Ogbu and Shane Folan as possible runners? It's possible Sadhbh O'Neill will try for the TCD seat - she'd be of the same generation/cohort that would have known Bacik and Norris quite well?Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the center's reliance on fossil fuels — and whether the plans for new natural gas power to support it could lead to higher energy bills in the future for Louisiana residents. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, is expanding its existing supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, the city's chamber of commerce said Wednesday. The chamber also said that Nvidia, Dell, and Supermicro Computer will be “establishing operations in Memphis,” without offering further details. Louisiana is among a growing number of states offering tax credits and other incentives to lure big tech firms seeking sites for energy-intensive data centers. The U.S. Commerce Department found that there aren’t enough data centers in the U.S. to meet the rising AI-fueled demand, which is projected to grow by 9% each year through 2030, citing industry reports. Meta anticipates its Louisiana data center will create 500 operational jobs and 5,000 temporary construction jobs, said Kevin Janda, director of data center strategy. At 4 million square feet (370,000 square meters), it will be the company's largest AI data center to date, he added. “We want to make sure we are having a positive impact on the local level,” Janda said. Congressional leaders and local representatives from across the political spectrum heralded the Meta facility as a boon for Richland parish, a rural part of Louisiana with a population of 20,000 historically reliant on agriculture. About one in four residents are considered to live in poverty and the parish has an employment rate below 50%, according to the U.S. census data. Meta plans to invest $200 million into road and water infrastructure improvements for the parish to offset its water usage. The facility is expected to be completed in 2030. Entergy, one of the nation's largest utility providers, is fast-tracking plans to build three natural gas power plants in Louisiana capable of generating 2,262 megawatts for Meta's data center over a 15-year period — nearly one-tenth of Entergy's existing energy capacity across four states. The Louisiana Public Service Commission is weighing Entergy's proposal as some environmental groups have opposed locking the state into more fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Meta said it plans to help bring 1,500 megawatts of renewable energy onto the grid in the future. Louisiana residents may ultimately end up with rate increases to pay off the cost of operating these natural gas power plants when Meta's contract with Entergy expires, said Jessica Hendricks, state policy director for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a Louisiana-based nonprofit advocating for energy consumers. “There’s no reason why residential customers in Louisiana need to pay for a power plant for energy that they’re not going to use," Hendricks said. "And we want to make sure that there’s safeguards in place.” Public service commissioner Foster Campbell, representing northeast Louisiana, said he does not believe the data center will increase rates for Louisiana residents and views it as vital for his region. “It’s going in one of the most needed places in Louisiana and maybe one of the most needed places in the United States of America,” Foster said. “I’m for it 100%.” Environmental groups have also warned of the pollution generated by Musk's AI data center in Memphis. The Southern Environmental Law Center, among others, says the supercomputer could strain the power grid, prompting attention from the Environmental Protection Agency. Eighteen gas turbines currently running at xAI’s south Memphis facility are significant sources of ground-level ozone, better known as smog, the group said. Patrick Anderson, an attorney at the law center, said xAI has operated with “a stunning lack of transparency” in developing its South Memphis facility, which is located near predominantly Black neighborhoods that have long dealt with pollution and health risks from factories and other industrial sites. “Memphians deserve to know how xAI will affect them,” he said, “and should have a seat at the table when these decisions are being made.”Naval chief stresses need for increasing int’l defence cooperation for regional stability Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf visited the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar-2024 (IDEAS), which came to an end at the Karachi Expo Centre on Friday. The chief of the naval staff met foreign military officials, representatives of the defence industry, and other delegates attending the international event. These meetings discussed recent advancements in the naval defence technologies, international defence trends, and prospects of future global collaborations in this regard. The naval chief stressed the need for increasing international defence cooperation for regional stability. Amiral Ashraf visited the IDEAS 2024 with the objectives of increasing Pakistan’s defence capabilities and enhancing cooperation with the global defence partners of Pakistan. On Thursday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had said that IDEAS 2024 had further solidified Pakistan’s position as a key player in global defence and diplomacy, with the nation firmly committed to fostering peace through strength and collaboration.