But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”A FURIOUS shopper has forced an apology from Walmart after she was kicked out of line thanks to a new policy. The customer took to X to voice her frustrations for being taken out of the checkout line for having more than 15 items, accusing Walmart of not having enough registers open. The post from Hollie reads: "i know walmart didn’t just kick me out of a line i waited 15 minutes in cause i had more than 15 items. "yall don’t even have more than 15 f***ing registers open." Walmart was quick to respond, saying: "Let's see what's going on, Hollie! Can you send us a DM with more details, please?" Walmart 's customer policy involves differentiating which line shoppers can wait in depending on how manyn items they have in their basket. read more in walmart This is designed to speed up the process for those without many things to pay for. WALMART PACKAGE PROBLEMS The supermarket has recently been blasted by another one of their shoppers. The U.S. Sun reported yesterday that a customer has been repeatedly finding items missing from their delivery orders. The boycotting shopper blasted the store online after their latest order, which lacked an astounding 22 items. Most read in Money One Walmart customer called out the retailer on X after receiving multiple incomplete deliveries, with the latest one missing over 20 items. "Just got my delivery from Walmart+ and I ordered 28 items. Guess how many I got in my delivery??? Six!" fumed the shopper in a post Tuesday. "The driver dropped off two bags of six items. They forgot 22 freaking items!!!! No more Walmart delivery." Walmart responded within one hour of the post, offering to look into the situation and requesting the shopper direct message the store with their order details. In the comment section, another shopper shared they had stopped shopping at Walmart after the retailer's service took a nosedive. "Sadly, going to the stores who close their registers and only have self-service has completely ruined their stores," they wrote. "They don’t put paper in the self-serve registers too. I gave up on Walmart . Hope you have better luck via shipping." The original user concurred that Walmart 's service had decreased in quality, calling the delivery ordering "so bad." WALMART DEALS The company is offering a huge discount on this Christmas essential as the holiday nears. The U.S. Sun covered the huge saving available on Walmart's Christmas dinners this year. Shoppers can serve their guests with ease with the Firstness Chafing Dishes from Walmart . Marked down from $129.99 to just $44.99, the buffet-style serving dishes come in a pack of two. They hold up to five quarts each and are perfect for serving up tasty holiday dishes at large gatherings, serving around 20 to 30 people. *If you click a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue Here's how to sign up to Walmart+ : Head to the Walmart website . Select 'Account' and then 'Walmart+'. Click 'Start free 30-day trial'. Enter your information. Enjoy the trial and benefits. Remember to cancel before the 30 days are up, or pay $12.95 per month (which you can cancel at any time) or $98 for the annual plan if you want to keep it. Read More What is Walmart+ and is it worth it? Walmart+ vs Amazon Prime The stainless steel chafing dishes feature an advanced insulation design that keeps food cold or hot for extended periods . Shoppers can either add hot water and fuel to warm dishes or use ice to keep desserts such as ice cream perfectly chilled. The item has received a number of positive reviews online. Read More on The US Sun One person wrote: "It looks nice and is sturdy but not too heavy. "It is a great size (five-quart) and will work perfectly for family gatherings."
The Apprentice star also argued that a lack of clarity from the Government on the ownership test is causing “significant uncertainty” for potential investors. This came as the House of Lords continued its scrutiny of the Football Governance Bill, which seeks to establish an independent regulator for the top five tiers of the men’s game. In the upper chamber, Baroness Brady said: “We are creating legislation which will profoundly affect 160 quite unique institutions, from Premier League clubs through to the National League community clubs, but it is important for everyone to understand that the consultation with these affected businesses by the current Government has been remarkably limited, almost unbelievably so. “Just seven Premier League clubs, I was one of them, was granted a brief half-hour meeting with the Secretary of State over the summer. “And following this cursory engagement, significant decisions were made that could fundamentally affect the future of English football, most notably with the inclusion of parachute payments within the backstop mechanism. “This is particularly concerning given that fundamental issues still remained unresolved, we still lack any clarity on Uefa’s position on state interference, for example, this clearly creates profound uncertainty for clubs competing in or aspiring to European competition, as well as our national teams.” “We don’t know what the ownership test will look like, this causes significant uncertainty for potential investors as to whether they are able to own a club,” she added. Lady Brady continued: “I have spoken to many of my colleagues across all of the football pyramid, we are all alarmed about and puzzled by the lack of discussion on the Bill with ministers. “Would the minister agree that we all want to get the detail of this Bill right? And can she see any downsides to providing meaningful opportunities to hear from all clubs across the football pyramid affected by the legislation?” Prior to this, Tory shadow sports minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay had tabled an amendment which he said would allow clubs to “make their views known on this legislation” by including specific competitions on the face of the Bill. Labour frontbencher Baroness Twycross told the upper chamber: “I don’t think the leagues are confused either on which leagues this legislation will apply to.” She added: “This power is both reasonable and the result of evidence-based consultation with all key stakeholders in the industry. “This power ensures that the competitions in scope can be amended in a timely manner and ensures the scope of the regime remains relevant.” The peer later said: “Over the past three years there have been countless opportunities for all affected and interested parties to make representations.” Lady Brady also raised concerns about the financial distribution backstop, which she said is “clearly designed as a mechanism to gain direct access to, and apportionate Premier League revenue, and no-one else’s”. “I might add the backstop will allow the IFR (Independent Football Regulator) to do this even if it was against the Premier League clubs’ will, or even without the clubs’ agreement, even if it was to have a detrimental effect on the clubs and the overall competition it removes revenue from,” she added. The backstop would allow the new IFR to intervene in the distribution of Premier League broadcast revenue down the leagues as a last resort. It could be triggered by the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) or National League to mediate the fair financial distribution of this revenue if they are not able to come to an agreement. Conservative peers later raised concerns over the cost implications to clubs of establishing the regulator, although they faced claims of “filibustering” – wasting time by making overlong speeches in a bid to delay progress. Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.Football is broken. Clubs are struggling. Now those seats have been lost, do they no longer care about likes of Reading or Southend? @FairGameUK — Niall Couper (@NiallCouper) December 4, 2024 Labour peer Lord Watson of Invergowrie questioned why Lord Parkinson was showing “confected outrage” at the Bill when the former culture minister would have been defending a similar proposal had the Tories remained in power. Lord Parkinson, in his reply, said: “We want to see this regulator established, we want to see it doing its work and doing so effectively, but we also see before us a Bill that is different because of the election that was called and the result that happened, and we’re interrogating particularly closely the changes that the Government have made to the Bill – of which there are many. “And we have more concerns on these benches than we did before the election from my colleagues behind me about the way we do it.” The Tory peer pointed to Labour frontbenchers fulfilling their duties to “properly scrutinise” then-government legislation when they were on the opposition benches. Lady Twycross, in an intervention, said: “While I agree that (Lord Parkinson) is correct that I would scrutinise legislation when I was sitting on those (opposition) benches, I have never sought to filibuster a Bill to which my party had committed, which my party had laid before Parliament, and intended to filibuster it to the point of getting us stuck in treacle.” Lord Parkinson replied: “That is not what we’re doing.” Niall Couper, chief executive of the campaign group Fair Game, wrote on social media site X: “Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.”PM looks to ‘brighter future’ at Christmas and ‘wishes for peace in Middle East’Boxing Day 2024 in Australia: the best early deals you can shop right now
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (AP) — Javohn Garcia scored 16 points as McNeese beat Illinois State 76-68 on Friday. Garcia also contributed seven rebounds for the Cowboys (3-2). Brandon Murray shot 4 of 10 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line to add 13 points. Sincere Parker shot 4 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. Ty Pence led the way for the Redbirds (3-2) with 14 points and six rebounds. Malachi Poindexter added 13 points for Illinois State. Logan Wolf had 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .NoneOur Art-World Version of Spotify Wrapped
With kids spending considerable time on the internet every day, parents need to understand how to identify where predators are lurking and how to safeguard their children. On Thursday at 7 p.m., New Jersey 101.5 presents a special Town Hall broadcast, “Targeted: Protecting New Jersey Children from Online Predators,” confronting the crisis of online child predators, and how children and parents are affected. In what is an alarming statistic, the FBI estimates that 500,000 predators are online daily, with kids between the ages of 12 and 15 most at risk. These predators are lurking on social media sites, online gaming platforms, chatrooms, and anywhere else popular with kids. We will bring listeners the most up-to-date information about the ever-changing ways predatory behavior manifests itself on the internet and connected devices. The program’s on-air guest panel includes John Pizzuro, CEO of Raven and former commander of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; Alicia Kozak, internet safety expert and founder of The Alicia Project; Stephanie Lyon, licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor of clinical psychology at Rutgers University; and Gina Cavallo, a consultant and vice president for the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Online, the program will be streamed live and available for embedding at facebook.com/nj1015/live. The broadcast may also be accessed via nj1015.com, the New Jersey 101.5 YouTube channel, or the free New Jersey 101.5 app.Five things to know about Panama Canal, in Trump's sights
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Rivalry Closes Third Tranche Of Non-Brokered Private PlacementApple appeals Nebraska tax ruling resulting in $652K in additional taxesSAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ASP Isotopes Inc. ASPI and certain of its most senior executives are now entangled in a securities class action, alleging the company deceived investors by making false and misleading statements about its advanced nuclear fuel technologies. Hagens Berman urges investors in ASP Isotopes who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now . Class Period: Oct. 30, 2024 – Nov. 26, 2024 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Feb. 3, 2025 Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/aspi Contact the Firm Now: ASPI@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 ASP Isotopes Inc. (ASPI) Securities Class Action: The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims that ASPI misled investors about the viability and potential of its Aerodynamic Separation Process (ASP) and Quantum Enrichment technologies. The complaint alleges that ASPI overstated the effectiveness of its enrichment technologies, the development potential of its high assay low-enriched uranium facility, and the performance of its nuclear fuels operating segment. The truth emerged on Nov. 26, 2024, when a scathing report by Fuzzy Panda Research revealed that ASPI's technology was outdated and unlikely to be commercially viable. The report accused ASPI of using "old, disregarded laser enrichment technology" to falsely position itself as a cutting-edge nuclear fuel company. It also alleged that ASPI had employed individuals to promote its stock and that former executives of Centrus Energy had deemed its technology "virtually worthless.". Following the release of the report, ASPI's stock price plummeted 23% in a single trading day. These events have prompted shareholder rights firm Hagens Berman to open a probe. "We are investigating whether ASPI may have misled investors about the true commercial prospects for its ASP and Quantum Enrichment technologies," said Reed Kathrein, a partner leading the investigation. If you invested in ASP Isotopes or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now » If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the ASP Isotopes case and our investigation, read more » Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding ASP Isotopes should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email ASPI@hbsslaw.com . About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman's team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw . Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Emma Raducanu's endorsements questioned by world No. 6 after blitzing Caitlin Clark
David Axelrod took to Twitter to bemoan his fear Trump may politicize the DOJ. Major Eyeroll! Perhaps he forgets about all the times the Democrats have done just that? Advertisement Lost in the hubbub over the unqualified and morally-deficient Gaetz, his quick and heartening dispatch by the Senate @GOP, and replacement by the more qualified but equally political @PamBondi, is Trump's desire to make the DOJ his personal political instrument, reversing half a... https://t.co/15hinHmLed — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 22, 2024 Oh, how soon they forget! Here is Eric Holder pictured with who he called, direct quote "His wingman" and "His boy" https://t.co/595AC5heVh pic.twitter.com/mjYwbwA06I — Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 22, 2024 Oof! lol do you ever take a minute to reflect on the insanely partisan behavior of Democratic AG's? https://t.co/bREXfNKnFD — Chris Barron 🇺🇸 (@ChrisRBarron) November 22, 2024 They never see... justmindy
US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington, complaining of "unfair" treatment of American ships and hinting at China's growing influence. Here are five things to know about the waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The 80-kilometer (50-mile) interoceanic waterway is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous public entity. The Central American nation's constitution describes the canal as an "inalienable heritage of the Panamanian nation" that is open to vessels "of all nations." The United States is its main user, accounting for 74 percent of cargo, followed by China with 21 percent. Panama's government sets the price of tolls based on canal needs and international demand. Rates depends on a vessel's cargo capacity. "The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power," Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said Sunday as he dismissed Trump's threat. All vessels, including warships and submarines, are given a Panama Canal pilot. Panama's independence from Colombia in 1903 is linked to the canal. Following the failure of French count Ferdinand de Lesseps to open a channel through the isthmus, the United States promoted the separation of the province of Panama and signed a treaty with the nascent country that ceded land and water in perpetuity to build it. After 10 years of construction and an investment of $380 million, the canal was inaugurated on August 15, 1914 with the transit of the steamer Ancon. Some 25,000 deaths from disease and accidents were recorded during its construction. The canal "is part of our history" and "an irreversible achievement," Mulino said. Washington's establishment of a "Canal Zone" -- an enclave with its own military bases, police and justice system -- gave rise to decades of demands by Panamanians to reunify the country and take control of the waterway. In 1977, Panamanian nationalist leader Omar Torrijos and US president Jimmy Carter signed treaties that allowed the canal to be transferred to Panama on December 31, 1999. "Any attempt to reverse this historic achievement not only dishonors our struggle, but is also an insult to the memory of those who made it possible," former president Martin Torrijos, the general's son, wrote on social media. Under the treaties, supported by more than 40 countries, the canal is deemed neutral and any ship can pass through. The only conditions are that ships must comply with safety regulations and military vessels from countries at war must not pass through at the same time. Unlike Egypt's Suez Canal, the Panama Canal operates using freshwater stored in two reservoirs. A drought led to a reduction in the number of transits in 2023, but the situation has since normalized. The canal, which has a system of locks to raise and lower vessels, transformed global shipping. Crafts can travel between the two oceans in about eight hours without having to sail all the way around Cape Horn, the southern tip of the Americas. The canal allows a ship to shave 20,300 kilometers off a journey from New York to San Francisco. Five percent of world maritime trade passes through the canal, which connects more than 1,900 ports in 170 countries. By the early 21st century, it had become too small, so it was expanded between 2009 and 2016. Today, the canal can accommodate ships up to 366 meters long and 49 meters wide (1,200 feet by 161 feet) -- equivalent to almost four football pitches. It generates six percent of Panama's national economic output and since 2000 has pumped more than $28 billion into state coffers. More than 11,200 ships transited the canal in the last fiscal year carrying 423 million tons of cargo. jjr/fj/dr/mlm
The Kimberley Curling Club (KCC) hosted the 2025 Safetek Profire BC U18 Curling Championships from Dec. 19 to 23. "We were thrilled with how everything went," said KCC general manager Blair Jarvis. "We knew that most teams were travelling a long way to get here and unfortunately they had to deal with some adventures with the snow we had last Wednesday. "We wanted to make sure that we gave them an experience that they would remember, so we spent a lot of time on the ice, we wanted to give them a great social experience off the ice as well and we heard from a number of curlers that it was the most U18 event that they’ve attended and so we’re really proud of that fact." The event had 12 teams competing on the Boys' side and seven Girls teams. On the Boys side of the competition, Team Jaeger out of Kelowna beat out Team Hrynew in the finals and for the Girls, Team Arndt from Vernon beat out Team Rempel to win the gold. With these wins, Team Jaeger has earned a spot at the Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships, which will be held at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon, Sask. from Feb. 16-22, 2025. Teams Arndt and Rempel will both be headed to the Nationals. Team Jaeger was made up of coaches Tyler Jaeger and Travis Wielgosz, Lead Brendan Hruschak, Second Noel Wielgosz, Third Spencer Rempel and Skip Owen Jaeger. "We really worked hard this year, this year we really wanted to win," said Skip Owen Jaeger. "We put in a lot of work and it just feels really, really good to win and for all that hard work to pay off. We’re really, really excited, it’s our first National event, first U18 provincial win so we’re really excited." Team Arndt is Coach David Arndt, Lead Alicia Evans, Second Ivy Jensen, Third Bethany Evans and Skip Ava Arndt. "We’re just super excited," said Skip Ava Arndt. "It took us a couple years to get here, but the hard work payed off and we can’t believe it, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. It’s been a lot of hard work from us and the coaches and the parents. It’s been amazing." Jarvis coached Kimberley's Team Reynolds, who went on to win bronze. "We had set a target of making the playoffs and really happy with how the boys came together," Jarvis said. "They had a couple of games with a tough start and battled back and so the resilience they showed and how they stayed positive, there were a lot of great things we can take away from that. And the bronze medal, we were just thrilled to do that. "We saw Team Jaeger on the boys side and Team Arndt on the girls side as well — if we want to get to that level next year, we have some things to work on and it’s great to see the high level of curling in this province and so I think we’ve come away very motivated as well about what we need to do to get better if we want to be a little higher on the podium next year." Jarvis extended his gratitude to the over 50 volunteers who helped out before, during and after the event, including members of the Cranbrook Curling Club. "We’ll take some of the learnings from this event and apply them to the High School Provincials at the end of February, but we’re really happy with how everything went," he said. "And this is an event for the kids, we want to make sure that they’re going to have an experience that they’ll remember, the teams that had success will obviously remember the things that happened on the ice, but for most kids it will be the experiences they had off the ice. "We had karaoke here on the one night and a bunch of teams were intermingling together and having a great time and those are the experiences that I’m going to take away from this event." Patti Caldwell was head official for the event and Jarvis said she and Ian Milligan worked tirelessly throughout the week. "Patti’s attitude is this is all for the kids and making sure that they have fun and sure it’s a competition, but it’s meant to be fun and we’re going to enjoy this," Jarvis said. "This is a sport that we can enjoy for life and so you want to make sure you’re building positive memories in every aspect." Lindsay Shannon, administrative and event manager at Curl BC, was also on hand for the event, and presented all the awards. "We would just like to thank the Kimberley Curling Club and the City of Kimberley who put on an amazing event here and welcomed all of our athletes who have performed so well," Shannon said. "We're really looking forward to cheering our winners on at the Nationals." The Kimberley Curling Club's next big event is the High School Provincials from Feb. 26 to March 1.Donald Trump ’s campaign pledged to be a champion for the working class. He ran campaign ads vowing to lift up the “hardest working citizens.” The Republican National Convention even put the spotlight on “everyday Americans.” But his incoming administration reflects a government run by billionaires , stuffed with Wall Street fixtures, investment bankers, real estate developers and oil executives, all within reach of power to slash services that millions of poor and vulnerable Americans depend on. Trump himself is set to become the wealthiest president in history, with an estimated net worth of roughly $6 billion, according to Forbes. Elon Musk , whose net worth is more than $343 billion, joins more than a dozen billionaires and ultra-wealthy Wall Street characters joining Trump’s administration. Together, their net worth exceeds $360 billion — larger than the gross domestic product of more than 11 dozen countries. The president-elect has tapped at least 11 billionaires alone, including Musk, tech entrepreneurs Jared Isaacman and Vivek Ramaswamy , former professional wrestling magnate Linda McMahon , investment bankers Howard Lutnick and Warren Stephens, and his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner, whose family fortune exceeds $7 billion. The world’s wealthiest man is working with Trump’s administration and congressional Republicans to recommend mass firings and drastic cuts to government services and spending. “We have to reduce spending to live within our means,” he said days before the election . “That necessarily involves some temporary hardship, but it will ensure long-term prosperity.” Here is a look at some of the wealthy Wall Street executives and billionaires Trump wants in his administration. Frank Bisignano, Social Security administrator: More than $900 million Frank Bisignanno, Trump’s nominee to lead the agency overseeing the administration of Americans’ retirement benefits, is the president of Wisconsin-based Fortune 500 financial technology firm Fiserv Inc, which has a market value of more than $100 billion. Stephen Feinberg, deputy defense secretary: $5 billion Trump has offered the second most-powerful position at the Department of Defense to private-equity investor Stephen Feinberg, the CEO of Cerberus Capital Management. The company, which previously owned private military contractor DynCorp, has investments in hypersonic missiles, drawing concerns from the left that the day-to-day operations of the more than $800 billion agency will have significant conflicts of interest and opportunities for self-enrichment with defense contractors. Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator: $3 billion Trump’s pick to lead NASA is Jared Isaacman, the founder of Pennsylvania-based processing firm Shift4 Payments and defense firm Draken International, which he sold to multi-billion dollar asset manager Blackstone for a reported nine-figure sum. Charles Kushner, US ambassador to France: $7.1 billion Charles Kushner is the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and the co-founder of real estate developer Kushner Companies. Forbes has estimated the company’s net worth at nearly $3 billion and the family’s fortune at roughly $7.1 billion. Charles Kushner and his wife Seryl own a 20 percent stake in Kushner Companies, or roughly $580 million. Kelly Loeffler, small business administrator: $1.1 billion The former senator from Georgia served as CEO of Bakkt, a subsidiary of commodity and financial service provider Intercontinental Exchange, of which her husband Jeffrey Sprecher is CEO. His net worth is estimated at more than $1.1 billion, according to Forbes. Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary: $2 billion The CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, with an estimated net worth of more than $2 billion, was tapped to lead the Department of Commerce while he is serving as Trump’s transition team co-chair. He helped raise millions of dollars for Trump’s campaign and has been a cheerleader for Trump’s economic agenda, including the president-elect’s plans for broad tariffs. Linda McMahon, Education Secretary: $2.5 billion The co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment was nominated to lead an agency that Trump and his allies want to dissolve entirely. McMahon donated $6 million to Trump’s first campaign and later served as the administrator of the Small Business Association during his administration. She is now a co-chair of his 2024 transition team after briefly serving on the Connecticut Board of Education, She shares a $2.5 billion net worth with her husband, professional wrestling mogul and personality Vince McMahon. Elon Musk, Department of Government Efficiency: $343 billion Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, helped steer more than a quarter billion dollars into Trump’s campaign and has used his X platform — formerly Twitter, which he bought for $44 billion — as a megaphone for the president-elect and his agenda. His net worth is at least $343 billion, according to Forbes , and his net worth has increased by billions of dollars since Trump’s election victory. Musk, whose companies have also received tens of millions of dollars in government contracts, has been selected to lead an outside advisory committee to recommend drastic cuts to government spending. Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk’s co-chair of the incoming DOGE, is a former pharmaceutical executive who briefly ran for the Republican presidential nomination before dropping out to throw his support behind Trump. He made his fortunes with Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical company he founded in 2014. His net worth is estimated to be $1.1 billion, according to Forbes. Warren Stephens, ambassador to the UK: $3.4 billion Trump’s nominee for UK ambassador is the CEO of Arkansas-based investment bank Stephens Inc., which notably handled Walmart’s initial public offering in 1970. He donated at least $2 million to Trump-supporting political action committees and the Republican National Committee and gave tens of thousands of dollars to other Republican campaigns in the 2024 cycle. Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East: $1 billion Real estate tycoon Steve Witkoff has an estimated net worth of at least $1 billion, according to Forbes. He reportedly has long-standing ties to wealth funds in the Middle East, much like his Middle East envoy predecessor Jared Kusher, Trump’s son-in-law, who secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman six months after leaving the White House. Massad Boulos, senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany , is the CEO of Boulos Enterprises and automobile conglomerate SCOA Nigeria, and has been widely described in reports as a billionaire, though his estimated net worth is not clear. His son Michael Boulous has been described as the “billionaire heir” to his father’s business fortune. Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary Trump’s campaign economic adviser Scott Bessent founded Key Square Capital Management and worked at a hedge fund founded by major Democratic donor George Soros. The firm had roughly $600 million in assets under its management at the end of 2023. Before becoming a Trump donor and adviser, Bessent donated to various Democratic causes in the early 2000s, notably Al Gore’s presidential run. Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary North Dakota’s two-term Republican governor Doug Burgum made more than $1.1 billion after selling his software company Great Plains to Microsoft in 2001. After ending his own presidential campaign in December 2023, Burgum endorsed Trump and became an outspoken supporter. Forbes estimates his net worth to be at least $100 million. Jim O’Neill, deputy secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill previously worked as a senior health official during George W. Bush’s administration and was considered for a top job in federal health agencies in Trump’s first term. He later became the acting CEO of the Thiel Foundation, the philanthropic arm of billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel, a former Trump mega donor who financially backed a Senate campaign from his former acolyte JD Vance. O’Neill helped Thiel and investor Ajay Royan launch venture capitalist firm Mithril Capital Management, where the vice president-elect worked before his Senate campaign. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator The TV doctor who made a name for himself through Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show and with his own Dr. Oz Show before losing a Pennsylvania Senate race to Democratic Senator John Fetterman has a net worth of at least $100 million. Mehmet Oz holds millions of dollars in stocks at health insurance and pharmaceutical companies , according to financial disclosures during his Senate campaign, and he rakes in millions of dollars from his TV career. A company run by his wife’s family — among the wealthiest in Pennsylvania — had an annual revenue of more than $5 billion in 2022. David Perdue, US ambassador to China The former Republican senator from Georgia is a former executive with Reebok, Sara Lee and Dollar General, where he helped outsource the company’s manufacturing to China. While in office, Perdue was among the most prolific stock traders in Congress, and was under federal investigation for possible insider trading on his sale of more than $1 million in stock to a financial firm. He was never charged, and he lost a re-election bid to Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in 2020. John Phelan, Navy Secretary The founder of Palm Beach-based private investment firm Rugger Management is the former investments manager for billionaire Michel Dell of Dell Technologies. John Phelan, who does not have any military experience, reportedly hosted a fundraiser for Trump’s campaign this summer at his $38 million home in Aspen, Colorado, which cost $25,000 to $500,000 per couple. Phelan and his wife Amy, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, are also avid art collectors, including works from Chagall, Dubuffet and Picasso, among others. David Sacks, White House AI and Crypto Czar Trump, who promised to be the “crypto president” despite calling it a “scam” at one point, has named venture capitalist David Sacks as his pointman on all things involving cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. Sacks founded Yammer, which Microsoft purchased in 2012 for $1.2 billion, as well as venture capital firm Craft Ventures. He is also a former CEO at PayPal. He notably moderated a Twitter Spaces discussion between Ron DeSantis and Elon Musk in 2023, and he hosted a sold-out fundraiser for Trump’s 2024 campaign at his home, with tickets going for $50,000 to $300,000 per person. His net worth is estimated to be roughly $200 million. Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy Fracking industry executive Chris Wright holds a more than $50 million stake in Liberty Energy, the company he co-founded in 2011. He also drew roughly $5.6 million in compensation from the company last year.
In the main event of UFC Macau early this morning, former bantamweight champion Petr Yan showed ‘No Mercy’ to his illustrious opponent as he left the ‘God of War’ battered and bruised following a five-round masterclass. The popular Russian bantamweight was keen to make the most of his time with the UFC microphone, calling out champion Merab ‘The Machine’ Dvalishvili for a long-awaited rematch – this time, with UFC gold on the line. Petr Yan calls out champion Merab Dvalishvili after UFC Macau masterclass Aside from a flash knockdown and eating some nasty body shots, Petr Yan put on a flawless performance as he outwrestled and outstruck former flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo over the course of 25 hard-fought minutes. The judges’ scorecards ultimately read 50-45, 50-45, and 50-45 in favor of ‘No Mercy’, with the official stats page showing that Yan had comprehensively out-landed Figueiredo 121-53 on significant strikes. “I felt that I led in the fight, but you know, anything can happen in the UFC,” Yan stated to Michael Bisping after the totals were announced, a reference to some dubious judging that he’s faced in the past. Yan entered the UFC Macau main event as the #3 ranked bantamweight contender in the world, only behind former champion Sean O’Malley and undefeated phenom Umar Nurmagomedov . Whilst the UFC had been pushing to make Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov next, Yan was keen to throw his name into the hat as an alternative option; especially after Dvalishvili had been vocal about his desire to face the man he’d just bested. “Hey guys, before my fight, Merab told that Deiveson Figueiredo was the number one contender who deserved the [next] title fight – I want to say to Merab, what do you say now?! UFC MACAU : ‘King of Kung Fu’ incredibly scores sixth spinning kick KO of his MMA career “When I’ve beaten the number one contender in my division, I want to do a rematch with Merab – let’s get him!” Dvalishvili hasn’t responded directly to the callout, although he was posting throughout the UFC Macau main event: “What a great fight,” he wrote on X , followed by “I’m impressed [by] Petr Yan’s performance tonight.” It wasn’t just Dvalishvili who was impressed by Yan’s performance at UFC Macau, with the wider MMA community also hailing the masterful beatdown on social media. WOW : Unbeaten prospect put to sleep by 10/1 underdog in stunning UFC Macau upset With the win at UFC Macau, Petr Yan improved his professional record to 18-5, he is now riding a two-fight winning streak. UFC MACAU : UFC contract winner dances around the Octagon as concussed opponent tries to recover from faceplant KO
Demko to return to the Canuck bench against Columbus — as the backup
LUQUE, Paraguay (AP) — El sake es quizás más japonés que el mundialmente famoso sushi. Se elabora en centenarias bodegas ubicadas en la cima de las montañas, se consume en pubs conocidos como izakayas, se sirve en bodas y se ofrece ligeramente frío en brindis especiales. El suave vino de arroz, que juega un papel fundamental en las tradiciones culinarias de Japón, fue inscrito el miércoles por la UNESCO en su lista de “Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad”. Durante una reunión en Luque, Paraguay, los miembros del Comité Intergubernamental para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la UNESCO reconocieron mediante una votación 45 prácticas y productos culturales de todo el mundo , incluido el queso blanco brasileño, el pan de yuca caribeño y el jabón de aceite de oliva palestino. A diferencia de la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial de la Humanidad de la UNESCO, la cual incluye lugares de importancia para la humanidad como las Pirámides de Giza en Egipto, la designación de Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial abarca productos y prácticas de diferentes culturas que merecen reconocimiento. La delegación japonesa acogió con satisfacción la designación. RELATED COVERAGE Barberos protestan por muertes que convierten a 2024 en el año con más homicidios de Perú desde 2017 Colombia quiere mantener relaciones diplomáticas con Venezuela, en medio de tensión postelectoral Policía canadiense mata a sospechoso que apuñaló a personas en Vancouver “El sake es considerado como un regalo divino y es esencial en los eventos sociales y culturales de Japón”, dijo Kano Takehiro, el embajador japonés ante la UNESCO, en declaraciones a The Associated Press. El sake tiene pocos ingredientes básicos: arroz, agua, levadura y koji, un moho de arroz, que descompone los almidones en azúcares fermentables, tal como sucede con la malta en la producción de la cerveza. El agotador proceso de dos meses incluye el cocido al vapor, el mezclado, la fermentación y el prensado. El arroz, el cual ejerce un tremendo poder de mercadeo como parte de la identidad cultural de Japón, es clave en la elaboración de la bebida. Para que un producto sea catalogado como sake japonés, el arroz debe ser japonés. Según la delegación japonesa, el reconocimiento captura más que el simple conocimiento artesanal en la elaboración del sake de alta calidad. También honra una tradición que se remonta a unos 1.000 años: el sake aparece en la famosa novela japonesa del siglo XI “La historia de Genji”, como la bebida de elección en la refinada corte Heian. Ahora, las autoridades esperan restaurar la imagen del sake como la principal bebida alcohólica de Japón, incluso mientras los jóvenes del país se inclinan más por el vino importado o la cerveza y el whisky nacionales. “Significa mucho para Japón y para los japoneses”, dijo Takehiro sobre la designación de la UNESCO. “Esto ayudará a renovar el interés en la elaboración tradicional del sake”. Además, las cervecerías japonesas han expresado esperanza en que la inclusión en la lista pueda dar un pequeño impulso a la economía de exportación del país, a medida que la popularidad del sake va en aumento en todo el mundo en medio de un creciente interés por la cocina japonesa. Las exportaciones de sake, principalmente hacia Estados Unidos y China, generan actualmente más de 265 millones de dólares al año, según la Asociación de Fabricantes de Sake y Shochu de Japón, un grupo comercial. La delegación de Japón parecía lista para celebrar el miércoles, al clásico estilo japonés. Tras el anuncio, Takehiro levantó una caja de ciprés llena de botellas de sake para brindar. ___ Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.ITV I'm A Celebrity viewers say 'she needed that' as star seals immunity from public vote with 'winning strategy'
Players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in LPGA tournaments or the eight USGA championships for females under new gender policies published Wednesday. The policies, which begin in 2025, follow more than a year of study involving medicine, science, sport physiology and gender policy law. The updated policies would rule out eligibility for Hailey Davidson, who missed qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open this year by one shot and came up short in LPGA Q-school. Davidson, who turned 32 on Tuesday, began hormone treatments when she was in her early 20s in 2015 and in 2021 underwent gender-affirming surgery, which was required under the LPGA's previous gender policy. She had won this year on a Florida mini-tour called NXXT Golf until the circuit announced in March that players had to be assigned female at birth. “Can't say I didn't see this coming,” Davidson wrote Wednesday on an Instagram story. “Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who is resigning in January, said the new gender policy "is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach." By making it to the second stage of Q-school, Davidson would have had very limited status on the Epson Tour, the pathway to the LPGA. The LPGA and USGA say their policies were geared toward being inclusive of gender identities and expression while striving for equity in competition. The LPGA said its working group of experts advised that the effects of male puberty allowed for competitive advantages in golf compared with players who had not gone through puberty. “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who announced Monday that she is resigning in January. "The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.” Mike Whan, the former LPGA commissioner and now CEO of the USGA, said it developed the updated policy independently and later discovered it was similar to those used by swimming, track and field, and other sports. United States Golf Association CEO Mike Whan said the new policy will prevent anyone from having "a competitive advantage based on their gender." “It starts with competitive fairness as the North star,” Whan said in a telephone interview. “We tried not to get into politics, or state by state or any of that stuff. We just simply said, ‘Where would somebody — at least medically today — where do we believe somebody would have a competitive advantage in the field?’ And we needed to draw a line. “We needed to be able to walk into any women's event and say with confidence that nobody here has a competitive advantage based on their gender. And this policy delivers that.” The “Competitive Fairness Gender Policy” for the USGA takes effect for the 2025 championship season that starts with the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball on May 10-14. Qualifying began late this year, though there were no transgender players who took part. “Will that change in the years to come as medicine changes? Probably,” Whan said. “But I think today this stacks up.” The LPGA “Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility” would apply to the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and qualifying for the tours. Players assigned male at birth must prove they have not experienced any part of puberty beyond the first stage or after age 12, whichever comes first, and then meet limitation standards for testosterone levels. The LPGA begins its 75th season on Jan. 30 with the Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox!The by Ukrainian forces of British-made long-range Storm Shadow missiles at military targets inside Russia last week means the UK, along with the US, is now viewed by Moscow as a legitimate target for punitive, possibly violent retaliation. In a significant escalation in response to the missile launches, Vladimir Putin confirmed that, for the first time in the war, Russia had fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile, targeting the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russia now believed it had the “right” to attack “military facilities” in countries that supply Kyiv with long-range weapons. Though he did not say so specifically, he clearly meant attacks on the UK and US. Yet in truth, Britain and its allies have been under since the war began. Using sabotage, arson, deniable cyber-attacks and aggressive and passive forms of covert “hybrid” and “cognitive” warfare, Putin has tried to impose a high cost for western support of Ukraine. This does not yet amount to a conventional military conflict between Nato and its former Soviet adversary. But in an echo of Cuba in 1962, the “Ukraine missile crisis” – fought on land, air and in the dark-web alleyways and byways of a digitised world – points ominously in that direction. Concern that Russia’s illegal, full-scale 2022 invasion of Ukraine would trigger a wider war has from the start. The US, UK and EU armed and bankrolled Kyiv and placed unprecedented, punitive sanctions on Moscow. But US president Joe Biden remained cautious. His primary aim was to contain the conflict. So the convenient fiction developed that the west was not fighting Russia but, rather, helping a sovereign Ukraine defend itself. was never shared by Moscow. Biden can do nothing now to halt the war. He had his chance in 2021-2022 and blew it From the outset, the war as an existential battle against a hostile, expansionist Nato. Russia was already big on subversion. But as the conflict unfolded, it initiated and now appears to be accelerating a wide array of targeting western countries. on long-range missiles, and Moscow’s furious vow to hit back, has placed this secret campaign under a public spotlight. Russian retaliation may reach new heights. But in truth, Putin’s shadow war was already well under way. Last week’s linking Finland to Germany and Sweden to Lithuania – all Nato members – is widely regarded as the latest manifestation of Russian hybrid warfare, and a sign of more to come. Some suggest the damage was accidental. “Nobody believes that,” snarled Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defence minister. Such scepticism is based on hard experience. Last year, Finland said a damaged underwater natural gas pipeline to Estonia had . And an investigation in Nordic countries found evidence that Russia was running in the Baltic and North Sea, using fishing vessels equipped with underwater surveillance equipment. The aim, it said, was to map pipelines, communications cables and windfarms – vulnerable targets of possible future Russian attacks. Earlier this month, a Russian ship, the Yantar – supposedly an “oceanographic research vessel” – had to be . Its unexplained presence there, and previously off North Sea coasts and in the English Channel, where it was accompanied by the Russian navy, has been linked to the proximity of unprotected seabed inter-connector cables carrying global internet traffic between Ireland, the UK, Europe and North America. Suspected Russian , in Europe and the UK, are multiplying in scope and seriousness. They range from large-scale cyber-attacks, as in Estonia, to the concealing of incendiary devices in parcels aboard aircraft in Germany, Poland and the UK. Western spy agencies point the finger at the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency (which was responsible for the ). Naturally, all this is denied by the Kremlin. It gets even more alarming. In the summer, US and German intelligence agencies reportedly foiled a plot to defence industry executives, in an apparent effort to obstruct arms supplies to Kyiv. Putin’s agents have been blamed for a wide variety of crimes, from assassinations of regime critics on European soil, such as the 2019 of a Chechen dissident, to for instance, at a warehouse this year – to the intimidation of journalists and civil rights groups, and the frequent harassment and beating of exiled opponents. Last month, MI5 head Ken McCallum said the GRU has ‘a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets’ National infrastructure, elections, institutions and transport systems are all potential targets of hostile online malefactors, information warfare and fake news, as Britain’s NHS discovered in 2017 and the US in 2016 and 2020 during two presidential elections. Some operations are random; others are carried out for profit by criminal gangs. But many appear to be Russian state-organised. Such provocations are intended to sow chaos, spread fear and division, exacerbate social tensions among Ukraine’s allies and disrupt military supplies. In January, for example, a group called the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn caused significant damage to water utilities in Texas. Biden administration officials warned at the time that disabling cyber-attacks posed a threat to water supplies throughout the US. “These attacks have the potential to disrupt the critical lifeline of clean and safe drinking water,” state governors were told. Alerts about Russia’s escalating activities have come thick and fast in recent months. Kaja Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister and newly nominated EU foreign policy chief, spoke earlier this year about what she called Putin’s “ ” waged on Europe. “How far do we let them go on our soil?” Kallas asked. In May, Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, accused Moscow of repeated acts of sabotage. In October, , said the GRU was engaged in “a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets”. Nato’s new secretary-general, Mark Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, this month. Moscow, he said, was conducting “an intensifying campaign of hybrid attacks across our allied territories, interfering directly in our democracies, sabotaging industry and committing violence ... the frontline in this war is no longer solely in Ukraine.” It remains unclear, despite these warnings, how prepared Europe is to acknowledge, first, that it is now under sustained attack from Russia and is involved, de facto, in a limitless, asymmetrical war; and second, what it is prepared to do about it at a moment when US support for Nato and Ukraine has been thrown into doubt by Donald Trump’s re-election. When the foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and France – the so-called Weimar Triangle – plus the UK, Italy and Spain met , they tried to provide answers. “Moscow’s escalating hybrid activities against Nato and EU countries are unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risks,” they declared. But their proposed solution – increased commitment to Europe’s shared security, higher defence spending, more joint capabilities, intelligence pooling, a stronger Nato, a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and a reinforced transatlantic alliance – was more familiar wishlist than convincing plan of action. Putin is unlikely to be deterred. Far from it, in fact. Last week’s missiles-related escalation in verbal hostilities has highlighted the Russian leader’s flat refusal to rule out any type of retaliation, however extreme. His mafioso-like menaces again included a threat to resort to nuclear weapons. Putin’s very public , which now hypothetically allows Moscow to nuke a non-nuclear-armed state such as Ukraine, was a tired propaganda ploy designed to intimidate the west. Putin is evil but he’s not wholly mad. Mutual assured destruction remains a powerful counter-argument to such recklessness. Putin has other weapons in his box of dirty tricks, including, for example, the seizing of blameless foreign citizens as hostages. This kind of blackmail worked recently when various Russian spies and thugs were released from jail in the west in return for the freeing of reporter and others. Putin also has another nuclear card up his sleeve. last week that Ukraine’s power network is at “heightened risk of catastrophic failure”. Russian airstrikes aimed at electricity sub-stations were imperilling the safety of the country’s three operational nuclear power plants, the group said. If the reactors lost power, they could quickly become unstable. And then there is the possibility, floated by analysts, that Russia, by way of retaliation for Biden’s missile green light, could increase support for anti-western, non-state actors, such as the Houthis in Yemen. In a way, this would merely be an extension of Putin’s current policy of befriending “outlaw” states such as Iran and North Korea, both of which are actively assisting his Ukraine war effort. All of which, taken together, begs a huge question, so far unanswered by Britain and its allies – possibly because it has never arisen before. What is to be done when a major world power, a nuclear-armed state, a permanent member of the UN security council, a country sworn to uphold the UN charter, international human rights treaties and the laws of war, goes rogue? Putin’s violently confrontational, lawless and dangerous behaviour – not only towards Ukraine but to the west and the international order in general – is unprecedented in modern times. How very ironic, how very chastening, therefore, is the thought that only another rogue – Trump – may have a chance of bringing him to heel. Biden can do nothing now to halt the war. He had his chance in 2021-2022 and blew it. His missiles, landmines and extra cash have probably come too late. And in two months’ time, he will be gone. On the other hand, Trump’s warped idea of peace – surrendering one quarter of Ukraine’s territory and barring it from Nato and the EU – may look increasingly attractive to European leaders with little idea how to curb both overt and covert Russian aggression or how to win an unwinnable war on their own. Putin calculates that Europe, prospectively abandoned by the US, fears a no-longer-hybrid, only too real, all-out war with Russia more than it does the consequences of betraying Ukraine. Cynical brute that he is, he will keep on clandestinely pushing, probing, provoking and punishing until someone or something breaks – or Trump bails him out.
‘We have never lived this’: Pep Guardiola details concern after yet another Man City defeat