
The energy sector in West Africa, dominated by oil and gas production, has long been the backbone of regional economies. However, as global investors, regulators, and communities demand greater accountability, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting has become a critical challenge. The region’s resource-dependent economies face unique obstacles, including fragmented data systems, regulatory inconsistencies, and limited technological infrastructure. Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer transformative solutions to these ESG reporting challenges, enabling the sector to transition from mere extraction to responsible and transparent operations. The energy sector in West Africa relies on a patchwork of manual data collection systems that often lack standardization. This leads to incomplete or inaccurate ESG data, making it difficult to generate credible reports. ESG regulations in the region vary significantly across countries, with some lacking formal frameworks altogether. For companies operating across borders, compliance becomes a daunting task. As companies face increasing pressure to demonstrate sustainability, the risk of greenwashing—where entities misrepresent their ESG credentials—has risen sharply, further eroding stakeholder trust. Issues like oil spills, deforestation, and community displacement are central to ESG concerns in the region. However, companies often lack the tools to measure and report the social and environmental impact accurately. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a game-changer for ESG reporting. Below are key applications of AI that can help reshape ESG reporting in West Africa’s energy sector: Data aggregation and integration: AI-powered tools can aggregate data from multiple sources, such as IoT sensors on oil rigs, satellite imagery, and government databases. These tools not only ensure consistency but also reduce human error and improve the speed of reporting. For example, satellite-based AI solutions can monitor oil spills and detect deforestation near energy projects, providing real-time environmental data for ESG reports. Data validation and anomaly detection: Machine learning algorithms can validate data integrity by cross-referencing information from disparate sources. AI can compare energy output figures with emission levels to ensure consistency, flagging anomalies indicative of underreporting or misrepresentation. Regulatory alignment through NLP: Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms can analyse local and international regulatory texts, helping companies understand and align their ESG reports with the relevant frameworks. AI systems can map company activities to compliance requirements across ECOWAS countries, streamlining multi-jurisdictional reporting. Real-time monitoring and proactive response: AI enables continuous monitoring of environmental and social metrics, ensuring that reports reflect real-time performance rather than outdated information. Companies can also use this data to respond proactively to stakeholder concerns. Greenwashing detection: By leveraging AI for pattern recognition, stakeholders can identify discrepancies between reported ESG metrics and actual performance. This deters companies from inflating their sustainability credentials. Predictive analytics for risk mitigation: AI can also predict potential environmental incidents, such as oil spills or pipeline failures, based on historical data. This helps companies prepare and include risk mitigation strategies in their ESG reports. Resource optimisation and environmental footprint tracking: AI models can optimise resource use and track the environmental footprint of energy projects, ensuring more sustainable extraction processes. Machine learning models can predict water usage in oil extraction, helping companies minimise overuse and report efficiency improvements. Blockchain integration for data integrity: Coupled with AI, blockchain technology can create immutable records of ESG-related data, ensuring transparency and building stakeholder trust. A blockchain-backed AI system could verify carbon offset claims by linking them to on-ground renewable energy projects in the region. The benefits of AI-enhanced ESG reporting are significant: Improved credibility through accurate, data-backed insights. Regulatory confidence through automated compliance with evolving standards. Investor trust is driven by transparency. Operational efficiency through reduced time and cost associated with ESG reporting. As West Africa’s energy sector grapples with the dual imperatives of economic growth and environmental responsibility, adopting AI for ESG reporting is no longer optional. By addressing data fragmentation, regulatory challenges, and greenwashing risks, AI can help companies transition to a more transparent and sustainable model. Governments, corporations, and investors must collaborate to deploy AI solutions tailored to the region’s unique needs, ensuring that the energy sector becomes a leader in responsible resource management. The journey from extraction to responsibility begins with accurate ESG reporting—and AI is the bridge. Oritsemolebi Adebiyi, a Cornell and IE business school MBA graduate, is a finance and sustainability expert.
The condemnation came as the House of Lords debated regulations paving the way for a scheme which would require animal lovers on the British mainland to have documentation in order to visit Northern Ireland. Critics view the move as further evidence of Northern Ireland still having to follow EU rules post-Brexit and being treated differently from the rest of the UK – a major source of contention to the unionist community. The paperwork, which will be free to apply for, includes a declaration that the owner will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with their pet or assistance dog. Animals will have to be microchipped and have their own individual pet travel document, which will be valid for its lifetime. Northern Ireland residents returning after a stay in Great Britain with their pet or assistance dog will not need a travel document. The scheme is being introduced under the Windsor Framework, a revised deal for Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements aimed at tackling issues caused by the protocol. Raising her concerns in Parliament, Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “These regulations are in effect about a new aspect of the Irish Sea border that has not had expression until this point because of the grace periods.” She added: “The experience of visiting Northern Ireland with your pet dog or cat, or even a ferret, will be made to feel like a visit to a foreign country. Lady Hoey went on: “This could spell the end of holiday trips for pet owners from GB to NI and then on to the Republic, when they want to explore both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “If they have a pet passport, they will have renounced their right to go to the Republic. That makes the border more of an obstruction than having border control posts on it, because at least in that eventuality, you could still cross over it.” Rejecting claims it was a result of the UK leaving the EU, she said: “The reality is that this is happening precisely because Northern Ireland has not got Brexit. “As we say repeatedly, it is still subject to EU rules and the EU could change the rules overnight.” Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: “Every one of the statutory instruments that come forward under the Windsor Framework must be properly debated, because these laws are being brought forward to implement what a foreign jurisdiction has decided should be the law of the United Kingdom. “In the 21st century, we should not accept colonial rule. We abolished it elsewhere. We believe it should not be tolerated for one second. People should have the democratic right to decide their laws for themselves, in their interests.” He added: “The ridiculous part about this debate is that we are having to debate European laws regulating the movement of pet animals owned by British citizens between one part of the United Kingdom and another. That is an outrage.” Lord Dodds went on: “As I said, there will be hundreds, thousands more of these regulations, in all areas, affecting the daily lives of people in Northern Ireland. They all add up to a grievous assault on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.” But former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick said: “I support the Windsor Framework because it is a necessary legal device to deal with the complexities that were presented to us in Ireland, north and south, on the issue of Brexit. “We need a pragmatic solution rather than choosing to have political contests and duels simply for the sake of them.” Introducing the regulations, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ulloch said: “This scheme will simplify the requirements associated with moving pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland significantly. “It replaces single-use animal health certificates with a free-of-charge lifelong travel document and removes the need for costly pet health treatments. “Pet owners who travel frequently with their pets, or those who rely on the services of an assistance dog to travel independently, will benefit substantially from this change in approach.” However, she acknowledged the concerns raised by peers and promised to continue engagement with them.FORT WORTH, Texas — Frankie Collins scored 16 points, Brendan Wenzel added 15 and TCU beat Xavier 76-72 in a Big 12/Big East Battle game on Thursday night. Collins also had a game-high seven rebounds plus five assists while Wenzel hit a trio of 3-pointers for the Horned Frogs (5-3). Ernest Udeh Jr. added 13 points and Trazarien White and Micha Robinson had 10 each. Ryan Conwell scored 17 points to lead Xavier (7-2), though it come on 6-of-18 shooting, including 4 of 13 on 3-point attempts. Zach Freemantle added 16 points and Dailyn Swain 12. TCU led nearly the entire first half, going up 37-29 at halftime. The Musketeers took their first lead of the second half with 12 minutes to go. There were seven lead changes after that before TCU went on a 9-0 run with 1:21 remaining. Wenzel started the decisive run by tying the game with two free throws, Vasean Allette, who started in place of Noah Reynolds (wrist), scored off a steal by Udeh for the lead and then made his own steal, was fouled and sank two free throws with 46 seconds to go. David Punch blocked Dayvion McKnight at the hoop leading to another Collins free throw before Udeh's emphatic dunk completed the run. Xavier missed three shots and turned the ball over twice during TCU's run before Swain hit a 3-pointer at game's end. TCU will host Vanderbilt in a neutral site game at Dickies Arena while Xavier is home against Morgan State on Tuesday. Xavier guard Dayvion McKnight (20) leap to the basket to take a shot as TCU's Frankie Collins (11), Ernest Udeh Jr. (8) and Brendan Wenzel (0) defend in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Credit: AP/Tony Gutierrez
If you’re an iPhone user, you might not realize that you already have access to Apple Cash. It’s a digital cash card that’s built into Apple devices and can be found in the default Wallet app. (Note: You must link an eligible debit card to use this service.) The main function of Apple Cash is to make it easier for Apple device users to send money to one another, including sending money through the iMessage app. But Apple Cash is more than just a service — it can be used to shop online, in stores or to make in-app purchases. Apple Cash is a convenient way to transfer money between friends and family. Once it’s set up, a user can simply open the iMessage app and send money to a contact through their chat. It’s also useful for those who use Apple Pay, a separate service that allows Apple device users to make with any linked card, including an Apple Cash card. Here are some important things to know about setting up and using Apple Cash. Apple Cash is a digital cash card that’s stored in the Wallet app of Apple devices, and it can be used for making P2P payments, as well as purchases through Apple Pay. When you receive money from another Apple Cash user, that money appears in your Apple Cash balance. The balance can then be spent or transferred to a linked bank account or debit card. with Apple Cash can be done either directly from the digital Apple Cash card (in the Wallet app) or through the iMessage app. You can send or receive anywhere between $1 and $10,000 per message. The money shows up on the recipient’s Apple Cash card instantly, but it may take from one to three days for the balance to be transferred to a bank account. Instant transfers to a bank account are possible, but it comes with a 1.5% fee. There’s also an option to set up Apple Cash Family for children who are under 18 years old. This option limits the amount a child can send to $2,000 per message. Those younger than 18 also cannot add money to their Apple Cash card from a bank account; rather, their balance only grows when they receive money from another Apple Cash user. Apple Cash is a digital card within your Wallet that allows you to spend your Apple Cash online, in stores and in apps as well send and receive money. Apple Pay, however, allows you to make purchases using any credit card or debit card you have stored in your Wallet — including Apple Cash. With Apple Pay, you add credit and debit cards to your Wallet and then have the ability to pay right with your phone (or other Apple product). To set up Apple Cash, you’ll need three things: —A compatible Apple device. —Two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID (this can be done in Settings). —An eligible debit card to load funds onto the Apple Cash card. In the Settings app, you can turn on Apple Cash in the Wallet and Apple Pay section. Tap on the Apple Cash card icon and follow the instructions on the screen. You’ll be asked to agree to the terms and conditions, after which your device will set up Apple Cash for you. The Apple Cash card, once set up, can be found in your device’s Wallet app. If you want to set up Apple Cash Family, you’ll first need to have Family Sharing turned on, which can be done in Settings. The family organizer can add children to Apple Cash in the Family Sharing section of Settings. You’ll need to have a linked to your digital Wallet to add money to an Apple Cash card. You can add a debit card to Wallet in the same place where you set up Apple Cash — the Wallet and Apple Pay section of Settings. Once a debit card is linked to your Wallet, open Wallet and tap on the Apple Cash card. Then, tap the More button (an icon with three dots). This will open a page where you can see your Apple Cash balance, add money and transfer funds to a bank account. Tap Add Money and enter the amount you’d like to add (the minimum is $10). You’ll be asked to confirm which debit card you want to use to fund the Apple Cash balance, and then the money is added to the Apple Cash card. There are two ways to send a payment to someone using Apple Cash: directly from your Wallet or in the iMessage app. Both the sender and recipient need Apple Cash to send or receive money. To send money from Wallet, simply tap the Apple Cash card in Wallet and then tap Send. Type in the contact name or phone number of the recipient. Enter the amount you’d like to send (between $1 and $10,000), then review the payment and confirm it with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. In iMessage, open the conversation with who you’d like to send money to, or start a new one. Tap on the app button, which appears next to the type bar, and then tap on the Apple Cash icon. You’ll be prompted to enter an amount (between $1 and $10,000). Once you’ve reviewed the amount, tap Send and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode. The first time money is sent to someone, the recipient will need to accept the payment within seven days for it to go through. After the first instance, payments are automatically accepted. If you’re using Apple Cash to make a purchase either online or in a store, you’ll need to pay using Apple Pay. To request money from your iPhone, open the conversation in the Messages app. Tap the plus icon, followed by Apple Cash. Then, tap Request. Tap the send button to send your payment request. Once the request is sent, the person you sent it to can confirm or change the amount they send to you. You can also request money from your Apple watch. Open your messages app, choose a conversation, tap the plus icon and then choose Apple Cash. Once you enter the amount you are requesting, swipe left on the Send button. Tap Request. As you start to accumulate money on the Apple Cash card, you may want to move it to a debit card or a . This can be done by going to the same place where you added funds to the card, by clicking the icon with three dots next to your digital card. Enter an amount to be transferred, then tap Next. You’ll be asked whether you want to do an instant transfer (for a 1.5% fee) or a transfer in one to three business days for free. After making a selection, the screen will instruct you to set up a bank account if you don’t already have one set up. You’ll confirm the payment, and the transfer is initiated. Instant transfers can only be made to an eligible debit card, not a bank account. Money is sent within 30 minutes when you select instant transfer. —Zelle: If your bank is offers Zelle, it might be a good idea to take advantage of the P2P payment service. Zelle can be accessed directly from your bank’s mobile app, and it allows you to send instant transfers at no extra cost. —Venmo: Anyone can use Venmo, as long as they’ve downloaded the app. Unlike Apple Cash or Zelle, it’s a standalone P2P payment app. Venmo comes with a social element — users can follow each other and add fun emojis to their payments, although they can also keep their account activity private. —PayPal: This P2P payment service is a good option if you want to send money internationally. It also offers a PayPal Debit card, which, like the Apple Cash card, can be used to make purchases online or in stores. —Samsung Pay Cash: Samsung device users can use this option instead of Apple Cash. Similar to Apple Cash, it is a digital wallet that you can access from a Samsung mobile device. However, to take full advantage of Samsung Pay Cash, users will need to undergo an extra registration process to upgrade to a Full Card Account. Apple Cash makes it easy for Apple device users to send money to each other. Users can simply tap the Apple Cash icon in their text messages to send money through iMessage. It can also be used as an extra repository for spending money and can be used for purchases anywhere Apple Pay is accepted. With that said, only Apple device users can send and receive money using Apple Cash, so those looking for a more universal payment service may want to consider . ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.RFK Jr. attorney asks FDA to revoke approval of hepatitis B, polio vaccinesAs winter sets in and the flow of international aid into war-torn Gaza dwindles, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate rapidly, and innocent civilians continue to perish. Earlier this week, in response to the devastating humanitarian crisis, Egypt brought together representatives from over 100 countries and organizations to focus the world’s attention on Gaza, convening the ‘Cairo Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza.’ “For over a year, we have witnessed the grave human toll of the conflict in Gaza. Violence has destroyed the necessities required for human life and dignity – water systems, food production, and people’s homes,” Régis Savioz of the International Committee of the Red Cross said in his address to the Cairo conference on Dec. 2. “Gaza is currently in a state of unfathomable devastation,” he added. With colder temperatures, the humanitarian needs in Gaza “will only deepen,” Savioz continued. “We have yet to achieve the necessary unhindered flow of aid and reliable distribution in Gaza. Checkpoints remain onerous. Entry processes of aid are often impeded. Security inside Gaza is not guaranteed.” The ICRC emphasizes several key points, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure as required by International Humanitarian Law. “Second, hospitals and medical facilities must remain sanctuaries to preserve human life,” Savioz said. Third, the ICRC calls on the parties to the conflict “to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians.” In addition, Savioz reminded the conference: “International humanitarian law demands the release of hostages, the humane treatment of detainees, the safe return of communities to their homes, and the assurance that people in Gaza and Israel can return to a life of dignity and security.” Lack of basic supplies “For more than 50 days, people in North Gaza have been under siege,” Muhannad Hadi, an official with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told the Cairo conference. “North Gaza has effectively been inaccessible to the UN. Our requests for access have been repeatedly and systematically denied by Israeli forces with devastating consequences: families are trapped under rubble, the sick and wounded cannot reach hospitals, and basic supplies—water, food, medical care—have run out.” According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), “the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating.” A Nov. 8 IPC Alert warns that there’s “a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas within the northern Gaza Strip.” In a joint statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen declared that Canada “continues to be deeply concerned by the catastrophic humanitarian conditions that persist across the Gaza Strip and the life-threatening levels of acute malnutrition.” In advance of the Cairo conference, Canada announced additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza and the West Bank. Hussen announced on Nov. 29 that Canada has allocated another $50 million in funding for humanitarian assistance to help meet the “acute needs” of Palestinian civilians, including medical assistance, food, safe water, and protection services. The latest allocation brings Canada’s total contribution to the humanitarian relief effort to $215 million. Canadian aid is being delivered though trusted international partners, such as the Red Cross and the World Food Programme (WFP). Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented Canada at the Cairo conference UNRWA In his address to the conference, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East [UNRWA], described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “a dystopian nightmare.” He asserted: “More than 44,000 people are reported killed – 70 percent are women and children.” (However, he did not say how many Hamas terrorists were among the dead.) According to Lazzarini, “UNRWA remains the backbone of the humanitarian response,” providing health and education services. In April 2024, Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism produced a scathing report on the alleged connection between UNRWA employees and the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people, the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. “At least 12 UNRWA employees, including teachers, educators and aid warehouse managers, were actively involved in the massacre, murder, mutilation and abduction of Israeli citizens,” reads ‘UNRWA: Special Report.’ The report alleges that may UNRWA employees, including teachers “have ties to Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations.” According to the UN website, of the 12 people affiliated with the UN agency implicated in the Oct. 7 attacks, “UNRWA immediately identified and terminated the contracts of ten, another two are confirmed dead.” In a joint statement issued on Oct. 26, 2024, the foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom expressed “grave concern over legislation currently under consideration by the Israeli Knesset, aimed at revoking the privileges and immunities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, forbidding any contact between Israeli state entities, officials and UNRWA, and prohibiting any UNRWA presence within Israel.” In reaction to the news that the Israeli parliament had passed the legislation, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard described the new law as “unconscionable.” According to the Oct. 29 statement, the law “amounts to the criminalization of humanitarian aid and will worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.” According to Lazzarini, “the implementation of the Israeli Knesset legislation to end UNRWA’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territory will have disastrous consequences.” He warned that “dismantling UNRWA will collapse the United Nations’ humanitarian response” in Gaza. Allegations against UNRWA Earlier this year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in consultation with Lazzarini, appointed an independent investigation of UNRWA in the wake of the Oct. 7 th attacks. According to the final report issued by the Independent Review Group, UNRWA had “established a significant number of mechanisms and procedures” to ensure neutrality. However, the report acknowledged that “neutrality-related issues persist.” For example, there have been “instances of staff publicly expressing political views, host-country textbooks with problematic content being used in some UNRWA schools,” reads the ‘Final Report for the United Nations Secretary-General: Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality.’ The report, published in April 2024, identifies “important areas for further strengthening,” such as “additional ways to screen UNRWA staff at an early stage of the recruitment process.” The UNRWA website devotes a webpage to debunking what it claims to be misinformation and disinformation. For example, regarding the allegation that the entire agency is a haven for Hamas, UNRWA maintains that only a tiny fraction of its employees have breached the humanitarian principle of neutrality. “From January 2022 until November 2024, the Agency was subjected to a sustained campaign of more than 250 complaints, mainly from external NGOs, alleging neutrality breaches against individuals reported as UNRWA personnel,” the UNRWA website reads. “Only 0.66% of UNRWA personnel out of 30,000 staff across all UNRWA Fields of Operations were identified as being implicated in breach of neutrality allegations throughout the period specified above.” A month after the opposing reports were published, Israel made another serious allegation. According to a May 3, 2024 press statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDP) intercepted phone calls of UNRWA staff in Gaza, allegedly revealing that “over 450 UNRWA employees have been, and still are, working in cooperation with Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and other terror groups within Gaza.” Looting On Dec. 1, the UNRWA commissioner-general took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce that the UN agency was pausing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through Kerem Shalom, the main transit point for aid deliveries. The decision to temporarily halt deliveries flowed from security issues. “The road out of this crossing has not been safe for months,” Lazzarini posted. “On 16 November, a large convoy of aid trucks was stolen by armed gangs. Yesterday, we tried to bring in a few food trucks on the same route. They were all taken. This difficult decision comes at a time hunger is rapidly deepening.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail on Wednesday as he awaits a May sex trafficking trial by a judge who cited evidence showing him to be a “serious risk” of witness tampering and proof he has tried to hide prohibited communications with third parties while incarcerated. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled in a five-page order following a bail hearing last week. At the hearing, lawyers for the hip-hop mogul argued that a $50 million bail package they proposed would be sufficient to ensure Combs doesn’t flee and doesn’t try to intimidate prospective trial witnesses. Two other judges previously had agreed with prosecutors that the Bad Boy Records founder was a danger to the community if he is not behind bars. Subramanian concurred. “There is compelling evidence of Combs's propensity for violence,” Subramanian wrote. Lawyers for Combs did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the decision. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for prosecutors, declined comment. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years, aided by associates and employees. An indictment alleges that he silenced victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. A federal appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan considers his bail request. That appeal was put on hold while Subramanian, newly appointed to the case after an earlier judge stepped aside, considered the bail request for the first time. Subramanian said he took a fresh look at all the bail arguments and the evidence supporting them to make his decision. Prosecutors have insisted that no bail conditions would be sufficient to protect the public and prevent the “I'll Be Missing You” singer from fleeing. They say that even in a federal lockup in Brooklyn, Combs has orchestrated social media campaigns designed to influence prospective jurors and tried to publicly leak materials he thinks can help his case. They say he also has contacted potential witnesses through third parties. Lawyers for Combs say any alleged sexual abuse described in the indictment occurred during consensual relations between adults and that new evidence refutes allegations that Combs used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs.” Subramanian said evidence shows Combs to be a “serious risk of witness tampering,” particularly after he communicated over the summer with a grand jury witness and deleted some of his texts with the witness. The judge also cited evidence showing that Combs violated Bureau of Prisons regulations during pretrial detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn when he paid other inmates to use their phone code numbers so he could make calls to individuals who were not on his approved contact list. He said there was also evidence that he told family members and defense counsel to add other people to three-way calls so their communications would be more difficult to trace and that he made efforts to influence his trial's jury pool or to reach potential witnesses. Subramanian said his “willingness to skirt” jailhouse rules to conceal communications was “strong evidence” that any conditions of release would not prevent similar behavior. The judge said defense claims that Combs stopped using one particular phone technique criticized by prosecutors was belied by the fact that Combs apparently used it again on Sunday, two days after his bail hearing last week. Even a bail proposal that would include the strictest form of home confinement seemed insufficient, the judge said. “Given the nature of the allegations in this case and the information provided by the government, the Court doubts the sufficiency of any conditions that place trust in Combs and individuals in his employ — like a private security detail — to follow those conditions,” Subramanian wrote.
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By JILL COLVIN NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. Related Articles National Politics | Unique among ‘Person of the Year’ designees, Donald Trump gets a fact-check from Time magazine National Politics | Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’ National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don’t change their clocks at all.BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — American swimmer Gretchen Walsh set three more world records on Friday at the world short course championships. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — American swimmer Gretchen Walsh set three more world records on Friday at the world short course championships. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — American swimmer Gretchen Walsh set three more world records on Friday at the world short course championships. She lowered the 100-meter individual medley time to 55.11 seconds in the final, and the 100 butterfly record twice. In the morning heats, Walsh broke Canadian Margaret Mac Neil’s mark of 54.05 from 2022 to 53.24. Then she dropped it again in the evening semifinals to 52.87. Walsh has seven world records in Duna Arena this week. The U.S. men’s 4×200 relay team achieved two world records in the same final. The team clocked a winning 6:40.51, slashing nearly four seconds off its own record from the last championships in 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Also, Luke Hobson on the lead-off leg set the individual 200 freestyle world record that Peter Biedermann of Germany held since 2009. Americans also claimed the day’s other world records: Regan Smith won the women’s 50 backstroke final in a world record time of 25.23, and Kate Douglass improved her own world record in the 200 breaststroke from October to 2:12.50. The 25-meter pool is half the length of an Olympic pool. ___ AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports Advertisement