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Shopping on Temu can feel like playing an arcade game. Instead of using a joystick-controlled claw to grab a toy, visitors to the online marketplace maneuver their computer mouses or cellphone screens to browse colorful gadgets, accessories and trinkets with prices that look too good to refuse. A pop-up spinning wheel offers the chance to win a coupon. Rotating captions warn that a less than $2 camouflage print balaclava and a $1.23 skeleton hand back scratcher are “Almost sold out.” A flame symbol indicates a $9.69 plush cat print hoodie is selling fast. A timed-down selection of discounted items adds to the sense of urgency. Pages from the Shein website, left, and from the Temu site, right. Richard Drew, Associated Press Welcome to the new online world of impulse buying, a place of guilty pleasures where the selection is vast, every day is Cyber Monday, and an instant dopamine hit is always just a click away. By all accounts, we’re living in an accelerating age for consumerism, one that Temu, which is owned by the Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings, and Shein, its fierce rival , supercharged with social media savvy and an interminable assortment of cheap goods, most shipped directly from merchants in China based on real-time demand. The business models of the two platforms, coupled with avalanches of digital or influencer advertising, have enabled them to give Western retailers a run for their money this holiday shopping season. A Christmas tree ornament purchased on Temu. Haleluya Hadero, Associated Press Software company Salesforce said it expects roughly one in five online purchases in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada to be made through four online marketplaces based or founded in Asia: Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop — the e-commerce arm of video-sharing platform TikTok — and AliExpress. Analysts with Salesforce said they are expected to pull in roughly $160 billion in global sales outside of China. Most of the sales will go to Temu and Shein, a privately held company which is thought to lead the worldwide fast fashion market in revenue. Lisa Xiaoli Neville, a nonprofit manager who lives in Los Angeles, is sold on Shein. The bedroom of her home is stocked with jeans, shoes, press-on nails and other items from the ultra-fast fashion retailer, all of which she amassed after getting on the platform to buy a $2 pair of earrings she saw in a Facebook ad. Neville, 46, estimates she spends at least $75 a month on products from Shein. A $2 eggshell opener, a portable apple peeler and an apple corer, both costing less than $5, are among the quirky, single-use kitchen tools taking up drawer space. She acknowledges she doesn’t need them because she “doesn’t even cook like that.” Plus, she’s allergic to apples. “I won’t eat apples. It will kill me,” Neville said, laughing. “But I still want the coring thing.” Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Shein, now based in Singapore, uses some of the same web design features as Temu’s, such as pop-up coupons and ads, to persuade shoppers to keep clicking, but it appears a bit more restrained in its approach. Shein primarily targets young women through partnerships with social media influencers. Searching the company's name on video platforms turns up creators promoting Shein's Black Friday sales event and displaying the dozens of of trendy clothes and accessories they got for comparatively little money. But the Shein-focused content also includes videos of TikTokers saying they're embarrassed to admit they shopped there and critics lashing out at fans for not taking into account the environmental harms or potential labor abuses associated with products that are churned out and shipped worldwide at a speedy pace. Neville has already picked out holiday gifts for family and friends from the site. Most of the products in her online cart cost under $10, including graphic T-shirts she intends to buy for her son and jeans and loafers for her daughter. All told, she plans to spend about $200 on gifts, significantly less than $500 she used to shell out at other stores in prior years. “The visuals just make you want to spend more money,” she said, referring to the clothes on Shein's site. “They're very cheap and everything is just so cute.” Unlike Shein, Temu's appeal cuts across age groups and gender. The platform is the world’s second most-visited online shopping site, software company Similarweb reported in September. Customers go there looking for practical items like doormats and silly products like a whiskey flask shaped like a vintage cellphone from the 1990s. Temu advertised Black Friday bargains for some items at upwards of 70% off the recommended retail price. Making a purchase can quickly result in receiving dozens of emails offering free giveaways. The caveat: customers have to buy more products. Despite their rise, Temu and Shein have proven particularly ripe for pushback. Last year, a coalition of unnamed brands and organizations launched a campaign to oppose Shein in Washington. U.S. lawmakers also have raised the possibility that Temu is allowing goods made with forced labor to enter the country. More recently, the Biden administration put forward rules that would crack down on a trade rule known as the de minimis exception, which has allowed a lot of cheap products to come into the U.S. duty-free. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to slap high tariffs on goods from China, a move that would likely raise prices across the retail world. Both Shein and Temu have set up warehouses in the U.S. to speed up delivery times and help them better compete with Amazon, which is trying to erode their price advantage through a new storefront that also ships products directly from China.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family. The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move on Sunday night comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House. It caps a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who publicly disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father’s 2020 victory — and casts a pall over the elder Biden's legacy. Biden, who time and again pledged to Americans that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump's first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge to Americans that he would do no such thing. In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said, “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.” The president's sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offenses against the younger Biden, but also any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” In June, Biden categorically ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.” As recently as Nov. 8, days after Trump’s victory, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.” The elder Biden has publicly stood by his only living son as Hunter descended into serious drug addiction and threw his family life into turmoil before getting back on track in recent years. The president's political rivals have long used Hunter Biden’s myriad mistakes as a political cudgel against his father: In one hearing, lawmakers displayed photos of the drug-addled president’s son half-naked in a seedy hotel. House Republicans also sought to use the younger Biden's years of questionable overseas business ventures in a since-abandoned attempt to impeach his father, who has long denied involvement in his son's dealings or benefiting from them in any way. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said in his statement. "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son.” “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden added, claiming he made the decision this weekend. The president had spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, with Hunter and his family, and departed for Angola later Sunday on what may be his last foreign trip as president before leaving office on Jan. 20, 2025. Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He had been set to stand trial in September in the California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin. David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Delaware who negotiated the plea deal, was subsequently named a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to have more autonomy over the prosecution of the president's son. Hunter Biden said he was pleading guilty in that case to spare his family more pain and embarrassment after the gun trial aired salacious details about his struggles with a crack cocaine addiction. The tax charges carry up to 17 years behind bars and the gun charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines were expected to call for far less time and it was possible he would have avoided prison time entirely. Hunter Biden was supposed to be sentenced this month in the two federal cases, which the special counsel brought after a plea deal with prosecutors that likely would have spared him prison time fell apart under scrutiny by a judge. Under the original deal, Hunter was supposed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and and would have avoided prosecution in the gun case as long as he stayed out of trouble for two years. But the plea hearing quickly unraveled last year when the judge raised concerns about unusual aspects of the deal. The younger Biden was subsequently indicted in the two cases. Hunter Biden’s legal team this weekend released a 52-page white paper titled “The political prosecutions of Hunter Biden,” describing the president’s son as a “surrogate to attack and injure his father, both as a candidate in 2020 and later as president.” The younger Biden's lawyers have long argued that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict the president’s son amid heavy criticism by Trump and other Republicans of what they called the “sweetheart” plea deal. Rep. James Comer, one of the Republican chairmen leading congressional investigations into Biden's family, blasted the president’s pardon, saying that the evidence against Hunter was “just the tip of the iceberg.” “It’s unfortunate that, rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability,” Comer said on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. Biden is hardly the first president to deploy his pardon powers to benefit those close to him. In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner, as well as multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Trump over the weekend announced plans to nominate the elder Kushner to be the U.S. envoy to France in his next administration. Trump, who has pledged to dramatically overhaul and install loyalists across the Justice Department after he was prosecuted for his role in trying to subvert the 2020 presidential election, said in a social media post on Sunday that Hunter Biden's pardon was “such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice.” “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” Trump asked, referring to those convicted in the violent Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement that he will never take for granted the relief granted to him and vowed to devote the life he has rebuilt “to helping those who are still sick and suffering.” “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,” the younger Biden said. Hunter Biden’s legal team filed Sunday night in both Los Angeles and Delaware asking the judges handling his gun and tax cases to immediately dismiss them, citing the pardon. A spokesperson for Weiss did not respond to messages seeking comment Sunday night. NBC News was first to report Biden was expected to pardon his son Sunday. ___ Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Nantucket, Massachusetts, contributed to this report.
An expert in misinformation has been accused of using artificial intelligence to craft an expert declaration in a court case — and cited a study that doesn't exist. Communication professor Jeff Hancock is the founding director of Stanford’s Social Media Lab stands accused of using AI to craft an expert declaration in a Minnesota court case. The effort was about a 2023 state law that criminalizes using deepfakes to influence an election, The Stanford Daily noted Monday. Hancock handed in a 12-page declaration defending the law with 15 legal citations. Two of those couldn't be found, however. The reason: ChatGPT appeared to make them up. "No article by the title exists," court documents allege. "The publication exists, but the cited pages belong to unrelated articles. Likely, the study was a 'hallucination' generated by an AI large language model like ChatGPT. A part-fabricated declaration is unreliable." The lawsuit is between Republican Minnesota state Rep. Mary Franson and a conservative social media satirist named Christopher Kohls against the state. The latter claimed that the state law limited free speech when the use of AI media could be used to explain false information. ALSO READ: FBI uncovers deceptive AI deepfakes in 2024 election's final hours Hancock was given $600 an hour for writing up his comments and was required to swear under penalty of perjury that what he said in the document was "true and correct." A Nov. 16 filing cited errors Hancock made and requested the judge exclude it from the state's case. “The citation bears the hallmarks of being an artificial intelligence (AI) ‘hallucination,’ suggesting that at least the citation was generated by a large language model like ChatGPT,” lawyer Frank Berdnarz wrote. “The existence of a fictional citation Hancock (or his assistants) didn’t even bother to click calls into question the quality and veracity of the entire declaration.” Read the full report here.Avalanche's trade for Parssinen could impact Colorado lineup immediatelyAlgonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ( NYSE:AQN – Get Free Report ) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, November 7th, Zacks Dividends reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.065 per share by the utilities provider on Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $0.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. Algonquin Power & Utilities has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 10.7% per year over the last three years. Algonquin Power & Utilities has a dividend payout ratio of 86.7% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the company’s earnings tumble. Equities analysts expect Algonquin Power & Utilities to earn $0.32 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.26 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 81.3%. Algonquin Power & Utilities Stock Down 0.9 % Shares of NYSE AQN opened at $4.48 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The company has a market cap of $3.44 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.47 and a beta of 0.68. Algonquin Power & Utilities has a 52 week low of $4.25 and a 52 week high of $6.79. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.32. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades AQN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities from $6.00 to $5.50 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Algonquin Power & Utilities from $5.75 to $5.25 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities in a report on Friday, October 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $7.00 target price on shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott assumed coverage on shares of Algonquin Power & Utilities in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $6.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $6.25. View Our Latest Research Report on AQN About Algonquin Power & Utilities ( Get Free Report ) Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. operates in the power and utility industries in the United States, Canada, and other regions. The company operates in two segments, Regulated Services Group and Renewable Energy Group. The company primarily owns and operates a regulated electric, water distribution and wastewater collection, and natural gas utility systems and transmission operations. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Algonquin Power & Utilities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Algonquin Power & Utilities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Dallas Cowboys star guard Zack Martin is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders due to ankle and shoulder injuries. Martin didn't practice at all this week. He also physically struggled during Monday night's loss to the Houston Texas. Martin, who turned 34 on Wednesday, has started all 162 games played in 11 seasons with the Cowboys. He's a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a seven-time first-team All-Pro. Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) and safety Markquese Bell (shoulder) have been ruled out. Neither player practiced this week after being hurt against the Texans. Cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) practiced in full this week and will make his season debut. He was injured in August. Star wideout CeeDee Lamb (back/foot) was a full practice participant on Friday and is good to go. Cornerback Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) are among six players listed as questionable. The others are offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (toe), guard Tyler Smith (ankle/knee), defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee) and linebacker Nick Vigil (foot). --Field Level Media
S&P/TSX composite down Monday, U.S. stock markets mixed
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House task force cites 'various failures' ahead of 'preventable' Trump shootingAltria Group Inc. stock outperforms competitors despite losses on the dayThe Syrian flag outside the Syrian embassy in Moscow was mysteriously taken down on Sunday, as reported by Russian news agencies. Although the flag had been hoisted earlier in the day, its removal went unexplained by embassy staff. No official comment was provided regarding this sudden absence. TASS quoted embassy personnel reassuring that the embassy would continue its normal operations on Monday, despite the flag's removal. (With inputs from agencies.)
A new PC or Mac is a major purchase. Buying a high-quality device that's built to perform well and last for years can easily cost you $1,500 or more. How much more? Well, Microsoft's most expensive business laptop costs roughly $3,000, and a fully loaded MacBook Pro tops out at a cool $4,000. But you don't have to pay those sticker prices. With a little preparation and some patience, you can save up to 50% off those high price tags without sacrificing quality. Also: The best laptops under $1,000: Expert tested and reviewed Over the years, I've bought dozens of PCs and have learned a few tricks that I share in this article. I'm partial to Dell PCs and Surface devices, and I always have at least one Mac in my office, but the information here should apply to any vendor. 1. Do your homework early If you wait until your old PC or Mac is dead or dying, your money-saving options are limited. Your selection (and price) will be whatever's available at that time. A better strategy? Give yourself a few months to do some research while your aging PC is still useful. That gives you time to check specs and read reviews so you can assemble a short list of devices you might want to buy as a replacement. Armed with that short list, you can then begin watching prices to see when deals appear. Also: How to upgrade an 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 Apple rarely marks its merchandise down, but you can occasionally get a discount from a third-party seller. The AppleInsider Price Guides are a good resource for tracking those bargains. If you're looking for a Windows PC, on the other hand, you have a much better chance of finding discounts on all but the newest, most supply-constrained devices. Resellers, including the Microsoft Store Online , also have frequent sales. After watching prices for a month or two, you should have a good idea of what the best available discount is likely to be and can pull the trigger when you find an irresistible deal. 2. Check your credit card for discounts and rebates These days, credit card issuers regularly offer rebates, usually in the form of statement credits or bonus points that can be redeemed for cash, airline miles, or travel. If you're buying a Mac, using an Apple Card gets you an immediate 3% statement credit, for example. Also: I tested the cheapest Surface Pro 11 model: 3 main takeaways as a Windows expert Earlier this year, I bought a Surface Pro from Microsoft . Using my American Express Business card qualified me for a rebate of $175 on that $1,000 purchase; that hefty discount is still available through the end of this year. If I use that card to buy products from Dell , I qualify for a 10% statement credit. Purchases directly from HP , available through various Amex products, qualify for $100 off a $1,000 purchase or $250 off if the transaction is $1,500 or more. Chase cards offer smaller offers, although a $50 credit or 5% cash back is nothing to sneeze at. Tracking those offers down is easy with the help of the amazing CardPointers+ mobile app and browser extension. I pay $6 a month, and it's easily earned back 10 times that amount over the past year on all sorts of purchases. 3. Last year's model is often this year's best buy Early adopters get to be the first to try out new technology, which means they pay a premium price and are also the first to run into bugs and production problems with new components. Also: I found a laptop for creators that rivals the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but it costs half the price I recommend waiting six months to a year after a new model is introduced. That gives the hardware and OS makers an opportunity to work out driver issues, and it gives you a chance to read reviews and look for reliability issues in support forums. And, of course, waiting typically means a price drop, especially as manufacturers and third-party sellers try to move last year's models to make room for newer products. 4. Check the return/restocking policy Personally, I won't buy a product online unless the seller offers a no-questions-asked return policy. When you buy online, you don't have an opportunity to actually try the model you're considering. Does the keyboard suit your preferences? Are the CPU and graphics processor sufficiently responsive? Is the particular model you received defective in any way? If there's something that bugs you in the first week or two, chances are you won't get used to it later. So take advantage of return privileges. But pay attention to the restrictions! Also: The ultimate Windows 11 upgrade guide: Everything you need to know Apple's return window for Macs you purchase directly from the company is 14 days, with a major exception for products purchased in the holiday season (this year, that's November 8 through December 25); those purchases qualify for returns until January 8. Dell offers a 30-day return/refund window for new and refurbished products. If you're buying from a third-party seller, pay special attention to restocking fees, which can be painful if you return an item that isn't defective. CDW, for example, charges a minimum 15 percent restocking fee for returns of "non-defective" products that you send back within their 30-day return window, and other products are completely ineligible for return. 5. Look for refurbs Some of the very best deals in the PC marketplace are found in the refurbished section. Refurbs are products that were returned after purchase. They've been cleaned up and repackaged so that they're almost indistinguishable from new merchandise (one exception is Dell's "scratch and dent" category, which offers even deeper discounts if you're willing to accept minor cosmetic flaws). Also: The best laptops: Expert tested and reviewed You won't usually find just-released models in the refurb stores, but it's easy to find last year's model, at deep, deep discounts. Typically, refurbs have the same warranty as new merchandise and qualify for extended warranties as well. Apple makes the refurb section difficult to find. Here's a direct link: Apple Certified Refurbished . Dell refurbs are available in the Dell Outlet , which has separate sections for Home and Business. Even if you're looking for a business PC, it's worth checking out the Home selection. HP and Lenovo also have refurb outlets, as do some third-party sellers, including Amazon's Woot . With third-party sellers, be sure to check the warranty and return policies carefully. 6. Consider an extended warranty, especially for laptops Most new PCs and Macs include a basic warranty that covers defects in the first year. While that warranty is in effect, you can typically purchase an extended warranty that covers you for a second or third year. For laptops, the cost of a screen repair or a battery replacement, especially in a sealed unit, can be exorbitant, making a warranty worth considering. Also: MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air: How to decide which Apple laptop is best for you For a Mac, the basic AppleCare warranty covers defects but not accidental damage for one year. You can pay extra for an AppleCare+ plan , which extends the warranty and includes coverage against many forms of accidental damage. PC makers typically offer a range of warranty options. For a Microsoft Surface, for example, you can get a two-year Microsoft Complete warranty that includes accidental damage coverage, even from drops and spills, for $149. Dell offers similar accidental damage coverage that covers liquid spills, drops, and falls (including a damaged or broken LCD), and any damage caused by a power surge. The best time to buy this coverage is with the original purchase or shortly after. In most cases, that's the only time you can buy it. 7. Do your own upgrades if possible It's no secret that hardware makers squeeze their very highest margins out of hardware upgrades on custom configurations. If you can do the upgrade yourself, you can sometimes save hundreds of dollars, even if you have to replace the manufacturer-supplied parts. Your best DIY upgrade opportunities are available in desktop PCs , which usually have easily accessible slots for RAM and video upgrades and drive bays and slots for adding fast storage. Also: The best all-in-one computers: Expert tested and reviewed On modern laptops, expanding or replacing memory is usually impossible after the initial purchase, as those memory modules are soldered onto the motherboards. Storage, on the other hand, can sometimes be easier to expand . Every Surface device, for example, includes an easily accessible drawer where you can replace the built-in NVMe storage at a fraction of the official upgrade cost. Dell makes you work a little harder to upgrade laptop storage, but with the right tools and a bit of patience, it's not a difficult job, especially if you search YouTube for videos that walk you through the process. On a MacBook, however, forget about it; that SSD is soldered onto the motherboard. One expansion option that works well on high-end hardware is to use external storage devices connected via USB-C. With a Thunderbolt or SuperSpeed+ 10 Gbps connection, the added storage is fast enough for just about any task, although it's awkward for portable devices. The best photography drones: Capture stunning aerial footage Our favorite robot mowers: Hands-free lawn care The top 5 home batteries: Backup systems to keep you charged The best cheap vacuum cleaners: Affordable and reliable vacs1. A portable extendable power strip to save your technologically-dependent butt when you end up in a hotel with one (1) measly outlet. Even if it's an absurd distance from the bed, this will extend so your gadgets are all close by, and easily charge all of them at once. Promising review: "This is the best extension cord, especially for travel. It's compact and you can use plugs or USB with several ports. You'll never need a bunch of outlets again." — Paula A. Austin Get it from Amazon for $15.11 . 2. A weighted eye mask that's basically like a weighted blanket for your human eyes, designed to decrease stress and encourage ~deep sleep~. They also feature a 3D contour, so they're hollowed out in the middle and won't rest right on top of your eyes. Promising review : "Love these . These are soft and very comfortable, and they seriously black out every bit of ligh t. I love them. I would highly recommend. I’ll probably never sleep without them again." — AJ Get a pack of two from Amazon for $16.99 (available in seven sets). 3. A hands-free (rotating!) phone mount designed for use on all airlines — not only can you mount it to the tray table of an airplane seat, but to the arm of a chair or any flat surface, so you'll be able to stream content easy as pie wherever you roam. Reviewers have used it on everything from their car dashboards to carry-on handles to office desks to bedside tables. Perilogics is a small business creating hyper-functional tool holsters and bags for carrying your stuff on the go. Promising review : "I bought this nifty gadget about six months ago for a multi-leg, ultra-long-haul trip, and it more than held up the entire duration . I was able to finagle it to fit the tray tables on different planes, and like others, I find the height just nice when clamped onto a stowed tray table . It also works on my roller carry-on handle during layovers." — Earendil Get it from Amazon for $12.97 . 4. A newly-updated AirFly , a handy gadget you can use to connect your wireless headphones to the headphone jacks on flights so you can stream The Fault in Our Stars and bawl thousands of feet in the air again without dealing with the poor quality of the airline's headphones or shelling out $$ for them. Bonus: you can use these to connect to audio jacks on gym equipment and gaming devices, too! Here's what BuzzFeeder Chelsea Stuart has to say about them: "Last year I splurged on some AirPod Maxes and for the amount of money I threw down on them, I was determined to get as much use out of them as possible and that included on plane rides. With the AirFly Pro, I can connect my headphones via Bluetooth and use the seat-back screen without having to fiddle with the free wired headphones they hand out that 1.) have horrible sound quality and 2.) don't fit my ears in the slightest. (I swear my ear canals are tiny or something??)" Promising review : "I saw this on TikTok and bought it instantly for an upcoming trip. I wish I knew about this sooner so I could enjoy inflight entertainment without needed additional headphones. This allows for that, which is great. It works so well, my husband bought one as well. Highly recommend." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in four styles and two colors). 5. A set of feather-light, super durable compression packing cubes you can use to significantly decrease the bulk of your clothing to save space on trips. This particular set is a cut above the others because it comes with a mesh outside that allows you to see what's in each bag without popping them all open to find something. Pro-tip: When you use compression packing cubes, it's more effective to lay them flat than to roll them! It helps with the compression (and keeps your clothes from getting too wrinkled). Promising review : "These packing cubes helped to keep my clothing organized in my suitcase. They compressed my items and gave me a little more room in suitcase. They are mesh construction so you can see what is inside. Easy zippers. Expandable. Sturdy." — Mary Get a set of six from Amazon for $29.99 (available in four colors). 6. Plus a set of rainbow day-of-the-week packing cubes for mitigating some of the inevitable chaos of packing with kids, and help prevent any of their teensy wardrobe pieces from falling through the cracks on either end of the trip. (Psst — adults also use the larger size for their own outfits!) Promising review: "This is the coolest organizer for kids. The size is perfect for a standard carryon luggage. Helps kids put their outfits together, day by day, for travel. Super fun colors, great quality, easy flow zippers, and lightweight fabric. This makes it really easy for parents and starts the kids getting organized, at a young age . Get these, the kids will love it!" — Skylar James Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in two sizes). 7. A pair of investmentworthy Loop Quiet 2 "hidden" earplugs designed with traveling in mind — this newly updated version is lightweight and flexible for a barely there fit that still manages to effectively muffle noise, whether you're trying to get some shut-eye on a flight, focus during a work trip, or relax in a noisy city hotel. Psst — Loop makes a variety of "hidden" earplugs for concerts, focus, and even for kids. Check them all out on Loop's Amazon storefront ! Promising review : "These are my third pair of Loop earplugs . I like using them in the car, on planes, at concerts, in class, and while sleeping. This is my first pair of the silicone ones which were much more comfortable to sleep in which I appreciated. If you are more sensitive to noises, I definitely recommend keeping these on you." — Cash Tieman Get it from Amazon for $27.95 (available in ten colors). 8. Plus a set of silicone "EarPlanes" with a twist-on structure to help relieve pressure that hurts your ears during altitude changes during landing and takeoff. Reviewers also swear by these for driving through altitude changes in the mountains and for helping with sinus pressure pain! Promising review: "This product has changed my life. I travel fairly frequently and always have issues with ear pressure on the plane. My ears will be clogged up, and it is painful to swallow for a day or two after short-distance flights. But now, I use these and fly incident-free. You are supposed to insert them before the plane takes off and then before landing. I have found that it works best if I leave them in the entire flight from before takeoff until landing, but they work almost as well if you take them out once you reach cruising altitude. " — Thomasina Get it from Amazon for $7.29 (available in multipacks). 9. A set of affordable, highly popular wireless Bluetooth earbuds reviewers compare to AirPods, but better — not only are they noise cancelling and waterproof, but but you can listen to music during your flight, car ride, or even while you're sleeping *without* your ears feeling like they've been beaten up. These come equipped with several sizes of earbuds so you can get your perfect, painless fit. These come with a wireless charging case that provides up to 14 hours of charge (with the earbuds able to play for four-plus hours with each full charge). The earbuds are also sweatproof and waterproof so you can use them during workouts or runs or even in the shower, and have a built-in mic so you can chat on the phone. Psst — these are also a great option for going outside in a mask, since they don't have wires that'll get tangled in the mask straps. Promising review: "So many things to rave about with these! Quality of the design and feel of these is amazing. I could literally wear these all night while on vacation with a roommate who snored, they were that comfortable and good at noise cancelling. I use these most often to listen to music and the sound quality is superb. I have a pair of AirPods that I was *thankfully* gifted and I hardly ever use them because they just aren't as good as my Tozos!" — Alexis Arnold Get it from Amazon for $18.99 (available in five colors). 10. A hands-free portable phone charger that sticks right onto your phone plug and chills there so easily that you might forget it's there in the first place. This mini charger is designed to give you one full iPhone battery per charge, making it a lifesaver for busy humans, particularly ones who love traveling. Check out a TikTok of the charger in action. Promising review: "I used these several times for the past year, traveling for business and leisure. It is always a challenge to find an outlet at the airport since some airports do not offer a charging station. Using those types can also be a security risk. That's why I love using these portable chargers. They are lightweight and fit in my travel handbag/or small backpack pocket. The portable chargers take about 30–35 minutes to fully charge if dead. Once charged, they charge fast and hold a charge for many hours." — J Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in six colors). 11. A magnetic folding pill organizer with conveniently visible pill windows for easy access. Each has six small compartments for little pills, plus a large compartment for capsules and vitamins, making it ideal for trips where you might need a lil' emergency pharmacy in your backpack but don't want to take up space. Promising review: "I purchased this because I saw them all over TikTok. As someone with chronic illness I honestly carry around like 10 different pill bottles for 'just in case' situations. This little pill box is a great size, I love that it’s magnetic and each little compartment fits a good amount of pills . It won’t fit a ton of Tums if that’s what you’re looking for, but the amount of space this has saved in my bag is amazing!" — Jasmin Salas Get it from Amazon for $7.99 . 12. A fully waterproof tricked out travel backpack complete with *deep breath* two laptop sleeves, a shoe compartment, a secret anti-theft pocket, a USB charging port, and a "wet bag" to keep sweaty clothes or liquids away from your tech. Oh, and it's cute as a BUTTON to boot. Who gave this backpack the right to flex on other backpacks this hard??? Promising review: "I recently took a cross-country flight with my three kids. I really didn't want to worry about checked bags getting lost so maximizing our carry-ons was a priority. This backpack fit an unfathomable amount of stuff! Lots of zippers and compartments for everything from shoes to laptops/iPads, easy access compartments for cell phones and boarding passes, I fit tons of neatly folded clothes. The best part was that fully loaded it easily slid under the seat." — Kindle Customer Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in two sizes and 30 styles). 13. And a hanging cosmetic bag whose motto is "No beauty product left behind!!" This clear-pocketed compact bag fans out so you have all your beloved makeup and skincare at your disposal, converting any hotel bathroom into home sweet home. I will scream this thing's virtues on every corner of this earth. I used this on an eight-day international trip. It fit a veritable arsenal of products — all of my skincare, makeup, hair supplies, toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant were wedged in the different pockets, and still compacted easily and went right into my carryon backpack . It made setting up at the hotel a two-second process of hanging it up and having all my products instantly accessible to me and easy to put away. I cannot imagine traveling without it, especially now that I've used it on a multi-city trip where it was so handy to fold back up and take through multiple hotels. At one point, I forgot to properly close a lotion, and it exploded a bit, and the bag was super easy to clean from the inside! Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two sizes and 11 colors). 14. A set of delightfully ~~tingly~~ self-heating soothing foot masks made with Epsom salts, lavender, and peppermint perfect for anyone whose step count while traveling is "too many." Now instead of dealing with aching feet all night, you can get ahead of the situation with some ~self-care~. Check out a TikTok of the foot masks in action. I'm a long-ish distance runner, and these were certainly an interesting experience for my feet! You slide them on and, after a few minutes, feel a tingling, mildly burning (in a good way) sensation. It doesn't quite numb your feet, but it relaxes them. I kept them on for 30 minutes and then toweled my feet off, and the tingling sensation slowly faded over the next 30 minutes. After that, my feet felt very refreshed and relaxed at a time of day when they're usually aching from all the miles I put in. The whole thing was a mess-free, easy process, and I will definitely keep them on hand for longer run days! Promising review: "Very soothing. My husband and l used these on our European vacation, and they definitely felt good on our feet!" — KS2018 Get a set of three pairs from Amazon for $14.37 . 15. A stainless steel Memobottle , a true travel MVP — these insulated, leakproof bottles come in four very specific sizes with a flat-shaped design to be packed as easily and efficiently as possible, based on your needs. It also features a flask-style mouthpiece designed for faster hydration, and is dishwasher-safe. Promising review : "I believe this has been my best purchase of 2023. This water bottle is well designed, holds water well and brings unnecessary attention but it’s welcomed 😈. It creates a different drinking experience and it’s unique yet awkward design fits in all bags. Even fits in my Vespa perfectly. I want to say the price is a little steep in my opinion, but after weeks of use, I get it." — Aaron V. Get it from Amazon for $49+ (clip the $6 off coupon on the product page for this price; available in two colors and four sizes). 16. A roll-on migraine stick made with peppermint, spearmint, and lavender oils to help you soothe away headaches, which frankly have a lot of audacity interrupting your travel plans. Basic Vigor is a US-based small business specializing in all-natural migraine relief products. Read more about aromatherapy and stress and tension at Johns Hopkins . Promising review: "I’ve had migraines all my life — I’m 31 now. I’ve been on all kinds of prescriptions that work, but make me so sleepy... I’ve been using this stick for one week now, and it’s amazing! I rubbed it on at the first hint of a headache/migraine and it takes care of it fast. I haven’t taken a prescription migraine since I started using it. " — Amanda Braswell Read BuzzFeed's review of the migraine stick for more deets! Get it from Amazon for $12.95 . 17. A digital luggage scale perfect for anyone who likes to play chicken with the weight limits on various airlines. This gizmo will quickly and accurately let you know in pounds *or* kilograms how much your suitcase weighs just by attaching it to the handle and lifting — no clunky floor scales required. Promising review: "I was looking for a lightweight luggage scale to ensure that when returning from vacation, my luggage was not overweight. This works amazing. Super lightweight and extremely accurate." — Taziree Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in seven styles and in a two pack). 18. A compressible memory foam pillow so you can feel like you're sleeping on a cloud in a 5-star resort even when you've booked a motel with a "pillow" that's older than you are. This even comes in a small camping version to keep the wilderness cozy! Suck it, cold hard ground. Promising review : "I bought this pillow for a very long airplane ride and wound up using it during the entire three-week trip. Seriously, it goes in and out of the little cover easily, and it made a real difference in my ability to rest on the trip. My husband is getting one now for our next trip. Get it! You won’t be disappointed." — Hattybrd Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in a camping size as well as Standard, Queen, and King sizes). 19. And a Vesta Loop travel pillow that's basically like a personalized pool noodle for your neck — this firm pillow twists (and stays PUT) to support you as evenly as possible, whether you're upright on a flight, conking out on the road, or need extra support when the hotel pillows aren't up to snuff. Promising review : "I’ve had the S-shaped flight pillow for a week now and have tried it in various situations. I've loved it! The S shape of this travel pillow distinguishes it from all other flight pillows. It can be easily adjusted to fit my needs so I can rest my head comfortably. Because of its S shape, the pillow is compact and can be easily folded to a smaller size and fits into my backpack. The material is very soft and of great quality. I’m excited to use it on my long-distance flight!" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $59.40 (also available in three other styles). 20. A Benzene-free, travel-friendly applicator of I Dew Care's dry shampoo powder so easy to use that you can just dab it on your hairline and rub it in for an instant, oil-absorbing refresh. Now you don't have to waste nearly as much of your precious vacation time re-styling your hair! Check out a TikTok of the dry shampoo in action. Promising review: "I've had the best results from this dry shampoo than any other. It's a small container, but it lasts a very long time because a little really does go a long way! I also do this the night before so the powder-y look goes away by morning and it's more absorbed, you can also add a light oil to your ends and work it up if it feels too dry. There's no scent either and it is very convenient for travel! This is the only thing that still makes my hair look 'clean' on the no-hair-wash days !" — Alice Get it from Amazon for $18 (available in five shades, including brunette and black options, plus refills). 21. A subtle amber reading light that's 99.94% free of blue spectrum light — aka, the light that signals to your brain that it's daytime and keeps you up and attem. Now you can read your book at during the flight further without disrupting your circadian rhythms *or* bugging your neighbors with the harsh overhead. Promising review: "This is a fantastic light! I use it every evening to continue reading while my son sleeps, it does not wake him or impede my sleep after I’m ready to go to bed. Great product." — Brian Masters Get it from Amazon for $12.99 . 22. A pack of Alpine Start instant coffee packets so you always have a back-up plan in case you can't find a coffee shop near your hotel — these brew hot *and* cold, and taste so much like the "real thing" that you'll do a caffeinated double take after your first delicious sip. Alpine Start is a small business that specializes in instant coffee, lattes, matcha, and creamers. I'm picky about coffee, but I love these. I picked them up at the recommendation of a friend because the BuzzFeed Shopping Team wakes up long before dawn on Prime Days , and I knew I was going to want something quick and fast to guzzle to wake myself up. I wasn't expecting it to also be DELICIOUS?? I have made sure my pantry is stocked with it ever since, and I always take one traveling when I'm in hotels and don't know the lay of the land. Going out to get my coffee every morning is my favorite "treat" of the day, but this is so delicious that it cushions the blow on days I can't. Promising review: "Great product! Had both hot and with slightly coolish water, and both times it tasted great. Having a cup of coffee on the summit of a mountain was great, and adding in coffee that tastes good is even better! Will buy for future backpacking trips for sure." — Kelley Hemminger Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $9.99. 23. An Airplane Pocket tray cover that slides seamlessly over an airplane tray to create an instant, deeply convenient hub — this comes with a number of pockets so you can keep track of all your devices, snacks, and other odds and ends without rooting around for them in the gross back pocket or your carry-on the whole flight. Bonus: This bb is an excellent way to prevent touching a germ-y tray, and it's fully machine washable. Check out a TikTok of the Airplane Pockets tray table cover in action. Airplane Pockets is a small business that specializes in sanitary, portable travel organization products. I used this on a roundtrip from NYC to Tokyo, both with connecting flights in Canada, and cannot sing its praises enough. It fit all four of the different tray tables I used it on and was so ridiculously handy for keeping track of all my littler odds and ends like AirPods, the plane's headphones, earplugs, a sleep mask, a book, gum, a scrunchie, and little snacks. The hanging end of it easily tucked into the built-in sleeve of the seat in front of me for takeoff and when other passengers needed to scoot past me in my aisle seat. Usually, I feel like a hot mess and get frustrated rooting around in the grimy sleeve for my stuff, and this was such a refreshing solution! Several flight attendants even asked where I got it to buy one for themselves! Get it from Amazon for $29.99. 24. A UV-protective mini umbrella so compact and lightweight that you'll forget it's even in your bag until you need it. Take THAT, whoever keeps feeding the weather app lies about the chances of rain! Promising review: "Perfect, affordable, useful. Comes in attractive, carrying case. Has a protective sleeve. Opens to a good size." — Holly West Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in 15 colors). 25. A cup phone holder that basically turns your cup holder into a handy phone stand without any installation needed — perfect for drivers who are using their phone's map to navigate, or backseat humans just trying to stream 100+ episodes of The Office in peace. Cell Phone Seat is a small business that specializes in car accessories. It's specially designed to hold your phone vertically or horizontally, with space for a charger cable to fit! Promising review: "I love how it fits in my cup holder in my car and securely holds my phone at the perfect level. I also like that I can still be charging my phone and I can still put a bottle of water in the holder. This design is brilliant!" — Mocindy Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in nine styles and a two-pack). 26. And a cup holder tray you can snap into your car for some *instant* fast food luxury — now instead of eating your McDonald's out of your lap, you can set it on this tray and feel like a full-fledged human no matter how long you've been on the road. It even had a spot to hold your phone upright if you want to eat and stream something! Promising review: "Don’t hesitate. We’re retired and travel a lot from a few miles to many miles. This thing is so cool!!! Perfect, easy to install, secure, and I love the fact it holds my iPhone! Great item!" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $29.90 . 27. An airplane footrest , because yes, it IS possible to sit comfortably on a plane — all you have to do is hook this onto the tray table, and boom, instant elevation (and a LOT less foot swelling to deal with post-flight!). Promising review: "This is a game changer when flying! Immediately takes the pressure off your legs and adds tons of comfort. I used it on an 11-hour red-eye flight for the first time and it was the best experience, aside from being in first class. Highly recommend! Even for short flights." — Isa V. Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in three colors). 28. A set of homeopathic jet-lag pills to show all time zones and weary post-travel limbs who's boss. This doesn't have any side effects and won't mess with your *actual* attempts to sleep, but may help you feel more refreshed after long flights or (sighs deeply) red-eyes. According to the instructions, you should take them at take off and then every two hours and then again once you arrive to help with relaxation and combat sleepiness. Promising review: "I heard about this product from my cousin who used it for a trip to Japan and it was very effective. I used it for a trip to Washington, DC, that had a number of stops and delays — total of 15 hours to get to my destination. I was comfortable upon arrival. The next morning I was ready for a work day." — ELEANORE Get a pack of 32 pills from Amazon for $15.59 . 29. A bar of natural, plastic-free solid shampoo you can easily slide into your carry-on without worrying about it getting flagged at TSA *or* exploding mid-flight and drowning your laptop in Garnier Fructis. Promising review: "First time I bought this soap it was for traveling. Lugging around large bottles of shampoo for six people for a 4–6 week vacation is just not an option, and buying shampoo is sketchy since a couple of us have soap allergies. The little bar packs up perfectly in a little baggie and takes the smallest amount of luggage space. One bar washed six heads of hair for five weeks!! Every day!! Suds well and cleans well." — Dominique B. Get it from Amazon for $13.50+ (available in 14 scents). 30. A pair of compression socks for anyone whose feet and legs are prone to swelling on long flights — these are a chic solution to keep you ready for action once you land. Physix Gear Sport is a family-owned small business that specializes in gear for sports, travel, comfort, and business. Read more about compression socks and long flights at Cleveland Clinic . Promising review: "I have been traveling almost every week for business for the past six years and about five years in, I realized my legs would often hurt after some longer flights. I was told by my physician to try to wear compression socks while flying. After using this product for many months and wearing them on a few international flights, I have to say this is definitely worth the money! They are very comfortable and do not feel too suffocating while on longer flights." — Lopa Desai Get it from Amazon for $14.46+ (available in 13 colors and sizes S–XXL). 31. A durable bag strap gripper that not only keeps you hands-free when you've got extra shopping bags, jackets, and other accessories to cart around, but prevents you from forgetfully LEAVING said items in places where you will simply never see them again. (RIP to that one lost water bottle we're all still mourning.) Promising review: "I bought two straps to use for my trip. It was so worth it! It held my family's light jackets and kids travel neck pillow. We also used it to hold our water bottles on our hikes. I wish I knew about these sooner!" — Lisa H Get it from Amazon for $7.49+ (available in three colors). 32. A set of clear reusable shoe bags to keep the grime from your beloved sneakers and boots off your other clothes. This is especially handy if you've been somewhere muddy or rainy and don't have time to dry out your shoes before you head home! Promising review: "Love these! These are sturdy and large. I used them on a recent trip to pack boots and sneakers that I didn't want to touch my clothes. They also came in handy for putting in my backpack on hikes to keep food and drinks separate and safe from leaking . I used one for storing a wet bathing suit after a swim. So many uses and take up little space!" — Amazon Customer Get a pack of five for $5.80 (available in four colors and ten-packs). 33. A compact travel cable organizer with two different pocketed compartments to keep your cords, earbuds, and chargers organized and safe — this is waterproof, so even if *you* get waterlogged on a trip or on your way to work, your gadgets and gizmos won't. Promising review: "This case has been amazing for storing my earbuds, various loose cable connectors, chargers, etc . I am using it right now on a trip, and it has been fantastic for keeping these items in one convenient, organized place . It is lightweight and fits easily into my one carry-on item when boarding the many flights I am taking. I’m pretty sure I will still be using it to keep all these items together and more easy to locate when I return home! I am so glad I bought this !" — V. Elia Get it from Amazon for $9.85+ (available in 11 styles). 34. A blister-preventing balm that basically magics an extra layer between your skin and your shoe, so you can trek through the airport or go on all your hikes or long walks around new cities without worrying about getting big ole blisters on your feet without a bandage in sight. BodyGlide is a small business that specializes in chafe-preventing personal care products. Promising review: "Wow. I took this on vacation, during which we walked about 20,000 steps daily. And, of course, my shoes begin to rub against parts of my feet, terribly. But I smeared this on, and it was amazing . I did have to reapply a few times a day, in public, but I highly recommend this!! I used it on my toes, ankle area, etc., and my feet felt great (normal)." — Y. Get it from Amazon for $8.99 . 35. A pack of LeakLocks Toiletry Skins to keep things from going "kaboom!!" in your carryon as soon as you reach altitude. These extend to fit both full-size and travel-size toiletries like shampoo, sunscreen, foundation, or any other liquids you'd rather not find spilled all over your socks and underwear post-flight. Rinseroo is a small business specializing in problem-solving cleaning, pet, and travel products. Promising review : "These covered various sizes of products — hair care, body wash, etc. Nothing leaked out of these whatsoever, even after a lid popped open during a flight. These prevented it from leaking out on the other contents of my luggage. Easy to use. Not flimsy. Very flexible. LOVE THESE!" — TAG Get a four-pack from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three styles and also in packs of eight). 36. A rechargeable itty bitty mini white noise maker with 15 nonlooping sounds that is an absolute space-saving *godsend* for parents or anyone traveling somewhere noisy. Pop this baby on in the hotel room and get the good night's sleep you deserve. Promising review: "I am a flight attendant and sometimes have a hard time falling asleep while away in my hotels without my home white noise maker. This is compact and rechargeable, so it is super easy to keep with me on my trips! It also has a great volume range from very low to quite loud! I would recommend even for home use if you don’t have a ton of space but want to use a white noise machine." — Faith Morris Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in 10 colors, in packs of two, and in a travel case). Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.Kennedy Center Honors ceremony to highlight Francis Ford Coppola, the Grateful Dead and more starsGeorgian police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of pro-EU demonstrators on Monday, who had rallied in the centre of Tbilisi amid a deepening political crisis in the Black Sea nation. The country's prime minister hours earlier had vowed "no negotiations" with the opposition, enraged by the ruling Georgian Dream party's decision to shelve EU accession talks after it claimed victory in an election they decried as fraudulent. The Caucasus country of some 3.7 million has been rocked by turmoil since the October 26 parliamentary elections, with Georgian Dream facing accusations of betraying the country's long-standing ambition of joining the EU and of moving Tbilisi closer to Moscow. Opposition lawmakers are boycotting the country's parliament and the pro-EU president is seeking to throw out the election results in the constitutional court. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze refused any potential negotiations with the opposition, as Monday marked five consecutive nights of clashes between protesters and riot police outside the parliament in central Tbilisi. Thousands of demonstrators, waving Georgian and EU flags and shouting "Georgia", were on the streets again, including in the second city of Batumi, to protest the government's decision to suspend EU accession talks. Police quickly moved in to disperse the crowds, firing tear gas at protestors, some of whom had launched fireworks at the police, who later regathered a few kilometres from the parliament building. Kobakhidze claimed on Monday that the protests were "funded from abroad" and vowed "there will be no revolution in Georgia". He also lambasted Western countries for failing to condemn "organised violence" by protesters, as they have criticised excessive force by Georgian police. Those on the streets of Tbilisi said they were just as defiant about not backing down. "We don't care about their orders, they are breaking the law every day," Giorgi, 35, told AFP. "We have to stand here and protest against this dictatorship that is coming," he added. An AFP reporter saw several dozen young protestors standing still in front of a wall of masked riot police, singing the Georgian national anthem. Others took refuge in a church opposite the parliament while hundreds were hit by tear gas. Rights groups and pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili have slammed the police's forceful crackdown over the last week. Zurabishvili, who backs what she calls a "resistance movement" against Georgian Dream, said Monday that those detained by police "have been subjected to systematic beatings". The "majority of the arrested protesters have injuries to their heads and faces, broken face bones, eye sockets, open wounds", she said. Authorities are accusing the protesters of turning violent and endangering public safety. Dozens have been injured in the protests since Thursday including demonstrators, police and journalists, according to officials and activists, though the exact numbers were unclear. Some protesters have launched fireworks towards police, started fires and thrown projectiles, while police have been seen charging into and forcibly detaining protesters. Authorities have also deployed water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets against the crowds. More than 200 were detained during the first four nights of protest, the interior ministry said. Tbilisi has seen numerous bouts of protest over the past two years, as the Georgian Dream party has pushed through legislation targeting civil society, independent media and the LGBTQ community. Brussels has warned those policies are incompatible with membership of the bloc. Georgia's constitution commits the country to seeking membership of the European Union, and opinion polls have regularly shown 80 percent of the country in favour. The prime minister has said that joining the bloc "by 2030" is still his "top priority", a claim not accepted by demonstrators angry at the formal shelving of talks. On Monday the premier said the government would make "maximum efforts" to join the EU, despite ruling out talks on accession for the next four years. He said he had discussed EU integration with Georgian diplomats earlier that day. Zurabishvili has asked the constitutional court to annul the election result, declaring the new parliament and government "illegitimate". Critics accuse Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, of having steered the country away from the European Union and closer to Russia, an accusation it denies. Russia on Monday defended Georgia's crackdown on protesters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tbilisi is acting to "stabilise" the situation, accusing protesters of wanting to "stir up" unrest. Peskov said he drew a "direct parallel" with Ukraine's 2014 "Maidan" protest, which ousted a Kremlin-backed leader who reneged on an EU partnership agreement. led-bur-jc/ju