The streets were dark and cars packed. People, who moved on foot, carried bags with their belongings, unsure about where they were going but certain that they could not stay. This was the scene on Tuesday in Nuweiri, central Beirut, moments after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings, the first for these areas. We were trying to visit the site of an Israeli air strike hours earlier, in the afternoon, that came without warning, flattened one building and killed at least seven people. But we could not get there. Crowds were leaving, and men on motorbikes stopped us from moving, saying it was not safe. Minutes later, we heard several explosions, from more attacks. And for hours, that was how the night unfolded in Beirut. Multiple blasts. Some in the distance; others closer. Gunshots announced more warnings, urging people to seek safety. All of this, with the constant sound of an Israeli drone flying overhead. This dramatic escalation came as the country waited for an Israeli decision on a ceasefire deal, the main hope to end over a year of conflict with Hezbollah, the powerful Iranian-backed movement. During that wait, Israel unleashed its most intense bombardment of Beirut in the conflict. Within two minutes, shortly after the attack on Nuweiri, fighter jets hit 20 targets in the city’s southern suburbs, known as Dahieh, where Hezbollah is based in the city. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the targets hit were facilities used by Hezbollah, and the wave of attacks was heard across the city. Now, a ceasefire has been officially announced, but questions remain. The war has been devastating for Lebanon, where more than 3,700 people have been killed since the start of the hostilities in October 2023, and one million residents have been displaced in areas where Hezbollah has strong presence. The World Bank estimates $8.5bn (£6.8bn) in economic losses and damage. Recovery will take time, and no-one seems to know who will pay for it. Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese soldiers will be deployed to the south, after the withdrawal of Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters. How they will be deployed remains unclear. The military has complained that they do not have the resources – money, manpower and equipment – to fulfil their obligations. But it is not only about funding, which will probably come from some of Lebanon’s international allies. Will the Lebanese military confront Hezbollah if needed? That would put Lebanese against Lebanese, which is always a risk in a country where sectarian divisions run deep. Lebanese authorities seem to have accepted that things must change, a diplomat told me. It appears there is political will to do so. Hezbollah, too, has been devastated. Many of its leaders have been killed, including long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah, while its infrastructure has been heavily damaged. How it will look like after the war is another unknown. The group has been severely weakened, some would say humiliated, but it has not been destroyed. In Lebanon, it is more than a militia: it is a political party with representation in Parliament, and a social organisation, with significant support among Shia Muslims. Its opponents will probably see it as an opportunity to limit its influence. Before the conflict, Hezbollah was often described as a state within a state in Lebanon. And for months, people outside Hezbollah’s support base said the group had dragged the country into a war that was not in its interests. This deal may bring the conflict with Israel to an end. But many in Lebanon fear a new internal conflict could follow.None
Arizona State makes College Football Playoff with 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title gameThe Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy in the first question posed during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign. Mr Harris apologised over the weekend for his handling of the discussion with Charlotte Fallon while canvassing in Kanturk in Co Cork on Friday evening. The Taoiseach was accused of dismissing concerns that Ms Fallon raised about Government support for the disability sector during the exchange filmed by RTE in a supermarket. Mr Harris rang Ms Fallon on Saturday and said he unreservedly apologised for the way he treated her, however focus has since shifted to Fine Gael’s interactions with the national broadcaster about the social media video. At the outset of Tuesday’s TV debate, co-host Miriam O’Callaghan directly asked the Fine Gael leader whether a member of his party contacted RTE to ask for the clip to be taken down. “I have no knowledge of that whatsoever, because this clip was entirely appropriate,” said Mr Harris. “It was a very important moment on the campaign. “And RTE and indeed many media outlets have been with me throughout the campaign, covering many interactions that I’ve had with many, many people right across this country.” The Taoiseach said the approach by his team member was part of the “normal contact that happens between party politics and broadcasters on a daily basis”. Mr Harris’s partner-in-government in the last coalition, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, said he was not aware of the approach to RTE by Fine Gael. “I didn’t realise this had happened,” he said. “I think Simon has given his explanation to it. I’m not sure it’s as normal or as usual. I just get on with it every day. But, again, I think, you know, I’m not au fait with the details behind all of this, or the background to it. “The video didn’t come down, and it was seen by many, many people. “And I think it illustrates that out there, there are a lot of people suffering in our society. “Notwithstanding the progress we’ve made as a country, a lot of people are facing a lot of individual challenges, and our job as public representatives and as leaders in travelling the country is to listen to people, hear their cases, to understand the challenges that they are going through in their lives. “And when we go about in election campaigns, we have to open up ourselves to criticism and to people calling us to account.” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier in the day described reports of the Fine Gael approach to RTE as “chilling”. However, at the start of the debate, she was asked about a media-focused issue related to her own party, namely the controversial manifesto proposal for an independent expert review of RTE’s objectivity in its coverage of the war in Gaza and other international conflicts. Mr Harris previously branded the proposal a “dog whistle to conspiracy theorists” while Mr Martin said it was a “dangerous departure”. Ms McDonald defended the idea during the RTE Prime Time debate on Tuesday. “Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she said. “There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this (the review proposal). “The BBC, for example, a peer review looked at their coverage on migration. Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so. “I think in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”Power of the Pen
PM hails cut in weekly inflation PM Shehbaz says that SPI had been recorded at lowest level on December 07 since October 04, 2018 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated the nation on further reduction in weekly inflation rate (SenAsitive Price Index-SPI) to 3.57 percent and reiterated the government’s commitment to take measures aimed at the economic progress. The prime minister observed that the SPI had been recorded at the lowest level on December 07 since October 04, 2018. “With the Grace of Allah Almighty and the efforts of the economic team, inflation has dropped to its lowest level in the last six years,” he said. He said that after achieving economic stability, the country was rapidly moving towards progress, adding that the surge in remittances, growing investment from the friendly countries and strengthening of diplomatic relations reflected Pakistan’s journey toward development. The prime minister said that their political sacrifices for the development and prosperity of the country did not go in vain as all the stakeholders were playing their positive role in this journey of progress and prosperity. He said that they were taking steps to provide employment, promote industrial growth and increase foreign investment. “I have vowed to work day and night to alleviate the hardships of the people as a servant and remain committed to all promises which I had made,” he said.You block, I’ll dodge‘My Driver & I’ Review: Ahd Kamel Pays Tribute to the Chauffeur Who Taught Her How to Take the Wheel of Her Life
BRYANT 97, TENNESSEE STATE 85Regina Daniels Celebrates Her Elder Brother’s Birthday On Social MediaI'm an American living in the UK... these are the FIVE things that are so different about our supermarkets Kobie Jordan is a content creator who documents life as an American in London Jordan highlighted differences in groceries available in US and UK supermarkets READ MORE: This is what shocks me about 'drinking culture' as American in UK By JOWENA RILEY Published: 13:14, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 13:16, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments An American man living in the UK has shared his shock at five stark differences between grocery shopping in Britain and back home. Kobie Jordan, a TikTok content creator known as @kjordyyy, often explores cultural contrasts between the two countries, both through street interviews with Brits and sharing his own experiences online. In a video uploaded in August, titled 'Grocery shopping in London as an American,' Jordan shared his observations whilst shopping for necessities in his local Sainsbury's supermarket. Filming his visit, the content creator singled out specific items while weighing up the pros and cons of varieties available in supermarkets in both nations. The first thing that caught Jordan off guard was the sight of unrefrigerated eggs, as he panned his camera to dozens of cartons stacked neatly on shelves. He said: 'One of the first things that threw me off: the eggs are not refrigerated. 'Funny enough, I found the eggs last way longer than when I used to refrigerate them. For me, I put them on top of the microwave.' Next, Jordan noted that UK supermarkets appear to sell food in much smaller portions compared to their American counterparts, adding: 'The UK, you shop way more often, but you buy in smaller quantities.' Kobie Jordan, a TikTok content creator known as @kjordyyy, has shared his shock at five stark differences between grocery shopping in Britain and back home in the United States Read More I'm an American living in the UK... one of your favourite drinks made me want to throw up Pointing out that bulk purchases of items like giant condiment bottles were nearly impossible to find in British shops, he joked: 'You can't really buy things in bulk. Here, you can't buy ketchup the size of compact cars.' Fresh produce in the UK also puzzled Jordan, as he showed bags of potatoes, radish and pre-prepared lettuce as examples with expiration dates just days away. While displaying the items' "best before" dates of August 11 and August 8, he explained: 'Fresh produce expires more quickly than back home. At the time of filming this, it's August 7th.' 'Most of them won't last more than three days - but back home, our produce is pumped with so much preservatives.' Panning his camera at crates of baked beans stacked from the floor to the highest shelf in one aisle, he joked: 'But, of course, the bean section has no shortages, and was ironically the item that had the most stock.' One aspect of UK supermarkets Jordan praised was the absence of hidden taxes. He said: 'What you see is what you buy. So, if something is £2.75, you're going to leave paying £2.75. 'Back home, there's nothing worse than doing your whole shop and then realising, "Add 6% tax" to anything you buy.' The first thing that caught Jordan off guard was the sight of unrefrigerated eggs, as he panned his camera to dozens of cartons stacked neatly on shelves Jordan's observations sparked a lively discussion among viewers, with over 900 Brits, Americans, and even viewers from other countries sharing their thoughts. Regarding Jordan's observation on taxed goods, a baffled Briton asked: 'Why can’t America just put the full price you pay on things, can’t be that difficult??' Regarding produce, one Brit wrote: 'Our produce isn't full of preservatives, it's fresh. the UK has to import everything so it has a shorter life span Another commented: 'If a "fresh" product lasts longer it probably isn't for a good reason.' A third wrote: 'The reason why USA plastic packaged fruit/veg lasts longer is simply cause the USA fill the bags with nitrogen & not "air" which also contains oxygen & its stored in the store in fridges.' Meanwhile, commenters explained that in the US, eggs are washed to remove the protective membrane, which requires refrigeration, while in the UK, eggs remain untreated, allowing them to be stored safely at room temperature. Regarding his observation on eggs, one Brit wrote: 'Eggs are not in the fridge but everybody I know including me puts them in the fridge as soon as they’re home.' Another viewer, who claims to live in Africa, said: 'In Africa too we don’t refrigerate eggs. It’s only in USA and I wonder why? Jordan's observations sparked a lively discussion among viewers, with over 900 Brits, Americans, and even viewers from other countries sharing their thoughts Read More I'm an American living in the UK... this is what I thought of Greggs However, on American wrote: 'Americans wash the membrane off the egg that requires them to be refrigerated. We do backwards with everything.' Some viewers, meanwhile, warned Jordan that storing eggs on top of the microwave was a bad idea due to heat exposure, with one writing: 'Don't put anything on top of your microwave it will heat up each time as it gets hot after every use.' It comes after an American woman living in the UK has revealed the classic British sweets she cannot stand - much to the consternation of her followers online. Lisa Dollan is originally from Georgia in the United States but moved to Yorkshire after falling in love with her now-husband Paul after they met at a business conference in 2009. Taking to TikTok, where she has amassed over 1.2million followers under her handle Yorkshire Peach, Lisa shared common British confectionary items that she disliked. TikTok Share or comment on this article: I'm an American living in the UK... these are the FIVE things that are so different about our supermarkets e-mail Add comment
Prince Harry talks about the rumors of Meghan Markle's divorce( MENAFN - Caribbean News Global) By Madalaine Elhabbal The Little Sisters of the Poor welcomed a Christmas blessing earlier this week that could help them end their near-14-year religious liberty battle with the US government. On Monday afternoon, the Department of health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice in the federal Register stating that it has opted to withdraw rule changes to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) contraception mandate. Proposed by the Biden administration last year, the rule changes would have barred the nuns and other religious organizations from claiming exemptions to the ACA requirement that employers provide abortion and contraception coverage in their employee health plans. HHS stated that it decided to withdraw the Biden administration's proposed rules so the government could“focus their time and resources on matters other than finalizing these rules.” The health agency further cited extensive comments it received on the proposed changes as reasons to pump the brakes on imposing the alterations. The notice adds that“should the departments decide in the future that it is a priority to move forward with a rulemaking in this area,” it wants“to ensure that they will have the benefit of the most up-to-date facts and information on these important issues” while respecting religious objections to contraception. The religious liberty law group Becket celebrated the win this week.“Christmas came a little early this year,” the organization, which has represented the nuns in court, declared in a social media post on Monday. #BREAKING : Christmas came a little early this year. This afternoon, shortly after @WJMcGurn 's @WSJ column wishing religious organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor would have their ministries and their religious liberty rights protected, one threat to the Sisters... - BECKET (@BECKETlaw) December 24, 2024 Becket pointed to a Wall Street Journal column by Catholic writer William McGurn, who wrote on Dec. 23 that the nuns were hoping for“an end to the lawfare against them.” McGurn described religious liberty as both a historical“pillar of American liberalism” and“the heart of any liberal order and the key to civic peace.” The sisters' more than decade-long court battle dates back to 2011, when the Barack Obama administration required employers to provide cost-free coverage for contraceptives, sterilizations, and“emergency birth control” in employee health plans under the ACA. Although the sisters have celebrated two Supreme Court successes, in 2016 and 2020 , they are still fighting for their religious liberty in district courts in California and Pennsylvania, which have continued to pursue legal action to rescind the religious exemptions granted to the sisters by the US Supreme Court. “With the help of Becket, [the sisters] defeated the federal government at [the US Supreme Court] not once but twice and are still in court defending their ministry against a group of states led by California and Pennsylvania,” Becket continued on X. “Those court battles have been on ice for years due to the new contraceptive mandate rule that the Biden administration kept promising to issue.” In light of the latest development, Becket further called attention to the possibility that the sisters could potentially see a“final victory.” “California and Pennsylvania have no business suing the Little Sisters when presidential administrations of both parties have given religious exemptions to the sisters,” the religious liberty firm added. “One final thought: Suing nuns is never a good idea,” the group concluded. The post White House backs off contraceptive mandate, potential win for Little Sisters of the Poor appeared first on Caribbean News Global . MENAFN28122024000232011072ID1109038203 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.