magical looking sea creatures
Putin apologizes for 'tragic incident' but stops short of saying Azerbaijani plane was shot down MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people. He stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. The Kremlin said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike as the plane attempted to land on Wednesday. Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.” The Kremlin also says Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. Israel detains the director of one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals during a raid DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israel’s army has detained the director of one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals. The announcement on Saturday came after health officials said Israeli troops stormed the hospital and forced many staff and patients outside and told them to strip in winter weather. Israel’s military alleges the hospital director is a suspected Hamas operative and says it detained over 240 others. It acknowledges it ordered people outside and that special forces entered the hospital. It says it “eliminated” militants who fired at its forces. Kamal Adwan officials have denied that Hamas operates in the hospital. Abortions are up in the US. It's a complicated picture as women turn to pills, travel Even with abortion bans in place in most Republican-controlled states, the number of people obtaining them has grown slightly. That's part of a complicated picture of the impacts of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade two and a half years ago. Abortion pills are more common now. So is traveling to other states for care, often on journeys hundreds of miles long. Public support for the right to abortion has also increased since before the ruling. That's been reflected in most ballot measures to add the right to abortion to state constitutions being adopted. Drought, fires and deforestation battered Amazon rainforest in 2024 BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The Amazon rainforest staggered through another difficult year in 2024. A second year of record drought contributed to wildfires that worsened deforestation across the massive forest, which spans Brazil, Peru, Colombia and other Latin American nations and is a critical counterweight to climate change. There were some bright spots. Both Brazil and Colombia reported lower levels of deforestation compared to prior years. Experts say Amazon countries need to do more to strengthen cross-border collaboration and that the global community who reap the benefits of commodities from the rainforest also need to pitch in. Bloodied Ukrainian troops risk losing more hard-won land in Kursk to Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied by daily combat losses and demoralized by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk. Some want to stay in the region at all costs. Others question the value of having gone in at all. Battles are so intense that commanders are unable to evacuate their dead. Lags in communication and poorly timed operations have cost lives and commanders say they have little way to counterattack. The overstretched Ukrainians have lost more than 40% of the territory they won in the lightning incursion that seized much of Kursk in August. Afghan forces target Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says its forces hit several points inside Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes. Pakistan last Tuesday launched an operation to destroy a training facility and kill insurgents in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province. The strikes killed dozens of people. The ministry said Saturday that its forces hit points “serving as centers and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organized and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan.” Pakistan accuses the Taliban of not doing enough to combat cross-border militant activity, a charge the Taliban government denies. Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who instituted economic reforms, cremated in New Delhi NEW DELHI (AP) — Manmohan Singh, the former Indian prime minister widely regarded as the architect of the country’s economic reform program, has been cremated after a state funeral. The veteran leader, who was also credited for a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, died late Thursday at age 92. Singh’s body was taken Saturday to the headquarters of his Congress party in New Delhi, where party leaders and activists paid tributes to him and chanted “Manmohan Singh lives forever.” Later, his body was transported to a crematorium ground for his last rites as soldiers beat drums. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh was prime minister for 10 years until 2014. Sweden embarks on a sober search for more cemetery space in case of war GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AP) — Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they’ll never have to do. And that's to bury thousands of people in the event of war. The search follows new crisis preparedness guidelines from the country's civil defense agency and the military. The issue is seen in a new light after Russia's invasion of Ukraine led formerly neutral Sweden to join NATO. Sweden and Finland sent out updated civil preparedness guides in November with instructions on how to survive in war. The guides are similar to those in Denmark and Norway, though they don't mention Russia by name. Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film 'Romeo and Juliet,' dies at 73 LONDON (AP) — Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” has died, her family said on social media. She was 73. Hussey died on Friday, “peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones,” a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy. “Romeo and Juliet” won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting. Decades later, the pair brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures over nude scenes in the film they said they were coerced to perform. The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023. Winning ticket for $1.22 billion lottery jackpot sold in California, Mega Millions says At least one Mega Millions player has plenty of dough to ring in the New Year after drawing the winning number. After three months without anyone winning the top prize in the lottery, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night. The California Lottery said the winning ticket was sold at Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) on Rhonda Rd. in Cottonwood. The winning ticket matched the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and the gold Mega Ball 6. The identity of the winner or winners was not immediately known. The estimated jackpot was the fifth-highest ever for Mega Millions.
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After months of discussion with the NFL Players Association, the NFL has relaxed several rules around the policies on substance abuse and performance enhancing substances. "Last week, we reached agreement with the NFL on several beneficial changes to the policies," an NFLPA memo obtained by CBS Sports reads. The changes will be effective as of Dec. 6, according to a source. According to the memo, when there's a violation for a substance of abuse, the teams are now only informed of the penalty and not what the substance was, if the test was positive. Fines for a positive test related to substances of abuse have been reduced. Previously a first violation led to a fine of a half-game's paycheck, a whole game for a second violation and two games for a third violation. Now, there's a $15,000 fine for a first violation and a $20,000 fine for a second. Not until the third violation is there a fine of one game check. For years, missed tests have been counted as cumulative. That means if a player missed a test in his rookie year and then missed a test in his fifth year, he would be fined one game check for a second violation. Now, the count is reset to zero if there are no missed tests within a year (or a half-year after being discharged from the league's Substances of Abuse Program.) The league has increased the THC level (which is specific to the compound in cannabis) for a positive test from 150 ng/ml to 350 ng/ml. And according to the memo, players in the program may be tested for fentanyl "if clinically indicated." There will be no discipline for a positive test, but "failing to comply with a mandatory meeting regarding fentanyl will result in a $15,000 fine." And there will be a $15,000 fine for any player caught recording and posting the collection process on social media. For the Performance Enhancing Substances policy, the testing-window notification time has been extended. Players once had to test within three hours of notification, but now if a player is notified before morning activities, he must test before afternoon activities. Previously a suspended player couldn't be reinstated until he tests negative for the performance enhancing substance. Now the player will be reinstated "if the presence of a substance(s) provides no performance enhancing effect," according to the memo. And just like the policy on substances of abuse, the PES policy now allows for missed tests to reset to zero after no missed tests in a year.
Broncos can wipe away back-to-back heartbreakers and make playoffs by beating Kansas CityBy Chidimma C. Okeke There seems to be a stalemate at the University of Abuja over the appointment of a new vice chancellor following disagreement between the Council and some members of the Senate of the university. A story broke out on Tuesday, saying professors were protesting over the process of selecting a new vice chancellor for the university, during which reporters from a certain media house covering the activities were manhandled and their vehicle vandalised. Daily Trust received a report by some members of the Senate alleging that they were beaten up while going ahead with a meeting after the one earlier scheduled by the university authorities was cancelled, a claim the university denied, saying the first meeting was called by the Council, and when it was evident that the major topic of discussion would not likely be resolved, it was postponed. Daily Trust gathered that trouble started after the federal government last week gave an order for the university to complete the processes of selecting a new vice chancellor by December 31, as the time stipulated by law for the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, to be on the saddle will elapse on January 3, 2025. Wike not running FCTA based on religion, aide replies MURIC North should benefit more from ‘renewed hope’ agenda – Arewa youths The order from the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, therefore put the Council on its toes to complete the processes, which informed the decision to hold the meeting yesterday. However, there were claims that the University Council, which has two representatives from the Senate of the university, who are collectively saddled with the responsibility of selecting the new VC, allegedly selected three names out of 87 names shortlisted, from which the meeting was supposed to choose who to become the vice chancellor. While some Senate members of the university alleged that the meeting was at the instance of the acting vice chancellor, some sources countered that saying it was the Council that called for the meeting in line with laws establishing the university. The Senate members said they were supposed to have the meeting by 9am but it was shifted to 11:30am. A source from the Senate said: “After shifting the meeting, members waited patiently. At 12.03pm the Deputy Vice Chancellor Admin, Professor Philip Uso Afaha, came in to tender the apologies of the Acting VC, Prof Aisha Maikudi, that the meeting had to be suspended at the request of the chairman of the council to give room for further consultations. “Members were incensed and shouted at Afaha to go away and that the apology was not accepted. Prof. Afaha left in an unpleasant scene. Thereafter, members decided to hold a meeting to take a resolution of Senate members and forward same to the Council chairman.” The source said Prof. Muhammad Abdullahi Katcha, who was a former deputy vice chancellor in the university, was nominated to chair the meeting and Prof. Atimga took minutes and resolution. The source said there were no fewer than 80 Senate members. He alleged that while the meeting was going on, the vigilante operatives in the university were allegedly unleashed on members. “Tables and chairs were turned upside down with members falling and tumbling as they scampered for their safety,” he said. When contacted, Professor Katcha confirmed that he presided over the meeting after his colleagues endorsed him. He also said they had passed a vote of no confidence on the acting vice chancellor, as well as the two members from the Senate that were coopted in the Council. “Some elderly members of the Senate were injured by the mob,” Prof. Katcha said, adding that they would pass their resolution to the Council. Council’s resolution is based on law – Dean However, while countering the claims of some of the Senate members, the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Abubakar Kari, who spoke to Daily Trust, denied the allegations saying the meeting was actually postponed following the absence of two of the Senate members who were supposed to be part of the meeting. He said he was present at the meeting and left after the announcement of the postponement. Prof. Kari said the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board comprises five members, including three Council members and two Senate members who are clearly defined to make the final selection and to be chaired by the pro-chancellor who is also the chairman of the Council. “The two people representing the Senate now wrote a complaint of a sort alleging that the council has taken over their job. They claim that they are the ones to do the shortlisting and to set up the criteria, which is actually not correct,” he said. He said a meeting was, therefore, rescheduled to address the issue and the two members from Senate staged a walkout that they would not do the job. “So, the pro-chancellor now wrote a letter to the management directing them to convene a Senate meeting to replace those that staged a walkout since they don’t want to do the job. He said with the intervention of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senate meeting was scheduled but later shifted as a result of their (ASUU) plea that they would bring back the two revolting Senate members to complete the processes. “So they (two Senate members in the council) addressed some journalists. I don’t know who and who, but Channels (team) was part of it. And so I think it was when Channels crew were leaving, that our security people now felt offended that somebody brought in the media, so I think deflated their tyres. “People didn’t even know that somebody addressed the press because we were inside the Senate chambers. Then we started reading on social media that professors were beaten up and that there was a problem in the university which is not true. “Eventually, the pro-chancellor pleaded again that the meeting should not take place today (Tuesday) until Friday because ASUU is still intervening,” he said. Prof. Kari alleged that the other side was bent on creating tension in the university. “They don’t want a new VC to emerge until after January 3, when the time of the acting VC will elapse, so that probably, they can now manipulate and change things or whatever,” he claimed. When Daily Trust reached out to ASUU, it said “no comment”. Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You. selection Stalemate at UniAbuja VC
For the first time in 15 years, Hanukkah and Christmas coincide in 2024: The Jewish holiday begins with the first candle lighting at sundown on Christmas Day. These holidays are an important affirmation of our religious heritage. America was established on a biblical worldview, and it can’t survive without it. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Our form of government makes no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith, and I don’t care what it is.” Ike was not saying that religious differences are unimportant, but that faith itself is what matters. George Washington — another soldier turned statesman — cautioned in his Farewell Address that “religion and morality are indispensable supports” of political prosperity. His successor, John Adams, said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” President Ronald Reagan warned, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” Today, we are a nation adrift in a sea of doubt. According to a March Gallup survey, only 30% of Americans now attend religious services regularly, while 56% seldom or never do so. Those who don’t identify with any religion (the “nones”) rose from 13% in 2010 to 21% today. Is it so surprising then that in an Emerson College poll, 41% of adults under 30 said the cold-blooded killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was “acceptable”? This is what comes from not teaching religion to the young but instead allowing them to absorb the values of the secular culture. All of our most intractable problems — including crime, drug abuse and depression — are related to a weakening of faith. In its 12-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous explains: “Accepting a higher power helps you to see life from a different perspective and creates a sense of accountability.” Religious people are happier, healthier and more involved with their family and community. The left, which has an instinctive aversion to religion — Karl Marx called it the “opium of the masses”— keeps casting about for a substitute. The French Revolution created a Cult of Reason to replace Christianity and set up an altar to it in Notre Dame Cathedral. In 2024, the Democratic Party tried to turn democracy (a word found nowhere in America’s founding documents) into a religion. In his 2022 speech at Independence Hall , President Biden indicted his predecessor as a threat to democracy. Mr. Biden used Independence Hall as a prop without any understanding of its real significance. The Declaration of Independence, which was signed there, speaks of unalienable rights endowed by the Creator. If such a document were produced today, progressives would be screaming that the authors had violated the mythical wall separating church and state. Democrats saw the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol not as trespass and vandalism but as heresy — the pagans committing acts of sacrilege in the temple of democracy. The failure of their attempts to deify democracy may be seen in the results of the 2024 election: President-elect Donald Trump became the first Republican in 20 years to receive a majority of the popular vote . As supreme allied commander in Europe during World War II, Eisenhower was as responsible as anyone for our victory. When our forces began liberating the death camps, the future president was so moved by the horrors uncovered that he was determined to document them. On April 12, 1945, Eisenhower visited Dachau in the company of Gens. George Patton and Omar Bradley. He wrote to Winston Churchill that the English language didn’t have words to describe what he saw. What he saw was a monument to depravity — to a government based on ideology, in this case, the master race theory — the only alternative to one based on religious values. Modernity has witnessed so many horrific examples of state power driven by ideology — the Reign of Terror, communism, the Holocaust, Islamism (a cult masquerading as a religion) and the soft totalitarianism of diversity, equity and inclusion. During the Revolutionary War, Valley Forge was the low point of the American cause. A famous painting by a contemporary artist shows Washington kneeling in the snow and praying outside the Continental Army’s encampment. Such faith has sustained us in every war and national crisis. The fight to maintain our religious heritage is far more important than tariffs or tax cuts. Adapted from The Washington Times .Sharon Stone reflects on brain hemorrhage in emotional message to younger selfThrissur (Kerala): LDF-backed Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese on Saturday accused CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar of making baseless allegations against him and questioned whether the former minister's intention was to push him toward joining the BJP. He alleged that Sunil Kumar seemed uninterested in him working with the ruling CPM, cooperating with the Left Democratic Front, and bringing changes to Thrissur by implementing new projects. Varghese's criticism came a day after Sunil Kumar vehemently attacked him over his meeting with BJP state president K Surendran on Christmas Day. Sunil Kumar had contested as the LDF candidate from the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the general election this year and lost to BJP's Suresh Gopi, who later became a Union Minister. A former minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Cabinet, Sunil Kumar claimed on Friday that receiving a cake from Surendran was part of a planned political move. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the Mayor rejected the allegations and said that the CPI leadership had not sought any explanation from him over the issue. He also mentioned that many of the councillors were convinced that the controversy was unnecessary, and that sharing a cake was not a "big deal". Claiming that he did not understand Sunil Kumar's real intentions, the Mayor said he had doubts about whether the CPI leader's goal was to get him expelled from his current position and push him toward the BJP. Varghese accused Sunil Kumar of trying to make him a scapegoat for his loss in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Thrissur. He also defended BJP state chief Surendran's visit and the sharing of a cake on Christmas Day. "I am convinced that Surendran's visit with the cake was very sincere," the Mayor said. Varghese also urged Sunil Kumar to explain BJP state president Surendran's revelation that the CPI leader had visited his house in Ulliyeri in Kozhikode, and in turn, he had visited Sunil Kumar's house in Anthikad in this district. Hours after the Mayor's strong-worded reply, Sunil Kumar stood by his statements but said he did not wish to add anything more. "I have said things very clearly, and there is no doubt about that. I don't want to create any fresh controversy or offer a new reply," he told reporters. CPI district secretary K K Valsan also sought to tone down the row, stating that there was no need to "politicise people sharing sweets during festivals and celebrations". "It should be seen as a personal matter... There is no need to see politics in it... That is CPI's stand," he said. The controversy reignited after CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar told a TV channel on Friday that the issue was not about the cake but reflected a larger concern regarding Varghese retaining the Mayor's post despite his apparent allegiance to the BJP. The CPI had previously demanded Varghese's removal, citing his allegedly shifting political loyalties. Varghese had also faced earlier criticism for meeting and welcoming Suresh Gopi, the BJP candidate at the time. During the BJP's Sneha Sandesha Yathra campaign, Surendran visited Varghese and offered him a Christmas cake, which sparked a political backlash. Sunil Kumar alleged that the gesture was deliberate, stating, "K Surendran did not offer cakes to any other mayor." He further claimed that Varghese, who was appointed under unique political circumstances, had previously worked for the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections. In the 55-member council, both the LDF and UDF hold 24 seats each, with the BJP holding six, making Varghese's position as an Independent councillor crucial to the balance of power. Malayalam actor and BJP leader Suresh Gopi defeated CPI candidate Sunil Kumar by a margin of 74,686 votes in the Thrissur constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.
Broncos can wipe away back-to-back heartbreakers and make playoffs by beating Kansas CityCaptain William Pitt in the early 1860s. Photo: supplied Unto us a Church is Given , written by Rev Roger Barker with Stuart Strachan, tells the 150-year history of St Barnabas Anglican Church in Warrington. Mr Barker’s association with the small coastal church began in 2004 when he was appointed vicar of the parish of Port Chalmers-Warrington. He was officially the vicar there for six years but remained associated with the church for about a further eight years. Now retired and living in Otaki, Mr Barker said the book was his "love letter" to St Barnabas. "There was something very special not only about the beautiful church, but the people there." As well as highlighting key periods in the church’s history, his book reveals the sometimes chequered past of people associated with the church, and including poisoning and penury. The first chapters explore the history of the church’s founders, Captain William Pitt and wife Annie. Mrs Pitt was from a wealthy Australian family, the Gellibrands. Capt Pitt was from "minor aristocracy", Mr Barker said. In the only known picture of Capt Pitt, which was reproduced in the book, he looked like an escapee from George Bernard Shaw’s play Arms and the Man , trying to portray "gravitas" in an ill-fitting military uniform, despite looking somewhat awkward, he said. St Barnabas Anglican Church in 1909. Photo: Otago Witness Mr Barker wondered how on earth someone like that, even given he married very well, could uproot himself from an army career in Australia, land in an underdeveloped neck of the woods in New Zealand, and plant a seed that has now grown into a 150-year-old story. In 1866, the 400-acre (160ha) "Warrenton Park Farm" in Blueskin was advertised for sale in the Otago Daily Times , and Capt and Mrs Pitt bought it, moving in August 1866. Mrs Pitt’s brothers, the Gellibrands, purchased the property as trustees of her marriage settlement. A large set of stained glass windows inside St Barnabas Anglican Church once destined for a much larger church in Australia. Photo: Simon Henderson Despite receiving £1000 from a "Mrs Pitt" in England, probably his mother, he soon borrowed another £500 for farm stock and equipment. His farming efforts failed, and by 1870 he was bankrupt, again having to rely on family to help. Other tales in the book relate to James and Louisa Smith, Mrs Pitt’s sister and brother-in-law. The current day St Barnabas Anglican Church. Photo: Sam Henderson The couple moved to Dunedin in 1865 and were to become very involved in the early days of the church, Mrs Smith being given the honour of laying the foundation stone. These tales and many more relay the history of the church over 150 years, since its building in 1872. Stuart Strachan helped uncover some of these details, as well as providing photographs for the book, copy-editing and seeing the book through to production. sam.henderson@thestar.co.nzOak Woods Acquisition Co. ( NASDAQ:OAKUW – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 15,800 shares, an increase of 58.0% from the November 30th total of 10,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 7,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.2 days. Oak Woods Acquisition Price Performance Oak Woods Acquisition stock opened at $0.05 on Friday. Oak Woods Acquisition has a 1-year low of $0.02 and a 1-year high of $0.07. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $0.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $0.03. Oak Woods Acquisition Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) See Also Receive News & Ratings for Oak Woods Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oak Woods Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .