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Thirman Milner, Hartford Mayor Who Broke Race Barrier, Dies at 91Ruling on Monday after an emergency hearing at Belfast High Court, judge Mr Justice McAlinden rejected loyalist activist Jamie Bryson’s application for leave for a full judicial review hearing against Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn. The judge said Mr Bryson, who represented himself as a personal litigant, had “very ably argued” his case with “perseverance and cogency”, and had raised some issues of law that caused him “some concern”. However, he found against him on the three grounds of challenge against Mr Benn. Mr Bryson had initially asked the court to grant interim relief in his challenge to prevent Tuesday’s democratic consent motion being heard in the Assembly, pending the hearing of a full judicial review. However, he abandoned that element of his leave application during proceedings on Monday, after the judge made clear he would be “very reluctant” to do anything that would be “trespassing into the realms” of a democratically elected Assembly. Mr Bryson had challenged Mr Benn’s move to initiate the democratic consent process that is required under the UK and EU’s Windsor Framework deal to extend the trading arrangements that apply to Northern Ireland. The previously stated voting intentions of the main parties suggest that Stormont MLAs will vote to continue the measures for another four years when they convene to debate the motion on Tuesday. After the ruling, Mr Bryson told the court he intended to appeal to the Court of Appeal. Any hearing was not expected to come later on Monday. In applying for leave, the activist’s argument was founded on three key grounds. The first was the assertion that Mr Benn failed to make sufficient efforts to ensure Stormont’s leaders undertook a public consultation exercise in Northern Ireland before the consent vote. The second was that the Secretary of State allegedly failed to demonstrate he had paid special regard to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK customs territory in triggering the vote. The third ground centred on law changes introduced by the previous UK government earlier this year, as part of its Safeguarding the Union deal to restore powersharing at Stormont. He claimed that if the amendments achieved their purpose, namely, to safeguard Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, then it would be unlawful to renew and extend post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK. In 2023, the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the trading arrangements for Northern Ireland are lawful. The appellants in the case argued that legislation passed at Westminster to give effect to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement conflicted with the 1800 Acts of Union that formed the United Kingdom, particularly article six of that statute guaranteeing unfettered trade within the UK. The Supreme Court found that while article six of the Acts of Union has been “modified” by the arrangements, that was done with the express will of a sovereign parliament, and so therefore was lawful. Mr Bryson contended that amendments made to the Withdrawal Agreement earlier this year, as part of the Safeguarding the Union measures proposed by the Government to convince the DUP to return to powersharing, purport to reassert and reinforce Northern Ireland’s constitutional status in light of the Supreme Court judgment. He told the court that it was “quite clear” there was “inconsistency” between the different legal provisions. “That inconsistency has to be resolved – there is an arguable case,” he told the judge. However, Dr Tony McGleenan KC, representing the Government, described Mr Bryson’s argument as “hopeless” and “not even arguable”. He said all three limbs of the case had “no prospect of success and serve no utility”. He added: “This is a political argument masquerading as a point of constitutional law and the court should see that for what it is.” After rising to consider the arguments, Justice McAlinden delivered his ruling shortly after 7pm. The judge dismissed the application on the first ground around the lack consultation, noting that such an exercise was not a “mandatory” obligation on Mr Benn. On the second ground, he said there were “very clear” indications that the Secretary of State had paid special regard to the customs territory issues. On the final ground, Justice McAlinden found there was no inconsistency with the recent legislative amendments and the position stated in the Supreme Court judgment. “I don’t think any such inconsistency exists,” he said. He said the amendments were simply a “restatement” of the position as set out by the Supreme Court judgment, and only served to confirm that replacing the Northern Ireland Protocol with the Windsor Framework had not changed the constitutional fact that Article Six of the Acts of Union had been lawfully “modified” by post-Brexit trading arrangements. “It does no more than that,” he said. The framework, and its predecessor the NI Protocol, require checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. Under the arrangements, which were designed to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. This has proved highly controversial, with unionists arguing the system threatens Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom. Advocates of the arrangements say they help insulate the region from negative economic consequences of Brexit. A dispute over the so-called Irish Sea border led to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022, when the DUP withdrew then-first minister Paul Givan from the coalition executive. The impasse lasted two years and ended in January when the Government published its Safeguarding the Union measures. Under the terms of the framework, a Stormont vote must be held on articles five to 10 of the Windsor Framework, which underpin the EU trade laws in force in Northern Ireland, before they expire. The vote must take place before December 17. Based on the numbers in the Assembly, MLAs are expected to back the continuation of the measures for another four years, even though unionists are likely to oppose the move. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has already made clear his party will be voting against continuing the operation of the Windsor Framework. Unlike other votes on contentious issues at Stormont, the motion does not require cross-community support to pass. If it is voted through with a simple majority, the arrangements are extended for four years. In that event, the Government is obliged to hold an independent review of how the framework is working. If it wins cross-community support, which is a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists, then it is extended for eight years. The chances of it securing such cross-community backing are highly unlikely.Edge Computing Market: Growth to $192.4B by 2031, 37.09% CAGR
ISLAMABAD: The country’s economy has demonstrated sustained positive developments during the first five months of the current fiscal year, with prudent fiscal management and strategic reforms paving the way for sustainable economic growth, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday. "Macroeconomic fundamentals have strengthened, marked by a further deceleration in CPI inflation with stable food prices, effective fiscal consolidation resulting in a fiscal surplus, current account surplus supported by increased exports and remittances, and an accommodative monetary policy stance,” the finance ministry said in its monthly economic report. According to the report, these developments have bolstered business and consumer confidence, reflected in significant private-sector credit uptake and a sharp rise in the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The report added that efforts were afoot to ensure the agriculture sector achieves self-sufficiency for Rabi 2024-25 as the government has set a wheat production target of 27.920 million tonnes from an area of 9.262 million hectares. To achieve this target, concerted efforts were underway to ensure the timely availability of essential farm inputs, including agricultural credit, quality seeds, fertilizers, and mechanization support. Meanwhile, agriculture credit disbursement reached Rs925.7 billion during July-November FY2025, an increase of 8.5% compared to Rs853.0 billion during the same period last year. The report stated, in October 2024, large-scale manufacturing (LSM) recorded a marginal Year-on-Year (YoY) growth of 0.02%, signalling a positive shift from the significant contraction of 5.79% observed in October 2023. This hints at a gradual recovery in economic activity amidst ongoing challenges. The auto industry performed well during July-November 2025, as production and sales of all vehicles grew by 25.2% and 24.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation recorded at 4.9% on YoY basis in November 2024 as compared to 7.2% in the previous month and 29.2% in November 2023. Updating about the revenues, the report said, that during July-November FY2025, FBR tax collection grew by 23.3% to Rs 4,295 billion against Rs 3,485 billion last year. Within total, direct taxes rose by 27%, sales taxes by 23.6%, FED by 25.1% and customs duty by 8.0%. According to the Federal Fiscal Operations July-October, FY2025, net federal revenues grew by 71.8% to Rs 4,822 billion. This growth was primarily driven by a sharp increase in nontax collection, which grew by 101.2% to Rs 3,192 billion. Similarly, tax collection increased to Rs 3,443 billion against Rs 2,748 billion last year. Prudent expenditure management helped contain the expenditure growth to 20.6% relative to high revenue growth. In absolute, total expenditures reached Rs.4472 billion against Rs.3707 billion last year. Consequently, the fiscal balance posted a surplus of Rs.495 billion (0.4% of GDP) against a deficit of Rs.862 billion (-0.8% of GDP) last year. Similarly, primary surplus increased to Rs 3,124 billion (3.0% of GDP) against a surplus of Rs 1,430 billion (1.4% of GDP) last year. The external account position has significantly improved, driven by notable increases in exports and remittances despite a rise in imports. During July-November FY2025, the current account posted a surplus of $944 million compared to a deficit of $1,676 million last year. In November 2024 alone, the current account recorded a surplus of $729 million, compared to a deficit of $148 million in November 2023. This represents the fourth consecutive monthly surplus, following a $346 million surplus in October 2024. During July-November FY2025, goods exports increased by 7.4%, reaching $13.3 billion compared to last year, while imports recorded at $23.0 billion, against $21.2 billion last year (8.3% increase). This has resulted in a goods trade deficit of $9.7 billion, reflecting a slight increase from $8.8 billion last year, while maintaining a steady overall trade momentum. Meanwhile, during November 2024, the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment registered 60,492 workers for employment, compared to 77,316 in October 2024 and 81,427 in November 2023. The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), in collaboration with its 24 partner organisations, distributed 21,195 interest-free loans amounting to Rs 994 million. On future prospects, the report said, to achieve the target of FY2025 and sustain economic recovery, the government was cognizant to achieve the crop production targets by facilitating the farmers to achieve the desired production level. However, weather conditions may pose challenges, as below-normal rainfall may lead to water stress during the critical emerging stage of Rabi crops like wheat and barley, especially in rain-fed agricultural zones. On industrial front, despite challenges in certain sectors that remain in negative territory, the economy’s resilience is underscored by the robust performance of high-weighted sectors, which continue to drive LSM in October. Moreover, the further easing of monetary policy in December is expected to stimulate economic activity. The rising demand for credit, especially from private sector, is a positive signal of growing confidence in the economy. This momentum is poised to accelerate, fostering higher production levels and enhanced economic output in the coming months. On external front, it is expected that hard-earned stability will continue on the back of remittances and exports inflows with decent imports. This will be complemented by exchange rate stability and contained inflation — which is anticipated to remain within the range of 4.0- 5.0% for December 2024. Moreover, improved fiscal performance during July-October, driven by higher revenues and prudent expenditure management, is expected to create fiscal space for development spending and support sustainable economic growth, going forward.The Chronicle's 2024 All-Area Football Team
An American missile defense system was used for the first time to intercept a retaliatory attack launched by Yemen’s Houthis rebels at Israel’s central airport overnight as threats continue to escalate between the Jewish state and Iran’s terror proxies. The projectile, targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, was intercepted outside Israel’s airspace using a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that was deployed by the United States in Israel this year, Reuters reported , citing an anonymous source. “18 years I’ve been waiting for this,” an American soldier could be heard saying in footage posted to social media showing the THAAD system launching an interceptor. President Biden placed the anti-missile system, along with about 100 US soldiers, in Israel to help defend the country following Iran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack on the Jewish state, the outlet reported. The THADD system generally consists of six, truck-mounted launchers, 49 interceptors and radio and radar equipment, with 95 soldiers needed to operate. The latest attack — the fifth in the past eight days — triggered air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas overnight. Flights were reportedly halted for 30 minutes and about 18 people suffered minor injuries escaping to bomb shelters, The Times of Israel reported . Israel launched a multi-wave attack across Yemen on Thursday in retaliation for Houthi missiles and drone strikes, hitting key infrastructure like Sana’a International Airport in the Yemeni capital, as well as power plants in Aziz and Ras Cantib. Israel Defense Forces warplanes also took out key infrastructure in the ports of Hodeidah, al-Salif and Ras Cantib on Yemen’s western coast. Israel said the facilities it targeted were used by Houthi terrorists to shuttle Iranian weapons to the region, and demonstrated how the group uses “civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes.” At least six people were killed during the attack, according to Houthi-run media. Houthi rebels have been a continuous thorn in the side of both Israel and international shipping companies since Hamas attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023. They have repeatedly attacked cargo and tanker ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and have also launched missiles and drones at US forces stationed in the region. The Houthis have previously promised to continue their harassment of Israel so long as the war in Gaza persists. At least 200 missiles and 170 drones have been launched into Israel by the terror group in the past year. With Post wiresSuchir Balaji , a 26-year-old Indian-origin former OpenAI employee, was discovered dead in his Buchanan Street apartment on Thanksgiving Day last week. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death as suicide, with no signs of foul play. Days after, his mother Poornima Ramarao has opened up about her son’s death. In an interview with Business Insider, his mother revealed that Balaji had grown increasingly disillusioned with artificial intelligence (AI), particularly OpenAI’s shift toward commercialization with ChatGPT . Poornima Ramarao said, “He felt AI is a harm to humanity,” describing how her son, Suchir Balaji, transitioned from boundless optimism about AI’s potential to profound skepticism. Reflecting on his tragic death, she added, “It doesn’t look like a normal situation.” Suchir Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before resigning in August this year. One of his early contributions, a project called WebGPT , is credited with laying the groundwork for ChatGPT. Balaji had openly voiced concerns about potential copyright violations by OpenAI and other AI firms, particularly the use of copyrighted material to train generative AI models like ChatGPT. These concerns drew attention amid a growing wave of lawsuits from writers, programmers, and journalists accusing AI companies of unauthorized use of their work. OpenAI issues statement Expressing its condolences following the passing of the former researcher, OpenAI has released a statement on Thursday, December 26. The company confirmed its support for Balaji's family during this challenging time. The statement, shared on OpenAI's newsroom, marks exactly one month since Balaji's death on November 26. “We were devastated to learn of this tragic news and have been in touch with Suchir's family to offer our full support,” the statement read. “Our priority is to continue to do everything we can to assist them.”