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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law marks a new warning for the worldwide fragility of democracy, even in a country hailed as a model of political transformation. Yoon's overnight attempt to shut down political activity, censor media and lock out opposition lawmakers stunned South Korea's longtime ally, the United States, which said it had no advance warning and issued a statement of concern. South Korea's transition to elected rule since a mass uprising in 1987 had been seen as so thorough that the United States increasingly spoke of its ally as a global partner. Meanwhile, Seoul billed itself as a new, ideal hub for international media as China clamped down on Hong Kong. President Joe Biden had even chosen Yoon as the host in March of his final Summit for Democracy -- a signature initiative of the outgoing US leader, who sought to champion liberal values globally, in an unstated repudiation of Donald Trump, who returns to the White House next month. But observers, while stunned by Yoon, said there were warning signs. Danny Russel, a top US diplomat for Asia under former president Barack Obama and who earlier served in South Korea, pointed to the deadlock in parliament where the opposition repeatedly sought impeachments against Yoon's administration. Yoon's move "was a complete surprise to me (but) yes, there were very obvious structural forces at work," he said. "There is a radically polarized political scene in Korea. The opposition has been pursuing scorched-earth political obstruction tactics," he said. But he pointed to the quick, large-scale protests that erupted after Yoon's declaration as a sign of a vibrant civil society ready to defend democracy. "One certainly would hope that this would serve as a wake-up call to both the ruling conservative party and the progressive opposition that both sides have gone too far and that there needs to be some process of reconciliation, of dealing with legitimate differences and grievances." Yoon himself had earlier shown signs of authoritarianism. In a national address last year, Yoon raged against supposed communists who have "disguised themselves as democracy activists, human rights advocates or progressive activists." A prosecutor, Yoon narrowly won the 2022 election on a platform of economic reform and advocated close ties with the United States as well as historic rival Japan. But his popularity swiftly slid and the opposition won the National Assembly. Celeste Arrington, a Korea expert at George Washington University, noted that Yoon had never held elected office before and had become increasingly frustrated. "This is really an extreme move that may signal, I think, the president's lack of political experience," she said. She said that martial law showed "some cracks in democracy" but that the quick reversal "gives me hope in the health and strength and vibrancy of democracy in South Korea." Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, expected Yoon's career to be over after attempting martial law, which constitutionally can only be imposed for wars or other emergencies. "Yoon's action is a damning reversal to decades of South Korean efforts to put its authoritarian past behind it," he said. The number of democracies worldwide soared starting in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union collapsed and student-led uprisings brought reforms elsewhere. But globally, democracy has been in retreat for the last 18 straight years, according to the Washington-based group Freedom House, which promotes political liberty. Democratically elected leaders have taken increasingly authoritarian steps in countries as diverse as India, Turkey and Hungary. V-Dem, another closely watched democracy index, had most recently ranked South Korea third in Asia after Taiwan and Japan. In the United States, Trump has rejected long-held norms, refusing to accept he lost to Biden four years ago -- culminating in his supporters violently rampaging through the US Capitol. Trump's rejection of democracy ultimately worked out for him: campaigning on the rage of 2020, he won last month's election. But experts said Yoon's power play -- and its reversal -- could in fact show a victory for democratic values. "Yoon is a deeply unpopular and ineffectual leader, but there was nothing I saw of people being dissatisfied with the way government runs," Alan Yu, a senior vice president at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said after a recent trip to Seoul. Darcie Draudt-Vejares of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that with the swift response to Yoon, "this crisis may ultimately strengthen Korean democracy by reaffirming civilian control and demonstrating institutional resilience." sct/nroWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision to break his word and pardon his son Hunter has spurred a broader discussion about what else he should be doing with the broad clemency powers of the presidency before he leaves office in January, including whether he should be pardoning Donald Trump. Biden on Tuesday ducked questions about his son, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola. He dismissed shouted questions about the matter with a laugh during a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço at the presidential palace, telling the Angolan delegation: "Welcome to America." Biden was not scheduled to take questions from the press during his trip to Africa, and he has largely avoided interactions with reporters since President-elect Trump's victory last month. Biden's decision to offer his son a blanket pardon for actions over the past 11 years has sparked a political uproar in Washington, after the president repeatedly had said he would not use his extraordinary powers for the benefit of his family. Biden claimed that the Justice Department had presided over a "miscarriage of justice" in prosecuting his son, using some of the same language that Trump uses to describe his own legal predicaments. Biden's reversal drew criticism from many Democrats, who are working to calibrate their approach to Trump as he prepares to take over the Oval Office in seven weeks. There is concern the pardon — and Biden's claims that his son was prosecuted for political reasons — will erode their ability to push back on the incoming president's legal moves. And it has threatened to cloud Biden's legacy as he prepares to leave office on Jan. 20. Hunter Biden is the closest presidential relative ever to be granted clemency, but other leaders have pardoned family members and close friends. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges after Roger Clinton had served his sentence. By the time Trump left office after his first term, he had issued 144 pardons, which included Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned fervent supporters Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and other people convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. In the months after the 2020 election, Trump and his allies were trying to overturn his loss, a failed effort that culminated in the violent riot by his supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. There were discussions at the time over whether Trump would preemptively pardon some of those involved in the effort — and maybe even himself — before he left office. But that never happened. Now, Democrats are having similar discussions about preemptive pardons on their side because of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail. He's made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. He talks about "enemies from within." He's circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He's also taken aim at Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris, promoting a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals to punish her because she was guilty of treason. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last week on Boston Public Radio that Biden might consider broad pardons to protect people against whatever wrath Trump may seek, but also as a way to move the country past this acrimonious and divided time. "I think that without question, Trump is going to try to act in a dictatorial way, in a fascistic way, in a revengeful first year at least of his administration toward individuals who he believes harmed him," Markey said. Presidents enjoy expansive pardon powers when it comes to federal crimes. That includes granting clemency to people who have not yet been charged, as President Gerald Ford did in 1974 when he pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. The decision at the time caused an uproar but has been seen in the ensuing decades as a move that helped restore order. Markey cited Ford's pardon as a way for the country "just to close that chapter and move on to a new era." Biden could do the same, Markey said, to help the country move on "to an agenda that deals with the ordinary families." Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, took it a step further and suggested Biden should even pardon Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, federal charges that are now evaporating with Trump's upcoming return to the White House. "Why don't you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges?" he said in an interview with CNN. "It would have gone down a lot more balanced. I'm just saying, wipe them out." At the same time, Democratic lawmakers and criminal justice reformers are pushing Biden to grant pardons to broad groups of Americans. Democrats Ayanna Pressley, Jim Clyburn and Mary Gay Scanlon wrote to Biden on Nov. 20, asking him to use his clemency powers to "address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration." The letter, also signed by 61 others, suggested Biden could use his powers to send a powerful message of criminal justice reform and "rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges." "We encourage you to use your clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers," they wrote. So far, Biden has pardoned 25 people. Most presidents tend to grant a flurry of clemency requests at the end of their terms, and it's likely Biden will do the same. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said Biden is "thinking through that process very thoroughly."

Manitoba Legislature gets festive makeover for annual Holiday Open HouseNone

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed a series of accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu's office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but "reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance. But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. ___ Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed.Gaetz's withdrawal highlights how incoming presidents often lose Cabinet nominees MARTIN, Tenn. (AP) — Losing a Cabinet nominee to the confirmation process isn’t unheard of for incoming presidents — including for Donald Trump when he was elected the first time. Matt Gaetz’s decision to pull his name Thursday from consideration for attorney general — amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation — represents the first indication of resistance that the president-elect could face from his own party to picks facing allegations of sexual misconduct or other questions. Other Trump picks have drawn negative attention as well, including Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. Vance takes on a more visible transition role as he works to boost Trump's most controversial picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 men convicted of charges related to human smuggling after scheme led to an Indian family’s death FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A prosecution spokesperson says a jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Northern California gets record rain and heavy snow. Many have been in the dark for days in Seattle FORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm with heavy snow and record rain that's moving through Northern California has toppled trees, closed roads and prompted evacuations in some areas after knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Washington and Oregon. Forecasters warn that the risk of flash flooding and rockslides will continue through Friday. The National Weather Service has extended a flood watch for areas north of San Francisco as a plume of moisture known as an atmospheric river inundates Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Up to 16 inches of rain is forecast in Northern California and southwestern Oregon. The storm system unleashed winds earlier this week that left two people dead and hundreds of thousands without power in Washington. Colorado funeral home owners accused of letting 190 bodies decay plead guilty to corpse abuse COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado funeral home owners accused of stashing 190 decaying bodies and giving grieving families fake ashes have pleaded guilty to corpse abuse. Jon and Carie Hallford entered the plea on Friday. Prosecutors say the owners of the Return to Nature funeral home began improperly storing bodies in a building outside Colorado Springs as far back as 2019. They allege the couple gave grieving families dry concrete in place of their loved ones’ cremains. Over the years, the Hallfords spent lavishly, buying luxury cars and laser body sculpting. That ended when the bodies were discovered last year. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping saga Blame it on the noodles. That's what one Chinese official suggested when anti-doping leaders were looking for answers for the doping scandal that cast a shadow over this year's Olympic swim meet. Earlier this year, reports that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart medication emerged. None were sanctioned because Chinese authorities determined the swimmers were contaminated by traces of the drug spread about a hotel kitchen. In a strange twist, the leader of China's anti-doping agency suggested this case could have been similar to one in which criminals were responsible for tainting noodles that were later eaten by another Chinese athlete who also tested positive for the drug.Nearly 2,000 American CEOs Quit In 2024, Setting New Record

King Charles and Queen Camilla have chosen a photograph taken in the garden at Buckingham Palace for their Christmas card. or signup to continue reading The image, captured by photographer Millie Pilkington in April, shows the smiling couple standing side by side on a sunny day. Camilla is wearing a blue wool crepe dress by Fiona Clare, while the King - hand in pocket - is wearing a grey suit and blue tie. The accompanying message reads: "Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year." The card features a more informal image than the one selected in 2023. Last year's picture was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand and showed the royal couple in the Throne Room at the Palace following the coronation. Christmas images used to decorate official festive cards are regularly released by senior members of the royal family, with the cards sent to friends, family and colleagues. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementSyria rebels enter strategic city of Homs – war monitor

A hot start moves Santa Margarita to No. 1 in the first Orange County Top 25 of the 2024-25 boys basketball season.COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — For a pair of lower-level downhill events, this sure had plenty of Olympic medal-capturing and World Cup-winning ski racers. The stage belonged to Lindsey Vonn, the 40-year-old who took another step on her comeback trail Saturday with her first races in nearly six years. Vonn wasn't particularly speedy and finished in the middle of the pack on a cold but sunny day at Copper Mountain. Times and places weren't the mission, though, as much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit this season. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races that she had enough points to enter World Cup events. The timing couldn't be more perfect — the next stop on the women's circuit is Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a week. Vonn, who used to own a home in nearby Vail, hasn't committed to any sort of timetable for a World Cup return. “Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again!” Vonn wrote on X. “While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove.” Lindsey Vonn reacts after her run at a downhill skiing race at Copper Mountain Ski Resort on Saturday in Copper Mountain, Colo. Her competition — a veritable who's who of high-profile ski racers — applauded her efforts. “I don't expect her to come back and win — just that she comes back and she has fun,” said Federica Brignone of Italy, a former overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist. “She's having fun, and she’s doing what she loves. That’s the best thing that she could do.” In the first race on a frigid morning, Vonn wound up 1.44 seconds behind the winning time of 1 minute, 5.79 seconds posted by Mirjam Puchner of Austria. In her second race through the course later in the morning, Vonn was 1.53 seconds behind Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who finished in 1:05.99. Huetter is the reigning season-long World Cup downhill champion. “It’s really nice to compare with her again, and nice to have her (racing) again,” Huetter said. “For sure, for the skiing World Cup, we have a lot of more attention. It's generally good for all racers because everyone is looking.” Also in the field were Nadia Delago of Italy, who won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Puchner, the Olympic silver winner in super-G in Beijing. In addition, there was Marta Bassino of Italy, a winner of the super-G at the 2023 world championships, and two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland. “For me, it was really a training, but it was fun to have a World Cup race level right here,” Gisin said. “It was a crazy race.” Vonn remains a popular figure and took the time after each run to sign autographs for young fans along with posing for photos. Lindsey Vonn competes in a downhill skiing race at Copper Mountain Ski Resort on Saturday in Copper Mountain, Colo. When she left the sport, Vonn had 82 World Cup race victories, which stood as the record for a woman and within reach of the all-time Alpine record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. The women’s mark held by Vonn was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now has 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport. Shiffrin is currently sidelined after a crash in a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, last weekend. Vonn’s last major race was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden. The three-time Olympic medalist left the circuit still near the top of her game. But all the broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments took too big a toll and sent her into retirement. She had a partial knee replacement last April and felt good enough to give racing another shot. “It's very impressive to see all the passion that Lindsey still has,” Gisin said. Also racing Saturday was 45-year-old Sarah Schleper, who once competed for the United States but now represents Mexico. Schleper was the next racer behind Vonn and they got a chance to share a moment between a pair of 40-somethings still racing. “I was like, ‘Give me some tips, Lindsey,’” Schleper said. “She’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a highway tuck, the whole thing.’ Then she’s like, ‘It’s just like the good old days.’" Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Get local news delivered to your inbox!Crews Remove Miles of Abandoned, Lead-Coated Telephone Cables From the Bottom of Lake Tahoe

Fatal Tesla Cybertruck crash in Piedmont being reviewed by federal agencyLindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhillsThe trains will keep rolling across NSW - for the next few weeks at least - after crisis talks and a major government concession averted strikes. Login or signup to continue reading Trains from Newcastle to Wollongong and across Sydney were due to lay dormant from Friday morning until Sunday night amid an escalating pay dispute between the state government and rail workers. The largest rail shutdown in living memory would have caused commuter chaos and an estimated $50 million dent in the economy. Thousands of Newcastle soccer and music fans from the Hunter were scrambling to make alternative travel arrangements with The Jets men's side scheduled to play at Allianz Stadium and Pearl Jam to play at Homebush's Engie Stadium. But late on Thursday, word of a short-term peace agreement filtered out of the talks between union heavyweights and government and onto platforms and carriages. The Labor government agreed in part to the rail union's demand to run trains 24 hours a day this weekend in return for lifting work bans. Some lines will run through Thursday night, many on Friday night and most on Saturday night - music to the ears of Pearl Jam and A-League ticketholders. "It's not the entire network, so we can still do ongoing maintenance and the bans will not be applied," Transport Minister Jo Haylen told reporters. Those 109 work bans, including crew travel limits, have increasingly disrupted the network in recent weeks. They will be lifted while parties take part in two weeks of intensive bargaining to try to reach a full agreement. In a message to members, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union said the government had "caved" to avert the "disastrous shutdown (sic) that the media have (been) playing up all week". "This is by no means the end but it is now well and truly within sight," the bulletin said. Premier Chris Minns and Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey both played key roles in the past 48 hours of negotiations, which the premier suggested were interrupted by little more than sleep and parliamentary question time. "I apologise for how long it takes but these are long-standing, very difficult, complex negotiations," he said. Mr Minns denied his involvement cast a poor light on his minister's abilities. "We're a team - when I need to get a breakthrough, I'll call in Jo," he said. The deal comes against a backdrop of the combined rail unions' demand for eight per cent pay rises annually - among almost 250 claims. The government says anything more than 11 per cent across three years is unaffordable. "Chris Minns says intensive negotiations begin today - what on earth has been happening for the past six months?" Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said on Thursday evening. "Only when the opposition and the media shame (him) into action, did he finally agree to meet the union." Services ran around the clock last weekend to ward off stop-work bans. In recent days, transport officials tried to draw a line in the sand, stressing that the maintenance disruptions made it unsustainable long-term. Analysis released on Thursday suggested a three-day strike would cause a hit of at least $50 million to businesses. The train network moves more than one million people on a typical day. Industrial action would have impacted many of the 700,000 retail and hospitality workers unable to work from home, unlike white-collar employees. Business Sydney said some members had already seen booking cancellations because of the threat to public transport. "It is good that the rail union and the government have stepped back from the abyss," executive director Paul Nicolaou said. "However, the threatened industrial action of this week should never have reached such a disturbing point." - With Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 23, 2024-- Duravant LLC (“Duravant”), a global engineered equipment and automation solutions provider to the food processing, packaging and material handling sectors, announced today that it has acquired POSS Design Limited (“POSS”), a leading manufacturer of protein processing solutions headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. POSS designs and builds innovative mechanical separation equipment, ancillary products and turnkey systems that maximize recoverable protein yields for high volume processors of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and other meats. POSS represents a strategic acquisition for Duravant as the company expands its investments in the rapidly growing protein sector. The best-in-class products and services offered by POSS are highly complementary and enhance Duravant’s capabilities to offer integrated automation solutions. “We are excited to welcome POSS to the Duravant family,” said Mike Kachmer, Chairman and CEO of Duravant. “Our partnership with POSS is a major step forward in our commitment to staying at the forefront of the protein industry, and we are excited about the new opportunities it will create for our customers and partners." Since 1978, POSS has been designing and building industry-leading separating solutions that increase throughput, minimize waste, and meet the growing capacity and efficiency needs of processors. Exclusively specializing in high quality mechanical separation technology, POSS has a broad range of products that provide custom solutions for a wide range of processing capacities. With engineering expertise to design turnkey systems that connect upstream and downstream equipment, POSS has established trusted relationships with many of the world’s leading protein processing brands. “We are thrilled to partner with Duravant as we embark on this new phase of growth,” said Ken Gulak, President of POSS. “Their global reach and advanced aftermarket capabilities through Duravant Lifecycle Services will allow us to expand into new markets and enhance the service we provide to our valued customers. We also are excited to collaborate with other Duravant operating companies such as Foodmate, Marelec, Henneken and Marlen.” About Duravant Headquartered in Downers Grove, IL, Duravant is a global engineered equipment company with manufacturing, sales and service facilities throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Through their portfolio of operating companies, Duravant delivers trusted end-to-end process solutions for customers and partners through engineering and integration expertise, project management and operational excellence. With worldwide sales distribution and service networks, they provide immediate and lifetime aftermarket support to all the markets they serve in the food processing, packaging and material handling sectors. Duravant’s market-leading brands are synonymous with innovation, durability and reliability. For more information, visit www.duravant.com . About POSS Headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, POSS is manufacturer and service provider of innovative and highly engineered mechanical separation equipment, ancillary products and turnkey systems that maximize recoverable protein yields for high volume processors of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and other meats. Since 1978, the company has consistently led the way in developing solutions that address the needs of animal protein processors, prioritizing quality and safety while optimizing productivity and yields. Dedicated and unwavering to delivering the highest level of customer satisfaction, POSS works closely with clients to identify the best solutions for their unique processing needs. For more information, visit www.poss-separators.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223938688/en/ CONTACT: Eleni Yianas Vice President, Marketing Eleni.yianas@duravant.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PACKAGING ENGINEERING RETAIL MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING FOOD/BEVERAGE MACHINERY SOURCE: Duravant LLC Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/23/2024 01:14 PM/DISC: 12/23/2024 01:12 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223938688/en

IBTM World 2024 Achieves Remarkable 10% Attendance Surge with Over 73,000 Business Meetings

The Australian Senate debates the world's first social media ban for children under 16Former prime minister Elisabeth Borne was named as Education Minister in the reshuffle. Gerald Darmanin, who served as Interior Minister between July 2020 and September 2024 under three prime ministers, returns as Justice Minister. Bruno Retailleau, a conservative who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, retains his post as Interior Minister. Rachida Dati keeps the culture portfolio while Jean-Noel Barrot and Sebastien Lecornu maintain their jobs leading the foreign affairs and defence ministries respectively. The composition of the cabinet was unveiled just before 7pm following a frantic weekend of negotiations. Xavier Bertrand, who had been offered the Justice Ministry, stated that he would not join Bayrou's government, because it had been formed with the approval of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN). Bayrou drafted Manuel Valls back into government as minister for overseas territories. The 62-year-old served as prime minister under President François Hollande between April 2014 and December 2016. His first assignment will be to implement a recovery programme for Mayotte which was devastated after Cyclone Chido swept through the Indian Ocean archipelago on 14 December. At least 35 people have been confirmed dead and more than 2,500 injured. The death toll is expected to rise due to the number of undocumented migrants in Mayotte. Other appointments include Éric Lombard as Minister of the Economy and François Rebsamen as minister in charge of decentralisation. Repeated delays The Elysee presidential palace said on Monday morning the new cabinet would not be announced before 6pm Paris time due to the day of mourning in France for the victims in Mayotte. Macron returns to political uncertainty after Mayotte, East Africa visit Bayrou , 73, who heads the liberal Democratic Movement (MoDem) party, promised to present a government last week. But his delay reflected the chaos swirling over the French body politic since President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last summer. The move backfired spectacularly. No party or alliance secured a majority. After weeks of bickering and manoeuvring, Macron named former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier prime minister on 5 September 2024. His reign ended ignominiously earlier in December when the far right and left joined forces to oust him and furnish him with the infamy of being the premier with the shortest tenure since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958. French lawmakers oust Prime Minister Barnier after just three months in office Macron appointed Bayrou on 13 December, hoping that his new administration would be presented before Christmas". "The length of this auditioning process ... is unbearable," far-right National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy told French broadcaster BFMTV-RMC. Bayrou says he wants to make sure his government can pass a budget for next year. But many commentators predict his premiership will rival Barnier for rapidity: many of the names adorning his cabinet featured in the past two governments that failed. Outgoing French government to present 'special' budget to avoid shutdown (with newswires)

No. 2 UConn falls again in Maui, losing 73-72 to Colorado on Jakimovski's off-balance layupS.Korea political upheaval shows global democracy's fragility - and resilienceHow Hoda Kotb Proved Ex Joel Schiffman Is Still Part of Her Family

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Stanley Tucci’s Best Plant-Forward Dishes, From Pasta e Ceci to Pitti FrittiWITH the growing focus on health and wellness, exercising outdoors has become a popular and energising way to stay fit for the elderly. This trend is flourishing in Penang, with a vibrant morning culture that sees senior residents starting their day with invigorating workouts. From lush parks and tranquil gardens to the scenic coastal promenade and recreational spaces, people of all ages can be seen engaging in various activities to break a sweat and boost their well-being. While some prefer the solitude of solo workouts, others embrace the camaraderie of group outings, where the collective energy makes exercise more enjoyable and refreshing. Group participants often sport coordinated T-shirts in vibrant colours, fostering a sense of unity and motivation. At Bukit Dumbar Park in Jelutong, upbeat music fills the air as fitness buffs gather for exercise and dance sessions led by HappyStar Fitness Dance group instructor Ricky Goh, 70. “There’s something for everyone here daily, except on rainy days. It’s free and everyone is welcome. People of all ages taking part in morning group exercises at DO Hill in Bukit Mertajam. “Here you can do stretching, Chinese aerobics, square dance, Zumba and even fan dance,” said Goh, a retired distribution manager who dedicates two hours each morning for exercise. Since starting the fitness dance group five years ago, Goh has experienced steady improvements in his health. “After I retired, I saw people dancing here during my morning walks. “I decided to start my own group workouts and after a while, it’s like a natural remedy. My body aches have vanished. “I feel much better throughout the day,” said Goh, who considered these sessions an essential part of his daily routine. His group has since grown to over 200 members and expanding beyond Penang to include another chapter set up by his students at a public park in Petaling Jaya. Among those inspired by these sessions is Azirah Daud, a former state dancer from Perlis. At 72, she continues her lifelong passion for dance, attending exercises regularly with daughter Adlynn Ainul Jamal, 50. Azirah: Music and dancing have been her passion since childhood. “Music and dancing have been my passion since childhood. “Despite having diabetes and high blood pressure, I’m glad to still dance and lead a healthy lifestyle,” added Azirah. For retired multinational company manager Molly Yeoh, 70, morning exercise at the public park is now a cherished ritual. “Throughout my 40-year career, I worked indoors and never had time for outdoor exercise. “I spent 10 years in Vietnam, working tirelessly from day to night. “Now, with regular exercise, my blood pressure has improved, and I feel more energised,” said Yeoh. Not all senior participants opt for intense workouts. Some prefer gentler activities such as walking along the park’s stone path for a soothing reflexology experience. Ooi Hock Chye, 71, views his daily walk as a social activity, where he often makes new friends. “A 15-minute walk on the stones boosts my blood circulation and helps ease morning body aches. Goh: Exercise is an essential part of daily routine. “Sometimes, I meet new people along the way,” he said. Sweat, swim and hike Other popular recreational spots in Penang are Penang Botanic Gardens, City Park and the linear park near Karpal Singh Drive on the island, as well as DO Hill, Mengkuang Dam and Taman Robina on the mainland, among others. In Tanjong Tokong, the Penang Swimming Club and Chinese Swimming Club are also highly favoured, attracting many including senior members who often begin their sessions as early as 5.30am as part of their daily routine. Many regular swimmers note that swimming, being a low- impact sport, reduces stress on muscles and joints, because much of the body’s weight is supported by water. Beyond the bustling city, there are dozens of hiking trails inviting those seeking to connect with nature. These trails offer stunning scenic views and the chance to breathe in the fresh, crisp air of misty mornings. Penang International Hiker chairman Sim Thean Seng, fondly known as Jungle Sim, said the island’s close proximity to hills made it a prime destination for hiking. Popular trails include Moongate and Station Five, which lead up to the iconic Penang Hill, as well as well-maintained parks with clear paths like Bukit Jambul and Cherok To’kun. “These spots offer both adventure and breathtaking views. “Our trails are accessible, offering various lengths and difficulty levels,” said the 65-year-old, who began hiking about 20 years ago. Ooi: Views daily walks as a social activity as he makes new friends. He now leads public hikes twice a month, often attended by 20 to 50 participants. His group boasts 300 members, with about 30% aged over 50. They actively collaborate with local schools and the Forestry Department to inspire young people to embrace the outdoors and contribute to the upkeep of the trails. Penang’s hiking community has launched several initiatives to support the growing number of outdoor enthusiasts. The Hikers Roundtable, a coalition of outdoor recreation groups, developed the MAS-Tags trail-marking system, enhancing navigation and safety along popular trails. Likewise, the Fire and Rescue Department also introduced the Check Point Tracker at Cherok To’Kun, allowing hikers to use their smartphones’ GPS to track their location and report it if needed. Ageing population It is reported that Penang’s senior citizen population is set to become the largest in the country in the next 20 years. Visitors catching the early morning sun at Bukit Dumbar Park. The United Nations Population Project predicts that by 2040, Penang will have the highest proportion of senior citizens in the country, with about 26.2% of its population aged 60 and above. According to the Statistics Department, Penang is now categorised as an ageing state, with almost 15% of its 1.77 million population being 60 years and above. The elderly population of those aged 65 and above in Penang has increased from 7% in 2021 to 7.4% in 2022, according to the Penang Socioeconomic report. Sports campaign In 2018, Penang introduced its “Sports for All” campaign to encourage residents of all ages and backgrounds to lead a more active lifestyle. The campaign promotes the idea that physical activities are accessible to everyone, not just athletes or the young. Free or affordable sports activities, workshops and events at schools and public spaces are organised to foster a more health-conscious and active society. In Penang, there is at least one large sports venue in each district for public use. Among them are Bertam Sports Complex (north Seberang Perai), Jalan Betek Sports Complex (central Seberang Perai), Penang State Stadium (south Seberang Perai), City Stadium (northeast district) and Balik Pulau Sports Complex (southwest district). Sporting events in Penang such as City Walk, City Ride, Love Penang Run, LovePenang Esport Championship, Penang Hill Heritage Forest Challenge, Glo-Walk, Bendang Run Balik Pulau and Penang Fellowship Ride have attracted thousands of participants. The Penang Bridge International Marathon, an iconic event, will be held on Dec 15 this year.None

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas military leader, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The announcement came as health officials in the Gaza Strip said the death toll from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000. The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. The ICC panel said there were reasonable grounds to believe that both Netanyahu and his ex-defense minister bear responsibility for the war crime of starvation and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Israel’s war has caused heavy destruction across Gaza, decimated parts of the territory and driven almost the entire population of 2.3 million people from their homes, leaving most dependent on aid to survive. Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here’s the Latest: WASHINGTON — The White House fundamentally rejects the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday. She said the Biden administration was “deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.” The Biden administration has increased its warnings and appeals to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to spare civilians in airstrikes and other attacks, and to allow more aid to reach Gaza. However, a 30-day Biden administration deadline came and went earlier this month for Israel to meet specific U.S. targets to improve its treatment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza trapped in the war. U.S. demands included that Israel lift a near-total ban on delivery of aid to hard-hit north Gaza for starving civilians there. KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The three children were playing outside a cluster of tents housing displaced people in the Gaza Strip when an Israeli airstrike killed them, along with six other people. It’s become a grim, near-daily ritual more than 13 months into the Israel-Hamas war, which local health authorities said Thursday has killed over 44,000 Palestinians. Israel carries out frequent strikes against what it says are militants hiding in civilian areas, and women and children are nearly always among the dead. Wednesday’s strike killed Hamza al-Qadi, 7, his brother Abdulaziz, 5, and their sister Laila, 4, in a tent camp in the southern city of Khan Younis. Areej al-Qadi, their mother, says they were playing outside when they were killed. “All that’s left of them are their notebooks, their books and a blood-stained jacket,” she said as she broke into tears. “They were children who did nothing.” The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the strike. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that 44,056 Palestinians have been killed and 104,268 wounded since the start of the war, which was ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel. Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people that day, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 people. The Health Ministry does not say how many of those killed in Gaza were fighters but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities. Israel, which rarely comments on individual strikes, says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. Hours after the ministry announced the latest toll, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas military leader. Mahmoud bin Hassan, the children’s father, said he buried them on Thursday. He asked when the international community would take action to stop the war. “When the entire Palestinian population has been killed?” he said. NEW YORK — Human Rights Watch applauded the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants issued Thursday against both Israeli and Hamas officials. The warrants “break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, Balkees Jarrah, said in a statement. The New York-based rights group earlier this month released a report saying Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing. JERUSALEM — Israeli prosecutors have charged a former aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with leaking classified documents to international media, apparently to protect the Israeli leader from criticism as a hostage deal was collapsing. Eli Feldstein, a former media adviser to Netanyahu, was charged Thursday with leaking classified information with the intent of harming state security and obstruction of justice. The leaked documents are said to have formed the basis of a widely discredited article in the London-based Jewish Chronicle — which was later withdrawn — suggesting Hamas planned to spirit hostages out of Gaza through Egypt, and an article in Germany’s Bild newspaper that said Hamas was drawing out the hostage talks as a form of psychological warfare on Israel. Critics say the leaks were aimed at giving Netanyahu political cover as the case-fire talks ground to a halt. Some have accused Netanyahu of resisting a deal in to preserve his governing coalition, which includes hard-line members who have threatened to bring down the government if he makes concessions to Hamas. The leaks came at a time of public uproar over the deaths of six hostages who were killed by their Hamas captors as Israeli soldiers were closing in. The indictment said the leaks were meant “to create media influence on the public discourse in Israel in regards to the handling of the hostage situation, after the news of the murder of six hostages.” The indictment identified two other Netanyahu aides as being connected to the scheme, but only Feldstein and an unidentified reservist in Israeli military intelligence were charged. Netanyahu, who denies the accusations, has not been identified as a suspect in the burgeoning investigation. Israeli media say if convicted, Feldstein could potentially face life in prison. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military has launched an investigation into the death of a 70-year-old Israeli man who entered Lebanon with Israeli forces and was killed in a Hezbollah ambush. Investigators are trying to determine, among other things, who allowed Zeev Erlich into the combat zone with the forces and why he was permitted to enter. According to Israeli media reports, Erlich was not on active duty when he was shot, but was wearing a military uniform and had a weapon. The army said he was a reservist with the rank of major and identified him as a “fallen soldier” when it announced his death. Erlich was a well-known West Bank settler and researcher of Jewish history. Media reports said Erlich was permitted to enter Lebanon to explore a local archaeological site. The army said a 20-year-old soldier was killed in the same incident, while an officer was badly wounded. The army announced Thursday that the chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, has appointed a team of experts “to examine and strengthen operational discipline and military culture” following the incident. It said its commander for northern Israel, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, would launch a separate “command inquiry,” while Israeli military police conduct a separate probe. Such investigations can lead to criminal charges. BEIRUT — At least 29 people were killed Thursday in Israeli strikes on different towns and villages across Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state-run media. In eastern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people in six different towns in Baalbek province, the health ministry and the National News Agency said. In Tyre province, southern Lebanon, three people were killed in an Israeli strike, the health ministry said. The health ministry Wednesday said that over 3,550 people have been killed in the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel, the majority following Israel’s escalation in late September. The European Union's foreign policy chief has underlined that the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas officials are a legal and not political matter, and that they are binding on all 27 EU member countries and other signatories to the ICC to implement. “The tragedy in Gaza has to stop," Josep Borrell told reporters during a visit to Jordan. “It is not a political decision. It is the decision of an international court of justice, and the decision of the court has to be respected, and implemented.” “This decision is a binding decision on all state parties of the court, which include all members of the European Union," he added. ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling partyhas welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamn Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling it a judgement made for the sake of “humanity.” Omer Celik, spokesman for the Erdogan’s party, said on the social media platform X that Netanyahu and Gallant would “eventually be held accountable for genocide.” Celik also criticised Israeli officials who described the ICC decision as antisemitic. Turkey is among the most vocal critics of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and has submitted a formal request to join a genocide case that South Africa has filed against Israel at the U.N.’s International Court of Justice. Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp, whose country hosts the International Criminal Court, has confirmed The Netherlands would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he arrived on Dutch soil. “The line from the government is clear. We are obliged to cooperate with the ICC ... we abide 100% by the Rome Statute,” he said in response to a question in parliament Thursday. Other European officials were more cautious. In France, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said he supported the International Criminal Court's prosecutor but declined to comment when asked more specifically if France would arrest Netanyahu if he were to step on French soil. “Today, combating impunity is our priority. We ratified the ICC Statute in 2000 and have consistently supported the court’s actions. Our response will align with these principles,” Christophe Lemoine told reporters at a press conference. Lemoine added that the warrants were “a complex legal issue ... It’s a situation that requires a lot of legal precautions.” In Italy, the foreign and justice ministries didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment about whether Italy, an ICC member which hosted the Rome conference that gave birth to the court, would honor the arrest warrant. Premier Giorgia Meloni hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March 2023 and has strongly supported Israel since Oct. 7, while providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. JERUSALEM — Israel’s mostly ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, has called the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a dark day for justice. A dark day for humanity.” In a post on X, he said the international court “has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity." Israel Katz, Israel’s new defense minister, said the decision was “a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the international judicial system to an unprecedented low.” He said it “serves Iran, the head of the snake, and its proxies.” Benny Gantz, a retired general and political rival to Netanyahu, also condemned the decision, saying it showed “moral blindness” and was a “shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten.” Hamas has welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court to issue warrants against Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, calling it an “important and historic precedent” after what it said was decades of injustice at the hands of a “fascist occupation.” The statement did not refer to the warrants issued for the militant group’s own leaders. Hamas called on all nations to “cooperate with the court in bringing the Zionist war criminals, Netanyahu and Gallant, to justice, and to work immediately to stop the crimes of genocide against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip.” DEIR AL-BALAH, The Gaza Strip — Bakeries have reopened in the central Gaza Strip after being closed for several days because of flour shortages. The shortages appear to have been linked to the looting of nearly 100 truckloads of aid by armed men in southern Gaza last weekend. Associated Press footage showed a crowd of hundreds pushing and shouting outside a bakery in the central city of Deir al-Balah on Thursday. The day before the reopening, the price of a bag of 15 loaves of pita bread had climbed above $13. “In my house, there is not a morsel of bread, and the children are hungry,” said Sultan Abu Sultan, who was displaced from northern Gaza during the war. The amount of aid entering Gaza plunged in October as Israel launched a major offensive in the isolated north, where experts say famine may be underway . Hunger is widespread across the territory, even in central Gaza where aid groups have more access. Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order make it difficult to deliver assistance. Israel’s offensive, launched after Hamas’ October 2023 attack, has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people. Hundreds of thousands are crammed into tent camps with little in the way of public services and are reliant on international food aid. NICOSIA — The president of Cyprus says the European Union must play a bigger role in the Middle East as it can no longer stand by as an observer. President Nikos Christodoulides said the 27-member bloc needs to establish closer ties with countries that bolster regional stability like Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states. “The conflict in the Middle East is taking place on the EU’s doorstep, in an area of vital interest to the bloc’s interests, where any escalation or regional spillover will have significant consequences on its security and stability,” Christodoulides told an Economist conference in the Cypriot capital. Christodoulides said EU member Cyprus for years has tried to get this message across to Brussels. The island nation earlier this year was the staging ground for a maritime corridor delivering some 20,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The EU is wracked by members’ divisions over how peace should come about in the Middle East THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory. The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire to end the 13-month conflict. But its practical implications could be limited since Israel and its major ally, the United States, are not members of the court and several of the Hamas officials have been subsequently killed in the conflict. Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have previously condemned ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for the warrants as disgraceful and antisemitic. U.S. President Joe Biden also blasted the prosecutor and expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. Hamas also slammed the request. The death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Health Ministry said 44,056 people have been killed and 104,268 wounded since the start of the war. It has said the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies are buried under rubble or in areas that medics cannot access. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250 . Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. Around 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, and hundreds of thousands are living in squalid tent camps with little food, water or basic services. Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in residential areas, where they have built tunnels, rocket launchers and other military infrastructure. JERUSALEM — A rocket fired from Lebanon killed a man and wounded two others in northern Israel on Thursday, according to the Magen David Adom rescue service. The service said paramedics found the body of the man in his 30s near a playground in the town of Nahariya, near the border with Lebanon, after a rocket attack on Thursday. Israel meanwhile struck targets in southern Lebanon and several buildings south of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, after warning people to evacuate.The European auto industry is facing a “perfect storm” in 2025. Analysts are predicting a tumultuous year for Volkswagen and Stellantis as declining sales, increasing emissions restrictions, and labor unrest beset the companies. Everybody is snickering up their sleeves about a decline in electric car sales when in fact they are doing quite well. Maybe not in the US, but around the world the EV revolution is in full swing, with more than half of all cars in China now sporting a receptacle for an EV charger. In Norway, the percentage is just a hair under 95 percent . Last week, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigned unexpectedly. The company has been struggling with declining sales both in Europe, where production of the electric Fiat 500e has been slowed or stopped several times this year, and in America, where the ever popular Jeep brand has been somewhat less popular this year. Jeep used to be a cash cow for whoever owned the brand and was considered a key asset when Stellantis was created out of the remains of the former Fiat Chrysler organization. Tavares’ resignation comes less than two months after the company announced he would retire at the end of his contract in early 2026. At the time, Stellantis said it planned to name a successor by the fourth quarter of next year. Stellantis said that the process leading to the appointment of a new CEO is “well under way” and that it expects to conclude the search during the first half of next year. Until then, the company said it will establish a new interim executive committee led by Chairman John Elkann. “Stellantis’ success since its creation has been rooted in a perfect alignment between the reference shareholders, the Board and the CEO. However, in recent weeks different views have emerged which have resulted in the Board and the CEO coming to today’s decision,” Henri de Castries, Stellantis’ senior independent director, said in a press release reported by CNBC . A Stellantis spokesman declined to disclose any additional information regarding the resignation. “The market will inevitably ask why the Stellantis board considered that not having a permanent CEO for some months was preferable to keeping the current CEO in situ,” Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska said in an investor note. “We struggle to identify any scenario under which these events can be positively spun as far as the stock price is concerned.” Stellantis on Sunday reconfirmed its previously lowered guidance for the year, which included an adjusted operating income margin of between 5.5 percent and 7 percent and industrial free cash flow between minus 5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) and minus 10 billion euros. Shares in Stellantis are down about 43 percent since the start of the year. The Volkswagen brand is facing an open revolt from its workers as it contemplates shuttering up to three factories in Germany, something that has never happened before in the long history of the company. CFO Arno Antlitz said at a conference hosted by Goldman Sachs in London on December 5, 2024, that Volkswagen Group needs to take “decisive action” at its German factories to return them to full operating capacity, according to Bloomberg . “Our aim is for our factories to be humming with activity,” Antlitz said. “The alternative is highly detrimental. Each underutilized factory gradually bleeds out, becoming inefficient and continuously losing competitiveness.” Capacity utilization across VW’s German factory network has fallen over the past two decades to less than 60 percent, Bernstein analysts wrote in a November note, with an estimated unused capacity of as much as 800,000 units. Volkswagen saw nearly 100,000 workers walk out of factories recently over its plans for unprecedented job cuts to make the company competitive. With a fourth round of talks and more walkouts set for December 9, there is little indication that management and labor leaders are close to a deal. Industry analysts fear there is more trouble ahead. They point to the potentially bruising effects of a full blown trade war with the US when you know who returns to the White House next month. If exports to the important US market take a hit because of new tariffs, it would add to the massive pressure to cut costs to stop profits from eroding further. The industry “faces an almost perfect storm,” UBS Group analysts led by Patrick Hummel said in a note to clients recently. “Pricing pressure, market share losses in China, tighter CO2 regulation, tariff risk, and continued lackluster demand will likely drive sector earnings down further, despite intensifying restructuring efforts.” That is what might be called a grim picture. A key employer across Europe, the automotive industry has been the worst performing industrial sector so far this year. Even with company valuations some 30 percent below historical averages, investors are cautious as the timing for a broader and sustained market rebound remains uncertain. “For as long as the end of the downgrade cycle isn’t visible, any potential bounce from current lows will likely be short lived,” UBS said. The Ifo Institute, one of Germany’s most renowned economic research centers, echoed UBS’s sobering outlook, saying in a recent report that sentiment in the nation’s auto industry was “deteriorating rapidly.” The car industry had long been buoyed by full order books after the Covid-19 pandemic and supply bottlenecks left manufacturers without enough semiconductors to meet demand. But now those backlogs have been worked down, and with demand for EVs stagnating and growth in China failing to pick back up, new orders are only trickling in. The decline has left carmakers with excess capacity, Ifo Institute automotive expert Anita Wölfl said. As a result, manufacturers are having to cut back. Ford plans to reduce its European workforce by about 14 percent, primarily in Germany and the UK, by the end of 2027. Germany’s luxury car makers Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are also looking to slash costs. The downturn is rippling through the supply chain. Robert Bosch, Continental, and ZF Friedrichshafen combined have announced around 20,000 job cuts in the German home market where auto parts makers are a key part of the economy. Schaeffler AG plans to close two sites to save money and will eliminate or relocate thousands of positions. The job losses add to a dim picture for Europe’s biggest economy, which has continued to stagnate this year with a shrinking manufacturing sector. Factory orders dropped again in October, though less than economists predicted, raising the prospect that the country’s multi-year industrial recession may at least have started to bottom out. There is little concrete evidence yet that a meaningful, sustainable economic rebound is in sight, especially in the auto sector. Carmakers’ dire outlook will be visible again on Monday, when Volkswagen reconvenes for another round of negotiations with its powerful labor union IG Metall over job cuts affecting the Volkswagen brand. Management has said it needs to close factories in Germany to address a drop in EV demand, rising operational costs, and intensifying competition. Executives last week rejected labor’s counter-proposal — a €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) package of additional cuts that included lower dividend payouts as well as reduced bonuses and a fund to pay for possible layoffs and shift reductions. With the two sides still far apart, more walkouts and protests could follow in coming weeks in the run-up to Christmas season. Daniela Cavallo, VW’s top labor representative, said the meeting on Monday “is likely to determine the way forward — compromise or escalation.” There is a dark tinge to this news. The auto industry is a huge part of the German economy. 20,000 workers being laid off by the Tier One parts suppliers is troubling news not just because of the blow to the economy but also because of the boost it gives to disaffected workers looking for someone to blame for their ills. There is a direct link between the job market and the political sphere. Unhappy citizens tend to gravitate toward leaders who claim they have solutions; whether they actually do or not is largely irrelevant. There is an echo here of the lyrics from a Bruce Springsteen song — “Foreman says, ‘These jobs are going, boys, and they ain’t coming back.'” The only difference is now the workforce is not a male-only society, but nevertheless, the message is the same. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit