Kobe Sanders, Nevada beat Oklahoma St. for fifth place in CharlestonWashington: In the heat of the 2000 presidential campaign, Vice President Al Gore took a break from barnstorming battleground states to attend a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in East Hampton, New York. Standing behind Gore onstage was Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager and — at the time — a major donor to Democrats who cohosted the event at his home. On Saturday AEDT, Bessent was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be his Treasury secretary. Having won the trust of Trump and his inner circle, Bessent would lead a Republican economic agenda of cutting taxes, culling federal regulations and enacting sweeping tariffs. As Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent would help Donald Trump as he attempts to remake the US economy. Credit: AP The selection caps an extraordinary career arc for an investor who was once a protege of liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros and gave money to top Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Barack Obama. “He was very supportive of the causes and the people that we supported,” said Will Trinkle, a Democrat who cohosted the event with Gore. He noted that Bessent, who would be the first openly gay Treasury secretary, was a strong advocate for gay rights and marriage equality. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent would help Trump as he attempts to remake the US economy. As Treasury secretary, Bessent would work to steer tax cuts through Congress, lead trade negotiations with China and help cull federal regulations that Trump believes are stifling the economy. Bessent, 62, declined to be interviewed. But friends and former colleagues described him as driven by data and as intellectually curious, with an ability to work with people from across the ideological and political spectrum. Raised in a fishing village in South Carolina, Bessent is the son of a real estate developer who experienced several of his own financial booms and busts. He went on to Yale University, where he was class treasurer, wrote for The Yale Daily News and wanted to become a journalist. In college, Bessent reflected on the challenges of being a Southerner in New England, writing in the paper in 1981: “I was the only one in the dorm who was heartbroken when George Wallace decided not to run for president.” Bessent studied political science but ended up working in finance after getting an internship with Jim Rogers, an investor and business partner of Soros’. In the 1990s, he worked as a partner at Soros Fund Management, gaining notoriety by betting against the British pound and earning the firm $US1 billion. After leaving to start his own fund, Bessent returned in 2011 to become Soros’ chief investment officer. By then, Bessent had become a major donor to Republican candidates. According to a summary of his donations provided by his office, Bessent has given about $US15 million ($23 million) to political causes over the years and all but $US300,000 has gone to Republicans. He gave $US1 million to Trump’s inauguration in 2016. Scott Bessent has described tariffs as a useful tool for achieving foreign policy objectives. Credit: Bloomberg Bessent was not part of Trump’s political orbit during his first campaign or term as president, but has known the Trump family for decades and was close friends with the president-elect’s late brother, Robert. This past spring, when many business leaders were hesitant to back Trump publicly as his legal troubles mounted, Bessent took a different view. He saw Trump as a “stock that goes up on bad news”, as he explained it to political analyst Mark Halperin last month, because every apparent setback appeared to strengthen his candidacy. Concerned about the exploding national debt and the need to change the international trading system, Bessent set up a meeting with Trump and started exchanging economic policy ideas. In recent months, Bessent has pitched a “3-3-3” plan that would aim for 3 per cent economic growth, reduce the budget deficit to 3 per cent of gross domestic product and increase domestic oil production by 3 million barrels per day. He also came up with an idea that would allow the president to essentially sideline the chair of the Federal Reserve, although he has backed down from that proposal in the face of opposition. In some policy areas, Bessent has demonstrated an inclination to temper Trump’s economic impulses. He suggested that Trump’s idea of assigning a 15 per cent tax rate to companies that produce their products in the US could run afoul of international trade laws. And he has described Trump’s plan for blanket tariffs as a “maximalist” negotiating strategy, suggesting that tariffs should be phased in to give markets time to adjust. Bessent was chosen after an internal tussle among Trump’s aides over the job. Howard Lutnick, Trump’s transition team co-chair and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, made a late pitch to secure the Treasury secretary role for himself. As Trump was deciding, sceptics of Bessent raised concerns about his ties to Soros and suggested he was not a true believer in tariffs. However, he won the public support of key advisers to Trump such as Larry Kudlow and Steve Bannon, who viewed him as the best choice. For Bessent, the challenge now will be remaining in Trump’s good graces as the president-elect once again looks to upend the international trading system and rewrite the tax code. Trump’s first Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, often tried to dissuade Trump from imposing new tariffs and would attempt to calm markets as trade tensions flared. Still, he managed to maintain Trump’s trust. Stanley Druckenmiller, a hedge fund investor who worked with Bessent at Soros Fund Management, said that although Bessent is soft-spoken, he can also be “tough and persuasive” and that he has the right temperament to work for a demanding boss such as Trump. “If anybody can handle it, it’s Scott,” Druckenmiller said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times .Judges at the Supreme Court are to consider how women are defined in law in a landmark case brought by Scottish campaigners. It is the culmination of a long-running legal dispute which started with a relatively niche piece of legislation at the Scottish Parliament, but which could have big UK-wide implications. It will set out exactly how the law is meant to treat trans people, and what it really means to go through the gender recognition process. And it could have implications for the running of single-sex spaces and services, and how measures aimed at tackling discrimination will operate in future. At the most basic level, it will address what “sex” actually means in law. Is it about biology and chromosomes set at birth, or does it tie in ideas of gender identity and the gender recognition process? The Gender Recognition Act of 2004 established the process for obtaining a gender recognition certificate - something it states amounts to a change of sex “for all purposes”. When someone gets a gender recognition certificate, "if the acquired gender is the male gender, the person's sex becomes that of a man, and if it is the female gender, the person's sex becomes that of a woman". Then the Equality Act of 2010 came along to set out legal protections against discrimination for specific groups - with “sex”, "sexual orientation" and “gender reassignment” included as protected characteristics. It simply defines a woman as "a female of any age". There has been much dispute about how these two pieces of legislation sit together. When the Equality Act talks about “sex”, does it mean biological sex - or legal, "certificated" sex as defined by the GRA? This case won’t change the letter of the law, but a ruling on how it should be interpreted could have big implications for how all kinds of public bodies and services operate, and whether others might be open to legal challenges. There has been particular controversy in light of the debate about whether the gender recognition process should be streamlined - there was a lengthy wrangle at Holyrood over “self-identification” reforms. Those were ultimately blocked by the UK government , which claimed they would have a "significant impact" on the Equality Act. But it plays into a number of other rows, with Scotland’s Rape Crisis network currently in turmoil about how its centres define women and provide single-sex spaces. Public bodies have expressed frustration about a lack of clarity around interpretation of the law, having been left to work out policy on their own. Police Scotland - which has faced questions over how it treats transgender people - has criticised an “absence of direction” from politicians in Edinburgh and London over how to reconcile the gender recognition process with the Equality Act. With political leaders increasingly wary of the topic and the fierce debates which go along with it, it has ultimately fallen to the courts to adjudicate. MSPs at Holyrood passed the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act in 2018, with the aim of getting more women onto public sector boards. That law’s definition of “woman” included people who were “living as a woman” and were currently or proposing to undergo the gender reassignment process. The campaign group For Women Scotland challenged this in court, and after a series of appeals they eventually prevailed . Judges ruled that the definition used “conflates and confuses two separate and distinct protected characteristics” laid out in the Equality Act - a reserved piece of legislation which MSPs do not have the power to alter. The Scottish government had to amend the bill to remove the definition. But at the same time they issued new guidance alongside the legislation, stating that it would include women as defined by the Equality Act - and also the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), to the effect that a full gender recognition certificate could be taken as a declaration of someone’s sex “for all purposes”. For Women Scotland challenged this guidance in a fresh judicial review, which ended in defeat. Judge Lady Haldane ruled in December 2022 that the definition of sex was “not limited to biological or birth sex” , but included those in possession of a gender recognition certificate. That ruling is what For Women Scotland are challenging at the Supreme Court. They have already lost one appeal in the Scottish courts, but judges in Edinburgh agreed to push the case straight to the Supreme Court in London for a definitive ruling. The issue being considered by the court is whether “a person with a full gender recognition certificate - which recognises their gender is female - is a ‘woman’ for the purposes of the Equality Act”. For Women Scotland say the answer to that question is no. They argue that sex is a “matter of biological fact”, and that “the ordinary, biological meaning of sex is necessary to ensure the rights and protections provided to women”. They say the Equality Act consistently refers to sex in terms of “immutable biological criteria”, and that it supersedes the GRA thanks to a subsection of the 2004 Act which nods to it being subject to “provision made by ... any other enactment”. The Scottish government meanwhile essentially argues that the two pieces of legislation are clear in their language, and that MPs knew what they were doing when they passed them. It says there is "no express provision" made in the Equality Act to affect the GRA's wording that a certificate changes someone's sex. Indeed it says there are "clear indications" in the 2010 Act that the GRA "is intended to continue to have full effect" - "namely to reflect, by way of a person having acquired another gender, a change as a matter of law in their sex". For Women Scotland will be represented in court by Aidan O'Neill KC, while Ruth Crawford KC will speak for the Scottish government. Five judges will hear their arguments - headed by the court's president, Lord Reed - and will retire to consider them before issuing a judgement at a later date. This issue has become so emotive because people on both sides see it as a threat to their very identity. The most recent census found there were 19,990 people in Scotland who were trans, or had a trans history - under 0.5% of the adult population. The figure for England and Wales is also around 0.5% - 262,000 people told the last census that their gender identity and birth sex were different. There is uncertainty around the true figures, with census returns thought to be overestimated - but what we know for sure is that 1,088 full gender recognition certificates were granted across the UK in 2023-24, up from 867 the previous year. The figure has been rising since application costs were cut - and in the context of this case, it is people with full GRCs who are central. Beyond this, equalities groups stress that there are a great many minority groups which are protected by the Equality Act, and see this case as potentially being the "thin end of the wedge" which could undermine their rights. For trans people, they say it could erode the protections against discrimination they have under their reassigned gender. If someone has a gender recognition certificate attesting that they are a woman, are they entitled to protection from sex discrimination under the Equality Act? Could they make an equal pay claim as a woman? The UK’s first trans judge - who unsuccessfully applied to intervene in this case - is said to have pursued a pensions claim along those very lines against the Ministry of Justice. Meanwhile women’s groups also say the ruling will have an impact on a large group - literally half of the population. They say it could affect the running of single-sex services and spaces. Things like support groups for victims of sexual abuse can only legally justify excluding men due to the Equality Act’s protections. Campaigners say everything from hospital wards to refuges and sports events might have to change policy or find themselves open to legal challenges based on the court's ruling. Lesbian groups - protected under "sexual orientation" in the 2010 Act - also say it could affect their ability to have exclusive clubs. There could also be political implications. Some groups see the case as a reason to clarify the actual wording of the law, by having MPs amend the Equality Act itself. The Equality and Human Rights Commission - the national equalities regulator, which is intervening in the case - has called for this. They say that MPs did intend to include those with a gender recognition certificate as having changed their sex when they passed the Act in 2010, but that they may not have appreciated consequences which "jeopardise the rights and interests of women and same-sex attracted people". They say this is a "wholly unsatisfactory situation, which parliament should address with urgency". But some other equalities groups oppose "reopening" the Equality Act, seeing it as a move which could see the rights of protected groups watered down. And it's not clear that there is the political will for governments to wade into this topic. The Scottish government previously tried to take the lead, when Nicola Sturgeon led the charge with self-identification reforms. But her successors as first minister have backed away from these issues, with current first minister John Swinney pushing plans for a ban on conversion therapy onto the UK government's desk by calling for a four-nation approach. At a UK level, rewriting the Equality Act was a Conservative pledge during the election campaign - and not one which Sir Keir Starmer matched. Indeed Labour's manifesto promised to "simplify and reform" the gender recognition process, removing "indignities". As well as affecting the interpretation of the law as it stands, the ruling in this case could reignite calls for reform in parliament itself.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Ethan Taylor's 21 points helped Air Force defeat Mercyhurst 82-48 on Sunday night. Taylor added 10 rebounds for the Falcons (2-4). Wesley Celichowski scored 14 points, going 6 of 11 and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Luke Kearney had 12 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. The Lakers (4-3) were led by Aidan Reichert, who posted 11 points. Jeff Planutis added 10 points for Mercyhurst. Mykolas Ivanauskas also had seven points, six rebounds and three blocks. Air Force took the lead with 15:21 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 31-24 at halftime, with Taylor racking up nine points. Air Force extended its lead to 45-26 during the second half, fueled by a 14-0 scoring run. Taylor scored a team-high 12 points in the second half as Air Force closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
US-based Nigerians bag 30-year jail for $3.5m romance scam
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jamichael Stillwell had 22 points in Milwaukee's 69-65 win over St. Thomas on Sunday. Stillwell added eight rebounds for the Panthers (5-2). Aaron Franklin had 15 points and eight rebounds. AJ McKee added nine points. Drake Dobbs led the way for the Tommies (4-4) with 16 points and five assists. Kendall Blue added 11 points and Miles Barnstable scored 10 with two steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Utah Hockey Club walks to arena after bus gets stuck in Toronto trafficThe Current 14:19 Harnessing ocean waves to power your home Scientist Burke Hales says one of the things holding back the development of ocean wave energy is the lack of places to test the equipment. But he hopes his new facility off the coast of Oregon will help change that. "That's the idea, is that we provide the facility, the playing field for the developers who produce the devices to get real-time testing and figure out how to optimize and ultimately to figure out [if there's] a single design that's best for all waves," Hales, chief scientist at PacWaves, told The Current 's host Matt Galloway. As the world works toward achieving net-zero emissions to combat climate change, there's an urgent need for countries to speed up the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Ocean-based climate solutions need to be at fore, N.L. scientist says as COP29 ends How millions of oysters could protect coastlines against climate change Although ocean wave energy is staggeringly powerful—with the waves along the U.S. coasts capable of generating about 63 per cent of its utility-scale electricity in 2023 —Hales says its development is about 20 years behind that of wind energy. "When we talk about waves, we're talking about oscillatory motion, which is a completely different animal, as far as how do we convert oscillatory motion into an electrical power-producing mechanism, and that's complicated." The vessel Nautilus is seen from Driftwood State Beach where subsea cables connected to the PacWaves test site arrive on land and connect to land cables in Newport, Ore. (Craig Mitchelldyer/The Associated Press ) The PacWave facility includes two sites: PacWave North, a shallower site used for small-scale prototypes, and PacWave South, a larger site further out into the Pacific Ocean that's currently under construction. PacWave South will be the first utility-scale, grid-connected wave energy testing site in the U.S, set to begin testing in 2025. Hales say it will be a place where companies can evaluate their wave energy converter technology in actual ocean conditions. How ocean wave energy works Buckham says you can understand how ocean waves move by looking at the "wave" at a sports event. "That illusion is created by people standing up and down in sequence, and that's exactly what a water wave is," said Buckham, co-director of the Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) at the University of Victoria. "If you were to track a water particle in an ocean wave, it's basically going through an elliptical orbit that's probably like 13 to 15 metres wide and 4 to 5 metres high. And it's going around and around that ellipse. And that's what a water wave is." According to Buckham, the basic idea behind wave energy converters is that "they're some form of oscillating machine" that sits in the water and powers a generator. The electricity is transmitted to the shore through subsea cables, which then supply power to the grid. Brad Buckham is the co-director of the Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED), the University of Victoria's research lab focused on marine renewable energy on the B.C. coast. (Submitted by Brad Buckham ) Ocean wave energy in Canada In a country flanked by two oceans, some Canadian scientists are also interested in harnessing the power of ocean waves. According to data from Natural Resources Canada , the estimated energy off the Pacific Coast is 42,000 megawatts, which represents over 60 per cent of the country's annual electricity consumption. The Atlantic coast has even higher energy, reaching 146,500 megawatts. "Stage-wise [in Canada], it's super early, so it's pre-commercial, there's no established business models ... we're largely looking at prototype devices ... smaller scale devices that are being field tested, and in dedicated test sites around the world," said Buckham. Buckham's research lab, PRIMED, is part of the university's Accelerating Community Energy Transformations program, which supports communities transitioning to sustainable energy systems. Buckham says wave energy projects involve collaboration with people from Canada, the U.S., the European Union and the United Kingdom. "It's very much an international community." The vessel Nautilus works in the Pacific Ocean near Newport, Ore. The ship helped bury the subsea cables that run 16 to 19 kilometres along the ocean floor to connect the wave energy test site to facilities on land. (Craig Mitchelldyer/The Associated Press ) Challenges of wave energy Hales says ocean energy will complement other renewable sources like wind and solar, though it still needs to develop further. "Maybe in a decade we'll see a device that has successfully tested at our facility, actually go into commercial operation or municipal operation elsewhere," said Hales. But there are some roadblocks. The ocean's harsh, corrosive and powerful conditions have made it difficult to design devices that can endure its effects. As a result, research continues to focus on finding ways to enhance the durability of these devices. The subsea power and data cables being deployed to the seafloor off the stern of the MV HOS Innovator. (Dan Hellin ) As an example, Hales says some developers are creating technology that can automatically submerge below the sea surface when it detects tension in its mooring systems, allowing it to avoid the most destructive waves. "We're talking about significant marine operational commitments to putting these devices out. You have to have the right kind of vessels. You have to have the right kind of anchoring systems. You have to have the right kind of materials," said Hales. Another challenge, says Buckham, is to reduce the cost of building wave energy converters. He says this can be achieved by either lowering the cost of equipment or by increasing the amount of energy the converters produce over time. Supporting community Switching to a new source of energy also requires meaningful engagement with local communities, says Buckham. "A community like Port Alberni, [B.C.], becomes tremendously important to a wave energy industry off the west coast of Vancouver Island, because that is an accessible, deep-water port where you can get equipment in and out," said Buckham. "But [for] the people of Port Alberni, is that something that they want? There's a whole bunch of social challenges that have to be navigated as well." At this stage, Buckham suggests that smaller projects can serve as stepping stones to help advance the field of wave energy. Researchers hope to harness ocean's power to light remote B.C. communities "If they do well, and we show an operational track record, and we show what the real world environmental impacts are, and you demonstrate ways to mitigate those and to manage those, then you take another step," said Buckham. One of those projects is being led by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation just off the west coast of Vancouver Island, where the Yuquot Wave Energy Project is harnessing the power of ocean waves to provide renewable, clean energy to their ancestral home, Yuquot on Nootka Island. WATCH | Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation harnessing the power of waves: B.C. First Nation hopes to revive village through wave energy plan 12 months ago Duration 5:02 A B.C. First Nation is hoping that an ambitious wave energy plan will be their ticket to reviving a historic village. Radio-Canada's Camille Vernet travelled to Yuquot to hear about a project bringing hope to displaced people. Buckham's lab PRIMED is a part of the project, and they've been working to assess the feasibility of deploying a suitable wave energy converter there. "If you serve those community needs, you've created a potential to serve a future need. If we can't serve community needs, then there is no step to take," said Buckham.
DES MOINES — Iowans on federal food assistance programs cannot be prohibited from using their benefits to purchase lab-grown meat and egg substitute products, the federal government has ruled. A state law passed during this year’s legislative session instructed the state to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would allow Iowa to prohibit SNAP recipients from using benefits to buy egg substitute products or cultivated protein food products, which are animal food products that are grown from cells in a lab, instead of being raised on a farm. The SNAP program is funded by the federal government while state and federal governments share the administrative costs. Any operational changes states wish to make must be approved by the federal agriculture department. In its waiver request, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said cultivated protein and egg substitute products “may not” be as nutritious as meat and eggs. Iowa Republicans in favor of the measure said the policy would help protect Iowa’s livestock farmers and poultry producers. In denying Iowa’s waiver request, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the request did not provide information on how it would raise Iowans’ nutrition levels or how the state would evaluate the effects of such a prohibition. Further, the USDA said, the waiver request did not meet any of four criteria for a waiver: that it would improve program administration, increase the self-sufficiency of SNAP recipients, test innovative welfare reform strategies, or allow greater conformity with the rules of other programs. The USDA denied Iowa’s waiver request in a letter to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services dated July 12. The Gazette asked the USDA for its ruling on Iowa’s waiver request in July; a USDA spokeswoman emailed the USDA denial letter to The Gazette on Wednesday. Neither Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds nor Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia responded to a request for comment Thursday. The law attempting to ban meat and egg substitutes, Senate File 2391, passed the Iowa Legislature with mostly Republican votes and was signed into law by Reynolds in May during a bill-signing ceremony at an Iowa County farm near Ladora. The new law also prohibits lab-grown meat substitute products from being used in Iowa school meals. The law also requires labeling on meat substitute products, like vegetable and plant-based burgers, to feature prominent labeling that makes clear the product is not meat. The law directs the state Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing to create rules and impose civil penalties on food manufacturing plants that mislabel non-meat foods. A string of Iowa voters stand in line outside the library on Fairmount in Davenport shortly after the polls opened on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, Montsho Mcnair votes in the Presidential election as her daughter, Tamadj Burch, and niece and nephew, Atlantis and Travis Lopez, wait patiently for her to finish filling out her ballot at the Martin Luther King Center on Tuesday, November 5, in Rock Island. A man fills in his ballot for the presidential election at Western Illinois University-Quad Cities on Tuesday, November 5, in Moline. Post-voting stickers were available at ImpactLife, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, hoping some voters will take the time to donate blood before leaving their facility. Iowa voters line the hallway at the library on Fairmount shortly after the polls opened on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Davenport. Iowans took to the polls like this voter pictured at ImpactLife in Davenport on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. A poll worker hands out "I voted" stickers to voters at the Martin Luther King Center on Tuesday, November 5, in Rock Island. A voter using an electronic voting machine to cast his ballot at Martin Luther king Center on Tuesday, November 5, in Rock Island. Poll workers help voters at Western Illinois University-Quad Cities on Tuesday, November 5, in Moline. Mandy Babcock is pictured with her daughter Katy, 18, and Ben, 21, prior to casting their vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at ImpactLife in Davenport. Both Katy and Ben are first-time voters. A voter fills out his ballot at Western Illinois University-Quad Cities on Tuesday, November 5, in Moline. A roll of stickers sits on a table at Western Illinois University-Quad Cities on Tuesday, November 5, in Moline. A voter fills out their ballot at Martin Luther King Center on Tuesday, November 5, in Rock Island. Voting booths are set up at the Martin Luther King Center on Tuesday, November 5, in Rock Island. Election workers pack up polling equipment after the polls closed at the UAW Hall on Tuesday, November 5, in East Moline. Polling place signs are brought inside after Illinois polling closes at UAW Hall on Tuesday, November 5, in East Moline. Election judge Brad Burkland brings a "Vote Here" sign indoors after the polls closed in Illinois on Tuesday, November 5, in East Moline. Mandy Babcock is pictured with her daughter Katy, 18, and Ben, 21, prior to casting their vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at ImpactLife in Davenport. Both Katy and Ben are first-time voters. A poll worker hands out "I voted" stickers to voters at the Martin Luther King Center on Tuesday, November 5, in Rock Island. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on their long-running investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz. 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The Americas Trailer Previews Tom Hanks-Narrated Nature DocuseriesUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The deadliest place for women is at home and 140 women and girls on average were killed by an intimate partner or family member per day last year, two U.N. agencies reported Monday. Globally, an intimate partner or family member was responsible for the deaths of approximately 51,100 women and girls during 2023, an increase from an estimated 48,800 victims in 2022, UN Women and the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime said. The report released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women said the increase was largely the result of more data being available from countries and not more killings. But the two agencies stressed that “Women and girls everywhere continue to be affected by this extreme form of gender-based violence and no region is excluded.” And they said, “the home is the most dangerous place for women and girls.” UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda told a news conference launching the report that women have been killed by their loved ones for a long time and the trend is continuing because underlying issues haven’t been addressed — especially gender stereotyping and social norms. “This is killing which is associated with power over women,” she said, and it continues because of the continuing impunity for violent attacks against women. Gumbonzvanda, a Zimbabwean and longtime advocate for women’s rights, said there is “a lot of perpetrator anonymity” when it comes to the killing of women by partners or family members because “it means the family members have to bring justice against another family member.” UN Women is campaigning for those with economic and political power and for leaders in various traditions not to use their power to perpetuate violence. “Power should be used to facilitate options for prevention,” she said. According to the report, the highest number of intimate partner and family killings was in Africa – with an estimated 21,700 victims in 2023. Africa also had the highest number of victims relative to the size of its population — 2.9 victims per 100,000 people, it said. There were also high rates last year in the Americas with 1.6 female victims per 100,000 and in Oceania with 1.5 per 100,000, it said. Rates were significantly lower in Asia at 0.8 victims per 100,000 and Europe at 0.6 per 100,000. According to the report, the intentional killing of women in the private sphere in Europe and the Americas is largely by intimate partners. By contrast, the vast majority of male homicides take place outside homes and families, it said. “Even though men and boys account for , women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by lethal violence in the private sphere,” the report said. “An estimated 80% of all homicide victims in 2023 were men while 20% were women, but lethal violence within the family takes a much higher toll on women than men, with almost 60% of all women who were intentionally killed in 2023 being victims of intimate partner/family member homicide,” it said. The report said that despite and girls by countries, their killings “remain at alarmingly high levels.” “They are often the culmination of repeated episodes of gender-based violence, which means they are preventable through timely and effective interventions,” the two agencies said. Edith M. Lederer, The Associated PressSAO PAULO (Reuters): Brazilian meatpackers have reportedly stopped supplying meat to the Carrefour group in Brazil after the retailer’s global CEO vowed to keep South American meat off its shelves in France in solidarity with French farmers, according to local media reports that cited anonymous industry sources. One of the reports said the interruption in meat supplies has already affected 150 stores of the retailer in Brazil, naming JBS and Marfrig among the companies which allegedly interrupted deliveries. Carrefour dismissed the reports as “unfounded.” The French retailer told Reuters on Sunday that meat supplies are normal at its local stores, denying any shortages and calling the reports “misinformation.” Meat lobby ABPA, which represents large Brazilian pork and chicken processors, did not have an immediate comment. JBS and Marfrig declined to comment. Beef industry group Abiec did not confirm the interruption of supplies, referring to a previous statement last week in which it called Carrefour’s plan to ban South American meat as “contradictory.” Abiec said Carrefour Brasil operates 1,200 stores in the country that sell mostly domestic beef. Brazil’s government also blasted Carrefour for the plan to ban South American meat. Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro called the pledge part of an “orchestrated action” by French companies to sabotage the trade pact between the European Union and Mercosur nations. In a social media post addressed to leaders of France’s farm lobbies, Carrefour’s CEO Alexandre Bompard said the EU-Mercosur deal presented the “risk of meat production spilling over into the French market (and) failing to meet its requirements and standards.” “Carrefour’s adoption of a protectionist stance in defense of French farmers undermines its own business and exposes the European market to shortage risks,” Abiec said in reaction to Bompard’s post.