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( MENAFN - The Peninsula) AFP Kyiv: Ukraine's military said on Thursday an air raid alert had been declared across the country, reporting inbound missiles targeting several regions. "Air raid alert has been declared all over the territory of Ukraine due to a missile threat," Ukraine's air force said in a message on Telegram, adding in other messages that missiles were detected headed for Kharkiv, Odesa and eight other regions. "Kharkiv, go to the shelters!" the air force said in a Telegram message. The latest missile salvo comes a day after US president-elect Donald Trump named staunch loyalist and retired general Keith Kellogg as his Ukraine envoy, charged with ending the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion. Trump campaigned on a platform of securing a swift end to the Ukraine war, boasting that he would quickly mediate a ceasefire deal between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But his critics have warned that the incoming Republican will likely leverage US military aid to pressure Kyiv into an agreement that leaves it ceding occupied territory permanently or agreeing not to join NATO. "I am very pleased to nominate General Keith Kellogg to serve as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia," Trump said in a statement on social media. "Keith has led a distinguished Military and Business career, including serving in highly sensitive National Security roles in my first Administration." A fixture on the cable news circuit, the 80-year-old national security veteran co-authored a paper earlier this year calling for Washington to leverage military aid as a means of pushing for peace talks. Ukraine has received almost $60 billion from Washington for its armed forces since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, but with the more isolationist Trump taking over the White House, supporters fear the spigot will run dry. "The United States would continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen its defenses to ensure Russia will make no further advances and will not attack again after a cease-fire or peace agreement," Kellogg's research paper for the Trumpist America First Policy Institute think tank said. "Future American military aid, however, will require Ukraine to participate in peace talks with Russia." Kellogg served in several positions during Trump's first term, including as chief of staff on the White House National Security Council and national security advisor to then-vice president Mike Pence. Troop shortages Kellogg told Voice of America at the Republican convention in July that Ukraine's options were "quite clear." "If Ukraine doesn't want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don't have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000-250,000," he said. Trump's announcement came as the outgoing administration of Democrat Joe Biden was hosting a news conference to urge Ukraine to enlist more recruits by reducing the minimum age of conscription to 18 -- in line with the US benchmark. Facing a much larger enemy with more advanced weapons and with stocks of volunteers dwindling, Ukraine is facing an "existential" recruitment crunch, a senior administration official told reporters. "The simple truth is that Ukraine is not currently mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace their battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He added that an additional 160,000 troops would be "on the low end" to fill out Ukraine's ranks -- but "a good start." National Security Council spokesman John Kirby later clarified that the White House would not make the huge flow of US military aid to Kyiv dependent on a conscription age change. MENAFN27112024000063011010ID1108934609 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Core Molding Technologies CEO sells $228,766 in stock
OpenAI, Meta and Orange SA to roll out AI models in African languagesAlkami technology chief legal officer sells $2.13 million in stockSuspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder. Luigi Nicholas Mangione emerged from a patrol car, spun toward reporters and shouted something partly unintelligible while deputies pushed him inside Tuesday. At the brief hearing, the defense lawyer informed the court that Mangione would not waive extradition to New York but instead wants a hearing on the issue. Mangione was denied bail. Brian Thompson, who led the United States’ largest medical insurance company, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. From wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turn Luigi Nicholas Mangione was apparently living a charmed one: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-od Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy.” Pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators are working to piece together why Mangione diverged from a path of seeming success to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. Key details about the man accused of killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO The 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York City has appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom. Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested Monday after a worker at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, notified police that he resembled the suspect in last Wednesday's killing of Brian Thompson. While being led into court to be arraigned Tuesday, Mangione shouted something that was partly unintelligible but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” During the hearing in Hollidaysburg, Mangione was denied bail and his attorney said Mangione would not waive extradition. DA suggests unusual idea for halting Trump’s hush money case while upholding his conviction NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors are trying to preserve President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction as he returns to office, and they're suggesting various ways forward. One novel notion is based on how some courts handle criminal cases when defendants die. In court papers made public on Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books. The proposals included freezing the case until he’s out of office, or agreeing that any future sentence wouldn’t include jail time. Another idea: closing the case with a notation that acknowledges his conviction but says that he was never sentenced and that his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. There's no immediate response from Trump's lawyers. Middle East latest: Israel bombs hundreds of sites across Syria as army pushes into border zone Israel says it bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of strikes was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse. Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. For Trump, they were also prime trolling opportunities. Throughout his first term in the White House and his recent campaign to return there, the Republican has dished out provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. Report on attempts to kill Trump urges Secret Service to limit protection of foreign leaders WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional task force looking into the assassination attempts against Donald Trump during his presidential campaign is recommending changes to the Secret Service. These include protecting fewer foreign leaders during the height of the election season and considering moving the agency out of the Department of Homeland Security. The 180-page report was released Tuesday. It constitutes one of the most detailed looks so far into the July 13 assassination attempt against Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and a second one in Florida two months later. South Korea's ex-defense minister is formally arrested over brief imposition of martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's previous defense minister has been formally arrested over his alleged collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol and others in imposing martial law last week. Kim Yong Hyun resigned last week and has been detained since Sunday. He is the first person arrested in the case. Prosecutors have up to 20 days to determine whether to indict him. A conviction on the charge of playing a key role in rebellion carries the maximum death sentence. Kim is accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on it. Homes burn as wind-driven wildfire prompts evacuations in Malibu, California MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of Southern California residents are under evacuation orders and warnings as firefighters battle a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu. The flames burned near seaside mansions and Pepperdine University, where students sheltering at the school’s library on Monday night watched as the blaze intensified. Officials on Tuesday said a “minimal number” of homes burned, but the exact amount wasn’t immediately known. More than 8,100 homes and other structures are under threat, including more than 2,000 where residents have been ordered to evacuate. Pepperdine University on Tuesday morning said the worst of the fire has pushed past campus. It was not immediately known how the blaze started. More beans and less red meat: Nutrition experts weigh in on US dietary guidelines Americans should eat more beans, peas and lentils and cut back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables. That's advice from a panel of nutrition experts charged with counseling the U.S. government about the next edition of the dietary guidelines. The panel did not weigh in on the growing role of ultraprocessed foods that have been linked to health problems or alcohol use. But they did say people should continue to limit added sugars, sodium and saturated fat in pursuit of a healthy diet. Tuesday’s recommendations now go to federal officials, who will draft the final guidance set for release next year.Lucintel Forecasts Prepreg Market to Reach $7.0 Billion by 2030
Alkami technology chief legal officer sells $2.13 million in stock
There's a BBC documentary about loaded magazine on TV tonight. It’s called, imaginatively enough, Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem. It’s supposed to be about loaded magazine. Not the loaded magazine you might have seen on newsagents’ shelves from the early 2000s onwards – airbrushed picture of a half-dressed woman you’ve never heard of, unfunny coverlines and no soul. Not that one. No, this is about the original Loaded magazine that launched in May 1994, the one that had Harry Hill riding a badger, Kathy Burke smoking a fag, and Vic and Bob wearing hats made of meat on the covers. The one with lines like ‘Go Straight To Ale – drinking around the Monopoly board’, ‘Room Servicing – why hotel sex is best’ and this endorsement taken from an interview inside with Sir Michael Caine: “I’ve just been reading Loaded. I was laughing my bollocks off”. The one that used to send writers to impersonate Magnum P.I. in Hawaii, search for Jesus in Jerusalem and get in a ring with Prince Naz whilst also giving the world Platinum Rogues – the league table of celebrity bad behaviour– and the Crisps World Cup. You remember. The Loaded magazine that shut down the London Stock Exchange as traders downed tools to read the December 1994 Kathy Lloyd issue and would soon go on to sell over half a million copies a month and define the last truly great decade. The Loaded magazine that should have been humanely destroyed at the turn of the millennium. That one. Not because, as this missed opportunity of a documentary seems keen to suggest, it promoted some kind of generalised mass misogyny that eventually produced creatures like social media scumbag Andrew Tate – it didn’t – but so that its legacy would not be tainted by the lowest common denominator lads mag flotsam that subsequently appeared in its name and beneath the same iconic logo. The makers of Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem talk to several key members of the original team who patiently try to explain what the magazine was all about. Not easy three decades hence, after years of hedonistic excess and when you never had a clue in the first place. “You can look back now and try and reverse engineer a genius publishing masterplan but there wasn’t one,” says loaded co- founder Tim Southwell . “We just knew that was a market because we were the market and we knew there were millions like us out there. “Up to that point all men had were these faux American po-faced advertising vehicles busy selling a contrived version of alpha male bullshit to desperate wannabes in London and the South-East of England. If you want to talk about toxic masculinity you might start there. “We were just a gang of working-class berks from all over the country who ended up in this insane office producing something for ourselves and our mates that we wanted to read. We’d all had our own fanzines and this was just a bigger version – a national fanzine.” Southwell appears in the documentary and has just updated and republished his book, Getting Away With It to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the launch of the magazine. “This is the inside story,” he continues. “When I was updating it I was even more amazed that we got the thing in the shops every month than I was at the time and I found it hard to believe then.” He’s right. I was there. First as a writer (that was me being embarrassed in the ring by Naseem Hamed) and then as Editor-at-Large where one brief was “Go to America and don’t come back until you’ve got into trouble.” Seeking out the godfather of gonzo journalism and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson in Colorado, becoming involved in a bar brawl and being chased across the state line by angry gun-toting cowboys and police before taking refuge at his attorney’s place probably qualified. And this was for a magazine that very nearly didn’t happen at all. A chance phone call in early April 1994 alerted the team to the fact that Kurt Cobain had died. Obviously a tragedy in its own right but of more immediate concern was the fact that issue 1 was at the printers and contained an article pointing out that the Nirvana lead singer wasn’t a proper rock star because, after a recent suicide attempt had failed, he couldn’t even kill himself. Hmmm. A frantic call just in time prevented the debut issue from being pulped. Five years later, a print run of 800,000 copies was about to be destroyed after someone pointed out that the actress Cameron Diaz ’s right nipple was clearly visible on the cover of the February 1999 issue. A big legal no-no only averted when someone came up with the idea of placing a sticker over the “offending” body part with the words, “Free Sticker” on it. This kind of thing happened all the time in a work environment before health and safety even existed but space and certain legal considerations prevent me from describing it in full. Kept away from main building in the kind of low-slung bunker with a shed built on an adjoining roof (planning permission? Er no), panics concerning imminent police busts were frequent while it was not uncommon to find annoying staff members sellotaped to chairs and, having been spun round until their faces turned purple, on the brink of passing out. They would be in good company. There were often unconscious people lying around, some of them even worked there. Perhaps this charming tableau from Southwell’s book best captures the essence of the Loaded office: [A heated exchange has just taken place between a writer and a designer] “When Phil went to the toilet Jon sat down at Phil’s computer and set fire to it. There were flames and black smoke everywhere, fumes and everything. Phil put the fire out with his T-shirt and then carried on working at the computer.” Thefts from the fashion dept became so out of control a secure room had to be constructed (subsequently used to store more exotic contraband) and as the magazine’s success and notoriety spread it became a de facto drop-in centre for a lot of the people associated with the 1990s in Britain or just passing through. Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh was a columnist as was convicted drug dealer/ author Howard ‘Mr Nice’ Marks. Robbie Williams , then in his post Take That wilderness period, would occasionally walk-in off the street looking for someone to go for a drink with. Loaded did not report on the swinging 1990s, it was the swinging 1990s - the in-house bible for that glorious moment in time like Rolling Stone in 60s America. Everybody wanted to be in it – although Noel Gallagher was proving hard to get. We did get him eventually (cover had a roll with it because well... you know) but we should have had him earlier. Southwell had left his dictaphone in a hotel room commandeered by Loaded at a festival. Gallagher was one of many who passed through, found the recording device, interviewed himself and sent someone to deliver it to Southwell... who, to his absolute horror, discovered that in something resembling professionalism had made him switch the batteries round in order to prevent recording over an interview with Mr C from the Shamen. “I only did that once,” he remembers now. “Behave like a professional that is.” By the time of the inaugural Loaded awards in 1999 , Gallagher had been interviewed again by Irvine Welsh and they were both in attendance at West End night club Talk of the Town. It was the hottest ticket in London. As Southwell and I watched from the balcony we could see Noel pouring wine into the glass of Richard Whiteley from Countdown while Welsh was playing I-Spy with Charlatans front man Tim Burgess and page 3 model/ loaded cover girl Jo Guest. Across the way TV presenter Johnny Vaughan and girl band All Saints were deep in conversation with Wolf from Gladiators . Next to them, the actor Robert Carlyle, Paul Weller and George Best were laughing their heads off about something while Southwell’s dad was busy flirting with Kathy Burke. Vic and Bob (“enjoy your lunch and watch out for that lunchtime semi”), Prince Naz, Ali G, The Dice Man novelist Luke Rhinehart, Beastie Boys and Paul Whitehouse all recorded cheeky video messages. As had Jean Reno, star of Leon, with the “Best Assassin” award. I presented it to him in Chicago having been thankfully diverted there (and saving my job, probably) after turning up in LA to interview Bridget Fonda for the cover, failing to do so after falling into the right/ wrong company and disappearing for three days. If this all reads like a rollercoaster of misbehaviour, mayhem and joyous escapism, it should do. It all came to a shuddering halt a few months later on a winter evening in Milan in January 2000. Beth Summers, our “big sister” and brilliant Fashion Editor suffered a major brain injury in a horrific motorbike accident during fashion week. She now receives 24/7 care. As Southwell puts it, “My book is called Getting Away With it... that’s when we stopped getting away with it. The original team were gone in a matter of months. Out of there.” You won’t know this if you watch BBC documentary Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem tonight because it’s not mentioned. In fact, despite being a visionary who did more than anyone else that decade to democratise the business of dressing young British men across every demographic, Beth Summers isn’t mentioned at all. At just about 5ft2in tall, she was The Don nonpareil in the wildest, most dysfunctional, creative and dangerous office in magazine history. One look was all it took to get things done her way. As she said before her accident: “The type of men I was working with at Loaded were so different to those I’d worked with [elsewhere]. I can just remember everyone jumping around all the time, just so over-excited. That was so brilliant. The portrayal of women didn’t bother me. Everyone in the office had a certain respect for me. Also I’ve been there, seen it and done it so you couldn’t actually say anything to me that I was going to be shocked by. Apart from that, I was worse [behaved] than they were.” Despite being concerned enough about Loaded’s legacy and how women felt at about it at the time to talk to several people who had nothing to do with the magazine or appeared in it once or twice, here were the filmmakers with the most positive female and defiantly feminist role model and her incredible story staring them right in the face and they bottled it. They knew the facts. They even filmed Beth’s beautiful 32-year-old daughter Eden, now a successful music PR, and spoke to Southwell and others about what happened in Milan but it’s sadly not in the final cut. Perhaps it didn’t serve a narrative they appeared to have – that Loaded was some kind of touchpaper to an explosion of anti-female sentiment and could be bagged up with all the lads mags that came subsequently. That’s not real Loaded, not the one we worked on that was adored by millions of young men and women who subsequently deserted the title as it morphed into something else . If you want a rush of 90s nostalgia you could watch the documentary tonight – there are still some laugh aloud moments provided by the original team members – but if you manage to get to the end you will find yourself profoundly depressed. Without hope. The very opposite of what it felt like to read the magazine in the 1990s. ‘Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem’ airs on BBC Two on Friday November 22 at 9pm and will also be available on iPlayer . ‘Getting Away With It: The Real Inside Story of Loaded’ is available hereUnwrap the latest AI features with Amazon Fire Tablets
Best of the West MBB power rankings: Gonzaga on top despite loss while Oregon soars after big wins
Rosen Law Firm Encourages Macy's, Inc. Investors to Inquire About Securities Class Action Investigation - MBy MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.None
The condemnation came as the House of Lords debated regulations paving the way for a scheme which would require animal lovers on the British mainland to have documentation in order to visit Northern Ireland. Critics view the move as further evidence of Northern Ireland still having to follow EU rules post-Brexit and being treated differently from the rest of the UK – a major source of contention to the unionist community. The paperwork, which will be free to apply for, includes a declaration that the owner will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with their pet or assistance dog. Animals will have to be microchipped and have their own individual pet travel document, which will be valid for its lifetime. Northern Ireland residents returning after a stay in Great Britain with their pet or assistance dog will not need a travel document. The scheme is being introduced under the Windsor Framework, a revised deal for Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements aimed at tackling issues caused by the protocol. Raising her concerns in Parliament, Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “These regulations are in effect about a new aspect of the Irish Sea border that has not had expression until this point because of the grace periods.” She added: “The experience of visiting Northern Ireland with your pet dog or cat, or even a ferret, will be made to feel like a visit to a foreign country. Lady Hoey went on: “This could spell the end of holiday trips for pet owners from GB to NI and then on to the Republic, when they want to explore both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “If they have a pet passport, they will have renounced their right to go to the Republic. That makes the border more of an obstruction than having border control posts on it, because at least in that eventuality, you could still cross over it.” Rejecting claims it was a result of the UK leaving the EU, she said: “The reality is that this is happening precisely because Northern Ireland has not got Brexit. “As we say repeatedly, it is still subject to EU rules and the EU could change the rules overnight.” Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: “Every one of the statutory instruments that come forward under the Windsor Framework must be properly debated, because these laws are being brought forward to implement what a foreign jurisdiction has decided should be the law of the United Kingdom. “In the 21st century, we should not accept colonial rule. We abolished it elsewhere. We believe it should not be tolerated for one second. People should have the democratic right to decide their laws for themselves, in their interests.” He added: “The ridiculous part about this debate is that we are having to debate European laws regulating the movement of pet animals owned by British citizens between one part of the United Kingdom and another. That is an outrage.” Lord Dodds went on: “As I said, there will be hundreds, thousands more of these regulations, in all areas, affecting the daily lives of people in Northern Ireland. They all add up to a grievous assault on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.” But former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick said: “I support the Windsor Framework because it is a necessary legal device to deal with the complexities that were presented to us in Ireland, north and south, on the issue of Brexit. “We need a pragmatic solution rather than choosing to have political contests and duels simply for the sake of them.” Introducing the regulations, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ulloch said: “This scheme will simplify the requirements associated with moving pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland significantly. “It replaces single-use animal health certificates with a free-of-charge lifelong travel document and removes the need for costly pet health treatments. “Pet owners who travel frequently with their pets, or those who rely on the services of an assistance dog to travel independently, will benefit substantially from this change in approach.” However, she acknowledged the concerns raised by peers and promised to continue engagement with them.Ana Navarro Compares Trump's Time Person of the Year Cover to Hitler, Stalin: 'He’s in that Kind of Company'
Liberal candidate in B.C. byelection seeks Métis membership after identity questionedBrazilian police indict former President Bolsonaro and aides over alleged 2022 coup attemptAs President Joe Biden's term comes to an end, social media users are falsely claiming that his administration spent billions of dollars on the construction of just a handful of electric vehicle charging stations. Multiple high-profile figures, including sitting members of Congress, have promoted the claims. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * As President Joe Biden's term comes to an end, social media users are falsely claiming that his administration spent billions of dollars on the construction of just a handful of electric vehicle charging stations. Multiple high-profile figures, including sitting members of Congress, have promoted the claims. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? As President Joe Biden’s term comes to an end, social media users are falsely claiming that his administration spent billions of dollars on the construction of just a handful of electric vehicle charging stations. Multiple high-profile figures, including sitting members of Congress, have promoted the claims. The claims misrepresent funding set aside by the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for a national network of publicly available electric vehicle chargers. Biden has set a goal of creating 500,000 such chargers by 2030. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Biden administration spent $7.5 billion to build eight electric vehicle charging stations. THE FACTS: That’s incorrect. The $7.5 billion figure refers to the total amount allocated through the 2021 law to build a network of charging stations across the U.S., not the amount that has already been spent. There are currently 214 operational chargers in 12 states that have been funded through the law, with 24,800 projects underway across the country, according to the Federal Highway Administration. A charger, often called a charging port, provides electric power to one vehicle at a time through a connector, which is plugged into the vehicle. Stations are physical locations that can have multiple chargers. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg called the claims spreading online “false” in a series of X posts. “$7.5B has not been spent, nor anything like that,” he wrote, adding that federally funded chargers are built by individual states, not the federal government, and that most will be built in the second half of the 2020s. The total $7.5 billion in funding consists of $5 billion distributed through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, or NEVI, and $2.5 billion distributed through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program, or CFI. NEVI funds, as determined by a formula, go annually to departments of transportation in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, from 2022 to 2026. The funds will be available until 2030. Each year, 10% of NEVI funding is set aside for states and local governments that require additional assistance. CFI provides grants to states and other localities through an application process. It funds electric vehicle charging, as well as other alternative fueling infrastructure, with a focus on underserved and disadvantaged communities. Rep. Michael Rulli, a Republican from Ohio, was among multiple high-profile figures who falsely claimed this week that the entire budget has already been spent. “Pete Buttigieg will leave his post as Transportation Secretary having spend $7.5 BILLION to build 8 EV charging stations,” he wrote in an X post that had received approximately 62,900 likes and shares as of Wednesday. “His legacy will be squandering billions on something nobody wants, while millions struggle to afford the things they need.” Rulli’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By early this year, only four states — Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Hawaii — had opened stations funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, The Associated Press reported in March. A Washington Post article published the next day said this amounted to just seven stations. Loren McDonald, an independent analyst tracking the electric vehicle charger buildout, told the AP that when assessing the progress that’s been made it’s important to understand that some states have extensive experience constructing electric vehicle charging infrastructure while others have little to none. He explained that Wisconsin, for example, had to pass a new law in order to comply with federal requirements. “This is a federal program, but at the end of the day, it’s completely dependent on the states,” he said. “And so the real criticism probably needs to be directed at the states that are moving slowly or how the program was structure. But I don’t know how else you would have done it.” Asked whether the federal government could do anything to help states move faster, McDonald suggested that it could have provided them with more guidance on how to manage their individual buildouts. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. All 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have access to two rounds of NEVI funding totaling nearly $2.4 billion, according to the Federal Highway Administration. As of Friday, 37 states have access to their third round of funding, for an additional $586 million total. The agency explained, however, that this does not represent money that has already been spent — just the money that is available to fund projects. The Federal Highway Administration has announced more than $1.3 billion in awards through CFI and funds set aside by NEVI with $779 million in grants currently available under both programs. This also represents money that is available for projects rather than money that has been spent. There are currently more than 203,000 publicly available charging ports across the U.S., with nearly 1,000 being turned on every week, according to the agency. This is more than double the number available in 2021. In addition to NEVI and CFI, funding sources include federal tax incentives and private investments. __ Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck. Advertisement Advertisement
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The Ottawa Senators are in a difficult position . They're trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, but haven't been able to separate themselves from the pack in a below-average Eastern Conference. They're currently 9-11-1 on the season, and sit four points out of a playoff spot. Ottawa's path to the postseason has only become more difficult after losing their top-pairing right defenseman, Artem Zub. Zub was injured on November 23rd in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, and it has since been reported that he has a fracture in his foot, and has been placed on long-term injured reserve . The Senators are reportedly " aggressive in their pursuit of another defenseman ." One team that should look to take advantage of Ottawa's desperation is the New York Rangers, who are apparently once again trying to trade their captain Jacob Trouba . Trouba would be very, very difficult to move. On top of his $8 million contract that lasts until the end of the 2025-26 season, he also has a 15 Team No Trade List. Trouba could waive this, of course, but after he blocked a potential trade this summer , that seems very unlikely. Let’s pretend, for the sake of this article, that Ottawa isn’t listed on Trouba’s No Trade List. What could the Rangers expect to get in return for Trouba? Honestly, probably not very much. Yes, he's a 6'3" hard-hitting right shot defenseman. But he's not the world's greatest defensive defenseman, and his offensive production is no longer anything to write home about. And, again, he makes $8 million for another season after this one. New York would likely have to retain some salary, as well as taking on one of Ottawa's bad contracts– say, David Perron, or maybe Nick Jensen– for this to work within the salary cap. So, should the New York Rangers try to trade Jacob Trouba and his $8 million contract? In short... probably not. It won't be easy, and there are only three teams– the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Calgary Flames, and the Anaheim Ducks– who would be able to take on his contract without salary retention or some form of bad contract going back the other way. It might be worth it, but it also might not be. Sometimes, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.