JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia's decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different — and the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. The award — and the glitzy festival itself — is a sign of Saudi Arabia's commitment to shaping a new film industry. “My heart is attached to cinema and art; I have always dreamed of a moment like this,” Dakheelallah, who still works a 9-5 job, told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “I used to work in voluntary films and help my friends in the field, but this is my first big role in a film.” The reopening of cinemas in 2018 marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that had instituted the ban 35 years before, under the influence of ultraconservative religious authorities. It has since invested heavily in a native film industry by building theaters and launching programs to support local filmmakers through grants and training. The Red Sea International Film Festival was launched just a year later, part of an attempt to expand Saudi influence into films, gaming, sports and other cultural fields. Activists have decried the investments as whitewashing the kingdom’s human rights record as it tightly controls speech and remains one of the world’s top executioners. With FIFA awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia this week, Lina al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist with the London-based rights group ALQST, said Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “has really managed to create this bubble where people only see entertainment and they don’t see the reality on the ground.” These efforts are part of Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan unveiled in 2016 to ease the economy's dependence on oil. As part of it, Saudi Arabia plans to construct 350 cinemas with over 2,500 movie screens — by this past April, across 22 cities, it already had 66 cinemas showing movies from the local film industry, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood. (The Red Sea International Film Festival attracts a host of talent from the latter industries, with Viola Davis and Priyanka Chopra Jonas also picking up awards Thursday.) The country's General Entertainment Authority last month opened Al Hisn Studios on the outskirts of Riyadh. As one of the largest such production hubs in the Middle East, it not only includes several film studios but also a production village with workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing and fashion tailoring. “These facilities, when they exist, will stimulate filmmakers,” said Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri. “Today, no writer or director has an excuse to imagine and say, ‘I cannot implement my imagination.’” The facilities are one part of the equation — the content itself is another. One of the major players in transforming Saudi filmmaking has been Telfaz11, a media company founded in 2011 that began as a YouTube channel and quickly became a trailblazer. Producing high-quality digital content such as short films, comedy sketches and series, Telfaz11 offered fresh perspectives on Saudi and regional issues. In 2020, Telfaz11 signed a partnership with Netflix to produce original content for the streaming giant. The result has been movies that demonstrate an evolution on the storytelling level, tackling topics that were once off-limits and sensitive to the public like secret nightlife in “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) and changing social norms in “Naga.” “I think we tell our stories in a very simple way, and that’s what reaches the world,” Elshehri says of the changing shift. “When you tell your story in a natural way without any affectation, it will reach every person.” But the films were not without their critics, drawing mixed reaction. Social media discoursed ranged from pleasure that Saudi film were tackling such topics to anger over how the films reflected conservative society. As Hana Al-Omair, a Saudi writer and director, points out, there are still many stories left untold. “We certainly have a long time ahead of us before we can tell the Saudi narrative as it should be,” she said, acknowledging that there are still barriers and rampant censorship. “The Goat Life,” a Malayalam-language movie about an Indian man forced to work without pay in Saudi Arabia, is not available on Netflix's platform in the country. Movies that explore political topics or LGBTQ+ stories are essentially out of the question. Even “My Driver and I,” featured at the Red Sea festival alongside 11 other Saudi feature-length films, was initially too controversial. It centers on a Sudanese man in Jeddah, living away from his own daughter, who feels responsible for the girl he drives as her parents are absent. It was initially blocked from being made because of the relationship between the girl and the driver, filmmaker Ahd Kamel has said, even though it's not a romantic relationship. Now in 2024, the film is a success story — a symbol of the Saudi film industry's evolution as well as the growing role of women like Kamel behind the camera and Dakheelallah in front of it. “I see the change in Saudi cinema, a very beautiful change and it is moving at a wonderful speed. In my opinion, we do not need to rush,” Dakheelallah said. “We need to guide the truth of the artistic movement that is happening in Saudi Arabia.”
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Texas' abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine Texas has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. It appears to be the first challenge in the U.S. to a state shield law that's intended to protect prescribers in Democratic-controlled states from being punished by states with abortion bans. Prescriptions like these, made online and over the phone, are a key reason that the number of abortions has increased across the U.S. even after state bans started taking effect. Most abortions in the U.S. involve pills rather than procedures. Anti-abortion groups are increasingly focusing on the rise of pills. Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital’s historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has brought an American who was imprisoned in Syria for seven months out of the country. That's according to two U.S. officials, who said Friday that Travis Timmerman has been flown to Jordan on a U.S. military helicopter. The 29-year-old Timmerman told The Associated Press earlier Friday he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” New Jersey governor wants more federal resources for probe into drone sightings TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into the ongoing investigation of mysterious drone sightings being reported in the state and other parts of the region. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious drone activity. Murphy and other officials say there is no evidence that the drones pose a national security or a public safety threat. A state lawmaker says up to 180 aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18. Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she 'sustained an injury' from fall on official trip to Luxembourg WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman. Pelosi is 84. She was in Europe to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones in Friday's bombardments. He says it is one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. He says Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy renewed his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue. Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it 'absurd' NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers are again urging a judge to throw out his hush money conviction. In a court filing Friday, they balked at the prosecution’s “absurd” idea for preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies before sentencing. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen's friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes to seafood, one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy. Some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive. Conservationists also fear Trump’s emphasis on deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they expect Trump to allow fishing in protected areas and crack down on offshore wind expansion. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. Paula Abdul settles lawsuit alleging sexual assault by 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paula Abdul and former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show. Abdul filed a notice of settlement in a Los Angeles court Thursday. The lawsuit filed nearly a year ago had also accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left “American Idol” and became a judge on Lythgoe’s other show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lythgoe said at the time that the allegations were “an appalling smear.” Both sides said in statements Friday that they were glad to put the case behind them.President-elect Donald Trump this week voiced support for tens of thousands of unionized dockworkers in a dispute with major shipping companies. Negotiations between workers and management are deadlocked over the companies’ plan for further automation of ports, which the union said would eliminate jobs. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump said Thursday in a post on Truth Social . “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen.” The vow of support for dockworkers aligns with Trump’s campaign promise to safeguard blue-collar workers threatened by global capitalism, depicting automation as an unwelcome change foisted on workers by foreign-owned shipping firms, some experts said. MORE: Amazon workers authorize strike at company's first-ever unionized warehouse Trump’s rejection of automation highlights a tension found in his economic policy, however, some experts added. Like tariffs, the policy aims to protect a narrow set of workers at the possible expense of importers and consumers, who could suffer higher costs as a result of a missed opportunity to improve the supply chain, some experts said. While others defended Trump’s attempt to protect dockworkers from technological change. The Trump transition team did not respond to ABC News' request for comment. Here’s what to know about the labor dispute over automation at East and Gulf Coast docks, and what it says about how Trump may approach the economy in his second term. Dockworkers and freight companies feud over automation A strike in October at docks across the East and Gulf coasts threatened to upend the economy and drive up prices, but workers and management ended the stoppage with a tentative agreement after three days. The deal includes a 62% wage increase over the life of the six-year contract, but the two sides have yet to finalize it due to a disagreement over plans for further automation. The standoff centers on the potential installation of cranes that would facilitate the retrieval and storage of freight containers, said John McCown, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy who closely tracks the shipping industry. Cranes already help remove containers from a ship and place it in a nearby port terminal, but shipping companies have sought the use of additional automated cranes once goods have reached land, McCown said. The cranes work like an old-fashioned juke box, he added. “You hit a number and it goes to pick a record and play a record,” McCown said, noting the cranes would similarly mechanize sorting and transport of containers. The U.S. Maritime Alliance, or USMX, the organization representing shipping firms in negotiations, said on Thursday that such automation would improve efficiency and increase capacity. Those enhancements would benefit U.S. companies and consumers that depend on goods from abroad, the group added. “We need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” USMX said in a statement. The USMX did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. The plans have drawn rebuke from the International Longshoremen’s Association, or ILA, the union representing dockworkers. The union has pointed to massive profits enjoyed by the shipping firms during the pandemic, saying further automation would invest those gains in job-cutting machinery rather than increased compensation. Workers have also disputed the supposed productivity benefits of the technology. “This isn’t about safety or productivity -- it’s about job elimination,” ILA President Dennis Daggett, said in a statement earlier this month. The union has proven that the automated cranes at issue “are not more productive than traditional equipment operated by human workers,” Daggett added. In response to ABC News' request for comment, the ILA shared a statement from Daggett praising Trump. "Throughout my career, I’ve never seen a politician -- let alone the President of the United States -- truly understand the importance of the work our members do every single day," Daggett said. What could Trump’s approach to the standoff mean for his 2nd term? In his social media post backing the workers and opposing port automation, Trump criticized foreign-owned shipping firms for what he described as penny pinching. “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump said . “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!” The framework presents U.S. workers as victims of foreign companies, which he says aim to make use of America’s economic resources at the expense of its citizens. As such, Trump’s intervention in this case favors the ILA in its longstanding fight against automation, Peter Cole, a professor at Western Illinois University who studies the history of dockworkers, told ABC News. “The ILA will really benefit if in fact Trump pushes employers to back off automation,” Cole said, noting that the explanation offered up by Trump reflects a larger political shift in the U.S. against unrestricted global trade. “Presidents in both main parties have supported more manufacturing domestically,” Cole said. MORE: Trump's proposed tariffs would raise prices for these products, experts say However, Trump’s opposition to automation risks imposing higher costs on consumers and even some domestic manufacturers, since advances in productivity would help lower supply costs otherwise passed along to buyers at the end of the chain, some experts said. Trump mistakenly claims that foreign shipping companies would bear the cost of forgone automation, just as he inaccurately says that foreign countries would pay the cost of tariffs, David Autor, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who specializes in technological change and the labor force, told ABC News. “The assertion that raising tariffs at our ports will force foreigners to cover these costs is beyond naive,” Autor said. “It’s simply false. Autor said the hardship that dockworkers would face if automation were to advance and put many of them out of work. “It will not be good for the livelihoods of longshoremen and we should not pretend otherwise,” Autor said, adding that the workers should receive compensation or other protections under such circumstances.
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Web4 will be launched soon, smart technology will lead a better life 12-11-2024 10:20 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: Press Release Agency Today, with the rapid development of science and technology, every technological leap heralds a major change in human life style. Recently, reporters learned that after countless days and nights of hard work and unremitting efforts by the programmer team, a smartphone application software called Web4 will be officially launched on the official website of Future Intelligent in January 2025. Web4, this innovative work created by Future Intelligent Company, not only carries infinite vision for the future, but also becomes a bridge connecting the reality and the digital world with its excellent technical strength and forward-looking design concept. Compared with previous Web versions, Web4 has achieved a qualitative leap. It seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence (AI) technology into users' digital lives, making smart technology truly within reach and leading people towards a more convenient, efficient, and Smart lifestyle. As the co-founder of the Web4 project, Jacob KWAN said in an interview with reporters: "The birth of Web4 is the crystallization of Future Intelligent's in-depth exploration and innovative practice of intelligent technology. We know that in this era of rapid change, the only way to continue to Innovation can meet the growing needs of users. Therefore, Web4 is not just an application software, it is a digital life platform integrating intelligence, convenience and security, aiming to provide users with an unprecedented intelligent experience." Jacob further introduced: Future Intelligent's artificial intelligence technology represents an advanced system designed to think, learn and adapt in real time. These systems are no longer limited to traditional static technology categories, but can dynamically analyze data, predict trends, and provide users with customized solutions. This proactive and forward-looking service model not only greatly improves user experience, but also sets a new benchmark for Web4 in the field of intelligent technology. In Web4, the application of artificial intelligence technology is everywhere. From daily task management and scheduling to complex health monitoring and emotional analysis, Web4 can provide users with accurate and personalized services through intelligent algorithms. For example, through deep learning of users' habits and needs, Web4 can intelligently recommend appropriate news information, music tracks, and movie resources, making every click of the user full of surprises. At the same time, Web4 also has powerful speech recognition and natural language processing capabilities, allowing users to complete complex operations through simple voice commands, truly realizing seamless human-computer interaction. In addition, Web4 has also made major breakthroughs in security. By using advanced encryption technology and privacy protection mechanisms, Web4 ensures the security and privacy of user data. Whether it is personal information or transaction records, they can be strictly protected, allowing users to feel more at ease during use. Regarding the future prospects of Web4, Jacob said: "We believe that the power of intelligent technology will profoundly change people's lifestyles. As the flagship product of Future Intelligent, Web4 will continue to introduce new technologies and new functions, and continue to bring users more intelligence and Convenient and secure digital life experience. We look forward to witnessing and participating in this smart technology revolution together with users around the world." With the upcoming launch of Web4, a feast of intelligent technology is about to begin. In this new era full of infinite possibilities, let us work together to welcome a better life led by smart technology. The future is here, let us look forward to the excitement and surprises that Web4 will bring us! Media Contact Company Name: Global News Online Contact Person: Media Relations Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=web4-will-be-launched-soon-smart-technology-will-lead-a-better-life ] City: NY Country: United States Website: http://www.globalnewsonline.info This release was published on openPR.
'Ideal choice': Trump aide suggests this controversial state AG could be pick to lead DOJNORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Nick Anderson's 14 points helped Furman defeat Charleston Southern 67-46 on Saturday. Anderson shot 6 for 9, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc for the Paladins (6-0). Pjay Smith Jr. scored 13 points while going 6 of 12 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and added five assists. Garrett Hien finished 5 of 9 from the field to finish with 10 points, while adding six rebounds. The Paladins picked up their sixth straight win. The Buccaneers (1-6) were led in scoring by Daylen Berry, who finished with 16 points. Charleston Southern also got nine points and four assists from RJ Johnson. Jaylon Gibson finished with eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday vetoed a once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal district judgeships, saying “hurried action” by the House left important questions unanswered about the life-tenured positions. The legislation would have spread the establishment of the new trial court judgeships over more than a decade to give three presidential administrations and six Congresses the chance to appoint the new judges. The bipartisan effort was carefully designed so that lawmakers would not knowingly give an advantage to either political party in shaping the federal judiciary. The Democratic-controlled Senate passed the measure unanimously in August. But the Republican-led House brought it to the floor only after Republican Donald Trump was reelected to a second term in November, adding the veneer of political gamesmanship to the process. The White House had said at the time that Biden would veto the bill. “The House of Representative’s hurried action fails to resolve key questions in the legislation, especially regarding how the new judgeships are allocated, and neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate explored fully how the work of senior status judges and magistrate judges affects the need for new judgeships,” the president said in a statement. “The efficient and effective administration of justice requires that these questions about need and allocation be further studied and answered before we create permanent judgeships for life-tenured judges,” Biden said. He said the bill would also have created new judgeships in states where senators have not filled existing judicial vacancies and that those efforts “suggest that concerns about judicial economy and caseload are not the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now. “Therefore, I am vetoing this bill,” Biden said, essentially dooming the legislation for the current Congress. Overturning Biden’s veto would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, and the House vote fell well short of that margin. Organizations representing judges and attorneys had urged Congress to vote for the bill. They argued that the lack of new federal judgeships had contributed to profound delays in the resolution of cases and serious concerns about access to justice. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., reacted swiftly, calling the veto a “misguided decision” and “another example of why Americans are counting down the days until President Biden leaves the White House.” He alluded to a full pardon that Biden recently granted his son Hunter on federal gun and tax charges. “The President is more enthusiastic about using his office to provide relief to his family members who received due process than he is about giving relief to the millions of regular Americans who are waiting years for their due process,” Young said. “Biden’s legacy will be ‘pardons for me, no justice for thee.’ ”
Dr Charlotte Proudman, who specialises in family law, had faced a Bar Standards Board (BSB) disciplinary tribunal over a 14-part Twitter thread criticising a judge’s ruling over a domestic abuse case, saying it echoed a “boys’ club”. However, the five charges against the 36-year-old were dropped on Thursday. In an interview with The Times, Dr Proudman described the position of Mark Neale, the board’s director-general, as “untenable” and said its chairwoman, Kathryn Stone, should also stand down. “They need a change, not just in those two individuals, though, because, of course, it seeps down to the rest of the organisation,” she said. She told the paper she “genuinely” wanted to work with the Bar Standards Board in helping them to understand how misogyny and sexism have impacted women at the bar. However, she said that “under the current leadership, it’s just not going to be possible”. The charges alleged Dr Proudman had “failed to act with integrity” in posting the tweets, that they amounted to professional misconduct, were “misleading” and “inaccurately reflected the findings of the judge” in the case. The women’s rights campaigner was also accused of behaving in a way “which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public placed in her and in the profession”, and that she “knowingly or recklessly misled or attempted to mislead the public” by making the posts. But panel chairman Nicholas Ainley found her tweets are protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right of freedom of expression. He said her tweets did not “gravely damage” the judiciary, which would “put them outside” of Article 10 protection, even if they “might not have been pleasant for any judge to read” or even “hurtful”. “We take the view that the judiciary of England and Wales is far more robust than that,” he said. The panel also concluded that some of the tweets were only inaccurate “to a minor degree” and not to the extent necessary for a charge of a lack of integrity. Speaking after the hearing, Dr Proudman told the PA news agency: “This ruling is a victory for women’s rights and a right to freedom of speech. “The prosecution against me brought by my regulatory body, the Bar Standards Board, should never have happened and I said that from day one. “I criticised a domestic abuse judgment. Everyone should have the right to do that, whether you’re a barrister or not. Our justice system, which I strongly believe in, is robust enough to withstand criticism from me.” She believes her tweets help “foster confidence” in the justice system, adding: “Only that way can we go about building change and a better treatment for all victims, women and children and men who are affected by domestic abuse.” Explaining that the BSB appears to have spent almost £40,000 “of barristers’ money” on instructing counsel in her case, she added: “I think it’s shameful that they’re using our money to pay for, in my view, malicious, vexatious prosecutions which I have no doubt was a personal attack against me as a woman and as a feminist, as an outspoken critic and advocate for women’s rights.” Dr Proudman called for “systemic change” within the board. “They don’t understand gender, they don’t understand diversity, I don’t think they’ve ever heard of the concept misogyny and certainly not institutional misogyny,” she said. “Until they recognise the deeply rooted, entrenched issue of bullying, harassment, sexism at the bar, for which I have suffered relentlessly... and own up to it I don’t think we’re going to see any change and I have no confidence in them.” She told of how male barristers have called her insulting names on social media and made derogatory comments about her. In the posts on April 6 2022, Dr Proudman referenced a case in which her client alleged she had been subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour by her husband, a part-time judge, meaning she had been “unable to freely enter” the couple’s “post-nuptial” financial agreement. Commenting on the ruling by Family Court judge Sir Jonathan Cohen, Dr Proudman wrote: “I represented Amanda Traharne. “She said she was coerced into signing a post-nuptial agreement by her husband (who is a part-time judge). I lost the case. “I do not accept the Judge’s reasoning. I will never accept the minimisation of domestic abuse.” She continued: “Demeaning the significance of domestic abuse has the affect of silencing victims and rendering perpetrators invisible. “This judgement has echoes of (t)he ‘boys club’ which still exists among men in powerful positions.” In the thread, Dr Proudman wrote that the judge had described the relationship of the couple as “tempestuous”, which she argued was a “trivialisation” of domestic abuse. “Tempestuous? Lose his temper? Isn’t this the trivialisation of domestic abuse & gendered language. This is not normal married life,” she wrote.Michigan TE Colston Loveland, a top-20 prospect, declares for 2025 NFL Draft
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1 - 'Otterly' magical: Sea otter hitches ride on Sooke paddleboard , Aug. 17 A lazy sea otter caused a scene in the summer when it took a Sooke paddle boarder by surprise, climbing onboard for a lift to shore. “At first I thought it was escaping from some predators, but it showed no sign of stress, distress or injury,” said Joanie Paquin, who was exploring the waters off a Sooke beach with her sister. “It was happily just being cute and catching a ride. “It is an encounter I will remember and cherish." Whilst the experience was an unforgettable one, she and her sister were nervous being so close to a wild animal. Keeping as much of a safe distance as they could from the otter, Paquin steered the paddle board back to shore allowing her and sister to disembark and give the animal space to return to the water. “Otters can be vicious and it is important to remember that they are wild animals,” Paquin said. A warning many in Central Saanich had reason to take heed of ... (see No. 10). 2 - 'No one has given up': Search continues for 3 orphaned bear cubs in Sooke , Nov. 25 Greater Victoria’s wild 'neigh-bears' caused a stir in 2024 with multiple sightings and encounters across the region. In Colwood, a stubborn sow, her three cubs and their refusal to leave an area of Royal Bay kept locals entertained. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service made two attempts to relocate the bears – with the last in late November proving successful so far as they have not (yet) returned. In a more recent incident, a Sooke man's close encounter left him with a mouthful of bear spray when he tried to help a bruin trapped inside a fenced garbage area. But it was the plight of three orphaned bear cubs in Sooke which tugged at the heartstrings of most readers. The trio was left without a mother on Nov. 14, when the sow was hit by a vehicle and killed. Wild Wise blamed easy access to garbage as the cause of the accident. In the days following, the cubs took refuge in a tree overhanging the ocean, which made retrieval impossible. When the bears descended from the tree under the cover of darkness, they disappeared. To help locate the cubs, the public was asked to report all real-time sightings to the Conservation Officer Service. ”Experts have advised us that these cubs are approximately 10 months old and appear healthy," said Wild Wise in a statement on Nov. 24. "[They are] at an age where they would likely be weaning. "Many have advised us that there is a possibility they may hibernate together and survive on their own." As of Dec. 19, there have been no further updates about the triplets on the lam – hopefully, we'll see them alive and well in the spring. 3 - Elephant seal can stay in Oak Bay if he doesn’t ‘go rogue’: DFO, April 29 The catastrophic moult of a juvenile elephant seal in Greater Victoria spurred an epic game of Where’s Emerson this spring. Moulting elephant seals aren’t uncommon on Greater Victoria shores, but one in particular has a penchant for playing in traffic. It’s just one reason the juvenile male seal, dubbed Emerson by fans (and he has many), was relocated several times this spring. Emerson returned April 1, landing on the shores of the Gorge Waterway's Saanich section . Due to his popularity and fondness for roadways, he was relocated and quickly reappeared on the other side of the region. “He’s been all over different beaches in Oak Bay and Victoria the past week and a half, two weeks. It’s kind of like, it’s not Where’s Waldo it’s Where’s Emerson. So that’s been a challenge,” Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator with Fisheries and Oceans Canada said at the end of April. 4 - PHOTOS: 2-foot long deep sea creature spotted off Victoria shores , March 21 Anything abnormal under the Salish Sea garners attention in Greater Victoria so it’s not surprise readers loved the unusual deep-sea creature captured in photos by a snorkeller on the first day of spring. Avid weekend diver and longtime Greater Victoria resident Steph Brulot-Sawchyn headed into the waves near Clover Point on March 19 alongside his brother, who quickly spotted something unusual – a two-foot-long transparent creature with a jellyfish look that neither of them recognized. He snapped a photo and shared it on the Field Naturalists of Vancouver Island Facebook page where the popular item was identified as a siphonophore – a deep sea organism. They were right about it being unusual: giant siphonophore generally live in the mesopelagic zone, 300 to 700 metres under the sea, In their usual mesopelagic – think middle sea – habitat, praya can be 30 to 50 metres long. Being so close to the surface, Moira Galbraith a marine biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada said it was unlikely the one photographed would wind up washed on shore. If it did, no one got a picture and posted it online. 5 - Colwood mystery: Horned sheep carcass found ashore near Esquimalt Lagoon - Sept. 11 As they walked along the beach south of Esquimalt Lagoon, Cobble Hill resident Melinda Kendall and her stepmother made the puzzling discovery of a nearly intact carcass of a horned sheep lying on its side. Initially thought to be a bighorn sheep, the animal's pristine condition and unexpected location hundreds of kilometres from its native habitat in the Canadian Rockies raised many questions. In a written statement to the Goldstream Gazette, The Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship identified the dead sheep as a domestic mouflon ram, not a wild species. Experts estimated the ram was around six years old and may have drifted from a nearby herd and ended up ashore. Mouflons, native to parts of the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe, are considered ancestors of modern domestic sheep. These horned animals can grow up to one to two metres long and weigh as much as 55 kilograms. 6 - Warnings issued after second Greater Victoria deer attack in a week - Nov. 8 Two deer attacks in Greater Victoria prompted warnings from wildlife experts this year. On Nov. 4, after letting his dog into his backyard, a Fernwood resident heard a yelp and rushed outside to check on his pet. “Without warning, the owner was knocked down by a buck, which continued hitting him with its antlers,” the Conservation Officer Service said in an email. “The owner suffered minor injuries and managed to fight the deer off.” The dog wasn’t as lucky, however, and was forced to undergo surgery. It was the second deer attack in six days, following a similar incident in Oak Bay on Oct. 30, when a resident let their dog outside after dark. The dog was speared by its antlers, sustaining a “three-to-four-inch puncture” in its chest and was later put down. Aggressive behaviour is normal during breeding season, also called the rut, according to Lisa Lopez, the program manager of the outdoor education group WildSafeBC. 7 - Newly notorious Youbou elk named for Metchosin singer-songwriter , Oct. 4 Youbou is known for naming its wildlife, taking a Metchosin moniker for its latest rambunctious elk. The community nestled on the shores of Lake Cowichan has long honoured its wildlife, with many an elk becoming local celebrities. The latest to get a name was spotted with a rope tangled in its antlers this fall. Thus it was dubbed Jesse Roper – after the popular singer-songwriter from Metchosin. “They’re both Island staples, elk and Jesse Roper – now there’s two,” Ash said. 8 - Brave Little Hunter's orca family visits Victoria's Inner Harbour , Oct. 7 Killer whale sightings off the coastline of Greater Victoria never prove tiresome, so it comes as no surprise the marine mammals continued to make a splash in the news in 2024. But the family of orphan orca, Brave Little Hunter, caused the biggest splash in October when it visited Victoria’s Inner Harbour. A pod of five, identified as T109As, was caught on camera by former whale-watching tour operator Jackie Cowan. Among them was the grandmother of Brave Little Hunter, the famous calf, which has been surviving alone in the wild after escaping from a tidal lagoon off northwest Vancouver Island in late April. There was no sign of the calf with the pod. "I had been staring out at the harbour for years, waiting for this moment,” said Cowan. “I was vibrating all over.” 9 - Good karma chameleon: Sooke social media rescues lizard on the loose , Oct. 23 More commonly found in the wilds of Madagascar and Africa, a chameleon out for a stroll in Sooke had eyebrows raised in October. “Anyone missing a chameleon by the sports box off Phillips Road?” said Tanya Green in a social media post, which sparked a frenzied search for the lizard on the loose. More than 20 people turned up to help find the animal, known for their ability to change colour to camouflage themselves against their surroundings. Against all the odds, the reptile was found and taken into the care of staff at Sooke Veterinary Hospital. And his rescue came just in the nick of time, with temperatures plummeting, and showing signs of dehydration and a weakened immune system, the cold-blooded chameleon was potentially days away from death. The chameleon’s good luck continued when thanks to the Sooke News Mirror story, his owners came forward to claim him. It was then vet clinic staff discovered just how incredible Zeke the chameleon’s story was – he had been missing since mid-August. How the domesticated chameleon survived over two months in the wild remains a mystery, but vet Dr Andrew Crookes, who has a special interest in exotic pets, said Sooke’s semi-Mediterranean climate in August and September will have met Zeke’s needs “reasonably well.” Regardless of how Zeke survived, there is one thing Crookes is certain of. “He’s one tough critter,” he said. “I'm pretty blown away by his story." 10 - Otters fatally injure dog, threaten another at Central Saanich beach , Aug. 19 In stark contrast to Sooke’s cute paddle-boarding sea otter, visitors to a popular Central Saanich beach were on the lookout for a bevy of aggressive river otters. According to witnesses, the otters were "targeting" dogs, with one encounter proving fatal. A married couple who witnessed the first attack in late July at Island View Beach, said they saw a golden retriever swim toward a group of otters who quickly turned on the dog, biting and holding it underwater. The woman said a man ran into the water to help the dog, but when he also showed signs of distress, her husband went in after them. “And so my husband started doing a rescue, like a person, keeping the (dog’s) head up,” she said. “And the otters just continued darting at them until they got in. Then people were throwing things to try to scare the otters.” According to unconfirmed reports, the dog was later euthanized because of its injuries. Weeks later, James Younger and his dog Lou were confronted by five aggressive river otters at the same beach. “They came out of the water in front of me, in a line, making these really weird grunting and growling sounds,” Younger said. In an attempt to defend himself and his dog, Younger picked up a seven-foot log, swinging it back and forth, yelling at the otters, which he describes as “vile, evil and nasty creatures.” The professional dog walker said he believes the otters are targeting dogs, specifically those that resemble golden retrievers, which he says is a learned behaviour from previous generations of the same otter family. In an attempt to raise awareness, the Capital Regional District developed temporary 'caution otter in area' signs for the beach.WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. —— Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.
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