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NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russian attack with hypersonic missile
Food bank network Trussell said the number of people still facing hunger and hardship across the UK remains "heartbreaking". The charity reported handing out 6,604 emergency food parcels from 27 food banks in County Durham between April and September. It was down from 8,084 parcels during the same period in 2023, and a fall from 8,522 five years ago. The charity reported its community of food banks gave out just over 1.4 million emergency food parcels across the UK between April and September this year. Although it was a 4% fall in the same period the year before, it was 69% higher than five years prior. Of the parcels, 508,000 were provided for children facing hunger across the UK. This included 2,278 in County Durham. Trussell said possible reasons for the slight dip in demand this year could include a "gradual slowdown" in rising food and energy costs, as well as the Local Housing Allowance being unfrozen in April. Despite the fall, chief executive of Trussell Emma Revie said the number of people still facing hunger and hardship across the UK is "heartbreaking". She added: "This cannot go on and we refuse to stand by while so many of us are pushed to the brink, left without enough money to live on. "Our food banks are a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard. They need everyone to play their part to move us towards ending the need for emergency food in the UK." The charity said the majority of food parcels (63%) were distributed to families with children. It added more than 277,000 people visited a food bank in the Trussell community for the first time between April and September. Ms Revie said: "The UK Government was elected with a manifesto pledge to end the need for emergency food and the time to act is now. Don’t miss out on the latest news and stories. Subscribe to the Northern Echo by clicking here Most read "There have been promising steps, but we need a clearer plan with more decisive action to invest in our social security system if we are to end hunger once and for all." A government spokesperson said: "The mass dependence on food banks is unacceptable – that’s why we’ve extended the Household Support Fund again to help struggling families with the cost of essentials. "Alongside this, we are increasing the National Living Wage, uprating benefits and helping over 1 million households by introducing a fair repayment rate on Universal Credit deductions, while our Child Poverty Taskforce develops an ambitious strategy to give all children the best start in life."Stuck in the Past: It’s Eternal November for Jen Rubin and Other ‘Bugs’ Trapped in Bluesky’s Amber
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brett Howden scored his 15th goal of the season and Ilya Samsonov stopped 31 shots as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Calgary Flames 3-0 on Sunday night. Howden redirected defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s shot from the top of the slot late in the second period and is now tied with Ivan Barbashev for the team lead in goals. Howden has scored a goal in four of the last five games. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekThe Long, Slow Defeat of Pennsylvania’s Sen. Bob Casey
Residents in the communities who witnessed the accidental bombing of villagers in Sokoto state are still in shock and paid One of the survivor, revealed to the press how her mother, father and siblings were burnt to death While a resident in the area where the tragic incident occurred narrated what the villagers experienced before everything went up in flames, the Military has insisted its operation was carried out based on credible intelligence from multiple sources CHECK OUT: Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with LEGIT. Enroll Now! Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements Hours after the tragic airstrike in Sokoto state , a survivor has recounted the harrowing experience of watching her family perish in the ensuing inferno. Legit.ng recalls that a fighter jet targeted at Lakurawa terrorists reportedly killed many villagers and left several others injured in Gidan Bisa and Runtuwa communities in the Silame local government area. Read also “The devastating airstrike": Atiku speaks on alleged killings of innocent by military in Sokoto But in an interview with BBC Hausa, the distraught woman, who pleaded anonymity, described how her father, mother, and four younger siblings were burnt to death during the airstrike. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! As reported by Vanguard on Thursday, December 26, through tears, she said: “I saw them burning—my mother, my father, and my three younger brothers.” Also narrating what happened to BBC, another resident identified simply as Usman Manuga, said: “After the Fajr (early morning) prayer, we noticed planes flying overhead. Moments later, bombs were dropped, and everything went up in flames.” Sokoto government speaks on military airstrike Legit.ng recalls that Governor Ahmad Aliyu expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in an accidental airstrikes from the Nigerian Army in Sokoto state. Aliyu said he is in direct communication with the Nigerian Army to ensure a thorough investigation into the tragic incident. Read also Nigerian Air Force speaks on bombing of 2 Sokoto communities The governor said working together will help overcome this difficult moment and ensure that such tragedies do not happen again. The airstrike, allegedly carried out by a Nigerian military warplane, occurred on Tuesday morning, targeting suspected insurgents in the area. Read related article on Sokoto tragedy here: Nigerian military breaks silence on bombing civilians Sokoto tragedy: Atiku speaks Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku Abubakar , the former vice president of Nigeria, condemned the alleged killing of innocent Nigerians by military airstrike. The former vice president wondered if the military learned from the Tudun Biri airstrike that killed over 80 villagers. However, the military, in its reaction, insisted that the strike targeted members of the Lakurawa terrorist group. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngBroncos can wipe away back-to-back heartbreakers and make playoffs by beating Kansas CityOTTAWA — Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump is brushing off Ontario's threat to restrict electricity exports in retaliation for sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods, as the province floats the idea of effectively barring sales of American alcohol. On Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford said Ontario is contemplating restricting electricity exports to Michigan, New York state and Minnesota if Trump follows through on a threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada. "That's OK if he that does that. That's fine," Trump told American network CNBC when asked Thursday about Ford’s remarks on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. “The United States is subsidizing Canada and we shouldn’t have to do that," Trump added. "And we have a great relationship. I have so many friends in Canada, but we shouldn’t have to subsidize a country," he said, claiming this amounts to more than US$100 billion annually in unspecified subsidies. Meanwhile, an official in the Ford government says it's considering restricting the Liquor Control Board of Ontario from buying American-made alcohol. The province says the Crown agency is the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world. The province also says it could restrict exports of Canadian critical minerals required for electric-vehicle batteries, and bar American companies from provincial procurement. Ford doubled down Thursday on the idea of cutting off energy exports. The province says that in 2013, Ontario exported enough energy to power 1.5 million homes in those three states. "It's a last resort," Ford said. "We're sending a message to the U.S. (that if) you come and attack Ontario, you attack livelihoods of people in Ontario and Canadians, we are going to use every tool in our tool box to defend Ontarians and Canadians. Let’s hope it never comes to that." Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce said the province would rather have co-operation with the U.S., but has mechanisms to "end power sale into the U.S. market" the day Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith ruled out following suit. "Under no circumstances will Alberta agree to cut off oil and gas exports," she said. "Our approach is one of diplomacy, not threats." Michael Sabia, president and CEO of Hydro-Québec, said "it's not our current intention" to cut off Quebec's exports to Massachusetts or New York state, but he conceded it might be possible. "Our intention is to respect those contracts, both because they're legally binding, but also because it's part of, in our view, a sound relationship with the United States," he said. "It's a questionable instrument to use in a trade conflict." Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew would not directly say whether Manitoba would threaten to withhold hydroelectric exports. "We are preparing our list and starting to think through what those options should look like," he said. "I'm not going to make specific news today about items that we're looking at." Kinew added that some premiers felt retaliatory measures wouldn't work in a call Trudeau held Wednesday. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said "we have no interest in stopping" the export of energy to the U.S., adding that a trade war would hurt both countries. "We hope it is just bluster; we're preparing as if it is not," he said. Canada supplies more oil to the U.S. than any other country. About 60 per cent of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85 per cent of U.S. electricity imports as well. Canada sold $170 billion worth of energy products last year to the U.S. It also has 34 critical minerals and metals the Pentagon is eager for. Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tax on all products entering the United States from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs. Canadian officials have said it is unfair to lump Canada in with Mexico. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Canada since has promised more border security spending to address Trump's border concerns. Ford said that will include more border and police officers, as well as drones and sniffer dogs. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press, Liam Casey in Toronto, Lisa Johnson in Edmonton and Steve Lambert in Winnipeg. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
Why does someone risk their life, their freedom, to fight for the rights of others? That kept going around my head while on a video call on December 19 with eight women Nobel peace laureates, brought together by the temporary release from prison of 52-year-old Narges Mohamm edi, Nobel Peace Prize, Iran , 2023. Hello, I’m Maria Ressa, and I’m one of the 4 co-founders of Rappler . I received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 , making Rappler the only fully functioning Nobel newsroom today. During this emotional call, Rappler was having our Christmas party, and I actually showed Narges and the Nobel women our office and our team, who at that moment were singing “Defying Gravity” (the theme of the night). Which is exactly what Narges has been through: “arrested 13 times, convicted five times and sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes,” said the Nobel committee . Jailed in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, she was released for 21 days in December for an operation to remove a tumor. When she was wheeled out, she carried a picture of Mahsa Amini , and yelled, “Women. Life. Freedom.” Despite the looming end of her freedom, Narges was smiling and resolute. We spoke about gender apartheid , mass executions , protests , wars — how could we not with Jody Williams (1997, United States), Shirin Ebadi (2003, Iran), Leymah Gbowee (2011, Liberia), (Tawakkol Karman (2011, Yemen), Malala Yousafzai (2014, Pakistan), and Oleksandra Matviichuk (2022, Center for Civil Liberties, Ukraine) on the call. BUT we also spoke about perseverance, about helping each other, about commitment, about love. When you’re on the front lines, you celebrate every win. World is worse than you think It almost seems like these qualities underlying the courage of the women on the call — hard work, empathy, the values behind the world’s major religions (in Christianity, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) — have gone out of style. Everyone wants quick rewards, the dopamine high of popularity (leading to populism at scale). The world is turned upside down by the perverse incentive structure of the technology that connects us all: when lies laced with fear, anger and hate pound open the sensitive fracture lines of our societies, for profit. That system of “engagement” and microtargeting is the most powerful tool of manipulation of those seeking and maintaining power. When politicians use it, it’s information operations; when nations use it, it’s information warfare — and it is reshaping the world. It’s worse than you think: the new “axis ” — Russia, China, Iran and North Korea — are united by their grievances against the West, especially after sanctions largely failed after Russia invaded Ukraine , and helped bring them together. With the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and our ongoing near-daily confrontations in the West Philippine Sea, it’s increasingly clear that conflicts around the world are interconnected. Look at Syria, Serbia, Venezuela, or North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Another complication: Russia, China, and North Korea already possess nuclear weapons, while Iran may only be weeks away from a nuclear breakthrough if it were to aggressively pursue it. Are we already in World War III ? Elections are manipulated My latest book, How to Stand up to a Dictator , has been translated into about 25 languages, including Mongolian, Georgian and Romanian. I was in Tbilisi, Georgia, earlier this year and listened to its citizens prepare to fight a Russian-style foreign agents law. As I write this, more than 200,000 Georgians have been out on the streets for nearly a month demanding new elections, protesting for its democratic values. (Add Venezuela , Mozambique , and many others in these electoral protests.) Shortly before that, in Romania, its Constitutional Court voided elections after a little known candidate without a political party and supported by the Kremlin’s information operations on TikTok took first place in its run-off elections. This is the first and most decisive move any nation has taken against the information warfare social media has enabled since 2016. As I have said repeatedly for years now, we cannot have election integrity with the manipulation of our emotions enabled by social media. Nerve’s latest report before the US elections shows exactly what can happen: the manipulation of the youth, the weaponization of race and gender, among them. This new “axis” — what Anne Applebaum called Autocracy, Inc — is not united in any political ideology – only pulled together in its thirst for power and money. It begins in the public information ecosystem. The global trend in 2024, the super-election year (74 national elections globally , with the last one taking place December 29 in Chad) shows democracy losing: we started the year with 71% of the world now under autocratic rule, and while some in media see election results as a failure of incumbents in 10 major countries (the first time this has ever happened in almost 120 years), those of us who have lived through this (and survived) see this as the success of insidious voter manipulation on social media . What Rappler is doing Over the last decade, we at Rappler have dealt with and become frustrated by analysis paralysis. The attacks we lived through and our data analysis since 2014 pushed us to the forefront of the fight for information integrity. Our journalism remains the same: investigative reports that hold power to account. Read and watch our best in 2024 . We learned that the form and substance of journalism is not enough. It needs to be coupled with the best of what technology has to offer — to reimagine what technology could do without surveillance capitalism. What would a public interest tech stack look like that brings trusted information to our communities, the citizens in our democracy? If we succeeded, could we stitch together a global community — with news organizations as tent pegs in a global federation? In 2020, we launched Lighthouse : its movements feature allowed us to bring some partners and NGOs into our tech stack. In 2022, we began creating a PH-wide data lake with an ontology, knowledge graph, and vectorDB to allow generative AI to automate creation of pages anchored on facts. In mid-2023 after OpenAI launched its chatbot, we zoomed GPT-4 onto each story page and created a 3 bullet-point summary of every Rappler story. Around that time, we were one of 10 from 1000 global groups selected by OpenAI to use its chatbot for democratic consultation (aiDialogue) . Working with the Quezon City local government, we began to finetune AI use for public consultations . It was exciting to think of the ability to widen democratic participation in a more systematic manner. Finally, a year ago, we launched Rappler Communities , a matrix protocol chat app that allows real people to have real conversations in a shared reality essential for any democracy. At this existential moment for news, we’ve created an MVP not only for survival but which we believe will allow news to thrive with a sustainable business model in a global public information ecosystem anchored in facts. Don’t be overwhelmed Our times demand you act. Choose and build the world you want. We can’t begin to work on solutions for climate change unless we agree on the problem. Leaders can’t govern until we begin to bring nuance and complexity back into the public domain. The good in each of us can’t emerge until we restore an environment of trust. That can’t happen if each of us is being insidiously manipulated. So download and join our community: first in the Philippines, followed by Indonesia, South Africa, and Brazil. Try our new RAI — what generative AI looks like if you want to anchor in facts! If you’re a news group that wants to join, let us know. If you’re a funder who wants a systemic solution, help us build. I’ve learned a lot in the years we’ve been under attack. In 2019, we created the International Fund for Public Interest Media to help bring new money to news groups. In 2021, we created a whole of society distribution system for facts — #FactsFirstPH in partnership with the Google News Initiative (parts of which were replicated in other parts of the world). In 2022, I became the vice chair of the leadership panel of the UN’s Internet Governance Forum to try to understand the multilateral system, and in 2023, I accepted the chair of the World Movement for Democracy to understand how human rights and civil society groups work together. Each of these taught me lessons in governance as well as showing me why our world today is broken. The year ahead We’re at a global inflection point, and 2025 will push us to a tipping point for violence, for fascism. Or not. It depends on what each of us does now. So don’t be overwhelmed. Don’t be depressed. Don’t disengage. Instead, take the four action points I recommend from the last speech I gave in 2024, my first in a Jewish temple in front of Muslims, Christians, Palestinians — a truly interfaith and diverse community of young and old alike. Religion and faith are crucial parts of our world views. It’s why I will return to the Vatican in January to help Pope Francis kick off the Jubilee, which happens once every 25 years. Hope for a better future comes from action, from perseverance. And faith. That’s what the Nobel Women showed me. That’s why we risk our freedom and dedicate our lives to fighting for all our rights. – Rappler.comIn the hours after former President Jimmy Carter’s death Sunday , Illinois elected officials shared their condolences and reflections on the legacy of the 100-year-old Nobel Peace Prize-recipient’s life. The longest-lived American president died in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, the Carter Center said. Jimmy Carter entered hospice care in February 2023. President Joe Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Former President Barack Obama reflected not only on Carter’s legacy as president but on his decency as a person, which Obama said was evident whenever the two spent time together. “He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion,” Obama said in a statement. “Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image. Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service.” Mayor Brandon Johnson said Carter was a personal inspiration of his as a “man of deep faith in the political arena” whose values continue to show the way forward. “President Jimmy Carter lived the American dream in every way,” Johnson said in a statement. “His legacy of love and his service to God and country are admirable beyond measure. President Carter valiantly fought for human rights and peace across the world during his presidency and beyond.” Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth both stated admiration for his time as a public servant, and Durbin called Carter an “inspiration to those of us who aspire to lead a life of service.” “Jimmy Carter proved that excellence in public service can extend beyond the White House,” Durbin said in a statement Sunday. “I offer my condolences to the entire Carter family, to his friends and former staff members, and to the untold millions of people throughout the world whose lives are better because Jimmy Carter lived.” Rep. Mike Quigley lauded Carter’s time in office, but he said Carter’s most important accomplishments came after his presidency, calling him “the greatest former president our nation has ever known.” “His work, alongside former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, at the Carter Center, with Habitat for Humanity, and his successful two-decade-long effort to eradicate the Guinea worm made him the epitome of a public servant,” Quigley said. “Those of us in elected office should look to President Carter’s example as a model for what we aspire to after leaving office.” Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia remembered Carter as a “giant” of progressive politics who was able to pursue an agenda focused on social and human services for working families through his administration. “His post-presidency, however, was perhaps the most productive era of President Carter’s life,” Garcia said in a statement. “His efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to unwaveringly advance human rights and alleviate human suffering, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize decades after leaving the White House. His steadfast pursuit of truth and peace leaves a powerful legacy to uphold.” They were joined by a chorus of others honoring his legacy, including Gov. JB Pritzker, who said Carter exemplified what it means to live a life full of service. “His towering legacy of compassion for others set a standard that will always be remembered,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Illinois Democrats mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a leader who embodied humility and service,” the Democratic Party of Illinois wrote on social media. “His unwavering dedication to peace and justice will inspire generations. We extend our condolences to the Carter family and honor his extraordinary life.”San Jose approves scaled-down El Paseo urban village project