Lebanon's Hezbollah movement fired heavy rocket barrages at Israel on Sunday, and the Israeli military said houses had been destroyed or set alight near Tel Aviv, after a powerful Israeli airstrike killed at least 29 people in Beirut the day before. Israel also struck Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, where intensified bombardment over the last two weeks has coincided with signs of progress in US-led ceasefire talks. Hezbollah, which has previously vowed to respond to attacks on Beirut by targeting Tel Aviv, said it had launched precision missiles at two military sites in Tel Aviv and nearby. Police said there were multiple impact sites in the area of Petah Tikvah, on the eastern side of Tel Aviv, and that several people had minor injuries. The Israeli military (IDF) said a direct hit on a neighbourhood had left "houses in flames and ruins". Television footage showed an apartment damaged by rocket fire. The IDF said Hezbollah had fired 240 rockets at Israel, of which many were intercepted, with sirens sounding across most of the country. At least four people had been injured by shrapnel. The military warned on social media that it planned to target Hezbollah facilities in southern Beirut before strikes that demolished two apartment blocks, according to security sources in Lebanon. Afterwards, the IDF said it had hit command centres "deliberately embedded between civilian buildings". How the ICC arrest warrant will (and won't) hurt Benjamin Netanyahu On Saturday, it had carried out one of its deadliest and most powerful strikes on the centre of Beirut . Lebanon's health ministry on Sunday raised the death toll from 20 to 29. It said 84 people had been killed in all on Saturday, taking the death toll to 3,754 since October 2023. The IDF did not comment on Saturday's strike in the capital or say what it had attacked. Israel went on the offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in September, pounding the south, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut's southern suburbs with airstrikes after nearly a year of hostilities ignited by the Gaza war. Worldly, fragmented and resilient: How suffering shaped modern Lebanon The Israeli offensive has uprooted more than 1 million people in Lebanon. Israel says its aim is to secure the return home of tens of thousands of people evacuated from its north due to rocket attacks by Hezbollah, which opened fire in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. US mediator Amos Hochstein highlighted progress in negotiations during a visit to Beirut last week, before travelling to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, and then returning to Washington. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday said a US ceasefire proposal was awaiting final approval from Israel. Diplomacy has focused on restoring a ceasefire based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war. It requires Hezbollah to pull its fighters back around 30 km from the Israeli border, and the Lebanese army to deploy in the buffer zone.
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NoneThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a new disbursement of $360 million to Ghana, following the successful completion of the third review under its $3 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF). This brings the total disbursements to $1.9 billion since the program was approved in May 2023. In a statement after the IMF Executive Board meeting, Bo Li, the IMF’s Deputy Managing Director, commended Ghana’s progress on its economic reforms. “Ghana’s performance under its ECF-supported reform program has been generally satisfactory. The economy is showing clear signs of stabilisation, and the authorities’ strategy is delivering on its objectives,” Li said. The IMF highlighted Ghana’s response to the 2022 economic crisis, which included key macroeconomic policy adjustments and reforms to restore fiscal stability and debt sustainability. These efforts have led to a recovery in the economy, a reduction in inflation, and improvements in both fiscal and external balances. “The programme has provided a credible anchor for the government to implement reforms that are delivering results,” the IMF noted, while also acknowledging the risks posed by the upcoming elections and challenges in the energy sector. Significant progress has been made in restructuring Ghana’s public debt, with a successful domestic debt restructuring in 2023 and an exchange of Eurobonds aligned with program targets. Ghana has also ramped up engagement with external commercial creditors. “The authorities should move quickly to complete their comprehensive debt restructuring,” Bo Li urged. Ghana’s fiscal consolidation remains on track, with a projected primary surplus of 0.5% of GDP for 2024 and a target of 1.5% by 2025. The government plans to achieve these goals by boosting domestic revenue, rationalising expenditures, and expanding social programs. “Continued fiscal policy adjustments are crucial, particularly ahead of and after the upcoming elections, to ensure sustainable public finances and reduce financing needs while protecting the vulnerable,” Li emphasized. The Bank of Ghana has maintained a tight monetary policy to manage inflation and rebuild international reserves, while efforts to recapitalize state-owned banks and improve financial sector stability are ongoing. The IMF stressed the need for sustained structural reforms to address vulnerabilities and unlock Ghana’s economic potential. “Improving tax administration, strengthening expenditure control, and tackling energy sector issues are critical,” the IMF said. With Ghana heading into the 2024 elections, the IMF has urged caution in fiscal and monetary policy implementation to maintain economic stability. Li concluded, “Maintaining a prudent monetary policy and enhancing exchange rate flexibility are essential to mitigating inflation risks and ensuring macroeconomic stability.” The latest disbursement will support Ghana’s economic recovery and provide a foundation for continued growth and poverty reduction.
Former President Jimmy Carter , the 39th president of the United States, was honored by multiple lawmakers on social media following the news of his death on Sunday afternoon. Carter’s death, confirmed by his son Chip Carter and shortly after by the Carter Center , comes just under three months after the former president celebrated his 100th birthday . The death of the former president, the nation’s only Georgian to hold the position, was preceded by the death of his wife, Rosalynn Carter , who died in November 2023. JIMMY CARTER TURNS 100: SNAPSHOTS OF HIS LIFE BREAKING - Former President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100 Sunday. DETAILS: https://t.co/z08s3SIhO7 pic.twitter.com/J8FFIHBpUt — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) “Today, I join Americans across the country in mourning the loss of our 39th President, Jimmy Carter,” Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) posted on X. “Born in a small town in Georgia, President Carter’s dedication to public service, leadership, humanitarian work, and Christian spirit touched the lives of countless individuals.” Today, I join Americans across the country in mourning the loss of our 39th President, Jimmy Carter. Born in a small town in Georgia, President Carter’s dedication to public service, leadership, humanitarian work, and Christian spirit touched the lives of countless individuals.... pic.twitter.com/ri6LuUCBXl — Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) Shortly after Carter’s death was announced, the Empire State Building in New York City announced it would be illuminated in red, white, and blue lights to honor the former president. Tonight we will shine in Red White and Blue to honor the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter 📷: captiv_8/IG pic.twitter.com/xIksQuUp68 — Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) Suzanne and I join our nation to mourn the passing of Jimmy Carter, a devoted public servant and 39th President. He served our country in the Navy, as a Georgia state senator, and as the Governor of Georgia. We are praying for the Carter family during this difficult time. His... — Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) We pray for the peace of the Lord to be with former President Jimmy Carter and his family. We are deeply grateful for his years of sacrifice, including his tireless work building homes through Habitat for Humanity and his dedication to supporting the incarcerated. We also honor... — Lt. Governor of Virginia - Winsome Earle-Sears (@WinsomeSears) We disagreed on many issues and how he ran our country, but his humanity is undeniable. Prayers for his family, and may God grant him mercy. Rest in peace, President Jimmy Carter. 🕊️ — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) Rest in peace, President Jimmy Carter. May you be welcomed into the arms of Jesus in heaven. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/rNTSxiMBfe — Kari Lake (@KariLake) CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Carter’s presidency , lasting only one-term from 1977 through 1981, was set back by numerous foreign policy events like the Iranian hostage crisis. Despite this, the former president received increased popularity following his time in the White House, specifically for his work with the housing nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity. The former president’s political career started in 1963 as a Georgia state senator, in which he ran on the platform of racial inclusion and integration. Prior to politics, Carter was a Naval Academy graduate, in which he served from his graduation in 1946 until 1953.
Shearwater Group (LON:SWG) Trading 2.5% Higher – Here’s What HappenedThe Saints are making contingency plans to play without QB Derek Carr as they try to stay aliveSACRAMENTO, Calif. — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven't provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks' 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There's not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story." Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
The suspect in the high-profile killing of a health insurance CEO that has gripped the United States graduated from an Ivy League university, reportedly hails from a wealthy family, and wrote social media posts brimming with cerebral musings. Luigi Mangione, 26, was thrust into the spotlight Monday after police revealed his identity as their person of interest, crediting his arrest to a tip from a McDonald's worker. He has been connected by police to the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in broad daylight, in a case that has laid bare deep frustrations and anger with the nation's privatized medical system. News of his capture triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media try to understand who he is. While some lauded him as a hero and lamented his arrest, others analyzed his intellectual takes in search of ideological clues. A photo on one of his social media accounts includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine, though no explicit political affiliation has emerged. Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." character Luigi, sometimes depicted in AI-altered images wielding a gun or holding a Big Mac. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. "I want to donate to your defense fund," added another. According to Mangione's LinkedIn profile, he is employed as a data engineer at TrueCar, a California-based online auto marketplace. A company spokesperson told AFP Mangione "has not been an employee of our company since 2023." Although he had been living in Hawaii ahead of the killing, he originally hails from Towson, Maryland, near Baltimore. He comes from a prominent and wealthy Italian-American family, according to the Baltimore Banner. The family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, per the club's website. A standout student, Mangione graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. In an interview with his local paper at the time, he praised his teachers for fostering a passion for learning beyond grades and encouraging intellectual curiosity. He went on to attend the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage, archived on the Wayback Machine. On Instagram, where his following has skyrocketed from hundreds to tens of thousands, Mangione shared snapshots of his travels in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He also posted shirtless photos flaunting a six-pack and appeared in celebratory posts with fellow members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. However, it is on X (formerly Twitter) that users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo -- an X-ray of a spine with bolts -- remains cryptic, with no public explanation. Finding a coherent political ideology has also proved elusive. Mangione has linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline. In April, he wrote, "Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum)." The following month, he posted an essay he wrote in high school titled "How Christianity Prospered by Appealing to the Lower Classes of Ancient Rome." In another post from April, he speculated that Japan's low birthrate stems from societal disconnection, adding that "fleshlights" and other vaginal-replica sex toys should be banned. ia/nroKobe Sanders scores 27 points, Nevada never trails in 90-78 win over Oklahoma StateRepublicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised'
By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70A timeline of the life and political career of President Jimmy Carter
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With time people will realise they were misled by unachievable commitments: Altaf BukhariElon Musk Says Britain Is A 'Tyrannical Police State' In Latest Swipe At Keir StarmerHow co-writing a book threatened the Carters’ marriageSyria’s prime minister said that most cabinet ministers were back at work on Monday after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad. However, some state workers failed to return to their jobs and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt”. Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Mr Assad’s brutal rule. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant, who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the UN official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Mr Jalali stayed in Syria when Mr Assad fled and has sought to project normalcy since. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Mr Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a UN official said some government services had been paralysed as worried state employees stayed at home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” In a video shared on a rebel messaging channel, Mr al-Sharaa said: “You will see there are skills” among the rebels. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Mr Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Mr Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Mr Putin did not plan to meet with him. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets.
