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Labour pulls ahead of National in internal polling, as Hipkins plans tax pitch

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NoneFox News contributor Joe Concha reacts to how the new Trump administration is preparing to battle the 'hostile' media and former President Bill Clinton's comments on the cultural landscape in politics. Former President Bill Clinton has denied ever visiting former associate Jeffrey Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and expressed remorse about ever meeting the disgraced financier – who died awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. "I wish I had never met him," Clinton wrote in his new memoir, "Citizen," according to The Associated Press, which reviewed an advance copy. Clinton took flights on Epstein's prive jet on trips for the Clinton Foundation. He wrote that they only discussed "politics and economics" and that he never traveled to Epstein's infamous Little St. James Island. "Traveling on Epstein’s plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward," he wrote, according to a review in the Telegraph , which also obtained an advance copy. "I wish I had never met him." BILL CLINTON WRITES ABOUT TENSE #METOO-ERA INTERVIEW IN NEW MEMOIR: ‘FOUGHT TO CONTAIN MY FRUSTRATION’ Former President Bill Clinton receives a massage from Chauntae Davies in 2002 at a small airport in Portugal during a fuel stop for Jeffrey Epstein's Boeing 727 which was bound for Africa from New York. (Mega) After leaving the White House in 2001, Clinton moved to New York and set up a new office in Harlem. He met Epstein there in person once, and they met again in Epstein's Big Apple mansion, Clinton wrote, according to the U.S. Sun . The book is largely about Clinton's post-presidential life in philanthropy, and he wrote that his encounters with Epstein focused on his charitable foundation. In court documents related to a lawsuit against Epstein's right-hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell , Clinton's name came up – although he was not accused of taking part in any of Epstein or Maxwell's crimes. Jeffrey Epstein, center, and Ghislaine Maxwell meet with then-President Clinton at the White House at an event that took place in 1993 for donors to the White House Historical Association. (Mega) In a deposition from Epstein accuser Johanna Sjoberg, who had worked as a "masseuse" for the disgraced financier, she said Epstein bragged about knowing him. "I knew he had dealings with Bill Clinton," she said. "I did not know they were friends until I read the Vanity Fair article about them going to Africa together." DOZENS OF GHISLAINE MAXWELL FILES UNSEALED BY FEDERAL COURT IN SEX TRAFFICKING CASE "Did Jeffrey ever talk to you about Bill Clinton?" attorney Sigrid McCawley, who represents Epstein victims, asked in the deposition. "He said one time that Clinton likes them young , referring to girls," Sjoberg said. An aerial view of Little St. James Island, Jeffrey Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. (U.S. Department of Justice/Mega) Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and his spokesman Angel Urena noted when Sjoberg's testimony was released that the former president could have opposed the unsealing of his name but did not. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Urena also denied claims in the documents that Clinton and Epstein had any kind of personal relationship. "I had always thought Epstein was odd but had no inkling of the crimes he was committing," Clinton writes in the book. Clinton added that the trips he did take on Epstein's jet happened years before the financier was first charged with sex crimes in Florida. He cut off contact after learning of the criminal case. Epstein received a slap on the wrist in 2008 but was facing more serious federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 when he died in a jail cell. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

THE Political Leader of the Saint Labour Party, and Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, received a unanimous vote of confidence at the closed session of the Annual General Meeting of the party, held in the constituency of Dennery North, on Sunday, November 24. Now, what does a unanimous vote for a political leader of a party means? Very simply, it means that all the voting delegates at the conference, and there were 261 such votes cast to express confidence in the political leader and Prime Minister. In the Westminster model of parliamentary governance, which Saint Lucia follows, this process is quite legal. It means that the delegates at the conference agree on the political and social policies and activities of the Leader and his government. The delegates at the conference are representatives from all the 17 constituencies represented by the Saint Lucia Labour Party. The Political leader and Prime Minister has been pointedly consistent in improving the economic and social environments in Saint Lucia for the people. And the delegates of the SLP Annual Conference have recognised that and acknowledged that effort with their unanimous vote. Indeed, Saint Lucians have continually applauded the PJP administration for its forthright approach in dealing with their bread and butter and other economic matters. What is the present economic situation in Saint Lucia? Tourism, the island’s biggest industry and main source of jobs, income and foreign exchange, accounts for 65-70% of the country’s Gros Domestic Product, GDP. Agriculture, which was once the mainstay of the economy, now contributes to about 5% of GDP, but continues to account for about 25% of jobs. Manufacturing has been providing strong support to bolstering the economic situation. Indeed, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Honourable Alfred Prospere, is exerting a lot of energy in trying to improve banana production and the fisheries sector. The Honourable Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs is moving briskly with that sector. Very recently, I heard her saying that her consumer officers will be monitoring prices on the shelves of supermarkets in particular to ensure that prices of items are correct. I have highlighted Tourism, the money earner; Agriculture, Manufacturing and Commerce for obvious reasons. The country needs finance, and the people need food to meet their basic needs that Abraham Maslow emphasises. I have noted, in several places in this article, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). What is GDP? A simple definition is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country. It is important to investigate the current economic performance of our country. Saint Lucia’s Economic Freedom score is about 65%, making its economy the 64th freest in the 2024 Index of Economic Freedom. What is economic freedom? Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labour and property. Now the SLP Political leader and Prime Minister is an economist by profession. So, it is not strange that he conceptualised the Youth Economy Programme which has given scores of young people economic freedom. And that programme is doing extremely well. Now, the more income the Minister of Tourism, Honourable Ernest Hilaire can generate for our country, the more our citizens will enjoy economic freedom. In conclusion, I wish to say that the more our country improves economically, the more the Prime Minister will make the benefits available to the people of Saint Lucia.Hundreds rally for justice at JFJ’s 5K Run for RightsThe streets were dark and cars packed. People, who moved on foot, carried bags with their belongings, unsure about where they were going but certain that they could not stay. This was the scene on Tuesday in Nuweiri, central Beirut, moments after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings, the first for these areas. We were trying to visit the site of an Israeli air strike hours earlier, in the afternoon, that came without warning, flattened one building and killed at least seven people. But we could not get there. Crowds were leaving, and men on motorbikes stopped us from moving, saying it was not safe. Minutes later, we heard several explosions, from more attacks. And for hours, that was how the night unfolded in Beirut. Multiple blasts. Some in the distance; others closer. Gunshots announced more warnings, urging people to seek safety. All of this, with the constant sound of an Israeli drone flying overhead. This dramatic escalation came as the country waited for an Israeli decision on a ceasefire deal, the main hope to end over a year of conflict with Hezbollah, the powerful Iranian-backed movement. During that wait, Israel unleashed its most intense bombardment of Beirut in the conflict. Within two minutes, shortly after the attack on Nuweiri, fighter jets hit 20 targets in the city’s southern suburbs, known as Dahieh, where Hezbollah is based in the city. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the targets hit were facilities used by Hezbollah, and the wave of attacks was heard across the city. Now, a ceasefire has been officially announced, but questions remain. The war has been devastating for Lebanon, where more than 3,700 people have been killed since the start of the hostilities in October 2023, and one million residents have been displaced in areas where Hezbollah has strong presence. The World Bank estimates $8.5bn (£6.8bn) in economic losses and damage. Recovery will take time, and no-one seems to know who will pay for it. Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese soldiers will be deployed to the south, after the withdrawal of Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters. How they will be deployed remains unclear. The military has complained that they do not have the resources – money, manpower and equipment – to fulfil their obligations. But it is not only about funding, which will probably come from some of Lebanon’s international allies. Will the Lebanese military confront Hezbollah if needed? That would put Lebanese against Lebanese, which is always a risk in a country where sectarian divisions run deep. Lebanese authorities seem to have accepted that things must change, a diplomat told me. It appears there is political will to do so. Hezbollah, too, has been devastated. Many of its leaders have been killed, including long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah, while its infrastructure has been heavily damaged. How it will look like after the war is another unknown. The group has been severely weakened, some would say humiliated, but it has not been destroyed. In Lebanon, it is more than a militia: it is a political party with representation in Parliament, and a social organisation, with significant support among Shia Muslims. Its opponents will probably see it as an opportunity to limit its influence. Before the conflict, Hezbollah was often described as a state within a state in Lebanon. And for months, people outside Hezbollah’s support base said the group had dragged the country into a war that was not in its interests. This deal may bring the conflict with Israel to an end. But many in Lebanon fear a new internal conflict could follow.

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The recent appointment of David Sacks as the “White House A.I. and Crypto Czar” by President-elect Donald Trump has sparked a new chapter in the ongoing rivalry between billionaire Elon Musk and Sam Altman , head of OpenAI. What Happened : On Friday, Musk took a swipe at Altman after the OpenAI chief congratulated Sacks on his new role. Sacks, a venture capitalist and podcaster, has a history of collaboration with Musk, having worked with him at PayPal and invested in several of Musk’s ventures, including SpaceX , X (formerly known as Twitter), and xAI . His appointment is seen as a testament to Musk’s influence in the incoming administration. Altman has previously accused Musk of using his political influence to disadvantage competitors and promote his own businesses. Musk’s response to Altman’s congratulatory message to Sacks was a simple laughing emoji on X, further stoking their rivalry. 😂 Despite launching his own AI chat platform, Glue, Sacks asserts that his new role does not present a conflict of interest. His venture capital firm, Craft Ventures , has stated that his advisory role does not necessitate his departure from Craft. Also Read: Musk Goes To Court To Block OpenAI’s For-Profit Transition Trump announced Sacks’ appointment on his Truth Social account, lauding his knowledge, business acumen, intelligence, and pragmatism in the realms of AI and cryptocurrency. Why It Matters : The appointment of Sacks, a long-time ally of Musk, to a key role in the Trump administration could potentially tilt the balance of power in the AI and crypto sectors. This development is likely to intensify the rivalry between Musk and Altman, as both continue to vie for influence in these rapidly evolving fields. Read Next Elon Musk Is Feuding With Sam Altman In A Major Lawsuit Over OpenAI — And One Appears To Already Have The Upper Hand This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Biden says US hostage Austin Tice is alive in Syria

NoneDIRTT Welcomes Holly Hess Groos to the Board of Directors

Canada’s Trudeau says he had an ‘excellent conversation’ with Trump in Florida after tariffs threatSupport our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now Scores and stats from Orange County games on Saturday, Dec. 28 Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register. The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday. SATURDAY’S SCORES BOYS BASKETBALL DESERT HOLIDAY CLASSIC Mater Dei 99, Hoover 35 MD: Barnett 55 pts (12 3-ptrs). Henry 12 pts, 7 asts. Davidson 10 pts, 10 rebs, 12 asts. Note: Luke Barnett’s 55 points is a school single-game record, breaking the previous record of 53 set by Tom Lewis in 1984-85. THE CLASSIC AT DAMIEN Platinum Division Santa Margarita 88, Los Alamitos 81 Diamond Division Rancho Christian 50, Fairmont Prep 48 FP: Fernandez 21 pts, Davis 17 pts Other Diamond scores La Habra 48, Houston Christian (TX) 42 Copper Division Calvary Chapel 71, Rialto 56 NONLEAGUE Rowland 64, Santa Ana 42 GIRLS BASKETBALL ORANGE HOLIDAY CLASSIC Laguna Hills 32, Valley Christian 30 LH: Olsen 14 pts. Orange 59, Capistrano Valley 14 SUNNY HILLS WINTER PARLAY Sunny Hills 45, Jordan 22 SURF CITY HOLIDAY CLASSIC La Mirada 44, Mission Viejo 30 Godinez 62, United Christian Academy 34 DESERT HOLIDAY CLASSIC Laguna Beach 65, Desert Chapel 10 SOCAL HOLIDAY PREP CLASSIC Shadow Hills 46, Corona del Mar 44 RAMONA CONVENT TOURNAMENT Ramona Convent 40, La Habra 39 BOYS SOCCER NONLEAGUE California 1, Kennedy 0 GIRLS SOCCER EXCALIBUR TOURNAMENT Cypress 1, El Dorado 1 ORANGE COUNTY WINTER CLASSIC Katella 0, Fullerton 0 NONLEAGUE Brea Olinda 1, Redlands 0 Roosevelt 2, JSerra 1 Sunny Hills 2, Sierra Vista 0 GIRLS WATER POLO NONLEAGUE Foothill 12, Los Alamitos 7 Bishop’s 14, Laguna Beach 12