Morrissey throws 67-yard TD pass to Calwise Jr. to lift Eastern Kentucky over North Alabama 21-15South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law marks a new warning for the worldwide fragility of democracy, even in a country hailed as a model of political transformation. Yoon's attempt on Tuesday night to shut down political activity, censor media and lock out opposition lawmakers stunned South Korea's longtime ally, the United States, which said it had no advance warning and issued a statement of concern. South Korea's transition to elected rule since a mass uprising in 1987 had been seen as so thorough that the United States increasingly spoke of its ally as a global partner. Meanwhile, Seoul billed itself as a new, ideal hub for international media as China clamped down on Hong Kong. President Joe Biden had even chosen Yoon as the host in March of his final Summit for Democracy -- a signature initiative of the outgoing U.S. leader, who sought to champion liberal values globally, in an unstated repudiation of Donald Trump, who returns to the White House next month. But observers, while stunned by Yoon, said there were warning signs. Danny Russel, a top U.S. diplomat for Asia under former President Barack Obama and who earlier served in South Korea, pointed to the deadlock in parliament where the opposition repeatedly sought impeachments against Yoon's administration. Yoon's move "was a complete surprise to me (but) yes, there were very obvious structural forces at work," he said. "There is a radically polarized political scene in Korea. The opposition has been pursuing scorched-earth political obstruction tactics," he said. But he pointed to the quick, large-scale protests that erupted after Yoon's declaration as a sign of a vibrant civil society ready to defend democracy. "One certainly would hope that this would serve as a wake-up call to both the ruling conservative party and the progressive opposition that both sides have gone too far and that there needs to be some process of reconciliation, of dealing with legitimate differences and grievances." Yoon himself had earlier shown signs of authoritarianism. In a national address last year, Yoon raged against supposed communists who have "disguised themselves as democracy activists, human rights advocates or progressive activists." A prosecutor, Yoon narrowly won the 2022 election on a platform of economic reform and advocated close ties with the United States as well as historic rival Japan. But his popularity swiftly slid and the opposition won the National Assembly. Celeste Arrington, a Korea expert at George Washington University, noted that Yoon had never held elected office before and had become increasingly frustrated. "This is really an extreme move that may signal, I think, the president's lack of political experience," she said. She said that martial law showed "some cracks in democracy" but that the quick reversal "gives me hope in the health and strength and vibrancy of democracy in South Korea." Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, expected Yoon's career to be over after attempting martial law, which constitutionally can only be imposed for wars or other emergencies. "Yoon's action is a damning reversal to decades of South Korean efforts to put its authoritarian past behind it," he said. The number of democracies worldwide soared starting in the late 1980s as the Soviet Union collapsed and student-led uprisings brought reforms elsewhere. But globally, democracy has been in retreat for the last 18 straight years, according to the Washington-based group Freedom House, which promotes political liberty. Democratically elected leaders have taken increasingly authoritarian steps in countries as diverse as India, Turkey and Hungary. V-Dem, another closely watched democracy index, had most recently ranked South Korea third in Asia after Taiwan and Japan. In the United States, Trump has rejected long-held norms, refusing to accept he lost to Biden four years ago -- culminating in his supporters violently rampaging through the U.S. Capitol. Trump's rejection of democracy ultimately worked out for him: campaigning on the rage of 2020, he won last month's election. But experts said Yoon's power play -- and its reversal -- could in fact show a victory for democratic values. "Yoon is a deeply unpopular and ineffectual leader, but there was nothing I saw of people being dissatisfied with the way government runs," Alan Yu, a senior vice president at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said after a recent trip to Seoul. Darcie Draudt-Vejares of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that with the swift response to Yoon, "this crisis may ultimately strengthen Korean democracy by reaffirming civilian control and demonstrating institutional resilience."

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100"This is going to be magical," Riverdance said on its social media channels on Wednesday, the day before its Irish dancers are set to be featured in the world-famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. "This is a very special Riverdance performance because we are joined by guest dancers of all ages from across the country," Riverdance said, adding, "We are so thankful." More than 60 Irish dancers from across the country will take to the streets of New York City on Thursday as part of the Riverdance ensemble for the iconic parade. A post shared by Riverdance (@riverdance) Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Irish dancers from Riverdance's North American Tour Group and its Academy will make up the ensemble on Thursday, according to organizers for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024. The Irish dancers will march and perform in front of approximately 3.5 million spectators along the 2.5-mile parade route in New York City on Thanksgiving, while an estimated 30 million more people will watch the live broadcast at home on NBC and its simulcast on streaming platform Peacock. Riverdance will be marking its 30th anniversary during its Thanksgiving performance on Thursday. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024 will begin at 8:30 am on Thursday at West 77th Street and Central Park West and ends at Herald Square, home of Macy's flagship store. The Irish dancers will be among the energetic performance groups who will close out the parade's entertainment lineup and deliver a best-in-class performance on 34th Street. "The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a beloved tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday season for millions of live spectators and viewers across the country," Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer, said. "A dedicated team of artisans and production experts at Macy’s Studios work year-round to bring this experience to life. This year’s 98th Macy’s Parade will create awe with unforgettable character balloons, one-of-a-kind floats, and the world-class entertainment only Macy’s can deliver.”

US President-elect Donald Trump has chosen a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Login or signup to continue reading Keith Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a policy book laying out an "America First" national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, saying "He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!" Kellogg, an 80 year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump's top adviser on defence issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before President Joe Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticised the billions the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute's Centre for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group's policy book. In April, he wrote that "bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties." Trump's proposed national security adviser Michael Waltz tweeted on Wednesday that "Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution." Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating from his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded the Ukrainian leader to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the centre of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On January 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence's national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden 's victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: "You're not tough enough to make the call." Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!The have traded , and three second-round picks to the for and , it was announced Sunday. The Lakers sent their own second-round picks in 2027, 2030 and 2031 to the Nets. Russell, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, is averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 26.3 minutes per game this season. The 28-year-old point guard returns to the Nets, where he played for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, when he earned his only All-Star selection. The move gives the Lakers a versatile 3-and-D player in Finney-Smith. The 31-year-old averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season for the Nets, with whom he has played since arriving in the trade from the in February 2023. Finney-Smith is shooting a career-high 43.5% from 3 this season and is known as a high-level wing defender. Finney-Smith is the only player in the NBA this season to defend guards, forwards and centers each for at least 15 half-court matchups per game, according to Second Spectrum. He is on pace to average at least 10 points in a season for the second time in his career. Lakers coach JJ Redick has preached positional versatility and toughness in his roster -- attributes the franchise's addition should help with. Los Angeles also creates salary and luxury tax flexibility, saving a total of $15 million and moving $3.5 million below the second apron. Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for next season. Redick and Finney-Smith were teammates with the Mavericks during the 2020-21 season. The Nets acquire draft capital and cleaner salaries moving forward, including Russell's expiring deal. Brooklyn now has 31 draft picks in the next seven years -- 15 first-rounders and 16 second-rounders -- to go along with over $60 million in cap space in the offseason. Earlier this month, the Nets traded to the for three second-round picks. Russell started the first eight games of the season for the Lakers until Redick changed the starting lineup after his team lost four out of five games. Despite the bench role, Russell's production had been on the uptick. His 13 points per game on 43.2% shooting from the field and 38.6% on 3-pointers in December was better than what he averaged in November (12.5 PPG on 41.7%/32.5%) and October (10.8 PPG on 36.7%/25%). Russell, despite being linked to trade discussions in February, was coming off a strong season in which he averaged 18.0 points on 45.6% shooting and 41.5% from 3 while setting a Lakers record for 3-pointers in a season with 226. When he greeted reporters during the Lakers annual media day in September, he said, "Surprise, surprise" -- acknowledging a somewhat unexpected turn of events for him to pick up his $18.7 million player option to return to L.A. after all the trade talks and another spotty postseason performance. Russell has been traded five times in the past 71⁄2 years. Lewis, a 22-year-old forward taken in the second round of the 2023 draft, has seen action in seven games this season, averaging 4.1 minutes. Milton, 28, was averaging 7.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his first season with the Nets. He is owed $3 million next season and $3.3 million in 2026-27. Milton is joining his sixth NBA team in less than two years, including his third trade in 11 months.For Kailyn Lowry , the holidays marked the most wonderful time for a body transformation. The Teen Mom 2 star has announced that she has undergone breast reduction surgery. In an Instagram Story selfie posted by fans and on multiple outlets, including Page Six Dec. 29, the mom of seven holds up a peace sign, captioning the snap, "4 days post op." She also included a poll with the question, "Do you want breast reduction videos?" In a separate Instagram Stories video, Kailyn is seen holding up the peace sign while lying down in a dark room. The clip is captioned, "Out of surgery, lots of videos to come." Kailyn, who had undergone has spoken about her desire to undergo such plastic surgery before. Earlier this year, months after welcoming her sixth and seventh child, twins Valley and Verse , now 14 months old, the 32-year-old revealed she broke down in tears after she was denied a "boob job." "I call around. I'm making these consultations to get a boob job," Kailyn shared on the May 17 episode of her Barely Famous podcast . "You know what they told me? I need to lose 40 pounds...more like 50, but maybe get away with 40 pounds before they can even operate on me." She added, "That was extremely humbling." Kailyn, who shares her twins and son Rio , 2, with fiancé Elijah Scott and is also a mom to sons Isaac , 14, Lincoln , 11, Lux , 7, and Creed , 4, from previous relationships, has had plastic surgery before. In 2016, the reality star underwent a Brazilian butt lift and tummy tuck, her surgeon, Dr. Michael Salzhauer aka Dr. Miami, had confirmed at the time. "It was the best decision I ever made," Kailyn noted of her past procedures on her Baby Mama No Drama podcast in January. "The worst decision I ever made was not waiting until I was done having kids." The podcaster, who had her tubes tied after giving birth to her twins , added that she planned to get a breast reduction "no matter what." Read on to find out what more celebrities have said about their plastic surgeries and cosmetic procedures over the years... Kailyn Lowry The Teen Mom 2 star and mother of seven underwent a Brazlian butt lift and tummy tuck in 2016 and breast reduction surgery in December 2024. Gypsy Rose Blanchard Gypsy underwent a rhinoplasty and septoplasty (nose job) in April 2024, three months after she was released from prison (where she served seven years for her role in the murder of her mother Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard ). Caroline Stanbury The Real Housewives of Dubai star publicly documented her November 2023 face lift and the recovery on social media. "I wanted people to see how, when you come out, the scars and the cuts and what it really looks like," she e xclusively told E! News of the procedure. "I literally looked like I'd been in a car crash and the car had won, but five days later you're presentable. Ten days later I was in a restaurant completely fine." As for why the Bravo star was so open about her face lift journey? As she noted, "Being on a reality TV show, obviously it's going to look weird if I come back next season looking 10 years younger, which I do, obviously." Selena Gomez The singer has said she has gotten Botox . Brandi Glanville The former Bravo star has been candid about her plastic surgery procedures in the past, including getting a nose job, having breast implants and dabbling with Botox and filler. And now, she's turned to CellSound's body sculpting treatment to tighten her stomach. "I have actual abs," she told People in an interview published March 21. "I have lines on my stomach that I haven't had since before I got pregnant. I think any mother knows after kids the elasticity of your skin will never be the same." Ariana Madix Responding to an Instagram user who accused the Vanderpump Rules star of getting lip filler, Botox, jawline contouring with liposuction and eyelid surgery, Madix clapped back by confirming all of her past cosmetic procedures . “i’ll tell you what i’ve had!” she wrote on Instagram in July 2024. “you’re partially correct. tox in 11’s, outer brow, and my neck. ellevate for my neck in 2019 by @theneckdoctor minimal lip filler bc my face is too small to handle very much and filler in my chin. absolutely no filler anywhere else and def no bleph yet. hope this helps! i’ll keep yall posted if i do anything else.” Jill Zarin "I'm bravely sharing that I had a lower facelift and a couple other minor tweaks," Jill said in a June 4 Instagram video , with a black bandage wrapped around her head. "I had a fat transplant put into my hands because I hated my hands, and the worst part was the lipo coming out of my leg to fill my hands. Believe it or not, that's the most pain I've had." The 60-year-old promised that she'll post side-by-side photos of her transformation once she heals, adding, "I just want to share my story and my journey." Brittany Cartwright The Valley star revealed she underwent facial liposuction before filming the new Bravo series. "I had work done on my double chin. We call it the turkey gobbler, runs in my family," she said on the March 14 episode of her When Reality Hits podcast. "No matter what I was going through, no matter how much weight I lost, I still felt I had something there." Martha Stewart After years of denying cosmetic procedures, the lifestyle expert recently confessed in the Feb. 8 episode of her eponymous podcast that she gets Botox, fillers and lasers to tighten her skin. "I don't think a lot about age," she explained, "but I don't want to look my age." Tori Spelling The Beverly Hills, 90210 star has spoken publicly about her nose job and her breast implants . Sharon Osbourne In addition to getting candid on using Ozempic for weight loss, the talk show host admitted that her 2021 facelift was "the worst thing that I ever did," explaining in December 2023, "I looked like Cyclops." Lady Gaga "I've never had any work-work done, but I went through a phase when I was smoking pot when I was really obsessed with getting facial injections," the "Born This Way" singer told radio host Howard Stern in 2013. "I was going to this strip mall in Chicago in the back...Everybody was like, 'You are a nut job.'...I'm telling you, I wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind, and I would smoke a bunch of joints and have some drinks and I would be like, 'Oh, let's go see my girl' and we would drive to this strip mall and I would get shot up with a bunch of whatever, Juvéderm, and then leave." She continued, "Now all the stuff is gone. Before I shot the 'Applause' video, [a photographer friend] was like, 'Gaga, I love you but if you don't stop injecting s--t in your face I'm going to just kill you.'" Bethenny Frankel The Real Housewives of New York star got breast implants in 2005, but removed them in 2008. "Now I feel comfortable," she told Life & Style . "If there's something you're not comfortable with and you can correct it, great." Olivia Colman The Crown star revealed that she's a fan of Botox. "I've had loads," the 50-year-old told BBC Radio 2 . Julie Chen In 2013, The Talk co-host revealed on the show that she got plastic surgery at the beginning of her career in order to make her eyes look bigger. "And after I had it done, the ball did roll for me," she said. "And I wondered, did I give in to the man?" She added, "I have to live with every decision that I've made. And it got me to where we are today. And I'm not going to look back." Jamie Lee Curtis "I've done it all," the actress told The Telegraph in 2002. "I've had a little plastic surgery. I've had a little lipo. I've had a little Botox. And you know what? None of it works. None of it." Jennifer Aniston "I had [a deviated septum] fixed–best thing I ever did," the actress told People in 2007. "I slept like a baby for the first time in years. As far as all the other [rumors], as boring as it sounds, it's still mine. All of it. Still mine." NeNe Leakes In 2010, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star revealed that she had had a nose job, a breast lift and liposuction. "I'm very comfortable and confident in myself," she told People . "I just wanted a tune up." Kim Zolciak In 2015, the reality star called Dr. Lenny Hochstein her "boob God" doctor for giving her perky breasts. Of course, the reality TV personality has been an open book about her other procedures , including a tummy tuck and lip injections. Lisa Rinna The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star had her lips injected with silicone at age 24. In 2010, she had some of the filler removed. "I find it so interesting that it's become such a big thing because I can't tell you how many girls have done their lips. I feel like I'm a pioneer," she said on Today in 2013. "I was one of the first ones to ever do it and be honest about it."She also said, "I would do it again. I never had a career before I had the lips so my lips have had their own career!" Heidi Montag In 2009, at just 23 years old, the Hills star underwent a head-to-toe transformation, having 10 cosmetic procedures done in one day. In addition to Botox, chin reductions and a nose job, the reality star also got fat injections in her lips. Iggy Azalea The Aussie rapper said in the April 2015 issue of Vogue magazine that she got breast implants. "I did change something: Four months ago, I got bigger boobs! I'd thought about it my entire life," she revealed. Tyra Banks In her memoir , Perfect Is Boring, the supermodel revealed that she went under the knife early in her career. "I had bones in my nose that were growing and itching," she wrote in her book. "I could breathe fine, but I added cosmetic surgery. I admit it! Fake hair, and I did my nose." Kim Kardashian "I really, genuinely care about looking good," the SKKN founder told Allure for its August 2022 issue. "I probably care more than 90 percent of the people on this planet. It's not easy when you're a mom and you're exhausted at the end of the day or you're in school, and I'm all of the above. I do my beauty treatments usually late at night. After everyone's in bed, I'm doing laser treatments." Kim revealed she's also gotten "a little bit of Botox," but hasn't dabbled with filler on her lips or cheeks, revealing, "No filler. Never filled either one, ever." Kristin Cavallari During an Instagram Stories Q&A on Aug. 23, the reality TV star didn't shy away from answering a fan's question about her boobs. "Gonna keep it real with y'all," Kristin began her response. "Got a lift after breast feeding all 3 kids." While The Hills alum isn't opposed to cosmetic procedures, she admitted she's "never done" Botox. "It's not for me. But I've seen it look amazing on some people," she wrote. "My concern is that we don't know the long term effects of it (and I don't mean 5-10 years, I mean like 20 years) and I think your face is muscle, so we need to work it out the same way we would any other muscle." John Stamos In his new memoir, If You Would Have Told Me , John opened up about feeling insecure with his appearance, which led him to get two nose jobs. "That nose," he wrote. "It bothers me." "My nose looks kind of pushed up like Peter Pan or something," he shared of the initial procedure. "So on my next hiatus, I have it redone by Michael Jackson's plastic surgeon." Sia The singer recently revealed she got a facelift. "I'm a pop star that normally hides my face and doesn't lie about s--t," she said at the 5th annual Daytime Beauty Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 1.. "I got an amazing face lift from Dr. Ben Talei. He is incredible. And he is doing so much good work—and not just for the pop stars of the world." Nicki Minaj The rapper revealed she recent went under the knife. "I had to get a breast reduction," she told Vogue in a cover story published Nov. 9, "and actually I love it. I used to want a bigger butt, and now I look back and realize how silly that was." Vanessa recently shared the cosmetic treatments she gets, telling Page Six , "I'm due for Botox . I don't do filler and I have so much full movement that there is no Botox at all." When asked if she's thought about going under the knife, she replied, "That would be the one thing that I would probably put off for the very last thing. The technology now for lifting, sculpting, tightening, is incredible. And there's a machine for anything. I just got a microcurrent thing for your neck, it was called Forma and it's like a total package facial." The Sex and the City alum opened up about why she receives cosmetic injectables. "I'm in my 60s now and I'm all about battling aging in every way I can," Kim told The Sunday Times in an interview published June 4. "There are fillers, Botox, there's so many different things that you can investigate and try and see if it's for you. It's not just a vanity thing."It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Medexus Pharmaceuticals (TSE:MDP) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s WhyAs poultry farms and dairies across California continue to battle bird flu outbreaks, residents may be worried about food safety this holiday season.

White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaignSinn Fein was accused of “ignoring” the role 3,000 Troubles deaths had in damaging community relations in Northern Ireland in a memo sent to a direct rule minister in 2003. Declassified files show the note to former MP John Spellar also said the republican party had ignored the “visceral component of sectarianism” in responding to a new government good relations strategy. Mr Spellar, then a Northern Ireland Office minister, had launched a consultation on the “A Shared Future” document, an attempt to address community divisions, segregation and sectarianism in the region at a time when the devolved powersharing institutions were suspended. A file at the Public Record Office in Belfast shows that OFMDFM official Chris Stewart wrote to the minister in July about a response to the document from Sinn Fein representative Bairbre de Brun. Mr Stewart told Mr Spellar that Ms de Brun’s letter had been critical of the document and was clearly intended to “mark your card”. He said among a number of points raised by de Brun was that “the promotion of equality is the key to improving community relations”. His memo adds: “Sinn Fein is clearly seeking to position or align the issue of community relations within its equality and human rights agenda. “This general Sinn Fein position has resulted in a simplistic analysis of community relations, which is flawed in its description of the causes and necessary policy response. “There is of course, no doubt that a lack of equality has been a contributing factor to poor community relations. “However, Sinn Fein ignores the many other factors, not least the violent conflict that resulted in over 3,000 deaths. “Sinn Fein also portrays poor community relations (for nationalists) as being a purely rational response to the political situation. “This ignores the more visceral component of sectarianism, which is all too prevalent in both communities.” Mr Stewart continues: “To suggest, as Sinn Fein does, that the promotion of equality should be the key component of good relations policy is to ignore the key message in A Shared Future, that indirect approaches alone are insufficient to deal with sectarianism and the abnormal relationship between sections of the Northern Ireland community.” The official recommended the minister invite representatives of Sinn Fein to a meeting to discuss the policy. The file also contains a note about Mr Spellar’s meeting with DUP representatives Maurice Morrow and Peter Weir the following month to discuss the document. The note says: “Morrow said he had no problem with sharing the future and suggested that the first step to that would be an election to decide who spoke for whom – though he was quick to say he didn’t want politics to dominate the meeting.” It adds: “Weir said that the biggest step towards improving community relations would be the creation of a political environment that had the broad support of both unionism and nationalism, and the GFA (Good Friday Agreement) could not create that environment.”"This is going to be magical," Riverdance said on its social media channels on Wednesday, the day before its Irish dancers are set to be featured in the world-famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. "This is a very special Riverdance performance because we are joined by guest dancers of all ages from across the country," Riverdance said, adding, "We are so thankful." More than 60 Irish dancers from across the country will take to the streets of New York City on Thursday as part of the Riverdance ensemble for the iconic parade. A post shared by Riverdance (@riverdance) Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Irish dancers from Riverdance's North American Tour Group and its Academy will make up the ensemble on Thursday, according to organizers for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024. The Irish dancers will march and perform in front of approximately 3.5 million spectators along the 2.5-mile parade route in New York City on Thanksgiving, while an estimated 30 million more people will watch the live broadcast at home on NBC and its simulcast on streaming platform Peacock. Riverdance will be marking its 30th anniversary during its Thanksgiving performance on Thursday. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024 will begin at 8:30 am on Thursday at West 77th Street and Central Park West and ends at Herald Square, home of Macy's flagship store. The Irish dancers will be among the energetic performance groups who will close out the parade's entertainment lineup and deliver a best-in-class performance on 34th Street. "The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a beloved tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday season for millions of live spectators and viewers across the country," Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer, said. "A dedicated team of artisans and production experts at Macy’s Studios work year-round to bring this experience to life. This year’s 98th Macy’s Parade will create awe with unforgettable character balloons, one-of-a-kind floats, and the world-class entertainment only Macy’s can deliver.”

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Tuomas Uronen scored at 1:46 of overtime to give Finland a 4-3 victory over the defending champion United States on Sunday in the world junior hockey championship. Uronen, who plays for the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League, came down the right side on a rush and beat goalie Trey Augustine high to the glove side. The Americans lost for the first time in three games. They'll finish Group A play Tuesday night against Canada. Finland has won two straight after an opening loss to Canada. In the late game at Canadian Tire Centre, Carter George made 18 saves to help Canada rebound from an overtime loss to Latvia with a 3-0 victory over Germany. Jesse Kiiskinen, Julius Miettinen and Arttu Alasiurua also scored for Finland, and Petteri Rimpinen made 41 saves. Carey Terrance of the Erie Otters of the OHL, Cole Hutson of Boston University and Brody Ziemer of Minnesota scored for the United States. Augustine, from Michigan State, stopped 29 shots. For Canada, Oliver Bonk opened the scoring midway through the first period, Caden Price made it 2-0 with 4:58 left in the game and Mathieu Cataford added an empty-netter. In Group B at TD Place, Sweden and Czechia each improved to 3-0 ahead of their showdown Tuesday night in the round-robin finale. Tom Willander had two goals and assist in Sweden's 7-5 victory over Switzerland. Eduard Sale scored twice to help Czechia beat Slovakia 4-2. AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Share Tweet Share Share Email ‘Hyperconnected’ might feel like an understatement. With the explosion of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the normalization of remote work, and the adoption of multi-cloud infrastructures, the world seems to run more smoothly and more connected. However, for cybersecurity professionals, these changes create a labyrinth of permissions and vulnerabilities. Traditional “castle-and-moat” security models are crumbling, leaving APIs and other entry points exposed to exploitation. In response, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) has emerged as the new gold standard for security. “What might have been dismissed as paranoia a decade ago tends to become the security standard,” says Ravi Kumar , Senior Site Reliability Engineer. With over ten years of experience in high-profile cybersecurity projects and a decorated track record—including recognition as Best Consultant and numerous spot awards at Microsoft —Kumar explains why ZTA is no longer optional, even for those who aren’t tech professionals. What is Zero Trust, and Why Does It Matter? Zero Trust is grounded in three key principles: assume breach , verify explicitly, and enforce least privilege. And unlike previous security models, Zero Trust assumes every network—whether it’s your home Wi-Fi or the coffee shop hotspot—is untrustworthy by default. Every user, device, and connection must be authenticated and authorized before gaining access. “And even then, they should be continuously monitored,” Kumar adds. “Every network is treated as unsafe, and just as hostile as the internet itself.” He explains that traditional network perimeters, such as firewalls, are now regularly supplemented—or even replaced—by security measures centered on individual entities and data. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides foundational guidelines for Zero Trust , advocating for robust identity governance and policy-based access controls. Drawing from his own experience, Kumar offers a practical analogy: “Just because someone is inside the bank doesn’t mean they should be able to walk into the vault.” Zero Trust in Action While the principles of Zero Trust are straightforward, their implementation varies widely across industries. Kumar highlights real-world examples from his career to illustrate the versatility of ZTA. Global financial systems, with their heavy reliance on digital infrastructure, have embraced ZTA as a necessity. Kumar recalls designing an air-gapped security operations center for a foreign bank, combining advanced threat analytics and encrypted communications to create an actively monitored security environment. “But financial systems need to balance security with convenience,” he explains, pointing to the common use of asynchronous and localized cryptographic keys to protect data in transit. In healthcare, breaches pose risks beyond privacy—lives are on the line. Kumar highlights his work implementing a Zero Trust framework for a medical facility serving one million patients, ensuring compliance with HIPAA while safeguarding the hospital’s various IoT devices and patient portals. Role-based access controls and continuous monitoring ensured that only authorized personnel could modify or view sensitive data. Given the growing frequency in ransomware attacks targeting healthcare , Kumar sees such measures as critical for safeguarding both patient information and operational continuity, especially during and after an attack. Education is another vulnerable sector. The pivot to remote learning during the pandemic exposed gaps previously overlooked by educational institutions. Kumar collaborated with the City Colleges of Chicago to replace legacy systems with a hybrid identity management solution, enabling secure, role-specific access for students and staff alike. “In education, the priority is often preventing manipulation rather than access,” he notes. As online learning expands, Kumar emphasizes the need for vigilance in protecting both academic integrity and sensitive information. Despite the widespread applicability, Kumar points out that proactive cybersecurity is still rare. “Too often, vulnerabilities aren’t taken seriously until there’s a breach.” What’s Ahead for Zero Trust Reflecting on recent developments, Kumar says Zero Trust must evolve alongside emerging technologies. AI, for example, is a double-edged sword. “AI-driven attacks like phishing and malware are growing more sophisticated,” Kumar says, “but defenders are countering with predictive containment and anomaly detection. It’s an arms race.” Kumar also sees Zero Trust principles extending beyond networking into physical supply chains and emerging technologies like quantum computing. Technologies like Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) and software-defined perimeters are expected to larger roles in creating highly localized, tamper-resistant security measures. “Regardless of how sophisticated the technology, the goal is to deconstruct security into its smallest, least manipulable components,” he explains. Still, Zero Trust isn’t foolproof. High implementation costs can put it out of reach for smaller organizations, and insider threats or social engineering can still bypass defenses. “It’s important to remember that Zero Trust is just one part of a broader security strategy,” Kumar cautions. “You’ll need to revisit your weakest links as your policy evolves.” Summing Up Kumar offers two simple rules for adopting Zero Trust : “Minimize risk, and maximize resilience. Every solution you implement should align with one of these goals,” he says. “It helps to think of Zero Trust more as a mindset than a rigid set of rules.” He encourages organizations to start with high-risk areas and scale up based on specific needs. Workforce training is equally important to overcome cultural resistance and ensure employees understand their role in the security ecosystem. In a world defined by connectivity, trust can no longer be assumed—it must be earned. “It’s the new reality of cybersecurity ,” Kumar concludes. “Zero Trust is here to stay.” Related Items: cybersecurity , Zero Trust , Zero Trust Architecture Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Strengthen Cyber Resilience: A Checklist for ITOps and SecOps Collaboration Preparing the Next Generation: Cyber Brain Academy’s Focus on Cybersecurity Professionals Sree Gopinath’s Advocacy for Digital Privacy: Defending Critical National Interests CommentsPackers fail yet again to produce a premier performance against a top NFC team in loss to VikingsRescuers reassess safety in search for woman they think fell into a Pennsylvania sinkhole