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In recent months, rumors of crisis and even divorce have haunted Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. The couple, one of the most famous in the public sphere, had taken on some of their obligations separately, which had led to much speculation. PUBLICIDAD The youngest son of Carlos III was the main protagonist of the DealBook Summit 2024 organized by The New York Times and, in conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin , columnist of the newspaper and founder of Dealbook, the royal addressed the topic. PUBLICIDAD What did Prince Harry say about the rumors of Meghan Markle's divorce? "I have searched for news about you on Google and there are people who are fascinated by everything you do constantly. They are fascinated by the fact that Meghan is in California right now and you are here. There are articles everywhere about, you know: 'Why are you doing events solo? Why aren't you doing them together?'" Sorkin commented. The columnist commented that he should already be used to always being the center of media attention, but asked him if he thought it was good that his life aroused so much interest: " Definitely, it's not a good thing ," said Harry. Prince William's brother not only showed great sincerity but also made the audience laugh by saying, " Apparently we have bought or moved house 10 or 12 times. Apparently, we have also been divorced 10 or 12 times. So it's like... what? ," he confessed, unable to contain his laughter. Instead of worrying about what is said or not said about their relationship, they prefer to ignore it. " It's hard to keep up, but that's why we ignore it. The people I feel most sorry for are the trolls ," he said about those who use social media to criticize them or send them offensive messages. "I feel sorry for them. I really do." In his conversation with Sorkin, the Duke of Sussex mentioned the fact that his words are often taken out of context many times. In fact, he said that he "had no doubt" that his conversation "will be manipulated or misrepresented against me in some way, and maybe you will also be ruthlessly trolled": "That's why I can only apologize. But I've been invited, so it's not my fault," joked Prince Harry, provoking laughter from everyone present. Harry also dedicated words to his family, made up of Meghan and their children (Archie, five years old, and Lilibet, three), when talking about his goals: “To be the best husband and father I can be.” He also confessed that they are happy with their day-to-day life in Montecito, California, and that he loves living in the United States. “I really enjoy living here and raising my children here,” and added that there are activities he can do with them that “without a doubt, I couldn’t do in the United Kingdom.”

KyKy Tandy, FAU close out Oklahoma State in CharlestonVote counting begins in Ghana as new president awaitsOTTAWA - Canada’s financial intelligence agency says it is modernizing with the aim of providing valuable information to police and security officials in real time — or as close to that goal as it can get. In its newly released annual report, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada says it is working with businesses and federal partners to move more quickly in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. The agency, known as Fintrac, identifies money linked to illicit activities by electronically sifting millions of pieces of information each year from banks, insurance companies, money services businesses, real-estate brokers, casinos and others. In turn, it discloses intelligence to police and security agencies about the suspected cases. In 2023-24, Fintrac produced more than 4,600 financial intelligence disclosure packages for recipients including the RCMP, municipal and provincial police, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canada Revenue Agency. In a message in the report, Fintrac director Sarah Paquet says the agency aims to harness modern skills, tools and technologies to analyze data and produce intelligence in real time. Paquet said such swiftness could be a game-changer, for example, in the agency’s efforts to track financial transactions related to human trafficking for sexual exploitation. “It will allow us to proactively identify and assist law enforcement in disrupting networks much quicker,” she said. “This will mean rescuing victims sooner, saving them from prolonged abuse. It will mean supporting survivors sooner, getting them the assistance they need in a more timely fashion. And it will help law enforcement target, arrest and charge the traffickers sooner, preventing the abuse of new victims.” Fintrac’s digital strategy includes advancing automation, analytics and the use of artificial intelligence, Paquet said. In a bid to “stay ahead of the bad actors,” Fintrac has created a digital acceleration and modernization team “to experiment with, and exploit, the latest technologies.” Transnational organized crime groups and professional money launderers are the most prominent threats to Canada when it comes to illicit cash transactions, the report said. “At the same time, while the threat of terrorist financing is not as pronounced in Canada as it is in other regions of the world, there are networks operating in our country that are suspected of raising, collecting and transmitting funds abroad to various terrorist groups.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.

Chennai: Deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday called the book release function, in which actor and TVK founder Vijay participated, as "cinema news". Asked about the B R Ambedkar book release event held in Chennai in which actor and TVK leader Vijay participated, Udhayanidhi told reporters, "I don't watch cinema news." On the highly critical comments by VCK deputy general secretary Aadhav Arjuna at the same event "a chief minister should not be elected by birth", Udhayanidhi said, "Chief ministers are elected by people, and that guy doesn't even have that basic knowledge." Udhayanidhi was in Vellore and Ranipet districts to participate in a series of govt and party events. Speeches by Vijay and Aadhav Arjuna at the book release event, which targeted DMK , caused ripples within VCK and in political circles. Vijay, who criticised DMK and chief minister M K Stalin for his statement that his party will win 200 seats in the 2026 assembly election, came in for attack by DMK functionaries. In Tiruchendur, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi made a veiled attack on Vijay. "Many who spoke like this have not achieved anything, and we have to make people aware of it. As our party president says, I am also saying with confidence that we will definitely win 200 seats." HR & CE minister P K Sekarbabu went a step further and said DMK will win all 234 seats. Sekarbabu told reporters in Chennai, "Some self-styled intellectuals are saying that DMK will not win 200 seats. The irony here is that those who haven't even come to the ground are criticising the party. Our stand is that we will win all 234 seats. Our cadres will work even more vigorously and will make Stalin the CM again in 2026." Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

From Maui to the Caribbean, college hoops' Thanksgiving tournaments a beloved part of the sport

Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National ChampionshipConsider the term physics and many of us will be transported back to high school classrooms, perhaps struggling to make sense of one of the major sciences. But an unassuming building deep within the University of Western Australia’s sprawling, stately Crawley campus is the professional home of a group of scientists who hope their work could soon transform the way the world works. The university’s school of physics hosts a small but powerful group dedicated to quantum research — the study of particles at microscopic levels — that’s making huge advances in developing tools and methods around how we work. “Physicists are an important part of our . . . economy, kind of hidden in the background,” explained David Gozzard, a senior research fellow who specialises in quantum imaging around telescopes and communications. “I think people have a reasonable idea of how important engineers are to the world because you can look around and (see) an engineer built that bridge . . . but they don’t realise that physicists are building and developing the underlying technologies.” Within his quantum imaging research, Dr Gozzard particularly focuses on metrology — the science of measurement that provides synchronisation for computer networks and GPS — so much now a part of everyday life. “Space technology is critical to everything we do,” he said. “It’s in the background so we don’t really notice it. “And Australia more broadly, but also WA has failed to capitalise on that for decades. This is an important part of keeping Australia and technology at a world-leading level. So this is a space we need to be in.” PhD student Elrina Hartman, who’s been with the centre for three years, emphasised quantum physics was a “very powerful tool to make very precise measurements”, and its mechanics underpinned much of society. Within the lab, the team has been working to develop mechanical tools to “help us answer these big questions in this lab”, she said. Jeremy Bourhill, who’s looking to apply quantum technologies into a device that will reduce the cost of manufacturing a wide tranche of pharmaceuticals, said the practical, everyday uses of quantum work were often misunderstood — or not understood at all. “We need to change the perception around what becoming a scientist means,” he said, adding jobs were evident in WA for engineering graduates, but the science industry needed to make more people aware about the jobs that are available. “If you come through a degree in physics, for example, particularly in the space of quantum, you could end up working in defence; you can work up spinning out your own company and being a CEO or a founder; you could become a professor; you could find a job working for CSIRO or (a Federal department) or any number of new quantum startups that are popping up all over the world,” he said. “There is a real industry that’s calling out for talent being developed and it’s coming online right now. And we need more people to come in to it.” UWA’s Quantum Technologies and Dark Matter research group leader Michael Tobar added: “Everyone does Little Athletics — we’re a sporting nation but we haven’t had that same attitude towards learning physics, maths and high-tech (areas).” Within his lab, Professor Tobar has high ambitions. “If we are successful with just one experiment that’s trying to test the foundations of physics, it’s a Nobel Prize — definitely,” he said. “It’s my goal to build it. I’ve been in this lab for 30 years. Dr Gozzard hopes if successful in his three-year project of building a quantum telescope, astronomers will be able to study the universe in much greater detail than ever before because it would have resolution 10 times greater than anything else in the market. “GPS can be spoofed, as in you can make a GPS receiver think it’s somewhere that’s not right,” he said, adding very few people were aware this could even happen. “So the quantum technologies not only allow us to do more precise next-generation GPS, GPS that cannot be spoofed, and also timing systems . . . that cannot be spoofed. “So the GPS systems that we all rely on — the timing systems that our modern infrastructure relies on will all be humming along using these quantum technologies.” Dr Gozzard said this technology was particularly crucial for defence — and for Australia’s national security interests as global conflicts escalated. Elsewhere within the centre, Jingbo Wang is developing a quantum computer — where computers and mobile phones currently used work on a binary system, a quantum computer does not and if fully developed, could solve problems current computers cannot. “A lot of problems, like logistics; even how to design traffic lights, for example, how to design drugs — what combination of elements will be superconducting,” Professor Wang said. Ms Hartman said she and fellow PhD student Emma Paterson, and Professor Wang, were among the few women in the sector. “A lot of that ends up falling on our shoulders to create those opportunities for representation,” she said of the need to show women that they belong in the field. The take-up remains slow despite concerted efforts to encourage female students to continue to study STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics— subjects. “We want the public to be able to engage in quantum science and . . . I think it comes down to a perception issue,” Ms Paterson said. “People can be afraid of engaging with science if they don’t feel like they have the background required and all that you really need at the end of the day is curiosity. We want to be able to bridge that gap between us and the public.”

Syrian government forces withdraw from central city of Homs as insurgent offensive acceleratesLittler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. FOR THE SECOND TIME 🏆🏆 Luke Humphries retains his 2024 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals title, beating Luke Littler 11-7 in the final. pic.twitter.com/QUhxvSbGeu — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 24, 2024 “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” HUMPHRIES GOES BACK-TO-BACK! 🏆 Luke Humphries retains his Players Championship Finals title! Cool Hand puts on an absolute clinic to defeat Luke Littler 11-7 in an epic final! 📺 https://t.co/AmuG0PMn18 #PCF2024 | Final pic.twitter.com/nZDWPUVjWE — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 24, 2024 Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”

Rain plays spoilsport at KSSTM’s Jupiter opposition sky watching

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — For a pair of lower-level downhill events, this sure had plenty of Olympic medal-capturing and World Cup-winning ski racers. The stage belonged to Lindsey Vonn , the 40-year-old who took another step on her comeback trail Saturday with her first races in nearly six years. Vonn wasn't particularly speedy and finished in the middle of the pack on a cold but sunny day at Copper Mountain. Times and places weren't the mission, though, as much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit this season. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races that she had enough points to enter World Cup events. The timing couldn't be more perfect — the next stop on the women's circuit is Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a week. Vonn, who used to own a home in nearby Vail, hasn't committed to any sort of timetable for a World Cup return. “Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again!” Vonn wrote on X . “While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove.” Her competition — a veritable who's who of high-profile ski racers — applauded her efforts. “I don't expect her to come back and win — just that she comes back and she has fun,” said Federica Brignone of Italy, a former overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist. “She's having fun, and she’s doing what she loves. That’s the best thing that she could do.” In the first race on a frigid morning, Vonn wound up 1.44 seconds behind the winning time of 1 minute, 5.79 seconds posted by Mirjam Puchner of Austria. In her second race through the course later in the morning, Vonn was 1.53 seconds behind Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who finished in 1:05.99. Huetter is the reigning season-long World Cup downhill champion. “It’s really nice to compare with her again, and nice to have her (racing) again,” Huetter said. “For sure, for the skiing World Cup, we have a lot of more attention. It's generally good for all racers because everyone is looking.” Also in the field were Nadia Delago of Italy, who won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Puchner, the Olympic silver winner in super-G in Beijing. In addition, there was Marta Bassino of Italy, a winner of the super-G at the 2023 world championships, and two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland. “For me, it was really a training, but it was fun to have a World Cup race level right here,” Gisin said. “It was a crazy race.” Vonn remains a popular figure and took the time after each run to sign autographs for young fans along with posing for photos. When she left the sport, Vonn had 82 World Cup race victories, which stood as the record for a woman and within reach of the all-time Alpine record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. The women’s mark held by Vonn was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now has 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport. Shiffrin is currently sidelined after a crash in a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont , last weekend. Vonn’s last major race was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden. The three-time Olympic medalist left the circuit still near the top of her game. But all the broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments took too big a toll and sent her into retirement. She had a partial knee replacement last April and felt good enough to give racing another shot. “It's very impressive to see all the passion that Lindsey still has,” Gisin said. Also racing Saturday was 45-year-old Sarah Schleper, who once competed for the United States but now represents Mexico. Schleper was the next racer behind Vonn and they got a chance to share a moment between a pair of 40-somethings still racing. “I was like, ‘Give me some tips, Lindsey,’” Schleper said. “She’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a highway tuck, the whole thing.’ Then she’s like, ‘It’s just like the good old days.’"The French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has said it is "possible" he could survive a no-confidence vote in his minority government. Opposition parties have tabled the motion to oust the former Brexit negotiator after he used special powers to force through his budget without a vote . In the interview with French TV channels on Tuesday, Barnier pleaded his case before the public, saying that he remained open to budget talks with opposition parties despite being widely predicted to lose the vote. He also sought to distance himself from France's ongoing state of political instability, saying he was not at fault. The French prime minister also rejected the idea that President Emmanuel Macron should resign to unblock the country's current crisis, calling him a "guarantee of stability". In the interview with the TF1 and France 2 television channels, Barnier said: "It's not a question of political survival for me. "I've been in this office for three months. I arrived there on 5 September, telling myself that I could leave the next morning," he added. "This is the first time since 1958 that there is no majority at all. No majority possible between three major groups. I know that this is a fragile and ephemeral situation." France has been beset by political uncertainty since Macron called snap elections over the summer which resulted in a hung parliament where no group had an absolute majority. While a left-wing alliance won most seats, Macron appointed the conservative Barnier in a bid to reinstate stability. But his government has been consistently undermined because it does not have a majority. On Monday, Barnier opted to push through controversial reforms to social security by invoking presidential decree after failing to win enough support for the measures. The budget bill sought to deliver €60bn (£49bn) in tax rises and spending cuts. But Barnier was forced to cave in to changes demanded by critics due to his lack of a parliamentary majority. He is now expected to become the shortest-lived prime minister in France's Fifth Republic, with the left wing bloc in the National Assembly, as well as the far-right, predicted to back the motion against him. If he does not survive the vote, he will remain in place as caretaker prime minister until Macron announces a new government. While Macron - who is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia - has reportedly begun considering his pick for the next prime minister, the process could take weeks, as it did in summer.

Canoeist is paddling the 6,000-mile Great Loop out of gratitude for lifeNVIDIA’s Stock Goes Real-Time. Game-Changing Update for Investors

DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. RELATED COVERAGE Formula 1 expected to expand grid to 11 teams as early as next week for Cadillac to enter in 2026 General Motors lays off about 1,000 workers GM’s shares post biggest percentage gain in over 4 years as company reports $3 billion profit in 3Q “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. What to know about Trump’s second term: Staffing the administration: Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far. Plus, a look at recess appointments and how could Trump use them to fill his Cabinet. Follow all of our coverage as Donald Trump assembles his second administration. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out,” Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit auto stocks on Tuesday, particularly shares of GM, which imports about 30% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, and Stellantis, which imports about 40% from the two countries. For both, about 55% of their lucrative pickup trucks come from Mexico and Canada. GM stock lost almost 9% of its value, while Stellantis dropped nearly 6%. It’s not clear how long the tariffs would last if implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. However, Morningstar analyst David Whiston said automakers probably won’t make any immediate moves because they can’t quickly change where they build vehicles. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, it said. “Tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry,” it added. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned last week that tariffs could force it to raise prices. Tariffs could trigger supply chain disruptions as people buy goods before they are imposed and companies seek alternate sources of parts, said Rob Handfield, a professor of supply chain management at North Carolina State University. Some businesses might not be able to pass on the costs. “It could actually shut down a lot of industries in the United States. It could actually put a lot of U.S. businesses out of business,” he said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about working together. “This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump’s threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, and seizures have increased. Trump has sound legal justification to impose tariffs, even though they conflict with a 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Clinton administration trade official. The treaty, known as the USMCA, is up for review in 2026. In China’s case, he could simply declare Beijing hasn’t met obligations under an agreement he negotiated in his first term. For Canada and Mexico, he could say the influx of migrants and drugs are a national security threat, and turn to a section of trade law he used in his first term to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum. The law he would most likely use for Canada and Mexico has a legal process that often takes up to nine months, giving Trump time to seek a deal. If talks failed and the duties were imposed, all three countries would likely retaliate with tariffs on U.S. exports, said Reinsch, who believes Trump’s tariffs threat is a negotiating ploy. U.S. companies would lobby intensively against tariffs, and would seek to have products exempted. Some of the biggest exporters from Mexico are U.S. firms that make parts there, Reinsch said. Longer term, Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the threat of tariffs could make the U.S. an “unstable partner” in international trade. “It is an incentive to move activity outside the United States to avoid all this uncertainty,” she said. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own. Sheinbaum said she was willing to talk about the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem. ___ Rugaber reported from Washington. AP reporters Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Stan Choe and Anne D’Innocenzio in New York, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.Bob Geldof has said his Band Aid charity single has “kept millions of people alive” after a new 40th anniversary version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? faced criticism. To mark the song’s milestone, a remix has been created which blends the voices of artists who have featured on previous editions including Harry Styles , George Michael and Bono . Ed Sheeran said last week that they did not ask for permission to re-use his vocals from when he sang on Band Aid 30 in 2014, and that he would have “respectfully” declined the request. The singer-songwriter said in a social media post that “a decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed”, citing a post by British-Ghanaian rapper Fuse ODG that criticised foreign aid in Africa. Responding to the comments in an interview with The Sunday Times, Geldof said: “This little pop song has kept millions of people alive. Why would Band Aid scrap feeding thousands of children dependent on us for a meal?” He added: “Why not keep doing that? Because of an abstract wealthy-world argument, regardless of its legitimacy? No abstract theory regardless of how sincerely held should impede or distract from that hideous, concrete real-world reality. “There are 600 million hungry people in the world – 300 million are in Africa. We wish it were other but it is not. We can help some of them. That’s what we will continue to do.” Fuse ODG said in an Instagram Story post that he had turned down the chance to take part in Band Aid 30 alongside Sheeran a decade prior. “I refused to participate in Band Aid because I recognised the harm initiatives like it inflict on Africa,” he wrote. “While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism, and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity.” He added: “By showcasing dehumanising imagery, these initiatives fuel pity rather than partnership, discouraging meaningful engagement. “My mission has been to reclaim the narrative, empowering Africans to tell their own stories, redefine their identity, and position Africa as a thriving hub for investment and tourism. Today, the diaspora drives the largest flow of funds back into the continent, not Band Aid or foreign aid proving that Africa’s solutions and progress lies in its own hands.” In another post, he said they welcomed anyone “genuinely trying to support the continent” but it needs to be “a spirit of collaboration not patronisation, solidarity not charity”. Band Aid’s latest track blends voices from Band Aid (1984), Band Aid 20 (2004) and Band Aid 30 (2014), and has been produced by Trevor Horn, who has worked with the likes of Grace Jones and Sir Rod Stewart. The compilation is backed by the Band Aid house band of Sir Paul McCartney, Sting, John Taylor (bass), Phil Collins, Roger Taylor, Danny Goffey (drums), Thom Yorke (piano), Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Midge Ure, Johnny Greenwood, Gary Kemp and Justin Hawkins (guitar). The original Band Aid single saw artists join forces in 1984, led by Boomtown Rats frontman Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure to help charities working with starving children in Ethiopia. Do They Know It’s Christmas? went straight to number one that year and became the fastest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling a million copies in the first week alone. It remained at number one for five weeks, going on to sell more than three million copies. Reflecting on the original singles success, Geldof told the newspaper: “For us to top the charts we sold 620,000 copies. Will this new version make anything like that one? No, because there are no f****** record shops. If we have 620,000 hits on Spotify, what will that make? Literally a quid?” Despite feeling like it is now a “febrile world”, he does not feel defeated in his pursuit to help. “I can guarantee your personal action here will result in a kid sleeping warmer, fed that night”, he said. “This is one issue in which you have power. You get to tilt the world a fraction – and I know: ‘Here is f****** Geldof banging on.’ But the instrument of this control, as corny as it may sound, is this thing – this OK tune.” Do They Know It’s Christmas? – 2024 Ultimate Mix will premiere on UK breakfast radio and streaming on November 25, and will be released physically on CD and vinyl on November 29. Stay up to date about London's hottest events, latest restaurant openings, and best deals with our Going Out Out newsletter. Sign up HERE!

Georgia's rights ombudsman on Tuesday accused police of torturing pro-European Union protesters rallying for six consecutive days against the government's decision to shelve EU accession talks amid a post-election crisis. The country of some 3.7 million has been rocked by demonstrations since the ruling Georgian Dream party announced last week it would halt EU accession talks. Police on Tuesday evening used water cannon and tear gas on the sixth night of pro-EU protests in Tbilisi after the prime minister threatened demonstrators with reprisals amid a deepening crisis in the Black Sea nation. Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened Tuesday to punish political opponents, accusing them of being behind violence at mass protests. Protesters gathered outside parliament for a sixth straight night but the crowd appeared slightly smaller than on recent nights, an AFP journalist saw. Draped in EU and Georgian flags, protesters booed riot police officers and threw fireworks. Police responded by directing hoses at the protesters, with some dancing in the jets and others sheltering under umbrellas. The police ordered demonstrators to leave through loud hailers and used water cannon to push the crowd away from the parliament. Then they deployed tear gas against the crowd in a nearby street, causing protesters to cough, with some using saline solution to wash out their eyes. Police roughly detained some demonstrators, Georgian independent television showed. Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani said in a statement that most injuries sustained by detained protesters "are concentrated on the face, eyes, and head", adding that "the location, nature, and severity of these injuries strongly suggest that police are using violence against citizens as a punitive measure", which "constitutes an act of torture." Tensions were already high after October parliamentary elections that saw Georgian Dream return to power amid accusations that it rigged the vote. But Kobakhidze's decision that Georgia would not hold EU membership talks until 2028 triggered uproar, although he insisted the country is still heading towards membership. The mostly young protesters accuse Georgian Dream of acting on Russian orders and fear the ex-Soviet country will end up back under Russian influence. Demonstrators projected a message Tuesday that read "thank you for not being tired" onto the parliament building, an AFP reporter saw. During the latest wave of protests, 293 people have been detained, the interior ministry said Tuesday evening, while 143 police have been injured. The health ministry said that on Monday evening 23 protesters were injured. "We want freedom and we do not want to find ourselves in Russia," 21-year-old protester Nika Maghradze told AFP. Demonstrators accuse the government of betraying Georgia's bid for EU membership, which is enshrined in its constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Nugo Chigvinadze, 41, who works in logistics, told AFP at Tuesday's protest that he did not believe the prime minister's claim that the country is still aiming for EU membership. "Whatever our government is saying is a lie. No one believed it. No one," he said. "They are not intending to enter the European Union." Pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili -- at loggerheads with the government -- has backed the protest and demanded a re-run of the disputed parliamentary vote. But Tbilisi's top court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit filed by Zurabishvili and opposition parties to overturn the election result. That announcement came shortly after Kobakhidze -- who has ruled out talks with the opposition -- vowed to punish his opponents. "Opposition politicians who have orchestrated the violence in recent days while hiding in their offices will not escape responsibility," he told a press conference. International criticism of Georgia's handling of the protests has grown, with several Western countries saying Tbilisi had used excessive force. Kobakhidze threatened to punish civil servants who join the protests, after several ambassadors and a deputy foreign minister resigned. "We are closely monitoring everyone's actions, and they will not go without a response," he said. Using Kremlin-style language, Kobakhidze alleged the protest movement was "funded from abroad". He also accused non-government groups -- attacked in a repressive pre-election campaign by authorities -- of being behind the protests. At Tuesday's demonstration, Tsotne, 28, who works in IT, defied the threats of reprisals, saying: "It's a peaceful protest, of course but I guess as an individual, I'm ready to defend my country here." Georgia this year adopted Russian-style legislation designed to restrict the activity of NGOs as well measures that the EU says curb LGBTQ rights. The laws prompted the United States to slap sanctions on Georgian officials. But Kobakhidze said his government hoped that the "US attitudes towards us will change after January 20" -- when Donald Trump takes office. Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte on Tuesday slammed the situation as "deeply concerning", condemning "unequivocally" the reports of violence. led-jc-am-im/giv