Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows becomes the target of a swatting attempt after removing former President Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot. A conservative activist posted her home address on social media, sparking the incident. Bellows, who has received threatening communications and faced dehumanization online, remains undeterred in upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. The Maine Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident, and police conducted a sweep of Bellows' home, finding nothing suspicious. Other high-profile politicians, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, have also been targeted by swatting.from World News Headlines, Latest International News, World Breaking News - Times of India https://ift.tt/z18XWTO
German police arrest three people, including a Tajik, linked to an alleged attack plot targeting the cathedral in Cologne on New Year's Eve. The suspects are believed to be connected to Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). Security measures have been increased in Cologne, with sniffer dogs searching for explosives in the underground parking of the cathedral. Around 1,000 police officers have been deployed to protect the cathedral and the population. Germany has been on high alert for possible Islamist attacks, with a previous attack carried out by an IS supporter in 2016.
Russia reported 14 deaths and 108 injuries in Ukrainian strikes using cluster bombs and Vilkha missiles, prompting a vow of retaliation. The attack in Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border, targeted a skating rink, a shopping centre, and residential buildings. In response, Russia damaged civilian infrastructure in central Kharkiv. Unverified footage showed the aftermath of the strike. This incident marks one of the deadliest on Russian soil since the conflict began in February 2022. Meanwhile, rescuers in Ukraine continued searching through rubble after intense Russian attacks on military facilities.
Russia launched 122 missiles and 36 drones, killing at least 31 civilians in Ukraine. Ukrainian military shot down 114 out of 158 missiles and drones. Air Force commander called it the biggest aerial attack since Russia's invasion. The assault hit six cities, including Kyiv, and damaged buildings like a maternity hospital and schools. Western officials warned that Russia is stockpiling for massive strikes in the winter. Ukrainian officials seek more air defenses and international support.
An American-Canadian-Israeli woman, Judih Weinstein, was announced dead in a hard-hit Israeli kibbutz. She and her husband, Gad Haggai, were attacked by Hamas militants while taking a walk near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Weinstein was able to call emergency services and inform them about the attack before her death. The kibbutz recently announced the death of Haggai, whose body was taken to Gaza. Israeli authorities have determined that both Weinstein and Haggai were killed on October 7.
Maine's secretary of state Shenna Bellows disqualifies Trump from Republican primary ballot due to his alleged involvement in the Capitol assault; decision faces legal challenges. Bellows invokes 14th Amendment's insurrection clause, citing Trump's incitement of supporters to storm the Capitol. Maine's move challenges Trump's eligibility for office and sets a precedent for other states. Rulings based on the 14th Amendment bring election integrity and candidate eligibility to the forefront. Trump campaign opposes ruling, accusing Democrats of an "attempted theft of an election."
A Moscow court sentenced Artyom Kamardin to seven years in prison for reciting a poem against the Ukraine campaign during a protest. Yegor Shtovba was sentenced to five and a half years for attending the protest. Kamardin recited a poem referring to poetry as 'gut-wrenching' and criticized the 'New Russia' project. Both were convicted of 'inciting hatred' and 'calling for activities threatening state security'. Kamardin claimed he was raped by police officers during his detention. The sentencing was met with cries of 'Shame!' from supporters.
Esteban Esono-Asue, also known as Steven Hutcherson, has been charged with hate crimes after stabbing two teenage tourists from Paraguay at a restaurant in Grand Central Terminal. He made derogatory comments about white people before the unprovoked attack. Esono-Asue was asked to leave the Tartinery dining area and responded with an anti-white comment. He then approached a table of white individuals, pulled out a knife, and stabbed one of the girls in the back. He also stabbed the younger girl in the thigh. The Paraguayan consulate general's office is assisting the family.
South Korea imposed sanctions on eight North Koreans linked to nuclear and missile development through arms trade, cyberattacks and other illicit activities, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The sanctions came days after North Korea fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which South Korea and the United States strongly condemned as a grave violation of UN Security Council resolutions. South Korea has blacklisted 83 individuals and 53 entities related to North Korea's weapons programmes since October 2022.
Israel on Tuesday returned the bodies of 80 Palestinians killed in Gaza after taking them from morgues and graves to check there were no hostages among them, sources in the territory's health ministry said. The bodes, which had been transported to Israel, were returned through the Red Cross to Hamas authorities who buried them in a mass grave in Gaza, the sources said. Around 250 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip by Hamas militants when they attacked southern Israel on October 7.
Dominic West discusses rift with Prince Harry after their Antarctica expedition, revealing that the discord arose from West oversharing during a press conference. West admits to saying too much about their unconventional celebrations, including Harry's eye-wateringly rude jokes and drinking champagne from a prosthetic leg. Harry was reportedly furious and accused West of invading his privacy. Despite the fallout, Dominic West praised Harry's involvement and highlighted his role as a team player during the expedition.
Turkey intensifies airstrikes against Kurdish groups in Syria and northern Iraq in retaliation for the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers. The Turkish defense ministry reports killing at least 26 militants. Turkish airstrikes in northeast Syria result in the deaths of at least 8 civilians and the injury of 12 others. The strikes also target oil industry sites, health facilities, and vital infrastructure, reducing electricity production by 50%. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Kurdish administration call for UN intervention to address the escalating violence.
Over a hundred people have been killed in central Nigeria in a series of attacks on villages, amid religious and ethnic tensions. The attacks were carried out by well-coordinated military gangs, locally known as bandits, who targeted over 20 different communities. The violence spread from the Bokkos area to Barkin Ladi, resulting in 30 additional deaths. Northwest and central Nigeria have long been plagued by bandit militias, operating from forest bases and terrorizing villages through looting and kidnapping for ransom.
The Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) received a total of 28,626 nomination papers from candidates interested in contesting the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024. The ECP is currently analyzing the nomination papers, with the stage set to culminate on December 30. Appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers can be submitted by January 3. The top electoral body will issue the list of candidates on January 11, with candidates having the option to withdraw until January 12.
A Japanese-owned chemical tanker was targeted by a drone strike off the coast of India, according to the Pentagon. This incident marks an expansion of risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea. The tanker, named MV Chem Pluto, was operated by a Dutch entity and owned by a Japanese company. The drone strike occurred 200 nautical miles off the coast of India and no US Navy vessels were nearby. This is the first time that the Pentagon has openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel's war on Hamas.
In a central Florida shopping mall, multiple people were injured in what authorities have characterized as an "active shooting" incident on Saturday. The Ocala Police Department responded to the incident at the Paddock Mall, situated approximately 80 miles northwest of Orlando. The suspect reportedly fled, prompting the evacuation of the mall. Authorities advised people to steer clear of the area. Eyewitnesses Calvin and Diana Amos, who were in the JC Penney store, described their evacuation as quick and expressed feelings of fear and apprehension.
Fadi Sckak, one of the three American sons of a Palestinian couple, is desperately trying to help his mother, Zahra Sckak, escape the violence in Gaza. Zahra, along with an ailing American relative, is trapped in a building with 100 others in Gaza City. Fadi's father, Abedalla, was shot and died without treatment after their family was forced to flee their shelter. US citizens and legal residents, like Borak Alagha and Yasmeen Elagha, are stranded near Gaza's Rafah crossing, pleading for help.
The UN Security Council approved a resolution that calls for expanded humanitarian access to Gaza and the creation of conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities. The US abstained from voting after changes were made to the resolution's language. The resolution no longer dilutes Israel's control over aid deliveries to Gaza. Israel, however, remains opposed to a ceasefire and is focused on eradicating Hamas and freeing hostages. The resolution received mixed reactions from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, with the former calling it insufficient and the latter seeing it as a step towards alleviating the suffering in Gaza.
In a huge setback to the party of Imran Khan, Pakistan's top election commisison on Friday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's organisational elections and its plea to have cricket bat as the electoral symbol for the February 8 general elections. A five-member panel of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reserved the verdict after concluding the hearing of multiple petitions filed by members of the PTI against the party elections held on December 2 in Peshawar.
Harvard's president, Claudine Gay, plans to correct citation errors in her 1997 dissertation after a plagiarism investigation. The investigation found inadequate citation but no research misconduct. Gay has already submitted corrections for two articles reviewed by Harvard Corporation. She will now submit three citation corrections to Harvard's Office of the Provost. Gay has faced pressure from donors and the Jewish community following her congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus. The University of Pennsylvania's president, Liz Magill, resigned on Dec 9.
Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy, acknowledging financial strain exacerbated by his pursuit of false 2020 election claims and a $148 million jury's award to two former Georgia election workers he defamed. Giuliani listed nearly $153 million in debts, including tax liabilities, money owed to lawyers, and potential legal judgments. He estimated his assets in the range of $1 million to $10 million. The bankruptcy filing will allow Giuliani to pursue an appeal while providing transparency for his finances under the supervision of the bankruptcy court.
A US computer scientist on Wednesday lost his bid to register patents over inventions created by his artificial intelligence system in a landmark case in Britain about whether AI can own patent rights. Stephen Thaler wanted to be granted two patents in the UK for inventions he says were devised by his "creativity machine" called DABUS. His attempt to register the patents was refused by Britain's Intellectual Property Office on grounds that the inventor must be a human or a company, rather than a machine.
Egg fried rice is a staple of Chinese home cooking and one of the first dishes many Chinese learn to cook. That was probably why Wang Gang, one of China's most popular food bloggers, has made multiple recipe videos about the dish in the past five years. His "perfect" fried rice recipes attracted reviews, and reviews of those reviews. Then one of those videos drew the wrath of the official Chinese media and internet. His offence? He posted an egg fried rice video on November 27, two days after the anniversary of the death of Mao Anying.
The UN Security Council vote on a resolution for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was postponed due to disagreements over wording. The death toll in Gaza continues to rise, and conditions are deteriorating. Israel and its ally, the United States, oppose the use of the term "ceasefire." Russia and the Arab League are pressuring Israel to end the fighting. There is uncertainty about how the situation will be resolved, even among US diplomats. The US previously blocked a resolution on the war, despite pressure from the UN Secretary-General.
Unidentified persons set on fire a passenger train here in the Bangladesh capital on Tuesday killing at least four people, including a woman and her minor son, amidst the political unrest over the January 7 elections. The attack coincided with the nationwide stoppage called by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday as part of its ongoing campaign to boycott the polls and launch a formal protest against the Election Commission's polls schedule.
Cyprus disrupts Iranian plot targeting Israeli businessmen with the arrest of two Iranian asylum-seekers in contact with a Revolutionary Guard member. The suspects have been in custody since Nov. 3 and will be deported. The operation was a joint effort with Israel's Mossad. Cypriot security services had been surveilling the men before their arrest, which prevented a potential killing. The targeted individuals were primarily Israeli businessmen. This is the third Iranian plot in Cyprus in over a year.
Voters in eastern Germany on Sunday elected a far-right city mayor, a reflection of the surging popularity of the nationalist party Alternative for Germany, or AfD. Tim Lochner, 53, an independent backed by the party, will lead Pirna, a city of 38,000in the state of Saxony, where the party was recently labeled an extremist organisation by the state authorities. "It's very important for AfD," said Benjamin Hohne, a political scientist. "It allows them to show they can take responsibility at a municipal level."
Artificial intelligence allowed Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan to campaign from behind bars on Monday, with a voice clone of the opposition leader giving an impassioned speech on his behalf. Imran has been locked up since August and is being tried for leaking classified documents, allegations he says have been trumped up to stop him contesting general elections due in February. But his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party used AI to make a four-minute message from the 71-year-old.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday urged traditionally male professions to employ more women, to reduce major labour shortages exacerbated by thousands of soldiers being called up to fight in Ukraine.Russia has for years been suffering from a shrinking labour force because of persistently low birth rates, and this has been aggravated by the conflict in Ukraine.The mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of men took them out of the job market and prompted many of the most educated sections of the population to flee the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Finland is “now going to have problems" after it joined Nato earlier this year. He said this on the same morning when he claimed that he has no interest in engaging with any Nato members. In an interview on state television,Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to establish a "Leningrad military district" along the Finland border and concentrate forces there, reported Yahoo News. Russia presently maintains occupations in parts of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova.
It is a rarity among nations that were once colonised: a country that widely uses its indigenous language, where a treaty with its first peoples is mostly honoured and where indigenous people have permanent representation in the halls of power. But a decadeslong push to support Maori, New Zealand's indigenous people - who lag behind the wider population in health and wealth and have higher incarceration rates - is in peril. New Zealanders in October elected the country's most conservative government in a generation, one that wants "equal rights" for every citizen.
Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar condemns violence after a suspected criminal fire at Ross Lake House hotel, which was set to host asylum seekers. The blaze in Galway, West Ireland, is described as a criminal damage incident. No one was staying at the hotel at the time. Concerns are raised about suspected criminal damage at properties earmarked for accommodating asylum seekers. Riots in Dublin last month revealed social tensions and blame far-right agitators for unrest.
The final flight of Italy's Vega rocket has been delayed after crucial parts went missing, while the latest test of Europe's new Ariane 6 has been aborted, the European Space Agency (ESA) said - the latest glitches to affect Europe's troubled launch sector. The aborted test of the upper stage of Ariane 6 should not affect plans for an inaugural launch in mid-2024, ESA said.Europe is racing to restore independent access to space after Ariane 6 suffered repeated delays and the Vega C was grounded after a launch failure.
Artificial rain was used for the first time in Pakistan on Saturday in a bid to combat hazardous levels of smog in the megacity of Lahore, the provincial government said.In the first experiment of its kind in the South Asian country, planes equipped with cloud seeding equipment flew over 10 areas of the city, often ranked one of the worst places globally for air pollution. The "gift" was provided by the United Arab Emirates, said caretaker chief minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi. "Teams from the UAE, along with two planes, arrived here about 10 to 12 days ago.
Families of hostages in Gaza urge Israel to stop fighting and negotiate for their release after the army admitted mistakenly killing three captives. The remaining hostages fear for their loved ones' lives and demand an end to the violence. The families feel like they're playing a game of Russian roulette, waiting to hear about the death of their loved ones. The Israeli army initially claimed that a ground operation would bring back the abductees, but this has not been the case.
Donald Trump, the first former president and only current presidential candidate to have a mugshot taken, has turned the image into political pop culture memorabilia. His team is selling mugs, t-shirts, and posters featuring the mugshot in their campaign store to raise funds. Additionally, NFT INT, the official licensee of the Trump name and image, is selling a special "Mugshot Edition" NFT set that includes pieces of the blue suit and red tie Trump wore in the photo.
Former FBI special agent, Charles McGonigal, has been sentenced to over four years in prison and fined $40,000 for providing information to a Russian oligarch in violation of US sanctions. McGonigal, who led a counterintelligence division, received a payment for laundering money from a Russian bank to his private account. The judge, Jennifer H Rearden, stated that the sentence was meant to balance McGonigal's 22 years of FBI service with the seriousness of his crimes. McGonigal also awaits another sentencing for concealing payments from a former Albanian intelligence officer.
Russia will press on with its war in Ukraine unless Kyiv does a deal that takes Moscow's security concerns into account, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that the goals of the "special military operation" would be met regardless. Fielding questions from the public and media at an event dominated by the conflict, Putin said Russia's core goals remained "de-Nazification", "de-militarisation" and securing Ukraine's neutrality. "There will be peace when we achieve our goals," the 71-year-old leader said.
With several asterisks, qualification and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024. In a moment many observers thought might never come, at least one version of the quintessential piece of intellectual property and perhaps the most iconic character in American pop culture will be free from Disney's copyright as his first screen release, the 1928 short "Steamboat Willie," featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, becomes available for public use.
A New York appeals court has upheld a gag order that bars Donald Trump from commenting about court personnel in his civil fraud trial. Trump's lawyers erred by suing trial Judge Arthur Engoron instead of following the normal appeals process. Closing arguments are scheduled for Jan. 11 in New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit, which threatens Trump's real estate empire. The gag order, imposed after Trump disparaged his law clerk, cannot be challenged under Article 78.
Imran Khan pleaded not guilty to charges of leaking state secrets under an indictment Wednesday that dealt a new blow to his chances of contesting the general election in February. Imran's lawyer contested the indictment, saying it would be valid only if signed by the accused. A guilty verdict under the Official Secrets Act could bring up to 10 years in prison. It is the second time Imran has been indicted on the same charges in the cipher case, as it is known, after a superior court struck down an earlier indictment on technical grounds.
President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that Russia was celebrating American division over providing aid to Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Zelensky hit a wall of resistance from congressional Republicans during a daylong lobbying blitz in Washington. Speaking from the White House with Zelenskyy by his side, Biden said failing to support Ukraine would be a gift to Russian President Putin. "Putin is banking on the US failing to deliver for Ukraine. We must, we must, we must prove him wrong," Biden said.
Argentina's peso opened down 54.24% at 801 per dollar on Wednesday, following a devaluation of the currency carried out by the country's new government as part of its economic shock therapy aimed at fixing the economy. The South American nation will also cut energy subsidies and cancel tenders of public works, new economy minister Luis Caputo said a day earlier.Caputo said the plan would be painful in the short-term but was needed to cut the fiscal deficit and bring down triple-digit inflation.