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Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Saudi holy sites are prepared for 3 million pilgrims throughout Ramadan

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Saudi
  • The operating system is manned by 12,000 employees.
  • The employees will assist about 3 million attendees in both mosques.
  • The concept is intended to make the circumambulation ceremony around the Holy Kaaba easier.

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has launched a vast plan to serve approximately 3 million worshippers at Islam’s holiest locations during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on Friday.

Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, the chief of the General Presidency for Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Medina, announced the idea.

According to the official, the operating system is manned by 12,000 employees who are accessible around the clock to assist about 3 million attendees in both mosques.

The plan, dubbed “from arrival to access,” focuses on the worshipper’s journey from arrival at the two holy sites to accessing services such as circling the Holy Kaaba in the Grand Mosque and walking between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, which are key rites of Umrah or lesser pilgrimage, as well as prayer and Itikaf (seclusion) areas.

“Besides, the plan takes care of monitoring and governance of all services to ensure their highest standards in the two Holy Haramein,” Al Sudais said.

According to him, the concept is intended to make the circumambulation ceremony around the Holy Kaaba easier for approximately 107,000 Umrah pilgrims per hour.

Ramadan, which begins in late March this year, is traditionally the busiest time for Umrah and is distinguished by fervent worship.

“The Ramadan operation plan is centered on field presence, holding laxity to account, providing a safe, healthy environment in the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, diversifying initiatives, optimal utilization of artificial intelligence, and use of apps in different fields for serving the highest numbers of Umrah pilgrims and visitors,” he added.

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Biden had skin cancer removed; no more treatment is required

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Biden
  • Joe Biden had basal cell carcinoma a common type of skin cancer.
  • White House physician stated in a letter that all malignant tissue was effectively removed.
  • Biden will undergo dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing healthcare.

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden had a basal cell carcinoma — a common type of skin cancer — removed from his chest in February, and no more treatment is required, according to White House physician Kevin O’Connor on Friday.

The White House physician stated in a letter that all malignant tissue was effectively removed, and that Biden will undergo dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing healthcare, but that the spot has healed.

After a physical test, physicians certified Biden, 80, healthy and “fit for duty” last month. At the time, they stated that a small tumor on his chest had been excised and submitted for a biopsy.

According to O’Connor’s letter, basal cell carcinoma lesions do not spread or metastasize.

Biden’s health is being closely monitored as he prepares to run for a second presidential term in 2024. His wife, Jill Biden, has stated that he intends to run, although no formal announcement of the president’s intentions has been made.

Democrats are divided on whether Biden, who is already the oldest president in American history, should be the party’s nominee.

Biden’s three-hour interview with specialists in February at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, was his second full examination since assuming office in January 2021.

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Why has the American far right embraced Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro?

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Jair Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro has received a warm welcome in America. He spoke in the auditorium of a Trump hotel just outside Miami in early February. Kirk and Bolsonaro enthusiastically described common ground between the Brazilian and American right. This Saturday, as American conservatives gather in Maryland for the Conservative Political Action Conference, they’ll get a sense of … Read more

At least 16 people killed in a fire at an Indonesian fuel storage station

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Indonesian fuel storage station
  • Indonesia’s state-owned energy firm operates the station.
  • Several neighboring residents have been evacuated.
  • Other adjacent facilities will supply fuel to Jakarta, according to Widyawati.

Jakarta, At least 16 persons were killed in a fire at a fuel storage tank in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Pertamina, Indonesia’s state-owned energy firm, operates the station.

Footage on social media showed a massive flame erupting and people fleeing for safety.

Several neighboring residents have been evacuated, and Jakarta‘s fire department has rushed 52 units to the scene.

Pertamina will investigate the cause of the fire and provide treatment for those affected, the company’s CEO Nicke Widyawati told sources in Indonesia.

Other adjacent facilities will supply fuel to Jakarta, according to Widyawati.

In 2018, five fishermen were killed in an oil spill caused by a breach in Pertamina’s undersea petroleum pipelines.

Indonesian authorities at the time declared a state of “emergency response” over the massive scale of the spill and environmental damage off the coast of the Southeast Asian country.

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Colombia plans to send 70 “cocaine hippos” to Mexico and India, says governor

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Colombia
  • Experts warn that hippos lack a natural predator in Colombia and are a possible threat to biodiversity.
  • The aim is to concentrate on the hippos that live in the rivers surrounding the Hacienda Napoles ranch.
  • A federal court determined in 2021 after the Colombian government was sued over its plan to sterilize or kill the animals.

Colombia is proposing to move at least 70 hippopotamuses living near Pablo Escobar’s former ranch – descendants of four illegally smuggled from Africa by the late drug lord in the 1980s – to India and Mexico as part of a population control strategy.

The “cocaine hippos,” which may weigh up to 3 tonnes, have expanded well beyond the Hacienda Napoles property, which is located approximately 125 miles from Bogota along the Magdalena River. According to environmental authorities, there are approximately 130 hippos in the Antioquia province area, and their population might reach 400 in eight years.

Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles — and the hippos — have become a sort of local tourist attraction in the years since the kingpin was killed by police in 1993. When his ranch was abandoned, the hippos survived and reproduced in local rivers and favorable climatic conditions.

Experts warn that hippos lack a natural predator in Colombia and are a possible threat to biodiversity because their excrement modifies the chemistry of rivers, threatening the habitat of manatees and capybaras. Colombia’s authorities labeled them a dangerous invasive species last year.

A federal court determined in 2021 after the Colombian government was sued over its plan to sterilize or kill the animals, that the hippos can be regarded as people or “interested persons” with legal rights in the United States. According to a legal expert, the ruling is meaningless in Colombia, where the hippos live.

Hippos kill more people in Africa than any other huge animal. Thus yet, no assaults have been reported in Colombia. But, David Echeverri, who works for the environmental organization in charge of tracking and controlling hippos in the area, told Bojorquez that it’s only a matter of time before someone is injured.

Lina Marcela de los Ros Morales, director of animal protection and welfare at Antioquia’s environment ministry, said the idea to transfer them to India and Mexico had been in the works for more than a year.

The hippos would be coaxed with food into enormous iron containers and transported by truck to Rionegro’s international airport, 150 kilometers distant. They would then be flown to India or Mexico, where there are sanctuaries and zoos that can take in and care for the creatures.

“It is possible to do, we already have experience relocating hippos in zoos nationwide,” said David Echeverri López, a spokesman for Cornare, the local environmental authority that would be in charge of the relocations.

The aim is to send 60 hippos to the Greens Zoological Rescue & Rehabilitation Kingdom in Gujarat, India, which will cover the cost of the containers and airlift, according to De los Ros Morales. Another ten hippos would be sent to Mexican zoos and sanctuaries, such as the Ostok in Sinaloa.

“We work with Ernesto Zazueta, who is the president of sanctuaries and zoos in Mexico, who is the one who liaisons with different countries and manages their rescues,” said the official.

The aim is to concentrate on the hippos that live in the rivers surrounding the Hacienda Napoles ranch, rather than those that live within the ranch because they are in a controlled habitat and do not pose a threat to the local ecosystem.

The relocations would help reduce the hippo population, and while the animals’ native home in Africa, they are more humane than exterminating them as an invasive species, according to De los Ros Morales.

According to the Antioquia Governor’s Office, Ecuador, the Philippines, and Botswana have all expressed interest in relocating Colombian hippos to their respective nations.

Alvaro Molina, 57, declared last year that he favours “cocaine hippos,” despite being one of the few Colombians who has been assaulted by one. He was fishing one day when he felt a disturbance beneath his canoe, causing him to fall into the water.

“The female attacked me once – the first pair to arrive – since she had just given birth,” he explained.

Locals claim that hippos occasionally emerge from the river and walk through the town’s streets. When this happens, traffic comes to a halt and people move out of the way.

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Russia set to mothball damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines

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Russia
  • Russian gas exports outside ex-USSR almost halved last year.
  • Nord Stream pipelines ruptured by blasts in September.
  • Sources say both lines will be conserved to prevent degradation.

Russia’s broken undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines are due to be plugged and decommissioned, according to sources familiar with the project.

Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, each consisting of two pipes, were built by Russia’s state-controlled Gazprom to transport 110 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea each year.

Three of the pipelines were ruptured in September by inexplicable blasts, and one of the Nord Stream 2 pipes remains intact.

Nevertheless, rising tensions between Moscow and the West over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had already brought Nord Stream 1 to a halt, preventing its twin, which had been criticized by Washington and Kyiv for increasing Germany’s reliance on Russia, from ever coming online.

‘Buried’

Although Gazprom has stated that it is theoretically possible to rebuild the broken lines, two sources familiar with the preparations have stated that Moscow sees no possibility of relations with the West improving sufficiently in the near future for the pipes to be required.

Europe has substantially reduced its Russian energy imports in the last year, while state-controlled Gazprom’s (GAZP.MM) exports outside the former Soviet Union are set to nearly halve in 2022, reaching a post-Soviet low of 101 bcm.

According to one Russian source, the project was “buried” in Russia. Two others stated that, while there was no plan to repair the burst pipelines, they would be preserved for possible future reactivation.

Another individual acquainted with the program indicated that conservation is being considered by the parties.

This would almost certainly entail sealing the damaged ends and covering the pipes to avoid future corrosion from seawater.

According to one Russian source, if the seaborne liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States that Europe is using to balance some of its Russian supply becomes significantly more expensive, Europe may be willing to buy more from Russia.

The Russian Energy Ministry addressed questions to the pipeline operators, but neither they nor Gazprom responded.

Engie (ENGIE.PA), Gasunie (GSUNI.UL), and Wintershall DEA (WINT.UL) (BASFn.DE) – stakeholders in Nord Stream AG, the operator of Nord Stream 1 – declined to comment. A spokesperson for Germany’s E.ON (EONGn.DE), which also owns a stake in Nord Stream AG, said: “To our knowledge as a minority shareholder, no decision has been made, either for or against restoring the line.”

WHO BLEW UP THE PIPELINES?

Moscow has insisted, without offering evidence, that the bombs were the work of the West. The White House denounced as “complete fiction” a blog post last month by US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh saying that Washington was to blame.

Denmark, Germany, and Sweden are still conducting investigations.

Nord Stream 1 had already been shut down for maintenance in late August, but it was never resumed as Russia and the West disagreed about the repair of a pumping turbine amid Western sanctions.

The comparable Nord Stream 2 project, which was completed in September 2021 as tensions with Russia rose, fell into problems when German regulators refused to certify it. The initiative was subsequently halted just days before Moscow pushed its armed forces into Ukraine on February 24, last year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed utilizing the intact Nord Stream 2 link to pump gas, but Germany, which is looking to reduce its dependency on Russia, rejected the notion. Poland has likewise ceased purchasing Russian gas.

Russia is now shipping just about 40 million cubic meters of pipeline gas per day to Europe via Sudzha on the Ukraine-Slovakia border.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow, which hopes to set up a gas hub in Turkey to replace the Baltic route, would no longer rely on the West as an energy partner.

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Brad Pitt was dumped by Christina Applegate Mid-Date

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Brad Pitt

Jennifer and Brad were married from 2000 to 2005. Brad Pitt is one of the most attractive men in Hollywood with millions of fans worldwide. Christina Applegate ditched Brad Pitt in the middle of their date. Jennifer and Brad were married from 2000 to 2005, while Christina dated him briefly in 1989. Brad Pitt is … Read more

Dwayne Johnson to replace Johnny Depp as the lead?

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Dwayne Johnson

Johnny Depp has been abruptly dropped from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Johnny Depp has spent more time in law courts than he has on sets over the last few years. Dwayne Johnson has been approached for the lead role. Johnny Depp has been abruptly dropped from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which … Read more

Millie Bobby Brown released surprising video

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Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown recently wowed the internet with a social media post. She has become a household name for her role as Eleven. Her accent, on the other hand has piqued the interest of some internet users. Millie Bobby Brown, star of Stranger Things, recently wowed the internet with a social media post in which … Read more

Aaron Carter’s mother demanded homicide investigation

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Aaron Carter

The mother of late musician Aaron Carter has been seeking justice. Jane Schneck made a public plea in front of her Facebook audience. The singer, 34, was discovered dead in his California home on November 5. Aaron Carter’s mother seeks justice for her son. Since her son’s death, the mother of late musician Aaron Carter … Read more

Will Smith makes his first awards appearance at the Beacon Awards

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Will Smith

Will Smith returns to the awards show on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California. The actor took the stage to accept the Beacon Award for his performance. Antoine Fuqua thanked the crew and cast for their assistance. Will Smith returns to the awards show on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California, for the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards … Read more

Matteo Messina Denaro: Coded note led to the arrest of an Italian mafia boss

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Matteo Messina Denaro
  • He is accused of being a boss of the infamous Cosa Nostra Mafia.
  • Coded note hidden within a chair leg assisted in the arrest of Italy’s most sought Mafia boss.
  • Rosalia Messina Denaro was arrested in Sicily on Friday.

A warrant shows that a coded note hidden within a chair leg assisted in the arrest of Italy’s most sought Mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro.

The note was discovered during a clandestine operation at his sister Rosalia’s house, one month before his arrest in Palermo, Sicily, in January.

Rosalia Messina Denaro was arrested in Sicily on Friday.

Her brother, 60, has been on the run for 30 years and is thought to have gotten away with the help of family.

He is accused of being a boss of the infamous Cosa Nostra Mafia and was tried and sentenced to life in prison in absentia for a slew of killings in 2002.

On January 16, he was apprehended by police outside a private clinic in Palermo where he was undergoing cancer treatment under a false identity.

More than 100 military personnel were engaged in his arrest.

Rosalia Messina Denaro, 67, also known as Rosetta, was arrested in Sicily on Friday on mafia membership accusations, with the Carabinieri – Italian police – issuing a 57-page arrest warrant outlining some of the events that led to her brother’s earlier detention.

According to the warrant, police discovered a message within the leg of an aluminum chair in Rosalia’s home in Castelvetrano, on the west of the island, while attempting to put a listening device inside during an operation in December.

Police photographed the note, which appeared to be a mix of words, signs, and letters at first, then reinstalled it where it was discovered.

The message was a Pizzino, which was a small piece of paper written in code that Messina Denaro used to communicate with his relatives and affiliates.

The analysis, it detailed a man’s battle with colon cancer, with investigators focusing their attention on Messina Denaro after confirming that no other family members had similar cancer diagnoses.

The “historic result of the capture… originated from a note, imprudently kept, albeit hidden, by Rosetta”, a judge wrote in the warrant.

She is alleged to have played a major role in her mafia family, acting as treasurer, with police saying she communicated with her brother using the code name “Fragolone”, or “big strawberry”.

Rosalia was described as having “origins and customs all inspired by an orthodox and rock-hard mafia culture” in the warrant.

According to the warrant, she is being investigated for being a member of the mafia organization and committing crimes through her membership, including assisting her brother in avoiding multiple jail sentences, assisting him in continuing in his role as the organization’s boss, and ensuring that other members of the organization could communicate with him while he was hiding from authorities.

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Colombian protests: 79 police men freed after being hostage

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Colombian
  • Colombian President Gustavo Petro had called for the dismissal of the 79 cops and nine Emerald Energy employees.
  • Police officers and oilfield employees who were hostage during protests in Colombia.
  • During the unrest, a police officer and a civilian have already been killed

President Petro says a number of police officers and oilfield employees who were hostage during protests in Colombia’s southern Caquetá state have been released.

On Thursday, residents blockaded an oil exploration company’s compound, resulting in violence. They were requesting its assistance in constructing roads in the area.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro had called for the dismissal of the 79 cops and nine Emerald Energy employees.

During the unrest, a police officer and a civilian have already been killed

Mr. Petro called on detectives to locate those guilty of the two killings after announcing the release of the hostages, who were videotaped sitting in a cramped area on the floor.

They were killed by gunshots, according to Interior Minister Alfonso Prada.

More united than ever

Many of the demonstrators are indigenous and rural residents who want Emerald Energy to create new road infrastructure in the San Vicente del Caguan area.

Colombian police recognized the officer killed in the fight as Ricardo Monroy and paid respect to him on Twitter.

“Now we are more united than ever,” they wrote, adding that Mr. Monroy had “given his life in the line of duty”.

Colombia’s human rights ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, who was on the scene to mediate, said he spoke with demonstrators and prevented them from throwing petrol bombs at the oil complex.

Protests are prevalent in Colombian villages near energy and mining operations as residents demand that businesses develop infrastructure such as roads and schools.

According to police, a dissident section of Farc rebels who rejected the 2016 peace pact were present in the region and may have sparked the unrest.

Separately, Mr. Petro abruptly issued a message on Twitter on Thursday, requesting that the country’s prosecutor general launch a criminal inquiry into claims of corruption involving his own son and brother.

The message did not explain the claims against his eldest son, Nicolas Petro Burgos, and brother, Juan Fernando Petro Urrego, but it did say: “my government will not give out benefits to criminals in exchange for bribes”.

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Several Bakhmut attacks have been repulsed – Kyiv

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Bakhmut
  • Ukrainian military stated in its most recent news bulletin that “numerous attacks” had been repelled.
  • The United States has announced an additional $400 million (£333 million) in military aid.
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned this week that the situation was growing “more and more difficult.”

Russian forces claim to be on the verge of capturing the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which mercenaries say is almost completely surrounded.

The head of Russia’s Wagner private army said the country is “practically encircled” and that escape options are limited.

However, the Ukrainian military stated in its most recent news bulletin that “numerous attacks” had been repelled in the area of eastern Donetsk over the last 24 hours.

The United States has announced an additional $400 million (£333 million) in military aid to replenish Kyiv’s depleted ammunition inventories.

Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, visited Bakhmut on Friday for talks with local commanders about ways to strengthen frontline forces.

For nearly six months, Russian troops have been attempting to capture the city.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned this week that the situation on the eastern front line was growing “more and more difficult”.

Ukraine’s ever-dwindling ammunition reserves are a major source of anxiety, as the high-intensity battle with Russia shows no signs of abating.

Himars artillery rockets and howitzers

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the country’s latest delivery includes high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers “which Ukraine is employing so well”.

President Zelenskyy had stated that artillery and shells were needed to “halt Russia”.

In addition, the US is providing tactical bridges ahead of Ukraine’s planned invasion.

The supply of such equipment, which allows armored vehicles to traverse rivers and ditches, comes as several Ukrainian military officials and analysts have predicted that the operation could begin in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere, a partial evacuation was planned on Thursday in Kupiansk, Kharkiv area, which was liberated from Russian occupation last September.

Limited mobility

Due to “constant” shelling by Russian forces, regional officials advised families with children and others “with limited mobility” to flee.

In a statement on Friday, Mr. Blinken said: “This military assistance package includes more ammunition for US-provided Himars and howitzers, which Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself”.

He added that Washington would also be sending “ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridges, demolitions munitions and equipment, and other maintenance, training and support”.

Himars proved to be extremely effective during Ukraine’s lighting counter-offensive late last year which saw almost the whole of the Kharkiv region brought back under Kyiv’s control.

Those advances – and the liberation of the southern city of Kherson – were the most significant front-line changes since Russia withdrew from areas around Kyiv in April.

America’s top diplomat emphasized in his statement that “the United States also continues to urge the world to support Ukraine” in protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The fresh US military aid package was unveiled as US media reported that Ukraine may be running dangerously low on artillery stocks after more than a year since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.

Both Ukraine and Russia are thought to be firing tens of thousands of artillery shells each day in what has been described as a high-intensity attrition war in recent months.

The Ukrainian military has not publicly commented on the supposed ammo shortage.

Most needed

However, President Zelenskyy on Thursday said that “artillery is number one that we need”.

He added that Kyiv also needed “a large quantity of shells” and warplanes to “expel” Russian troops from Ukraine’s territory.

Military support to Ukraine was likely to be the main topic of discussion when US President Joe Biden met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on Friday.

Mr. Biden hailed the German Chancellor for his country’s “profound” support for Ukraine.

Mr. Scholz said it was crucial to emphasize that this will continue “as long as it takes and as long as is necessary”.

A number of Ukraine’s Western partners have committed to providing tanks and artillery, but Kyiv insists that this must happen far faster to discourage any Russian invasion.

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Henry Cavill once admitted to being nervous and forgetting his acting skills

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Henry Cavill recalls auditioning in front of Patrick Stewart and recalls being nervous. Since his departure as Superman, Henry Cavill has been one of the most talked-about actors. The actor revealed that he ‘flubbed’ an audition with Patrick Stewart. ‘Superman’ Henry Cavill recalls auditioning in front of Patrick Stewart and recalls being nervous and almost … Read more

Jennifer Lawrence once vented her rage about pay disparities in Hollywood

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Jennifer Lawrence is one of the world’s most beautiful and well-paid actresses. She earned $52 million in 2014, becoming the world’s highest-paid actress. Many actresses in the West and India have spoken out about the pay disparity they face over the years. Jennifer Lawrence is one of the world’s most beautiful and well-paid actresses. The … Read more

Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson will be released in March

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Black Adam

Dwayne Johnson plays Teth Adam, a man endowed with the powers of almighty gods in Black Adam. The action-adventure film will take DC Extended Universe fans on a thrilling journey. This is the first film from New Line Cinema to explore the story of Black Adam, based on the DC Comics character. Dwayne Johnson plays … Read more

Ales Bialiatski: Nobel Peace Prize winner sentenced to ten years in prison

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Nobel Peace Prize
  • Mr. Bialiatski was one of three Nobel Peace Prize laureates in 2022.
  • Mr. Bialiatski appeared in court with two other activists.
  • He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2011 after being convicted of tax evasion, which he denied.

A Belarussian court convicted Nobel Peace Prize recipient Ales Bialiatski to ten years in prison.

He was convicted of smuggling and financing “grossly disturbing public order,” according to the Viasna human rights group.

Supporters of Mr. Bialiatski, 60, claim that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s autocratic regime is attempting to suppress him.

Mr. Bialiatski was one of three Nobel Peace Prize laureates in 2022.

After major street protests amid highly disputed elections the previous year, he was arrested in 2021 and accused of sneaking cash into Belarus to fund opposition activity.

During the demonstrations, which began in 2020, demonstrators were confronted with police brutality, and Lukashenko’s detractors were often arrested and incarcerated.

Mr. Bialiatski appeared in court with two other activists, Valentin Stefanovich, and Vladimir Labkovich.

According to Viasna, the group Mr. Bialiatski formed in 1996, Mr. Stefanovich was sentenced to nine years in prison, while Mr. Labkovich received seven years.

Mr. Bialiatski’s wife, Natalya Pinchuk, said the trial was “clearly against human rights defenders for their human rights work”, describing it as a “cruel” result.

She stated, in reference to her husband’s letters from prison, where he has been imprisoned since his arrest: “Everything is OK, he always writes. He doesn’t complain about his health since he doesn’t want to upset me.”

Kostya Staradubets, a spokesperson for Viasna, said the sentences imposed on the three activists were “breaking our hearts”.

He said: “We knew that our three colleagues would get lengthy prison terms but anyway it’s still a shock, it’s breaking our hearts, not only the [prison] periods are long but the conditions also very horrific.

“We call [the conditions] torture actually because they’re being held for several months in a 19th Century building, poorly lit cells with no fresh air, no sunlight, poor food, little or no healthcare.”

Belarus’s exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said the penalty was “simply appalling”.

“We must do everything to fight against this shameful injustice and free them,” she said.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize, said the verdict was a “tragedy” for Mr. Bialiatski and described the charges as “politically motivated”.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell decried what he termed “sham trials”, adding they were “another horrific example of the Lukashenko government trying to suppress individuals who stand up in defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people in Belarus”.

According to Viasna, there are now 1,458 political prisoners in Belarus. According to authorities, there are none.

Ms. Reiss-Anderson stated that the Belarusian government had “for years tried to silence him” in giving Mr. Bialiatski the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell decried what he termed “sham trials”, adding they were “another horrific example of the Lukashenko government trying to suppress individuals who stand up in defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people in Belarus”.

According to Viasna, there are now 1,458 political prisoners in Belarus. According to authorities, there are none.

Ms. Reiss-Anderson stated that the Belarusian government had “for years tried to silence him” in giving Mr Bialiatski the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

“He has been harassed, arrested, and jailed, and he has been denied a job,” she stated.

Mr. Bialiatski is a veteran of the Belarusian human rights struggle, having founded Viasna in 1996 in response to the harsh repression.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned
“He has been harassed, he has been arrested and jailed, and he has been deprived of employment,” she said.

Mr. Bialiatski is a veteran of the Belarusian human rights movement, having founded Viasna in 1996 in response to Mr Lukashenko’s savage assault on street rallies that year. Mr. Lukashenko has been president of Belarus since the office was formed in 1994.

He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2011 after being convicted of tax evasion, which he denied.

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Ukraine war: US sends more ammo to Kyiv amid fears that supplies are running low

by
Ukraine war
  • Antony Blinken stated this includes high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers.
  • The US is providing tactical bridges ahead of Ukraine’s planned invasion.
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that artillery and shells were needed to “stop Russia.”

The United States is increasing military aid to Ukraine by $400 million (£333 million) to replenish ammunition inventories destroyed during the country’s ongoing high-intensity conflict with Russia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated this includes high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers “which Ukraine is using so effectively”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had stated that artillery and shells were needed to “stop Russia”.

In addition, the US is providing tactical bridges ahead of Ukraine’s planned invasion.

The supply of such equipment, which allows armored vehicles to traverse rivers and ditches, comes as several Ukrainian military officials and analysts have predicted that the operation could begin in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Moscow maintained its months-long assault on Bakhmut on Friday, saying that Russian mercenaries have “practically ringed” the city in the eastern Donetsk region.

Repelled

According to the latest news bulletin from Ukraine’s military, Russian troops are still attempting to encircle the city, although “several attempts have been repelled” in the last 24 hours.

Elsewhere, a partial evacuation was planned on Thursday in Kupiansk, Kharkiv area, which was liberated from Russian occupation last September.

The regional authorities said families with children and people “with limited mobility” should leave due to “constant” shelling by Russian forces.

In a statement on Friday, Mr. Blinken said: “This military assistance package includes more ammunition for US-provided Himars and howitzers, which Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself”.

He added that Washington would also be sending “ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridges, demolitions munitions and equipment, and other maintenance, training and support”.

Himars were very effective during Ukraine’s major counter-offensive late last year, which took the whole Kharkiv region back under Kyiv’s control.

These victories, along with the freeing of Kherson in the south, were the most important front-line adjustments since Russia’s withdrawal from territories near Kyiv in April.

But, President Zelenskyy on Thursday remarked that “artillery is number one that we need”.

He said that Kyiv would also need “a large number of shells” and warplanes to “evict” Russian forces from Ukrainian land.

Military support to Ukraine was likely to be the main topic of discussion when US President Joe Biden met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on Friday.

Mr. Biden hailed the German Chancellor for his country’s “unwavering” support for Ukraine.

Mr. Scholz said it was crucial to emphasise that this will continue “as long as it takes and as long as is necessary”.

A number of Ukraine’s Western partners have committed to providing tanks and artillery, but Kyiv insists that this must happen far faster to discourage any Russian invasion.

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Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced former lawyer, sentenced to life

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Alex Murdaugh
  • A jury convicted the 54-year-old in less than three hours.
  • Authorities claimed he murdered his wife and son.
  • The disbarred attorney was convicted of two counts of murder after a six-week trial.

Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced ex-lawyer, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife and children in a case that rocked the United States.

The hearing in South Carolina came one day after a jury convicted the 54-year-old in less than three hours.

On June 7, 2021, Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were shot at close range on their family estate.

Authorities claimed he murdered his wife and son to draw attention away from his financial misdeeds and elicit sympathy.

Judge Clifton Newman termed the case “one of the most troubling” he has encountered and underlined Murdaugh’s past “as a well-known member of the legal community”.

Capital Sentence

“You’ve practiced law before me, and we’ve seen each other on various occasions throughout the years,” he said, calling it “especially heart-breaking for me” to learn of Murdaugh’s arrest and prosecution, more than a year after the murders were committed.

Alex Murdaugh led a legal dynasty that had established a dominant position for decades – the jurisdiction was dubbed “Murdaugh Country” by some.

Judge Newman said he understood the state’s decision not to seek the capital sentence, but that Murdaugh’s family had individuals executed for less.

“Your family, including you, have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct,” he said.

The disbarred attorney was convicted of two counts of murder after a six-week trial.

An appeal

Throughout the trial, investigators showed how Murdaugh stole nearly $9 million from clients to fuel his opioid addiction and opulent lifestyle.

Murdaugh spoke briefly twice during Friday’s sentencing to assert his innocence. His attorneys said he would file an appeal against the life sentence within 10 days.

Buster Murdaugh, Murdaugh’s surviving son, sat quiet and mute throughout the proceedings, even as the judge sentenced his father to two consecutive life sentences.

The court also speculated that the murders might have been committed while under the influence of drugs.

“It might not have been you, but it may have been the monster you became when you took those pills.”

Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said the evidence against the South Carolina lawyer was “overwhelming” and showed him to be a “cunning, manipulative man who placed himself above all others, including his family”.

Nonetheless, Murdaugh reiterated his argument that he was not guilty.

“I would never hurt my wife and I would never hurt my son,” he said in brief remarks at the hearing. He stared ahead and did not react as his sentence was read

Carolina Department of Corrections

A video made by Paul Murdaugh only minutes before he was shot contained his father’s voice in the background, contradicting his assertion that he was not present at the time.

A condemned juror told it was when he realized the defendant was guilty.

Murdaugh’s head has been shaved in a fresh mugshot provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC).

According to local media, male prisoners usually get a haircut when they arrive in prison.

According to the SCDC, he will spend the following 45 days in the intake process, when his medical and mental condition, as well as his educational level, will be assessed.

He will be transferred to a maximum-security prison after 45 days.

During a news conference following the sentence, Murdaugh’s lawyers stated that they did not believe it was a mistake for him to testify during the trial. They claimed Judge Newman’s decision to allow evidence linked to Murdaugh’s financial misdeeds to be included in the murder trial was “erroneous”.

The state’s case “was about character, not about motive”, defense attorney Dick Harpootlian said. Murdaugh had been cast as a “despicable human being”, he said.

The high-profile case has spurred true crime podcasts and documentaries across the country.

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Jennifer Lopez was enraged at Shah Rukh Khan’s team for ruining her image

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Jennifer Lopez’s team sent emails to Shah Rukh Khan’s team for tarnishing her image. Jennifer Lopez is one of the most well-known celebrities in the world. The Hollywood star was unable to perform at the IPL inauguration ceremony According to a report, Jennifer Lopez‘s team sent emails to Shah Rukh Khan’s team for tarnishing her … Read more

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Black Panther 2’s Tenoch Huerta Urges Fans To Make His Dream Come True

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