Manhattan police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione , suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while carrying a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Here's the latest: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says “violence to combat any sort of corporate greed is unacceptable” and the White House will “continue to condemn any form of violence.” She declined to comment on the investigation into the Dec. 4 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson or reports that writings belonging to the suspect, Luigi Mangione, said insurance companies care more about profits than their customers. “This is horrific,” Jean-Pierre said of the fatal shooting of Thompson as he walked in Manhattan. He didn’t appear to say anything as deputies led him to a waiting car outside. “I’m deeply grateful to the men and women of law enforcement whose efforts to solve the horrific murder of Brian Thompson led to the arrest of a suspect in Pennsylvania,” Gov. Hochul said in the statement. “I am coordinating with the District Attorney’s Office and will sign a request for a governor’s warrant to ensure this individual is tried and held accountable. Public safety is my top priority and I’ll do everything in my power to keep the streets of New York safe.” That’s according to a spokesperson for the governor who said Gov. Hochul will do it as soon as possible. Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. ▶ Read more about Luigi Mangione Peter Weeks, the Blair County district attorney, says he’ll work with New York officials to try to return suspect Luigi Mangione there to face charges. Weeks said the New York charges are “more serious” than in Blair County. “We believe their charges take precedent,” Weeks said, promising to do what’s needed to accommodate New York’s prosecution first. Weeks spoke to reporters after a brief hearing at which a defense lawyer said Mangione will fight extradition. The defense asked for a hearing on the issue. In the meantime, Mangione will be detained at a state prison in western Pennsylvania. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said Tuesday it will seek a Governor’s warrant to secure Mangione’s extradition to Manhattan. Under state law, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul can issue a warrant of arrest demanding Mangione’s return to the state. Such a warrant must recite the facts necessary to the validity of its issuance and be sealed with the state seal. It would then be presented to law enforcement in Pennsylvania to expedite Mangione’s return to New York. But Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks says it won’t be a substantial barrier to returning Mangione to New York. He noted that defendants contest extradition “all the time,” including in simple retail theft cases. Dickey, his defense lawyer, questioned whether the second-degree murder charge filed in New York might be eligible for bail under Pennsylvania law, but prosecutors raised concerns about both public safety and Mangione being a potential flight risk, and the judge denied it. Mangione will continue to be housed at a state prison in Huntingdon. He has 14 days to challenge the detention. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have a month to seek a governor’s warrant out of New York. Mangione, wearing an orange jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion, but was quieted by his lawyer. Luigi Mangione, 26, has also been denied bail at a brief court hearing in western Pennsylvania. He has 14 days to challenge the bail decision. That’s with some intervention from owner Elon Musk. The account, which hasn’t posted since June, was briefly suspended by X. But after a user inquired about it in a post Monday, Musk responded “This happened without my knowledge. Looking into it.” The account was later reinstated. Other social media companies such as Meta have removed his accounts. According to X rules, the platform removes “any accounts maintained by individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks, as well as any accounts glorifying the perpetrator(s), or dedicated to sharing manifestos and/or third party links where related content is hosted.” Mangione is not accused of perpetrating a terrorist or mass attack — he has been charged with murder — and his account doesn’t appear to share any writings about the case. He shouted something that was partly unintelligible, but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” He’s there for an arraignment on local charges stemming from his arrest Monday. He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit as officers led him from a vehicle into the courthouse. Local defense lawyer Thomas Dickey is expected to represent the 26-year-old at a Tuesday afternoon hearing at the Blair County Courthouse. Dickey declined comment before the hearing. Mangione could have the Pennsylvania charges read aloud to him and may be asked to enter a plea. They include possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. In New York, he was charged late Monday with murder in the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain with corporate greed, said a a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s hand-written notes and social media postings. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. A felony warrant filed in New York cites Altoona Officer Christy Wasser as saying she found the writings along with a semi-automatic pistol and an apparent silencer. The filing echoes earlier statements from NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny who said Mangione had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America.” Mangione is now charged in Pennsylvania with being a fugitive of justice. A customer at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested said one of his friends had commented beforehand that the man looked like the suspect wanted for the shooting in New York City. “It started out almost a little bit like a joke, my one friend thought he looked like the shooter,” said the customer, who declined to give his full name, on Tuesday. “It wasn’t really a joke, but we laughed about it,” he added. The warrant on murder and other charges is a step that could help expedite his extradition from Pennsylvania. In court papers made public Tuesday, a New York City police detective reiterated key findings in the investigation he said tied Mangione to the killing, including surveillance footage and a fake ID he used to check into a Manhattan hostel on Nov. 24. Police officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, found that ID when they arrested Mangione on Monday. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Mangione doesn’t yet have a lawyer who can speak on his behalf, court officials said. Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald’s while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and ski cap. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. Mangione’s cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione, announced Tuesday morning that he’s postponing a fundraiser planned later this week at the Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore, which was purchased by the Mangione family in 1986. “Because of the nature of this terrible situation involving my Cousin I do not believe it is appropriate to hold my fundraising event scheduled for this Thursday at Hayfields,” Nino Mangione said in a social media post. “I want to thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. My family and I are heartbroken and ask that you remember the family of Mr. Thompson in your prayers. Thank you.” Officers used New York City’s muscular surveillance system . Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door to door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later , those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian’s instincts. A customer at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos New York police had publicized. He remains jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late Monday evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. It’s unclear whether Luigi Nicholas Mangione has an attorney who can comment on the allegations. Asked at Monday’s arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.”IIT Bombay team develops needle-free syringe for painless injectionsNEW YORK — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing . But it wasn't just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin , gold and other investments also drove higher. Here's a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. 1998 Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball's Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year's spurt of 24.2%. 57 The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. 3 The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. 1,508 That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world . The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. $100,000 The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It's been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump's election. He's turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he's named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. 26.7% Gold's rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It's also benefited from the Fed's cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. $420 It's a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it's also a threshold that Tesla's stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share . Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk's close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. $91.2 billion That's how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia's chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia's worth to more than $3 trillion in total. 74% GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “ meme stock craze ” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October . 1.6%, 3.0% and 3.1% That's how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. 20.1% This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody's. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. 3.73 million That's the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024's home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.jili178 login register philippines 。

I Saw the TV Glow Director Teases Next Movie as Hybrid of 2 Projects

Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Opposition Leader Peter Dutton recently admitted he was holding something back. Dutton was in Sydney earlier this month, standing alongside Liberal northern beaches candidates who hope to win back the teal-held seats of Warringah and Mackellar, and he was asked if his party’s nuclear policy costings were being held back to avoid scrutiny over Christmas. “Nope,” came the blunt answer, he was just letting the government kick another own goal. “There’ll be plenty of time to scrutinise. We’re not releasing it on the day of the election,” Dutton said. “Part of the reason that there’s been a delay is we’ve gone to announce it a few times, to be honest, and the government’s latest disaster has happened on that day where we’ve decided that we’ll let people concentrate on how bad the Albanese government is.” Dutton knows when to hold back and when to let rip for a ready headline, but his aversion to detail could prove a liability next year when he has to persuade the voters he’s prime ministerial material. In 2024, if the polls are any guide, Dutton is in with a real chance to win the next election, forging forward as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese loses ground. This month’s Resolve Political Monitor showed the Coalition’s primary vote fell by one percentage point to 38, Labor’s fell by three percentage points to 27 per cent and 35 per cent of voters nominated another party. This would almost certainly deliver a hung parliament on election day, with either side potentially able to cobble together minority government. Advertisement Dutton needs to win 21 seats to claim 76 seats and govern in majority – a huge mountain to climb – but a 70-seat minority Coalition government is possible, supported by a clutch of independent MPs – including but not limited to Dai Le, Helen Haines, Rebekha Sharkie, Andrew Gee, Bob Katter and Allegra Spender. Dutton has been mostly gaffe-free (it’s hard to imagine him repeating his 2015 “joke” about Pacific Islanders being hit by climate change) and on message. He speaks in short, declarative sentences and quickly stamps out spot fires, such as when he quashed the abortion debate last month just as high-profile conservative Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said late-term terminations should be on the agenda. “I support a woman’s right to choose,” he said in a rare phone call to ABC’s Radio National. “I’ve been in very difficult circumstances where, as a detective working in the sex offenders squad, I’ve dealt with women in domestic relationships who have been raped; it’s a very, very difficult situation. Ultimately, that’s a choice and a decision for that individual to make, and that’s the position I support.” Peter Dutton dropped his opposition to stage 3 tax cuts when the changes proved too popular to fight. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Jenny Ware, a NSW moderate Liberal MP and the only current Liberal MP who chose to speak on the record for this piece, is not a natural ally of Dutton but she praises him for the job he has done, “particularly in the last nine months as Labor has gone odd on tangents”. “Peter has called out antisemitism in Australia, at universities et cetera. He is now representing the quiet majority of Australians on this and other issues,” she says. Advertisement “A year ago, even if people weren’t happy with Albanese, they were saying Dutton isn’t ready. But the dial has shifted to Peter being electable and I think that all of the attacks Labor has launched on him haven’t worked.” History proved Dutton right when he chose to oppose the Voice to Parliament in 2023, but he demonstrated political judgment again at the start of January 2024, when he quickly dropped his broken promises attack on the changes to stage 3 tax cuts after it became clear that most voters didn’t care about discarded election pledges if they got more money in their pockets. The opposition leader has savaged Labor on its handling of immigration policy following the High Court’s NZYQ decision and prosecuted the case for reduced migration, linking the issue to housing shortages successfully, too. On the number one issue concerning most voters, the cost of living, he has mauled Labor while offering scant detail about how he would fix it. He picks his moments on when to lob culture war hand grenades, too, cannily tossing them at big corporates, such as accusing Woolworths of peddling a “woke agenda” on Australia Day, or starting an argument about which flags should be displayed behind a prime minister, pulling focus for 24 hours and then walking away. But for a former cop with a strongman persona, Dutton doesn’t like scrutiny and he doesn’t always front up. While he gives friendly interviews with commercial radio hosts, appearances on the ABC and long-form newspaper interviews are strictly rationed. When he does front up at a press conference it’s more often than not in a far-flung outer suburban seat or in a regional town, far from metropolitan newsrooms. Tracked down at these remote locations, he has proved brittle, taking a belligerent approach to questions asked by young reporters, especially if they happen to work for the ABC. Advertisement The long-awaited launch of his nuclear power policy costings last week was a case in point: it was released at a small press conference in Brisbane with subject-matter-expert reporters thousands of kilometres away in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The contrast with Bowen and Albanese fronting up in Canberra in 2021 with their climate change policy costings was stark. As the election approaches, there are more questions to be answered on the detail of what exactly a Coalition government would do on tax, industrial relations, health and education. The seven Coalition MPs who spoke to this masthead on background to inform this piece are dreaming of, at worst, a minority Labor government and some are even canvassing a return to government after one term. Dutton has enjoyed an unusual period of stability for a first-term opposition leader, assisted by the loss of Josh Frydenberg and many other Liberal moderates in May 2022 and the high number of conservative MPs and Queenslanders in the party room (usually but not always the same thing). But as one of those seven anonymous Liberal MPs points out, Dutton “read the riot act on abortion to the party room, for example, and that was important. And he has read the room on [Australia’s commitment to] net zero. He is holding the line, despite what the Nationals might want. “He has done an amazing job holding the government to account but he has to present enough of an alternative. His shadow front bench ... Is everyone ready? I don’t think so.” Advertisement As the MP put it: “Policy is where Peter goes from an A+ to a B” and the loss of senior moderates Simon Birmingham and Paul Fletcher – both experienced policy wonks – makes it harder. Loading A veteran MP who asked not to be named, says Dutton has performed better than his mentor Tony Abbott and in a more difficult environment, as Albanese’s team is not divided like the Labor government of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years. “Abbott’s approach was just ‘kill, kill, kill’ belligerence, and he had a fractured government to work with. He [Dutton] is not small or big target, he’s smart target, he picks his issues. The discipline with which he has shaped discussion of policies he wants to talk about and the sequence in which he has launched them shows very shrewd judgment,” the veteran says. Nuclear policy has been Dutton’s biggest policy gamble to date and, while the announcement strategy managed to minimise scrutiny on the numbers, both Dutton and treasury spokesman Angus Taylor have over-reached in recent days, perhaps deliberately, by claiming the nuclear plan will lower power bills by 44 per cent, despite the costings explicitly stating they had not modelled electricity price impacts. Labor believes this rhetorical overreach creates an opening for attack; the Coalition believes voters’ eyes will glaze over the fight on detail and bets a “he said, she said” fight will be a scoreless draw, which suits Dutton fine. Although polling shows Albanese is not rated by voters, nor is he hated, Dutton’s charge to the Lodge could come unstuck if he attempts to skate through on a “trust us, we will fix it” vibe because voters, at this stage, aren’t desperate to defenestrate the government. Advertisement Professor of politics at ANU Ian McAllister, co-director of the university’s long-running Australian Election Study, says Dutton has been effective in 2024 and has room to be more expansive on policy in 2025. “He has established himself, he has no obvious challengers, he is in a good position to make quite dramatic policy changes if he wins the election. For example, on nuclear energy he has a degree of flexibility. To do it he will need some sort of bipartisanship, so for example Dutton could propose an independent inquiry, some sort of assembly or even a referendum on it if he wins the election,” McAllister says. Dutton has proven in 2024 that he is a worthy opposition leader. But he hasn’t yet shown how he would operate as a prime minister. He has just a few months to close the deal with voters. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter .

Joe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasionChrist is a temporal mark- After and Before Christ. For the politics in India, Manmohan Singh serves as a reference – After Him and Before Him. Christ, his christian followers believe, was crucified. The politics Manmohan Singh represented and conducted, was also crucified. His personality, his demeanour, his ideals – all this is a misfit in the new age India. Long before his departure on Thursday this week, India suffered a bereavement of a greater magnitude – death of the political leadership Manmohan Singh represented. Looking back he appears like a creature from a different planet who once was the Prime Minister of a country called India – a human prime minister. Never an accidental Prime Minister. It was good luck for India that this economist gentleman was eyed by a prescient Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, to become the finance minister of India. He came, he saw and he liberated the Indian economy. What he also witnessed in his later years, was the devastation of Indian politics. Manmohan Singh was many things rolled in one. An academic who taught his subject at the highest level. A banker who served as the chairman of RBI. An economist who brought in radical reforms. A prime minister who made a coalition work for 10 long years, and navigated his country in such crucial matters as the Indo-US nuclear deal. Name a sector of governance, economy, politics and diplomacy where he didn’t leave an imprint. Another thing he never spoke about it. His was a person full of substance, never full of himself. He was a human being who wouldn’t scare fellow humans. So all humans of the world, it is time to mourn. That is the reason why someone like Anwar Ibrahim, from a far off land, Malaysia, is so saddened by his demise. If anyone has to take a peek into the person the Singh was, read the condolence message Anwar Ibrahim posted on X. Like him there must be hundreds, nay thousands, of hearts he must have touched. A superficial knowledge of states and governments tell us that it is the system that matters in the end. No matter who rules, no matter who is in the chair, it is the national interest and the state policy that finally holds the key. But that is not the entire truth. The person at the top informs everything down under. India just observed 100th anniversary of A B Vajpayee. Wasn’t there something in the man that we had a different political atmosphere? He belonged to an ideological politics that was different from Manmohan’s. But he shared the grace and magnanimity in his person with Manmohan Singh. That is why he was, and is, praised by people across party and ideological divides. Manmohan Singh was gentle and calm, graceful and profound, honest and efficient; the strength of his personality was in his humility. Unfortunately, these traits are no longer in demand. The times have changed. The choices have changed. Now is the time for leaders who can inflict fear in others, who can cast a spell of madness on a rabble, who can raise rhetoric to Himalayan heights, who can bring skies down and turn the earth upside down. Manmohan Singh, by his very disposition brought ease and calm; on the contrary. In the din of today’s politics, who can match the reserves of calm the frail body of Manmohan Singh carried. He had a glacial personality, today’s politics needs volcanic eruption. Now that the man is no more, we see everyone in India, and beyond, praise him. But it still pains to think of the occasions when the Indian media made deprecating remarks about him, and the political opponents added to the toxicity. A man of great character was subjected to the smallness of politics that India spewed after he was no longer in the seat. In his maiden budget speech in 1991, Singh quoted Victor Hugo: “No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.” He had rightly sensed it then. He brought the Indian economy on the global map. That was the time Manmohan Singh was brought into the politics of India. When his political party lost power, the time for some really ghastly ideas came. Victor Hugo’s quote was applicable then, and is applicable now. Unfortunately, it looks like Indian politics and the Indian society are bursting with ideas that change the very image of an ideal man. Manmohan Singh, even Vajpayee, don’t fit that image. The tragic in the times after Manmohan Singh is that Manmohan Singh is no longer an image of an ideal statesman. How could he live more?

Urgent hunt for 11-year-old schoolboy who ‘sexually assaulted’ woman in broad daylightThe Los Angeles Chargers activated running back J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve on Friday. Dobbins is formally listed as questionable but figures to be the team's top running threat for Saturday's road game against the New England Patriots. Teammate Gus Edwards (ankle) was ruled out Thursday. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. As property values continue to outpace inflation, property taxes are taking a bigger bite out of homeowners’ wallets. A new analysis from Construction Coverage breaks down property tax rates by state, county, and city to reveal where homeowners have the greatest burden. Click for more. Where Are U.S. Property Taxes Highest and Lowest? A State, County, and City Analysis

India Did The Right Thing: When Manmohan Singh Backed Modi Govt's Stand On Russia-Ukraine WarAncient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 160,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software. Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with two Swift-inspired films airing this year Two of the new holiday movies coming to TV this season have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger, playing a pro football player, who meet and fall in love, not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City. Top football recruit Bryce Underwood changes commitment to Michigan instead of LSU, AP source says ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Top football recruit Bryce Underwood has flipped to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU. That's according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the recruit’s plans to join the Wolverines. Underwood pinned a post on his Instagram account, showing a post in which On3.com reported that he has committed to Michigan. The 6-foot-3 quarterback played at Belleville High School about 15 miles east of Michigan's campus, and told LSU nearly a year ago he intended to enroll there. Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia has been released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach. The adult male was found on Nov. 1 on sand dunes in temperate southwest Australia about 2,200 miles north of the Antarctic coast. He was released Wednesday from a boat that traveled several hours from Western Australia state's most southerly city of Albany. His caregiver Carol Biddulph wasn't sure at first if the penguin would live. She said a mirror was important to his rehabilitation because they provide a sense of company. Biddulph said: “They’re social birds and he stands next to the mirror most of the time.” Shohei Ohtani wins third MVP award, first in NL. Aaron Judge earns second AL honor in 3 seasons NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Tuesday assailed President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that he and other former members of the defunct House Jan. 6 committee be imprisoned . Trump advocated that those on the former panel who investigated the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot and his role in overturning the 2020 election should “go to jail.” “I don’t think the incoming president should be threatening his political opponents with jail time,” Schiff told reporters on his first full day as a senator . “That’s not the kind of talk we should hear from the president in a democracy, nor do I think that a pardon is necessary for the members of the Jan. 6 committee.” President Joe Biden is weighing preemptive pardons over fears Trump may seek retribution against Schiff and other high-profile members of the bipartisan panel, including former Chairman Bennie Thomson (D-MS), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and former Rep. Liz Cheney. Biden is also considering pardons for other political foes who could come under Trump's microscope. “We are proud of the work we did in that committee,” Schiff continued. “It was a fundamental oversight obligation to investigate the first attempt to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power in our history.” Trump said in an NBC Meet the Press interview that aired over the weekend that he would not direct Justice Department officials to bring charges against the committee members but accused them of engaging in unspecified criminal activity. “For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said. In a separate portion, Trump said that “retribution will be through success.” He's also vowed to pardon those charged with and convicted of crimes related to the Capitol riot. KEY DATES FOR THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION The apparent threat to jail political opponents left Republicans in the Senate, conservatives and centrists alike, dodging questions Tuesday about the incoming president’s rhetoric. “If there’s something that needs to be looked at there, I’m sure the appropriate authorities will look at it,” incoming Senate GOP Leader John Thune (R-SD) said of jailing Jan. 6 committee members. “But I don’t have a comment, really, on those statements.”Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a veteran member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has issued a pointed critique of the party’s leadership, particularly targeting key figures such as Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) and Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi). In a sharply worded open letter, Dr. Kennedy outlined his dissatisfaction with the direction the party has taken, which he believes has contributed to its electoral defeat in the 2024 general elections. “Ashanti, that used to be led by the likes of Donkor Fordjour, is now led by Wontumi! Prempeh College, that gave us Kufuor and Crabbe, now gives us Napo and Wontumi!” Dr. Kennedy lamented, juxtaposing the NPP’s current leadership with the legacy of past figures who were seen as pillars of the party. His statement reflects deep concern over the party’s apparent departure from the principles and values that once defined it. The open letter follows the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections, a loss that has prompted internal reflection and finger-pointing within the party. Dr. Kennedy’s critique underscores a broader sense of disillusionment with the current leadership, accusing them of losing sight of the party’s founding ideals. He pointed to what he sees as a growing prioritization of personal wealth over public service. “The party that was built by men who risked their liberty and spent their treasure to build it now has leaders who have not suffered and see it as a vehicle for amassing wealth,” Dr. Kennedy stated, highlighting the widening gap between the party’s original vision and the perceived motivations of its current leaders. In a particularly striking part of his letter, Dr. Kennedy alluded to what he described as an “unholy alliance of the Kyebi Mafia and Galamsey Incorporated.” This phrase appears to reference a network of individuals within the party who are accused of engaging in or benefiting from illegal mining activities (galamsey), which has been a contentious issue in Ghanaian politics. “We lent the party to an unholy alliance and got our comeuppance for doing nothing,” he remarked, suggesting that the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections was, in part, a direct consequence of the leadership’s failure to address the corruption and illegal practices allegedly associated with some of its members. Dr. Kennedy’s letter has sparked intense debate both within the NPP and among political analysts, with some agreeing with his assessment of the party’s leadership and others pushing back on his claims. Nonetheless, the letter serves as a powerful call for the NPP to reassess its values and direction in the wake of the electoral defeat. The sharp critique of figures like Dr. Prempeh and Chairman Wontumi, as well as the reference to internal corruption, marks a significant moment of reckoning for the party. Dr. Kennedy’s words serve as a reminder of the deep divisions that persist within the NPP, and the ongoing struggle for the party to reclaim its integrity and credibility in the eyes of the Ghanaian electorate.

Mughal Road halting stations cry for restoration amid government apathy

MAPUTO, Mozambique. (AP) — At least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique’s capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country's police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence are roiling the country. Police chief Bernardino Rafael said 33 prisoners died and 15 others were injured during a confrontation with the security forces. The prisoners fled during violent protests that have seen police cars, stations and infrastructure destroyed after the country’s Constitutional Council confirmed the ruling Frelimo party as the winner of the Oct. 9 elections. The escape from the Maputo Central Prison, located 14 kilometers (9 miles) southwest of the capital, started around midday on Wednesday after “agitation” by a “group of subversive protesters” nearby, Rafael said. Some of the prisoners at the facility snatched weapons from the guards and started freeing other detainees. “A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defense and security forces,” said Rafael. “They (protesters) were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences”, said Rafael, adding that the protests led to the collapse of a wall, allowing the prisoners to flee. He called on the escaped prisoners to surrender to authorities and for the population to be informed about the fugitives. Videos circulating on social media show the moment inmates left the prison, while other recordings reveal captures made by military personnel and prison guards. Many prisoners tried to hide in homes, but some were unsuccessful and ended up being detained again. In one video, a prisoner still with handcuffs on his right wrist says he was held n the disciplinary section of the prison and was released by other inmates.FEMA sends $1 billion to Florida storm victims, but some are still waiting on the agencyCricket World Pays Tribute to Manmohan Singh: Architect of India's Economic Miracle

The Miami Dolphins are largely in good health as they gear up for a key home game on Sunday against the New England Patriots as they continue to work to climb back into the playoff race. The Dolphins have a laundry list of players on the report, but all bit five have been cleared to play on Sunday and only one has been ruled out. CB Kendall Fuller , who suffered a concussion against the Los Angeles Rams , continues to work through protocol and hasn't been cleared, thus ruling him out for Sunday. However, a huge number of starters and key contributors managed to avoid a game status designation for Sunday, including Tyreek Hill - who downgraded from full to limited practice on Friday - Aaron Brewer, Jordyn Brooks, Jevon Holland, Jalen Ramsey, Julian Hill, Raheem Mostert, and Jordan Poyer. On the other side of the coin, the Patriots saw a major name pop up on the injury report with a new ailment. CB Christian Gonzalez appeared on the report as limited with a hip injury. That will certainly be something to monitor on Sunday when the list of inactives is released an hour and a half before kickoff. The Dolphins and Patriots get underway on Sunday at 1:00 pm ET from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.Among e-readers, there's a reason why the Kindle is leading the pack. While it wasn't the first out of the gate, Amazon quickly established its Kindle line as a gadget that many people are willing to pay for. From going weeks on a single charge, not scandalizing old ladies in transit with your book covers, and having access to endless content from the Kindle Unlimited library, there's a lot to love about having it within reach. These days, there are several models available in the market that fit various budgets with different sizes and features. Just this year, Amazon launched four new models , including the first one that can let you read comics in color. Once you find the right Kindle for you, the next question is how do you make it fit seamlessly into the rest of your life. Apart from learning some of our easy Kindle tricks , like bookmarking pages and using the dictionary, you can also invest in accessories that help elevate the e-reading experience. If you're not sure where to start, we've rounded up some pretty interesting options that fit different kinds of readers, such as those who are always in flying planes, prefer to be lying down, or even like to read during their morning commute. To learn more about our process, you can skip to the end of the article, but if you're keen to know all the unique accessories you can get for yourself (or someone you love), keep on reading. Sometimes, we come across a book series that consumes our lives in an unprecedented way. When I downloaded my first booktok-recommended romantasy series, my Kindle almost didn't leave my mind (and my hand) until I finished all eight books. Admittedly, there were moments when I almost dropped my Kindle in between train tracks or when I bumped into strangers while walking. To keep my Kindle from hitting the pavement (and risking losing my reading progress forever), one of the best investments I've made is a Kindle hand-strap. On Amazon, one option is the MoKo hand-strap , which sells for only $9.99. Designed for 6"-8" e-readers, it also works with other similarly-sized e-readers and tablets, such as the Kobo Nia/Clara HD, Lenovo Tab M7, and Fire Tablet. Weighing a little more than a quarter at 0.28 oz, it's light enough that it won't be hard to use for long periods. Using a plastic bracket that is lined with anti-slip silicone, all you have to do is stretch it in place on both ends of the Kindle, either straight vertically or diagonally. Depending on if you're left or right-handed, you can choose which side is more convenient for you. When it comes to aesthetics, you can get a simple strap or one of its more than two dozen patterned strap options. On Amazon, the MoKo hand-strap has an average rating of 4.6 stars from over 2,000 satisfied readers. In the past, we've mentioned that a common mistake people make with their Kindle is not protecting it enough and exposing it to extreme conditions. If the reason you invested in an e-reader is to read on the go, another Kindle accessory that might low-key save your life is a screen protector. In general, there are plenty of reasons why people get screen protectors for gadgets, such as protecting their devices from drops, scratches, or smudges. But for people who can't put their ebooks down, even at a sunny beach, it can also be a good way to reduce glare. If you own a Kindle Paperwhite Signature, the NuPro screen protector is one of the top Kindle screen protectors on the market. With a reasonably high 4.7 star rating from more than a thousand Paperwhite owners, it retails for $12.99 on Amazon. Apart from its standard protection features, it also has antimicrobial technology, which is perfect for people who like to eat snacks and get their fingers dirty while reading. Out of the box, the NuPro screen protector comes in a set of two, plus tools for installation like the cleaning cloth and applicator. On the other hand, if you're using other Kindle models, NuPro also offers screen protectors for the 9th generation Kindle Oasis (2017) and 10th generation Kindle (2019). Apart from costing about the same price at $12.99, over 2,000 people have rated them similarly at 4.7 stars on average. In the future, there's a chance that technology will progress to the point that we can turn "pages" on our Kindle with just hand gestures (or even just our eyes). For now, we'll have to settle for accessories like the Sycelu remote page-turner . Priced at $19.99, over 2,000 customers have been satisfied with Sycelu's remote control and have given it an average of 4.4 stars. Available in four colors (glossy black, matte black, pink, and white), Sycelu says that it can last months on a single charge. Plus, it has a mute function that you can use to flip pages without alerting the person next to you. If you own an older 7th and 8th generation Kindle model, Sycelu regretfully shares that it won't work. But if you have the Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis, Kindle Kids, and Kindle Voyage, you're in the clear. Not to mention, it also works with Kobo, another e-reading device that consistently tops many of our Kindle alternative lists. Apart from the e-reader brands, the Sycelu remote control is also designed to be compatible with a host of other devices, like iPads, iPhones, and Android tablets. Personally, I've enjoyed remote control page-turners for two key moments: reading while flying on an airplane or when lying down. There's just something so oddly satisfying when you can be wrapped around a heavy blanket and not have to worry about constantly pulling your hand out of the warmth to flip a page. Speaking of not having to move while reading, the MAGIPEA long arm gooseneck will go perfectly with your remote for an optimal bed rot reading experience. For lazy Kindle readers, you can also attach it to your bed's headboard, which you can use to angle it while lying down. Sold in either black or white, the clamp mount can fit devices from 4.7" to 14", so it can pretty much hold any Kindle model in the market. For smaller models, you'll just have to be mindful about mounting it vertically to avoid falling. In addition, MAGIPEA specifically asks users not to touch the device frequently, but you won't have a problem with this if you plan to use it in tandem with a remote control. Made of a reasonably durable aluminum-magnesium material, it can extend up to 30", but you'll likely need two hands to adjust it. Apart from your bed, other users have reported using it anywhere from coffee tables to outdoor grilling tables. Although it's not exactly super portable in terms of dimensions, it only weighs around 12.3 oz. As of writing, 15,000 people have given the MAGIPEA flexible mount around 4.2 stars. Alternatively, if you don't have anything to clip on, you can still benefit from a gooseneck tablet holder with a built-in stand, like the Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder . While it can only hold up to 10.5" devices, it's more than enough even for Kindle Scribe users and their 10.2" screen. Personally, one of the key reasons I decided to get a Kindle was to be able to read during long flights. In the past, I would bring different books that would take up valuable carry-on space and weight allowance. But when it comes to long-haul flights, it's not always comfortable for your neck to look down at your Kindle. To avoid this, I've learned the magic of a portable tablet holder, like the WixGear airplane tablet holder . Different from the gooseneck table mount, airplane-specific tablet holders are meant to be more portable and foldable. With the WixGear airplane tablet holder, you can attach your Kindle in different ways to match your seat configurations, such as on the tray table, headrest, or chair armrest. Even before the flight, it can be attached to your luggage handle or tables in the airport, as long as there's a 1.5" area to clamp. Meant to fit gadgets 3.5" to 7.67", it won't be able to hold the Kindle Scribe. But it's perfect for people with the 6" Kindle, 6.8" Kindle Paperwhite, and 7" Kindle Oasis. Despite weighing only 6.7 oz, the WixGear tablet holder can also comfortably rotate for multiple viewing angles. So far, more than 350 buyers felt it was worth it for their airplane rides and rated it 4.1 stars. While there are other options on this list that can help hold the Kindle in place on your vanity table, most of them aren't cute (and are likely going to impact your home's visual aesthetic). If you're like me, who is particular with your nightly winding down routine, you'll want a cute way to read on your Kindle while doing your elaborate multi-step skin care. With the SupeDesk tablet pillow stand , you can easily keep reading on your Kindle while layering products and waiting for them to properly absorb. Besides your Kindle, it can fit devices from 4.7" to 13" on its lockable arm, so you can use it for other gadgets like your mobile phone, tablet, or even Nintendo Switch. Apart from being quite functional, the 13" detachable pillow can add a decorative flair to your home. Weighing only 1.5 lbs, the plush surface is also machine washable, so you don't have to worry about doing anything special to clean it. While it also comes with a 5.7" snack bowl, you can definitely use this space to give other things on this list a home, like your Kindle hand strap or remote control. Depending on if you're more of a Glinda or Elphaba, it's available in two colors: pink and green. Selling for $45.99, more than 200 people have rated it a good 4.7 stars, and Amazon shares that most customers are pretty satisfied with it and tend not to return it after purchase. As a hardcore Kindle user, I've experimented with a lot of accessories in the past. When it comes to buying accessories, most people already know that they should get a case to make sure their Kindle is protected. However, I've found that by investing in unique accessories that are more lifestyle-oriented, you're more likely to use your Kindle because it's convenient to access, erasing some of the pain points associated with it. To choose the items on this, we took into consideration the different situations wherein people tend to read with their Kindle e-readers, whether it is in their homes, in transport, or everything in between. In addition, we chose items that have generally positive reviews (or at least four stars on average) from a good sample size of users. It's important to note that knowing what you're like as a reader can help you identify which ones can really move the needle for you and your e-reading experience. That said, making your Kindle feel right for you isn't just a matter of buying more things. For example, we've mentioned other tips to get more out of your Kindle, such as learning to use the dictionary or taking screenshots . In addition, specific models like the Kindle Scribe, also have a ton of hidden features that you can explore, like writing on interactive games and using different handwriting features.I n November 2020, shortly after Donald Trump’s defeat in the US presidential election, Barack Obama observed that America risked entering “an epistemological crisis”. The prospect of Mr Trump’s return to the White House in January validates his predecessor’s premonition. Mr Obama was talking about media fragmentation and polarisation: different segments of society existing in discrete information spaces; arguments no longer drawn from a common reservoir of facts; no shared reality, no foundation of truth. “Then by definition the marketplace of ideas doesn’t work,” he said. “And by definition our democracy doesn’t work.” It isn’t only American democracy that is imperilled. Chaos and malicious falsehood in the information arena have disrupted politics in every country where governments are chosen in free elections. Political discourse has coarsened and consensus unravelled wherever constitutional frameworks and informally recognised codes of decency once maintained healthy pluralism. Mr Trump’s return to office next month is alarming not just because he obviously despises the rule of law but because that contempt did not disqualify him in the eyes of millions of US citizens. The nature of that support is complex. It is inseparable from dissatisfaction with the incumbent administration, which in turn has economic and cultural dimensions. But no account of the crisis in western democracy is complete without recognition of the role played by digital media. Elon Musk , the world’s richest man and owner of the social media platform X, put his resources to use for Mr Trump’s campaign. Mr Musk also takes an interest in UK politics, denigrating the prime minister and boosting radical rightwing figures. Hateful rhetoric and disinformation flow without impediment on X. The distorting effect of poorly regulated digital channels on politics is well documented. In 2018, Facebook (now Meta ) admitted that its platform had been an “enabling environment” in the build-up to genocidal attacks on Myanmar’s Rohingya minority two years earlier. Meta’s policies and algorithms have changed since then, but the underlying commercial incentives to maximise user engagement at all costs still promote radicalisation and militate against responsible curation of the information space. The tech giants that shape the contours of political discourse – whether by accident of the business model or megalomaniac design – cannot be trusted to police themselves. They are more powerful than many national governments. There are two types of riposte to the demand for action to curtail that force. One highlights the sheer difficulty of any one government imposing constraints on an industry that sprawls across multiple jurisdictions. The other raises principled objections to the idea of regulating information. The latter concern asserts that any political intervention to police a boundary between good and bad facts, safe and unsafe, tends towards censorship even if the intent is liberal. The aspiration to regulate media, in that view, is inherently anti-freedom. Wariness of any state involvement in deciding what can be published is a healthy instinct. But there is no jurisdiction that ignores the dissemination of material deemed dangerous to the public. The most liberal regimes ban extreme pornography and incitements to violence or terrorism, for example. Mr Musk declares himself to be a “free speech absolutist”, but his X platform is not a neutral marketplace . He is permissive of far-right voices and quick to denounce “cancel culture” on the left, but criticism of his own views is less tolerated. Censoriousness and bullying of dissenters are ugly traits that can be discerned at both ends of the political spectrum. That is mostly a problem of uncivil behaviour, which should not be conflated with threats of violence, racist propaganda and disinformation. Much of the worst material is spread by authoritarian states with the goal of poisoning information wells, sowing distrust and exacerbating polarisation to make free societies ungovernable. Democratic politicians have a duty to counter deliberate sabotage. The globalised scale of the problem is grounds for urgency about the task of regulation, not a reason to flinch from it. Britain’s Online Safety Act , which was passed into law last year, is a good start . But it is also a convoluted piece of legislation, reflecting its erratic evolution under different Conservative prime ministers. Many of its provisions are still to be refined by consultations and guidance to be published next year. But it does demonstrate that MPs have the power to make digital companies responsible for harmful content published on their platforms. Designing those safeguards in ways that are practical and respectful of rights to free expression, but nonetheless effective, is not easy. It requires courage in resisting a powerful tech lobby. That will be more effectively done in coordination with other jurisdictions. Since Mr Trump is not a reliable ally for this challenge, Britain’s likely partners for dialogue are members of the EU. Over the past decades, the digital information space has come to mean many things. It is an arena where ideas can, and should, be freely exchanged. It is also a commercial environment that generates innovations, but where behemoth companies dominate. It is a resource that can be shared and harnessed for good, but also monopolised and polluted. There are powerful voices with partisan vested interests lobbying against any political action that might tip the balance in favour of fair and safe usage, arguing from a position of free-speech fundamentalism. That is a category error. It is true that authoritarian regimes like to police the internet as much as they do every other aspect of civil society, but the possibility of censorship does not mean every effort of regulation deserves that label. Digital platforms have become an intrinsic part of the information infrastructure of democracies. To consider them immune from regulation would be an act of irresponsibility akin to neglecting the contamination of water supplies or refusing to apply highway codes to prohibit dangerous driving. These debates are not just academic. The case for a better regulated digital realm has to be made with growing urgency. The alternative will be to see Mr Obama’s forebodings about a broken marketplace of ideas that inhibits functional democracy realised with ever more sinister effect.

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, vowed to go to "war" to defend a U.S. visa program for foreign tech workers, called H-1B, late on Friday amid a dispute between U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's longtime supporters and his most recently acquired backers from the tech industry. In a post on social media platform X, which he owns, Musk said: "The reason I'm in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B." "I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend," he added. Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically issued for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for permanent residency. Musk's tweet was directed at Trump's supporters and immigration hardliners, who have increasingly pushed for the H-1B visa program to be scrapped amid a heated debate over immigration and the place of skilled immigrants and foreign workers brought into the country on work visas. WATCH | Trump plans 'largest deportation' in U.S. history: Trump’s plan for the ‘largest deportation' in American history 24 days ago Duration 8:41 U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is promising the ‘largest deportation’ program in American history when he takes office, but what could it mean for Canada? The National’s Adrienne Arsenault asks CBC’s Paul Hunter and Catherine Cullen to break down his plan and the potential impact. Trump has so far remained silent on the issue. The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment on Musk's tweets and the H-1B visa debate. In the past, Trump has expressed a willingness to provide more work visas to skilled workers. He has also promised to deport all immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, deploy tariffs to help create more jobs for American citizens, and severely restrict immigration. Canadian immigration policy luring tech workers should be a warning to U.S., lawyers say The issue highlights how tech leaders like Musk — who has taken an important role in the presidential transition, advising on key personnel and policy areas — are now drawing scrutiny from his base. The U.S. tech industry relies on the government's H-1B visa program to hire foreign skilled workers to help run its companies, a labour force that critics say undercuts wages for American citizens. WATCH | Musk among hardliners set to join Trump's administration: Trump names Elon Musk, more MAGA hardliners to administration 2 months ago Duration 3:22 U.S. president-elect Donald Trump continues to round out his team with hardline MAGA supporters, including Mike Waltz, a Florida congressman and outspoken Justin Trudeau critic, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Former Trump rival Marco Rubio is expected to be named Secretary of State. The altercation was set off earlier this week by far-right activists who criticized Trump's selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-American venture capitalist, to be an adviser on artificial intelligence, saying he would have influence on the Trump administration's immigration policies. On Friday, Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump confidante, critiqued "big-tech oligarchs" for supporting the H-1B program and cast immigration as a threat to Western civilization. Facebook pays $4.75M US fine plus back pay to settle suit alleging it favoured foreign workers In response, Musk and many other tech billionaires drew a line between what they view as legal immigration and illegal immigration. Musk spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars helping Trump get elected president in November. He has posted regularly this week about the lack of homegrown talent to fill all the needed positions within American tech companies.