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The IrishMinistry of Foreign Affairs has expressed condolences to Azerbaijanover the crash of the Embraer 190 passenger plane on December 25, reports. "We were saddened to hear of the tragic crash of the AzerbaijaniAirlines plane in Kazakhstan. We extend our sincere condolences toall those who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts are with thefamilies and friends of the victims," the ​​Irish Ministry ofForeign Affairs wrote on its page on X. To note, AZAL's Embraer 190 passenger plane on the Baku-Groznyroute crashed 3 km away from Aktau airport on December 25. A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were onboard the Embraer 190 airplane, flying Baku-Grozny, which crashedin Aktau. Following the crash of the passenger airplane near Aktau, 27people were hospitalized. Of them, 15 people are citizens of theRepublic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of theKyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not beenestablished yet. Of the victims hospitalized, 11 are being treated in theintensive care unit, 13 in the traumatology department, 2 in theneurosurgery department, and 1 in the surgical department. Thesepersons are under the control of professional doctors fromKazakhstan and those expelled from Azerbaijan and Russia. They wereprovided with prompt and specialized medical and psychologicaltreatment. Both crew pilots as well as the flight stewardess were lost, buttwo crew members survived. December 26 has been declared a day of mourning inAzerbaijan.These holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and moreNonejili monkey 。

In a growing escalation of tensions, China has imposed sanctions on seven US companies following the US’s approval of a $571.3 million military aid package to Taiwan. The move came just days after President Joe Biden authorized the drawdown of defense assistance to the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. China Targets US Defense Firms Over Taiwan Support On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against US defense companies Insitu, Hudson Technologies, Saronic Technologies, Aerkomm, and Oceaneering International. In addition, China’s action extends to Raytheon’s subsidiaries in Canada and Australia. The sanctions are a direct response to the US’s continued military support for Taiwan, which China views as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Impact of Sanctions As part of the sanctions, China will freeze the assets of these companies within its borders and prohibit them from conducting business with Chinese organizations and individuals. This significant measure is aimed at increasing pressure on US defense firms involved in Taiwan-related activities. US-Taiwan Security Tensions Escalate The sanctions follow a series of actions that have heightened tensions between the US and China, particularly regarding Taiwan. While the United States does not officially recognize Taiwan diplomatically, it remains the island’s key ally and largest supplier of weapons. Washington’s recent defense budget proposal for 2025, which includes a security cooperation initiative with Taiwan, further intensifies the friction between the two superpowers. China’s Firm Stand on Taiwan Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that Washington’s support for Taiwan will only backfire. She stated, “China will continue to take all necessary measures to firmly defend its sovereignty, security, and development interests.” Beijing has conducted several rounds of military drills near Taiwan as part of its strategy to assert control over the region. This latest round of sanctions follows China’s earlier actions this month, which targeted 13 US companies for selling arms to Taiwan. These sanctions reflect Beijing’s broader strategy to exert economic and political pressure on those perceived to be supporting Taiwan’s military capabilities.Arsenal moved into second place in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Ipswich at the Emirates. In their final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game midway through the opening period. Arsenal’s victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more than the Reds, and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Ipswich, although much improved in the second half, have now lost five of their last six games, and remain just one place off the bottom of the table, three points away from safety. Mikel Arteta’s men have been rocked by Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury which could keep the England winger, who has nine goals and 13 assists this season, out of action for the next two months. Gabriel Martinelli was handed the unenviable task of filling Saka’s shoes on Arsenal’s right-hand side and the Brazilian was involved in the only goal of the evening. The Ipswich defence failed to deal with Martinelli’s cross, with the ball falling to Leandro Trossard on the opposite side of the area. Trossard fought his way to the byline before fizzing his cross into the box for Havertz to convert from a matter of yards. It was Havertz’s third goal in four matches, his 12th of the season, and no less than the hosts, who at that stage of the match had enjoyed a staggering 91.4 per cent of the possession, deserved. Heading into Friday’s fixture, Arsenal had lost only one of their last 75 Premier League games when they had opened the scoring, and their triumph here rarely looked in doubt following Havertz’s strike. Havertz thought he had doubled Arsenal’s lead with 34 minutes gone when he converted Gabriel Jesus’ cross. But Jesus – handed his third successive start for the first time in a year – strayed into an offside position in the build-up. When referee Darren England blew for half-time, Ipswich had failed to touch the ball in Arsenal’s box, becoming just the second side to do so in the Premier League this season. Nottingham Forest were the other, away at Liverpool, before they went on to inflict Arne Slot’s sole defeat of his tenure so far. And for all of Arsenal’s possession, while they held just a one-goal advantage, Ipswich knew they were still in the game. An encouraging start to the second half for the Tractor Boys ensued, albeit without testing David Raya in the Arsenal goal. Shortly after the hour mark, Gabriel should have settled any growing Emirates nerves when he arrived unmarked to Declan Rice’s corner, but the defender headed wide of Arijanet Muric’s post when it looked easier to score. Martin Odegaard then forced a fine fingertip save from Muric at his near post after a mazy run and shot from the Arsenal skipper. Rice’s stinging goal-bound volley from the following corner was blocked by Dara O’Shea as Arsenal pushed for a game-killing second. Havertz should have tapped home Trossard’s header but he fluffed his lines. And moments later, substitute Mikel Merino’s effort was diverted from danger by a diving Muric. Ipswich looked to catch Arsenal on the counter, but the match ended without them registering a single effort on Raya’s goal. Ipswich fans goaded their opponents with chants of “boring, boring Arsenal”, but it was the Gunners who enjoyed the last laugh as they saw out 2024 with a win which keeps the pressure on Liverpool.Philanthropist Faisal Edhi has urged the government to take appropriate steps to resolve the crisis in Kurram district, warning that it may ignite unrest across the country. He made this statement while addressing members of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) at the HRCP Karachi office on Friday. Expressing concerns over the gravity of the situation, Faisal said that if proper records were maintained, it would reveal that more than a hundred children have already died due to the ongoing conflict. He stressed that the situation was dire, with no medicines available for cancer patients or those suffering from brain haemorrhage. He pointed out that there was also a severe shortage of oxygen and insulin, even in private hospitals, and medical procedures and operations have been suspended since the conflict began. "CT scans and X-ray machines are no longer operational, and people are dying daily." Faisal Edhi shared that through their limited efforts, the foundation has been transferring patients to Peshawar and delivering essential items to those in need. He criticised both the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governments for their lack of interest in addressing the crisis, accusing them of focusing instead on organising and disrupting political processions in Islamabad. Edhi said that the conflict started as a land dispute and could be resolved if sincere efforts were made by dedicated individuals. However, the situation has escalated into a sectarian conflict, with propaganda being spread against the foundation's humanitarian work. "Despite this, the Edhi Foundation continues to serve humanity without taking sides," he added. He recounted visits to hospitals in the affected areas, where medicines were delivered and he witnessed the devastating impact of the crisis. He warned that if the conflict is not resolved, the unrest could spread throughout the country. HRCP Secretary General Haris Khalique added that such conflicts are symptomatic of a colonial-style governance system and can only be resolved through a truly democratic regime. He stressed that the crisis should be treated as a humanitarian issue and resolved through serious negotiations in Peshawar and Islamabad. The HRCP has called on the state to urgently protect lives in Kurram District, trace and hold perpetrators of violence accountable, and involve all stakeholders in negotiations to end the conflict. Vice-Chair HRCP Sindh Qazi Khizer noted that frequent clashes between rival tribes and sects have effectively isolated the district due to road blockades and the suspension of cellular services. These measures have consistently failed to provide relief and have instead cut off residents' access to food, fuel, and medical supplies. Schools have been forced to close intermittently, and several deaths have occurred due to the lack of timely medical attention for the sick and elderly. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our

By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.Crosswalk Ecosystem Unveils Groundbreaking DeFinitivePAPER (Whitepaper) on Decentralized Finance (DeFi) introducing C8WARP Technology infused DEx Aggregator + Native Swap & Global On/Off Ramping Complete Services

LONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Andrew Callahan: It’s time to forget about Jerod Mayo getting fired

Oil prices were slightly higher on Friday as Israeli strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels triggered what Tom Essaye, founder and president of Sevens Report Research described as a "fear bid" for the commodity. "This is a geopolitics-driven market," Melek said. "We're a little worried about events around the Red Sea and potentially getting shipments interrupted in the broader region," he added. U.S. crude oil inventories fell by more than expected last week and product stocks were mixed as refineries raised their capacity use, according to official data released (on a delay due to the holiday) from DOE. Crude -4.24mm Cushing -320k Gasoline +1.63mm Distillates -1.69mm This is the 5th straight week of crude stock drawdowns and sixth straight week of gasoline builds... Source: Bloomberg Cushing stocks fell back near 'tank bottoms' once again (lowest since Oct 2023)... Source: Bloomberg WTI extended the day's gains on the crude draw, holding solidly above $70... Source: Bloomberg Crude is on track for a modest annual loss, with trading confined in a narrow band since mid-October. There are widespread concerns the market may be oversupplied next year as China’s demand slows and global production expands, although traders remain cautious about potentially tighter US sanctions against flows from Iran under Donald Trump. The prompt spread on WTI futs - with the nearby contract trading at a premium of more than 40 cents a barrel to the next in line - points to near-term supply tightness.