Philippines mulls pullout of Syria peacekeepers The Philippine foreign secretary says he is recommending to President Benigno Aquino III to pull out all Filipino U.N. peacekeepers from the Golan Heights following the abduction of four by Syrian rebels. More
8 die in clothing factory fire in Bangladesh as Rana Plaza toll passes 900 Eight people were killed when a fire swept through a clothing factory in Bangladesh, police and an industry association official said on Thursday, as the death toll from the collapse of another factory building two weeks ago climbed above 900. More
American gets 15 years of hard labor in North Korea for 'hostile acts' An American tour operator has been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea for alleged “hostile acts” against the repressive regime, according to its official state news agency. Kenneth Bae, who is in his mid-40s and lives in Washington state, has been described by friends as a devout Christian who took tourists on trips to North Korea, The Associated Press reported. More
Porn and movies, not tech secrets, found on Chinese spy suspect's NASA laptop The Chinese national taken into custody on an airplane waiting to take off for home had pornography and illegally downloaded movies on his NASA computer, not government secrets, reports say. He is now set to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating NASA computer rules. More
Hopes of a rate cut fade following rise in unemployment Hopes of an early cut to interest rates have been dampened with a lower than anticipated rise in unemployment. Unemployment rose to 3.8 per cent in March. he updated figures show a 0.1 per cent ... 04/19/2024 - 8:21 am | View Link
Global equity funds see surge in outflows as rate cut hopes fade GLOBAL equity funds saw a jump in outflows in the seven days through Apr 17 as speculation the US Federal Reserve will delay cutting interest rates dampened investor sentiment. Outflows were also ... 04/19/2024 - 1:20 am | View Link
On this day in history, April 19, 1951, Gen. MacArthur delivers 'Old soldiers never die' speech to Congress Gen. Douglas MacArthur delivered his "Old soldiers never die" speech to a joint session of Congress on this day in history, April 19, 1951. Earlier, MacArthur was relieved of his military duties. 04/18/2024 - 5:02 pm | View Link
US reimposes oil sanctions on Venezuela as hopes fade for a fair presidential election in July US reimposes oil sanctions on Venezuela as hopes fade for a fair presidential election in July The Associated Press April 17, 2024, 3:30 PM Share This: share on facebook share on X share on threads ... 04/17/2024 - 4:30 am | View Link
Housing sentiment slumps as rate cut hopes fade Want to know more about the mortgage market? Read Robert McLister’s new weekly column in the Financial Post for the latest trends and details on financing opportunities you won’t want to miss This ... 04/12/2024 - 1:00 pm | View Link
As we mark Passover, when Jews celebrate their founding liberation from a tyrannical Pharaoh who enslaved them, the sages remind us Pharaohs come in all guises and liberation is not a one-time event. It must be re-enacted in each generation and in each heart.
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Today,16 million Jews in a world of eight billion face rising external threats.
In the early 2000s, one in 12 of the British population was born abroad. Now that figure is closer to one in six—higher than even America, the proverbial land of immigrants. And the number is still rising rapidly; over the last two years, almost 2 million people have moved to the U.
Rags-to-riches tales, revenge plots, and plenty of twists—Chinese viewers are loving what they can find in internet “micro-dramas,” the latest big thing in Chinese entertainment of vertically-shot shows posted on social media with episodes that have runtimes of just a few minutes or less.
But Chinese authorities, wary of losing control over messaging, aren’t loving the new medium so much—and are cracking down on the booming micro-drama industry.
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Unlike legacy television productions with longer production schedules and larger budgets—and strict government oversight—the micro-drama industry has risen through the proliferation of low-budget, quickly made mini-shows that often cost only a fraction of the time and money to put in front of viewers, and until recently, were largely unregulated.
Not known for award- or acclaim-worthy scripts or acting but rather for their pure bingeworthiness, micro-dramas tend to lean into familiar tried-and-tested themes, like love affairs, family disputes, and tensions between the rich and poor.
Read More: China’s Solution to Inequality?
(WASHINGTON) — The U. S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.
The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot systems. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine’s existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the need for Patriots early Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting.
Mass graves with hundreds of bodies were discovered last weekend at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, prompting serious concerns about war crimes, according to the OHCHR, the U. N.’s human rights office.
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Much remains unknown about the victims, but the discovery of the bodies comes after Israeli troops ended their two-week operation at Al-Shifa Hospital in early April.
King Charles III is set to visit a cancer treatment center with his wife, Queen Camilla, on Tuesday to mark his return to public-facing duties after receiving treatment and recuperating following his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace said Friday.
The Palace announced in February that the King, 75, had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.