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Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Prime Minister’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a message late on Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the Uvda investigative programme into Sara Netanyahu. The programme uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organise protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs Netanyahu by name and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies”. It is the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus, highlighted by the PM’s ongoing corruption trial. Mr Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favours with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.
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11 states sue three largest institutional investors for anticompetitive trade practicesAs Breckenridge heads into 2025, it is gearing up for a year with an anticipated $157.4 million in expenditures, a $23 million deficit in cash flow and minimal revenue growth. In 2025, the town anticipates having a net revenue of $137.5 million. While the town is spending more than it is bringing in, its finance department said the town remains in a strong financial position. Finance director Dave Byrd said the town is coming into a year where it has the opportunity to tackle a number of projects and this is driving expenses. “We’ve got Project Runway kicking off ... we also have major infrastructure projects in our capital fund, and it was kind of a year where both things are really happening at the same time, and we’re in very good condition financially to weather these investments, but it led to a negative cash flow for 2025,” Byrd said. Project Runway will bring a new 140-150 unit neighborhood to the Airport Road area geared toward the local workforce. Breckenridge plans to put around $8.6 million toward kicking off the project in 2025, which is anticipated to take 2-3 years. Due to upcoming construction on the site, the 2024-25 ski season will likely be Airport Road’s last year housing free skier parking , since the development will be on top of where the parking lot is currently located. While officials are eyeing the McCain property as free skier parking’s new home, no plans have been solidified. The town is going into a year where it plans to knock numerous public works projects off its list, totaling a $13.3 million price tag. The heftiest price tag, accounting for nearly half the overall price tag at $6.6 million, belongs to a culvert bridge and roadway rebuild on Broken Lance Drive. Breckenridge will also be putting $3 million of its capital fund budget to roadway resurfacing and $2 million toward Fiber 9600 infrastructure . It will also be spending $1.5 million on a skate park expansion. In a staff memo for an Oct. 22 meeting, it outlined staff anticipating “minimal revenue growth while personnel and operating costs continue to rise.” Byrd said what the town has been able to collect in taxes has plateaued in the last couple years. “We had our COVID Boom, and that kind of hit its peak in 2022 and now things have kind of leveled off, right,” Byrd said. Breckenridge reaped the rewards of a stark influx in visitation to mountain towns during the COVID-19 pandemic and had record-high tax collections. In 2021 the town collected an unprecedented $11 million in real estate transfer taxes. Collections from the tax have since dropped down to $6 million annually and it is anticipated to remain that way for the next five years. Similarly, Breckenridge’s accommodations tax for lodging jumped 50% from 2020 to 2021 yet saw declines in 2023 and 2024 and expects to see another in 2025. The town’s finance department predicts it will collect around $300,000 less in accommodations tax from 2024 to 2025. Additionally, it is assuming reductions in revenue from its marijuana, facilities and childcare funds. Senior accountant Tracey Lambert explained to council at an Oct. 8 budget retreat a 4.5% merit increase, given to personnel on the anniversary of their start date with the town, will drive up Breckenridge’s 2025 expenditures. Healthcare costs for personnel are expected to rise $200,000 based on staffing levels and the town plans to add 7.5 new employees to its payroll. Town Council members were particularly keen on supporting budget increases to programs geared toward housing affordability and sustainability. In 2024, Breckenridge saw significant demands in its programs geared toward housing affordability, warranting mid-year appropriations, and had taken those considerations into their 2025 proposed budget. During a July Breckenridge Town Council meeting, housing manager Laurie Best informed council the town had spent 85% of its Housing Helps Budget , a program which incentives residents to deed restrict their homes to ensure there’s affordable housing stock for the workforce, by the end of June. With $2.13 of the $2.5 million budget being spent by the last week of June, council approved $600,000 in appropriations at an Aug. 27 meeting. For 2025, the town is budgeting around $3 million for the program. Breckenridge staff members proposed a budget increase to expand its electric bike program at an Oct. 22 meeting, which council unanimously approved. In the proposed budget, it details a $478,000 spend on the program, which is up from around $360,000 in 2024. Council showed no hesitation toward approving the increase, with council member Todd Rankin noting he “loved the program” and council member Dick Carleton adding he was once hesitant about the launch of the program but now sees its value. Mobility staff members reported to council the program saw a near 52% increase in usage year over year. The budget increase they sought approval for would up bikes in the program from 125 to 170 and the number of bike hubs from 26 to 30. Breckenridge Town Council unanimously approved the 2025 budget during a Tuesday, Oct. 22 meeting.
Michigan, Ohio State fight broken up with police pepper spray after Wolverines stun Buckeyes 13-10The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has called on the Government to immediately halt all arbitrary transfers being carried out at both central and provincial government services. According to a statement issued by SJB General Secretary and MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, there appears to be a systematic plan to transfer state officials across numerous sectors based on irrational and unacceptable grounds. This has reportedly affected positions such as Assistant Commissioners of Local Government, Secretaries of Local Government institutions, and Co-operative Assistant Development Commissioners, among others. The statement highlighted that these arbitrary actions contradict the Government’s promise to uphold the independence of the public service. It also noted that the timing of these transfers coincides with the ongoing cooperative elections. and the upcoming Local Government elections, indicating an alarming level of politicization within the public service aimed at influencing electoral outcomes. SJB emphasised that such politically motivated transfers not only disrupt essential services in the affected sectors but also create significant personal challenges for the officials involved. To address the issue, the SJB announced the establishment of a special unit to investigate these incidents and invited the public to submit information, either anonymously or with attribution. While the opposition acknowledged that transfers within the public service are necessary, it stressed that they must adhere to clear, transparent guidelines. SJB urged the Government and provincial authorities to suspend all arbitrary transfers immediately, reaffirming its commitment to monitoring and taking action against such practices.
AP Business SummaryBrief at 4:13 p.m. EST
11 states sue three largest institutional investors for anticompetitive trade practices
Wipro bonus record date 2024: Ahead of key day, a look at history of shareholder rewards from 1971 to 2019 - ET NowIsraeli police set to probe Netanyahu’s wife over ‘harassment of witnesses’Biden says US, allies working to stabilize Syria after Assad regime’s collapse
Sinn Fein actively pursuing route into government, insists leader McDonaldConstitution of India expects judicial independence, impartiality: AIMIM chief OwaisiLast month, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande created social media’s new favorite meme during an interview with journalist Tracy Gilchrist as they promoted their movie musical, "Wicked." One exchange from the conversation went massively viral after Gilchrist mysteriously informed the film’s stars that fans were “holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity,” one of the musical’s most iconic songs. Gilchrist asked Grande and Erivo if they knew that “people are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that,” which prompted an emotional response from Erivo. Neither of them seemed to know exactly how to reply, and Grande took hold of Erivo’s finger as they looked at one another. In a new " Variety " feature with director Jon M. Chu, they discussed the moment and what was going on in their minds. “I was surprised, because I had no idea. I hadn’t been looking that much,” Erivo said. At the time, Gilchrist asserted that she had seen people treating the song with reverence because she works in “queer media.” “I honestly didn’t know what that meant—am I also in queer media, maybe?” Erivo explained. “Work! Let’s both be there.” Grande chimed in, “I didn’t know what any part of it meant. I didn’t understand the first sentence, and then I definitely didn’t understand how you responded. And I just wanted to be there. Because I knew something big was happening, and I didn’t know how to be there.” “After a while, I didn’t know how to be there,” Erivo replied. About the finger grab, Grande said, “I’m going to grab this, because she looks like you might need something. I don’t know what the tapping was about.” Erivo then said it was simply “tension.” Grande praised Gilchrist despite the shared confusion in the moment, saying, “She’s also an amazing interviewer and a lovely person. That goes without saying...I feel really relieved that the world had the same experience with this moment that I did, because I felt like, ‘Oh, I’m not broken.’” After the clip first went viral, Gilchrist clarified her meaning with Variety , saying, “‘Holding space’ is being physically, emotionally and mentally present with someone or something,” and that people were “finding solace or inspiration” in the song following Donald Trump’s election.
Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’Arrow Minerals Ltd (ASX:AMD) High Grade Bauxite Now At Over 5 Square KilometresSinn Fein actively pursuing route into government, insists leader McDonald
AI Meets Crypto: FROGE's Role in OpenAI's Livestream Sparks Global AttentionBourke Street Mall gets a glow-up: Hotels, retail and ‘Mecca of all Meccas’Back in time
Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military hasn't responded to questions about the WHO chief's statement. Israeli attorney general orders probe into report that alleged Netanyahu's wife harassed opponents JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Israeli leader’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a terse message late Thursday., saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the “Uvda” investigative program into Sara Netanyahu. The program uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs. Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aid to organize protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. Earlier Thursday, Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies.” The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92 NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. The hospital said Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home." He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions,” the statement added. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — 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 benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. 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 and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose.None
Israeli police set to probe Netanyahu’s wife over ‘harassment of witnesses’