As if gun rights activists have not had enough winning for one week, with the landslide Trump election win.  Now, a major victory for gun rights advocates has unfolded in Illinois...

MOSCOW: Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused European leaders on Tuesday of seeking to dangerously escalate the Ukraine conflict following the re-election of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Medvedev, a senior security official, wrote on Telegram that European politicians were aiming to “push the conflict with Russia into an irreversible phase” while they could and warned against allowing Kyiv to use Western long-range missiles to fire at targets inside Russia.

Medvedev dismissed what he called “ultimatums” issued by German opposition leader and possible next chancellor Friedrich Merz about Ukraine’s use of such weapons as “electioneering in nature”.

“It is clear that these missiles are not capable of changing anything significantly in the course of military operations”, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed their support for Kyiv during talks in Paris on Monday, while France’s foreign minister urged Ukraine’s allies not to prejudge how Trump will handle the conflict.

“Generally speaking, it is surprising to what extent the current generation of European politicians wants to drag the war into their territory”, Medvedev said.

Medvedev previously said that Trump’s win would likely be bad news for Ukraine. Trump, a Republican, has repeatedly criticised the scale of Western aid to Kyiv and has promised to end the conflict swiftly, without explaining how.

The Kremlin dismissed on Monday reports that Trump had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent days as “pure fiction.”

NEW YORK: The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case has put off ruling on whether the president-elect’s conviction should be thrown out on immunity grounds, enabling prosecutors to weigh next steps following his Nov. 5 election victory.

Justice Juan Merchan had been due to rule on Tuesday on Trump’s argument that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in July that presidents are immune from prosecution involving their official acts meant the New York state case should be dismissed.

Instead, Merchan granted a request by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office to have until Nov. 19 to consider how to approach the case in light of Trump’s looming inauguration in January 2025, email correspondence made public on Tuesday showed.

Trump’s scheduled Nov. 26 sentencing is now widely expected to be postponed.

Trump in May became the first U.S. president - former or sitting - convicted of a crime when a jury in Manhattan found him guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a potential sex scandal shortly before his first election win in 2016. Trump, who pleaded not guilty, has vowed to appeal the verdict after sentencing.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote there were “competing interests” between ensuring a criminal case proceeds as usual and protecting the office of the president.

“The People agree that these are unprecedented circumstances,“ Colangelo wrote.

Trump is set to be the first felon inaugurated as president after his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.

At issue in the six-week Manhattan trial was a $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she said she had with him in 2006 but which he has denied.

Trump’s defense lawyer Emil Bove wrote that the case ultimately needed to be dismissed to avoid interfering with Trump’s presidential duties.

“The stay, and dismissal, are necessary to avoid unconstitutional impediments to President Trump’s ability to govern,“ Bove wrote.

TRUMP FACED FOUR CRIMINAL CASES

Trump, 78, is hoping to enter office unencumbered by any of four criminal cases he has faced and which once were thought to have threatened to derail his 2024 candidacy to return to the White House after having served from 2017-2021.

The Republican Trump has portrayed the hush money case brought by Bragg, a Democrat, and the three other state and federal criminal indictments brought in 2023 as politically motivated attempts to harm his presidential campaign. He pleaded not guilty in all four cases.

“It is now abundantly clear that Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system,“ Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement on Tuesday.

Special Counsel Jack Smith brought two of the cases against Trump, one involving classified documents he kept after leaving office and the other involving his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. A Florida-based federal judge in July dismissed the documents case. The Justice Department is now evaluating how to wind down Smith’s election-related case.

Trump also faces state criminal charges in Georgia over his bid to reverse his 2020 loss in that state, but the case remains in limbo.

The Supreme Court, in a decision arising from one of Smith’s two cases against Trump, decided that presidents are immune from prosecution involving their official acts and that juries cannot be presented evidence of official acts in trials over personal conduct. It marked the first time that the court recognized any degree of presidential immunity from prosecution.

In making the case for immunity, Trump’s lawyers said the jury that convicted Trump in the hush money case was shown evidence by prosecutors of his social media posts as president and heard testimony from his former aides about conversations that occurred in the White House during his 2017-2021 term.

Bragg’s office countered that the Supreme Court’s ruling has no bearing on the case, which they said concerned “wholly unofficial conduct.” The Supreme Court in its ruling found no immunity for a president’s unofficial acts.

CAIRO: Sudan has seen a surge in extreme violence in recent weeks as the warring military and paramilitary push for a decisive victory, with no political solution in sight.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has intensified since late October, with reports of attacks on civilians including sexual violence against women and girls raising alarm.

The war that erupted in April 2023 has created what the UN calls the world’s worst displacement crises, with more than 11 million people forced from their homes.

It has put the country on the brink of famine, and sparked warnings of intensifying violence in a war that has already killed tens of thousands.

“Over the last two weeks, the situation in the country has been marked by some of the most extreme violence since the start of the conflict,“ according to Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

“Let me stress that both warring parties bear responsibility for this violence,“ she said, adding that both sides “seem convinced they can prevail on the battlefield.”

Since October 20, at least 124 civilians have been killed in central Al-Jazira state and another 135,000 have fled to other states, according to the UN.

With global attention focused on other wars, chiefly in Ukraine and the Middle East, civilians in Sudan are paying a steep price for the escalation.

“All indicators so far show that both sides are committed to military solutions, with no genuine interest in political resolutions or even easing the suffering of civilians,“ according to Mohamed Osman of Human Rights Watch.

Amani al-Taweel, director of the Africa programme at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, agreed.

“There is no political solution on the horizon,“ she told AFP, adding that both sides were seeking a “decisive military solution”.

Split

The war in Sudan has pitted army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his erstwhile ally Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the RSF.

The country is split into zones of control, with the army holding the north and east, and the government based in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.

The RSF controls much of the capital Khartoum, the Darfur region in the west and parts of Kordofan in the south, while the centre is split.

With no mandatory military conscription, the Sudanese army includes Islamist-leaning forces as well as other factions.

The RSF is primarily made up of tribal militias from Darfur’s Arab communities.

According to local reports, the army has about 120,000 troops while the RSF has 100,000.

On the battlefield, Sudan’s air force gives the military an advantage.

Rights groups have accused both sides of committing atrocities.

The UN population agency published on Tuesday horrific accounts of women and girls fleeing the violence, including one who said she was urged to kill herself with a knife rather than be raped.

‘Deadlock’

Successive rounds of talks have been held in Saudi Arabia, but the negotiations have yet to produce a ceasefire.

In August, the Sudanese military opted out of US-brokered negotiations in Switzerland and an African Union-led mediation has also stalled.

“The deadlock in peaceful channels, whether regionally or internationally, is exacerbating the violence,“ said Mahmud Zakaria, a professor of political science at Cairo University’s Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies.

Since October, the RSF escalated its attacks in Al-Jazira state, south of Khartoum, following what the military said was the defection of one of its commanders to the army.

Before the war, Al-Jazira was known as Sudan’s breadbasket, hosting Africa’s largest agricultural project, yielding 65 percent of the country’s cotton, according to Zakaria.

Proxy war?

Some areas have been scarred by conflict before.

Darfur saw a major war two decades ago, during which the then-government’s allies in the Janjaweed militia faced accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

With roots in the Janjaweed, the RSF became a force in its own right in 2013.

Sudan’s conflict has increasingly drawn in regional powers, prompting the United States to urge all countries to stop arming rival generals.

Former Egyptian deputy foreign minister for African affairs Ali el-Hefny said progress will require global willpower.

Instead, foreign powers are “fuelling the violence, delaying Sudan’s return to stability”, he said.

The army has accused the United Arab Emirates of backing the RSF -- a charge it strongly denies.

In December, UN experts monitoring an arms embargo on Darfur described as “credible” allegations Abu Dhabi had funnelled weapons to Daglo’s forces on cargo planes.

The RSF has in turn alleged Egyptian support for the army, which Cairo has also denied.

Army chief Burhan has historically been close to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who pledged his “continued support” earlier this month.

PETALING JAYA: TM Global, the wholesale business arm of Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM), will expand its Klang Valley Data Centre (KVDC) in Cyberjaya and Iskandar Puteri Data Centre (IPDC) in Johor, addressing the growing demand for domestic and international data hosting services.

This is the next phase in TM’s strategic roadmap to grow its infrastructure ecosystem and position Malaysia as a preferred digital hub in Southeast Asia, aligning with its aspiration to become a digital powerhouse by 2030.

These expansions and TM’s partnership with Nxera to develop a hyperconnected, artificial intelligence-ready data centre, lays the foundation for digital services such as cloud, advanced analytics, AI and the Internet of Things.

Scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2025, the second phase of both KVDC and IPDC will deliver a combined IT load of about 20MW. The expansion will meet Uptime Institute’s Tier-III standards, and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Rating for long-term sustainability, a globally recognised green building certification.

TM Global executive vice-president Khairul Liza Ibrahim said, “KVDC and IPDC are integral infrastructures in Malaysia’s digital ecosystem, serving as international gateways and interconnected points to support 5G networks. This second phase of our data centre expansion will feature sustainable designs, boosting our capacity to support hyperscalers,

OTT players, cloud and next generation AI providers, as well as enterprises.”

TM Global’s data centres are complemented by seven regional Edge Facilities located throughout the country. These support high-performance computing and co-location services to bring content closer to end-users with minimal latency.

“We have enhanced our data hosting services with a recent acquisition of the Facilities-Based Operator licence in Singapore, allowing us to provide seamless, secure data centre-to-data centre connectivity through our extensive domestic fibre optics network and international submarine cable systems. This enables us to meet the growing connectivity demands across the region, linking data centres from Thailand to Malaysia, Singapore, and Batam in Indonesia,” Khairul Liza said.

TM Global offers a comprehensive suite of platform-based services, including multi-edge computing and content delivery, to elevate data hosting solutions. These services are tailored to optimise performance and efficiency, ensuring a robust and reliable data-driven network for customers. Leveraging its extensive network infrastructure, TM Global equips carriers, enterprises, hyperscalers, over-the-top services, and next-generation AI application providers with the tools necessary to drive innovation and seamless digital integration.

THE tragic crash of a Tesla Model Y in Toronto in October has raised serious concerns about the accessibility and usability of the car’s electronic door handles during emergencies. The fiery accident claimed the lives of four individuals: Neelraj Gohil (25), his sister Ketaba Gohil (29), Jay Sisodiya, and Digvijay Patel, leaving a sole survivor, a woman in her 20s.

The woman’s escape was made possible by Rick Harper, a Canada Post employee, who heroically smashed the car’s window with a metal pole. Harper described the survivor as “desperate to get out,” but unable to open the car’s doors from inside. Tesla vehicles rely on an electronic button to open doors rather than traditional handles, and if the car’s power system fails in a crash, the doors may become inoperable.

Concerns About Tesla’s Safety Design

While Tesla promotes a “safety-first design” and manual override mechanisms for emergencies, these features are not widely known or intuitive. The manual override involves removing a door panel and pulling a hidden cable — a process that could be difficult or impossible in the chaos and panic of a serious accident.

Safety experts and crash investigators have raised concerns that victims may not be aware of the override feature or may lack the presence of mind to locate and use it under duress.

The Accident

The Tesla reportedly crashed into a guardrail at high speed along Lake Shore Boulevard East. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but the crash’s aftermath has drawn attention to Tesla’s safety protocols, particularly in situations involving power failure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has several ongoing investigations into the Tesla Model Y, ranging from “unexpected brake activation” to “sudden unintended acceleration.”

A Heroic Rescue Effort

Harper’s quick action saved the survivor, but he was unaware that others were trapped inside due to the dense smoke. “I didn’t know there were other people in there. The smoke was so thick,” he said. It remains unclear if the other passengers also struggled to open the doors.

Broader Implications

This tragedy underscores the need for automakers to improve safety features in EVs, especially during power failures. Intuitive and easily accessible escape mechanisms are critical, and greater public awareness of emergency procedures is vital.

As investigators work to determine the exact cause of the crash, this incident highlights the balance that must be struck between advanced technology and real-world practicality in automotive safety.

[…] Update vom 10.2.2017, Karen Blakeman’s Blog: New Creative Commons image search – back to the drawing board I’m afraid […]

This is the cost of following orders, whether blindly or knowingly, in the Philippine National Police: 214 cops faced 352 criminal charges, with 20 still in detention, for carrying out the war on drugs during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Another 195 cops were sacked while 398 face possible dismissal from the PNP over administrative cases.

Locating images that can be re-used, modified and incorporated into commercial or non-commercial projects is always a hot topic on my search workshops.  As soon as we start looking at tools that identify Creative Commons and public domain images the delegates start scribbling. Yes, Google and Bing both have tools that allow you to specify … Continue reading New Creative Commons image search – back to the drawing board I’m afraid →

Random Photo: Water to Wine

Intel Arc Graphics Driver for Windows is a driver specifically for Windows 10 and 11 with support for the 12th Gen Intel Core processor family and Intel Arc A-Series Graphics.... [License: Freeware | Requires: 11|10 | Size: 1 GB ]

...

If you’ve got comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy, then there’s a good chance that your insurer will cover the cost of windshield repair or replacement. And insurance companies make it hard to resist! If you live in in Florida, Kentucky or South Carolina, for example, then your insurance can’t charge a deductible on […]

The post Should I Make a Claim on My Car Windshield? appeared first on Clark Howard.

Rawalakot division commissioner presented awards to participants

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Simple Session 17 - Public Viewing, Stuttgart

Fight the Winter 2018 Flatland-BMX Contest

Like the last couple years, the "Fight the Winter 2018 Flatland-BMX Contest" in Göttingen, will take place again. You can participate in the classes Master & Pro, there're also 600€ prize money to win and an after party at the "jt-keller" (entry free for riders).

Friday 16.02.2018 Open Practice Day 10:00-19:00
Saturday 17.02.2018 Contest Day 10:00-18:00
Registration 10:00-11:00
Warmup 10:00-12:00
Contest start 12:00


BMX Flatland Contest in Göttingen Master and Pro
600€ prize money
First Stop of the "German Flatland-BMX Championship" 2018
Location Kauf Park Göttingen, Am Kauf Park 2, 37079 Göttingen
Contest floor 16x7m OSB Indoor
DJ's Bobby Bublé & Jimmy J. Jackson Junior
Host Andy Menz
Judges: Frank Lukas, Michael Steingräber & Sascha Heydeman


Hotels next to the Contest Area
Saturday Afterparty: at the jt-keller with free entrance for the riders


Adress: Kauf Park Göttingen, Am Kauf Park 2, 37079 Göttingen


We look forward to your coming!



For more information about the Fight the Winter Contest in Göttingen, please visit Facebook.

Simple Session 18 - Public Viewing, Stuttgart

On the 17th of february 2018, the "Fight the Winter" Contest at the Kauf Park in Göttingen, Germany took place again, where a lot of crazy flatland combos happened! Watch the video of the best combos from the Fight the Winter contest right here!


Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!



Filmed by Jan Rebuschat and Raffael Siegert

Edit by DasOwaL Productions

Music: Konecho https://konecho.bandcamp.com
Konecho - Ain't Nuttin' In Life




Subscribe our youtube channel: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/kunstformbmxshop

We got the new Cult Crew Softgoods now in stock, like for example the Cult "Logo" Anorak Jacket, which is a lightweight thin lined hooded jacket made of nylon which spent you some additionally heat in colder days but also provides you with protection against wind and rain. The Cult "Logo" Anorak Jacket can be fold very compact and requires very little space in your backpack.

Also now in stock, the Cult "Witness" Beanie, which keeps your head and ears nicely warm. With that nice embroidered logo the Cult "Witness" Beanie even does looks super stylisch.

Check our online-shop for more new Cult products!



Have fun!



All the best,

Your kunstform BMX Shop Team

Like the last couple years, the "Fight the Winter Flatland-BMX Contest" in Göttingen, will take place again. You can participate in the classes Master & Pro, there're also 1000€ prize money to win and an after party at the "jt-keller" (entry free for riders). Hotels are next to the Contest Area.
We look forward to your coming!


Friday 15.02.2019 Open Practice Day 10:00-19:00
Saturday 16.02.2019 Contest Day 10:00-18:00
Registration 10:00-11:00
Warmup 10:00-12:00
Contest Beginn 12:00




What:
Fight the Winter 2019 - BMX Flatland Contest

When:
15 of February 2019

Where:
Kauf Park Göttingen
Am Kauf Park 2
37079 Göttingen


More infos on Facebook.

Simple Session 19 - Public Viewing, Stuttgart

at the 23th of February the BMX Winter Games will take place at the new renovated Skatehall in Mühlhausen. You can choose between 4 disciplines (Park, Minirampe, Street and Vert). By the way there are overall 3000€ prize money. The starting fee per discipline is 5 euros, for all four disciplines 15 euros. If you don't want to take part in the contest, but still want to shred the new park, you've to roll the dice for your entry (1-6 EUR). Spectators have free admission.
We look forward to your coming!


10am: Registration + Warm up
11am: Kids Contest U14 (whole Park will be used)
1pm: Contest Start




What:
BMX Winter Games Mühlhausen 2019

When:
23 of February 2019

Where:
Thuringia Funpark
Industriestraße 10
99974 Mühlhausen (Thüringen)


More infos on Facebook.

Our video of the BMX Winterspiele Contest, which went down at the 23th February 2019, is now online at our YouTube Channel! You will find all results of the BMX Winterspiele Contest at freedombmx.

Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!



Video: Robin Kachfi



Subscribe our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/kunstformbmxshop

Our best of instagram summer team mix video just went online. Watch the best instagram clips of Felix Prangenberg, Felix Donat, Miguel Smajli, Robin Kachfi, Artur Meister and many more.

Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!



Video: Robin Kachfi



subscribe to our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/kunstformbmxshop

On the 28th of April, 2019, "The Cash Jam of Winterthur" will take place for the second time. This BMX event is a street jam. We will head for the best BMX spots in Winterthur. The printed "Winti Dollar bills" serve as a rating system. The rider with the most cash in the end will win the BMX event. The motto is, riders judges riders!

More information about the event:

www.bmxtoday.ch

All the best, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

What: THE CASH JAM OF WINTERTHUR

BMX disciplines: BMX Street

When: 28th of April 2019

Where:
Skatepark Winterthur-Töss Switzerland
Winterthur-Töss 8406 Auwiesenstrasse 46


All the best, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

DIG BMX asked our bro Felix Prangenberg about his favorite section of all time for their new video series "Please Be Kind & Rewind", in which BMX Pros talking about their favorite video parts ever. By the way, Felix made a very good choice! Watch the whole video right here.

Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

Video: DIG BMX

Related links:

• all products of Wethepeople
• all signature parts of Felix Prangenberg

Our Bro Felix Prangenberg won the silver medal at the X-Games BMX Street Contest in Shanghai! Congratulations!!! The top 3 with Felix, Chad Kerely and Garett Reynolds were super close with only two points difference. All three had flawless runs, which certainly did not make the decision easier for the judges. What do you think about the results? You can watch the whole video here now.

Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

Video: X-Games

Related links:

• all signature parts of Felix Prangenberg
• all products of kunstform

We all know how chilly winters in Berlin can be. Therefore, we would like to invite you to our monthly "Winter Escape" BMX sessions in the Skatehalle Berlin! A big thank you goes out to kunstform BMX Shop Berlin & Subrosa, because admission to the hall is free for all BMX riders!

Find all facts below:

• Dates: December 1st, January 5th, February 2nd, March 1st, April 5th, from 08:00 pm - 00:00 am
• Place: Skatehalle Berlin
• Entry fee: free
• Please note: Plastic Pegs, Plastic Pedals, Plastic Barends are MANDATORY!

Related links:

• Skatehalle Berlin
• all products of Subrosa
• all products of kunstform

The first Winter Excape BMX Session took place in the Skatehalle Berlin on December 1st 2019, just in time for the cold season. Andrej from Ridewithfriends was so nice and summarized the BMX Session for you so you can watch it. Thanks Bro!

Schedule Winter Escape BMX Sessions 2020:

• Dates: December 1st, January 5th, February 2nd, March 1st, April 5th, from 08:00 pm - 00:00 am
• Place: Skatehalle Berlin
• Entry fee: free
• Please note: Plastic Pegs, Plastic Pedals, Plastic Barends are MANDATORY!

Related links:

• Skatehalle Berlin
• all products of Subrosa
• all products of kunstform