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A tale of two worlds: Republicans and Democrats after the US election


Meanwhile, the losing Democrats have turned the rifles on each other, seeking blame, but ignoring the larger reasons and implications of their decisive defeat.







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A Pivotal Election - Somaliland's Fate Hangs in the Balance As Voters Head to the Polls

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- As Somaliland reached a pivotal moment in its democratic journey, citizens are casting their votes today in an election anticipated not only for its outcome but for what it symbolizes. For a self-declared republic, albeit unrecognized internationally, Somaliland has managed to forge a unique and commendable path, consistently holding peaceful elections in a region often defined by turmoil. In today's election, Somalilanders showed their readiness to signal their desire for change, with Wadani, the




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US Senate Republicans pick insider John Thune as their next leader

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FSRU Prometheas to leave Shanghai next month

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Today’s weather: Mostly clear

Thursday will see mostly clear skies across the island, with increased cloud cover in parts of Cyprus through the early afternoon. Temperatures will rise to 25 degrees Celsius inland, 26 degrees Celsius on the coasts, and 17 degrees Celsius in the mountains. Overnight, the skies will remain largely clear, with the possibility of cloud cover […]



  • Cyprus
  • Cyprus weather report

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Middle East: Ceasefires are the Only Answer

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Mauritius: Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam Sworn in As Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius

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Niger: Niger Embraces Russia for Uranium Production Leaving France Out in the Cold

[RFI] Niger has called on Russian firms to directly invest in uranium and other natural resource production, following the collapse of relations with former colonial ruler France and the eviction of French nuclear giant Orano from the country





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John M. Chu spills the tea about Britney Spears' biopic: Watch

John M. Chu has recently spilled the tea about highly-anticipated Britney Spears biopic.In an exclusive interview with E! News, Chu, who is currently promoting his new Wicked movie, revealed he’s is all set for movie adaptation of Britney’s 2022 memoir, The Woman In Me for big...




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My Chemical Romance announce 2025 tour 'Long Live the Black Parade'

My Chemical Romance fans are in for a nostalgic thrill next summer.The rock band announced they’ll perform their iconic 2006 album The Black Parade in its entirety on a North American stadium tour starting July 11, 2025, in Seattle. The tour spans 10 cities, including major stops in Los...




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Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba to star in 'Sonic 3'Sonic the Hedgehog 3 end will be putting the basis of the fourth installment. Director, Jeff Fowler revealed that he has been talking to his team about ongoing 'fan debate online' surrounding what characters the franchise can further add...




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John Krasinski reportedly could not believe being named the Sexiest Man AliveJohn Krasinski as 2024’s Sexiest Man Alive invoked a mixed reaction from social media, pleasing some fans while leaving the others disappointed. Meanwhile some social media users have found an interesting link...




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John Krasinski recalls love at first sight with wife Emily Blunt, 'the second I met her'

John Krasinski knew Emily Blunt was the right one for him “the second” he met her.In an interview with People for his Sexiest Man Alive cover story, he recalled the spark he felt in him when he met her Blunt.“I don't know what happened, but I remember someone introduced us, and...




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John Krasinski calls wife Emily Blunt 'reason' for 'The Quiet Place' films' success

John Krasinski on Emily Blunt and 'A Quiet Place' John Krasinski reflected on how working with wife Emily Blunt in the The Quiet Place films made the franchise a success.“It turned out to be incredible,” Krasinski recalled of the “thrilling” experience on the...




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Buckingham Palace sets Changing of Guard ceremony to 'Gladiator' theme

Buckingham Palace sets Changing of Guard ceremony to ‘Gladiator’ themeAhead of the Wednesday world premiere of Gladiator II at the Odeon Luxe in London’s Leicester Square, the Buckingham Palace had a special theme set for the Changing of the Guard ceremony.A special recital of...




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CEO of Saudi Arabia's megacity project The Line steps down amid project challenges


Nadhmi Al-Nasr’s successor, Aiman al-Mudaifer, currently head of PIF's Local Real Estate Division, will serve as Neom’s acting CEO.  




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How Israel and the Trump administration can win the war and shape Middle East policy - analysis


Israel's military campaign against Hamas and Hezbollah could reshape Middle Eastern alliances and weaken Iran's regional influence.




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From the air and on the ground: IDF soldiers destroy terror infrastructure in Gaza, Lebanon


IDF soldiers operated in both Gaza and southern Lebanon, where they eliminated terrorists and terror infrastructure.




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PTA signals further VPN curbs

ISLAMABAD: Following a disruption that rendered virtual private networks (VPNs) dysfunctional across the country, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Wednesday said that VPN usage would be restricted in the future to curb access to pornographic content.

In a statement, the authority claimed it had so far blocked 100,183 URLs containing blasphemous content, as well as 844,008 pornographic websites.

The statement by PTA highlighting its performance came a day after the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony wrote to the regulator to ask it to block blasphemous and pornographic content.

“In addition to PTA’s proactive efforts, individuals and government organisations also report such sites,” the statement added.

The telecom regulator also claimed that approximately 20 million attempts were made from within the country to access pornographic websites on a daily basis, which were blocked at the international gateway level.

“However, users bypass restrictions via VPNs and access porn contents, PTA remains fully committed to curbing this issue, taking all necessary measures to block this content effectively,” the statement added.

In another statement, the telecom regulator said it had organised a consultation on the issue of VPN use, attended by representatives from the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoIT&T), the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).

“The PTA introduced a stre­amlined VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online portal at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk,” the statement said.

However, a senior executive from an internet service provider — in response to a Dawn query — said the authority was “making excuses”.

“How would they know that people are watching porn through VPNs? They have no capability to [monitor traffic through] VPNs, otherwise they would not block it,” the executive said.

He said the main target was blocking access to X and other social media platforms.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024




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Sara Sharif’s father admits beating her to death with a cricket bat

LONDON: In a dramatic turn of events at the Old Bailey, Urfan Sharif confessed to the murder of his 10-year-old daughter, Sara Sharif, admitting in court that he “takes full responsibility” for her tragic death.

Sharif detailed the brutal treatment he inflicted upon the girl, acknowledging he beat her with a cricket bat and metal pole, leading to her death on Aug 8, 2023, days before her body was discovered in their Surrey home.

The confession came during cross-examination by Caroline Carberry KC, who asked him bluntly if he had killed her by beating. “Yes, she died because of me,” Sharif responded. He revealed that he had struck Sara “severely” over several weeks, reportedly because he was angered by her frequent episodes of soiling herself and vomiting.

Sharif, 42, his wife, Beinash Batool, 30 and his brother Faisal Malik, 29, all facing charges related to what prosecutors have described as a “campaign of abuse” against Sara. The trio fled to Pakistan shortly after Sara’s death, with Sharif later calling the British police to confess he had “beat her up too much”.

A handwritten note, found near Sara’s fully clothed body, further documented Sharif’s admission, stating: “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her. But I lost it.”

Medical examination reports presented to the court were harrowing. Sara’s postmortem revealed 71 external injuries, including fractures, burns, and bite marks.

When confronted with images of Sara’s injuries, Sharif appeared unable to look, repeatedly saying, “I accept everything,” as Carberry questioned him on the details of his alleged actions.

The prosecution presented a disturbing video clip from Aug 6, showing Sara dancing just two days before her death. Despite this glimpse of her lively spirit, Sharif admitted to brutally beating her that same evening.

The defence team for Sharif later sought a private consultation with him in court, delaying further proceedings.

The trial, however, continues, with Sharif and co-defendants maintaining not guilty pleas to the charges of murder and causing or allowing the child’s death.

Cross-examination

During the hearing, Carberry asked: “Do you accept that you had been beating Sara severely over a number of weeks?” He replied: “Yes, ma’am.”

He went on to accept attacking Sara with a cricket bat repeatedly and causing 25 fractures to her body.

Carberry continued: “I want to ask you about the occasions when you assaulted her with a cricket bat. What had she done to deserve such beatings in your mind?”

Sharif replied: “Nothing.”

She asked: “Why were you beating her so forcefully?”

He replied: “I was wrong.”

She continued: “Were you angry with her because in the summer of last year, she had started soiling herself?”

He replied: “Yes ma’am.”

She added: “And she had started vomiting, hadn’t she?” to which Sharif replied: “Yes, ma’am.”

Carberry asked: “And when she was sick you would get angry? And when she soiled herself you would get angry?” He replied: “Yes ma’am.”

He accepted causing injuries to Sara’s face and head by beating her with the bat and metal pole on 6 Aug.

Carberry continued: “You have pleaded not guilty to the offence of murder. Would you like that charge to be put to you again?”

He replied: “Yes ma’am.”

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024




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Nawaz rues past mistakes that cost the country dearly

LONDON: Ruing ‘mistakes’ by petty individuals in the past, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that these errors had cost the country and democracy dearly.

Speaking at a workers’ convention at a local hotel, the PML-N chief said that if not for that ‘disturbance’, Pakistan would have been an Asian Tiger by now, or even a member of the G20 group of nations.

Although he did not name anyone in particular, it seemed from his words that he was addressing the judiciary, as he recounted incidents such as his removal from office in the Panamagate case.

“It was done for a personal agenda, not for the nation’s benefits. You know those faces… it’s unfortunate that they did it for their petty interests, for menial personal gains, they put the country on the line and kept sending prime ministers home,” he said.

He also regretted that a man like him was disqualified from politics for life, removed as president of the party and kept out of elections. “What were these decisions? What was the need? Who did this? Was it for the country or on a personal whim,” he asked, rhetorically.

In a series of references to what he termed ‘irregular conduct’ of judges, he recalled how one judge’s son had sought money in exchange for securing election tickets — a veiled reference to a purported audio recording where a voice alleged to belong to Najamus Saqib, the son of former CJP Saqib Nisar, could be heard asking a PTI ticket aspirant for money.

He also referred to a judge who was removed from office — a reference to former SC judge Mazahar Naqvi — saying, “Look at his assets, these are the people who have done this.

“It’s painful when I think of these things, one cannot criticise these actions enough. It is fortunate now that there is optimism in Pakistan, that it is coming out of darkness. One hopes that the country succeeds, the nation prospers. Had we not been thwarted, there would have been employment for everyone, housing for everyone.”

Mr Sharif was flanked by his daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

Maryam’s health

In her remarks, Ms Sharif refuted rumours about her health. “I have been working very hard for the last 8-9 months. I have a thyroid issue, last year I had a surgery. People keep asking why can’t I be treated at a hospital in Pakistan,” she said.

She said that while all her treatment had been carried out in Pakistan, the particular malady she had, which she called “parathyroid”, could only be treated in two countries, in Switzerland or America not even England. “I don’t want to play the victim and talk about my illness,” she said.

The previous day, Ms Sharif had addressed the rumours surrounding her health, saying: “My treatment is underway, but I am fine.”

Khawaja Asif heckled

In a video that went viral on social platforms on Wednesday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif could be seen being heckled on a London train by an unknown man.

The video shows the defence minister being filmed on a train by a man who later abuses him and calls him names, saying that he could be attacked by a knife.

Sources said the incident occurred a few days ago in London on the underground train service Elizabeth Line.

However, Mr Asif did not mention this incident at the workers’ event later on Wednesday night.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024




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Republicans win 218 U.S. House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government

“Republicans in the House and Senate have a mandate,” Johnson said earlier this week. “The American people want us to implement and deliver that ‘America First’ agenda.”




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Dragon Age: The Veilguard Debuts in 5th on the French Charts

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (PS5) has remained in first place on the French charts for week 43, 2024, according to SELL

The PlayStation 4 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 remained in third place, while the Xbox version fell out of the top five.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5) debuted in fifth place.

Super Mario Party Jamboree (NS) remained in second place and EA Sports FC 25 (PS5) remained in fourth place.

Top sellers per system were as follows:

PS5

  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  2. EA Sports FC 25
  3. Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Xbox Series X|S

  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  2. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
  3. EA Sports FC 25
PS4
  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
  2. EA Sports FC 25
  3. NBA 2K25
Xbox One
  1. Hogwarts Legacy
  2. Grand Theft Auto V - Premium Edition
  3. Red Dead Redemption 2
Nintendo Switch
  1. Super Mario Party Jamboree
  2. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
  3. EA Sports FC 25
PC
  1. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
  2. EA Sports FC 25 - Ultimate Edition
  3. Doom Anthology

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463062/dragon-age-the-veilguard-debuts-in-5th-on-the-french-charts/








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Sting Won’t Make the Sphere His Hive

Unlike his peers, the musician doesn’t see the appeal of the world’s hottest venue: “I don’t want to be overpowered by visuals.”








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Everyone Needs This: The Dell Docking Station Is 56% Off on Amazon in an Early Black Friday Deal



Save over $200 on a Dell docking station with 130W Power Delivery and dual DisplayPorts.




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The J-Horror Virus Revisits a Film Movement That’s Still Sparking Nightmares



Featuring interviews with Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Pulse), Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge), and many more, the documentary is now streaming on Shudder.




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The ‘Lightfoot’ Electric Scooter Lets You Literally Ride a Solar Panel Around Town



For $5,000, the Lightfoot scooter promises to charge up to a max of 20 additional miles a day, if you dare park it outside.





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If Elon Musk Joins the Government, What Will He Have to Disclose About His Wealth?



Jordan Libowitz from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington on Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's potential ethical obligations.




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Mark Zuckerberg Drops a New Musical Collab With T-Pain Because There Is No God



Zuck wasn't content with just ruining social media.




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Get pCloud At a Steal With These Unbelievable Offers for Lifetime Plans



Looking for secure cloud storage at an affordable price? The current promotion at pCloud, a well-known player in the market, is sure to appeal to you!




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You Won’t Need Disney+ to Watch Agatha All Along‘s Behind-the-Scenes Documentary



The Marvel series starring Kathryn Hahn as the titular witch will share its "Assembled" special on YouTube.




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'BlueAnon' Conspiracy Theories Explode After Liberals Lose

Some Democrats are not prepared to accept Vice President Kamala Harris' election loss as legitimate




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Is FEMA Apology the End of the Story?

The guys on Monday's edition of the RealClearPolitics radio show discussed whether an apology from FEMA will be the end of the story, first reported by the Daily Wire, that some disaster relief teams were ordered to avoid houses with Donald Trump campaign signs during the cleanup from Hurricane Milton last month.




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Trump Might Have Won the First Postracial Election

Black and Hispanic voters defect from Democrats, who have long relied on identity-politics appeals.




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Will America Survive the Anger of White Men?

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Cornyn Will Undermine the Trump Agenda

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Senate GOP To Choose the McConnell Way or a MAGA Upstart

On the heels of the general election last week, there's another important vote on tap this Wednesday in Washington that will greatly impact what President-elect Donald Trump can accomplish during his four years in office: Republicans in the Senate will vote by secret ballot to choose a new leader.