The world stands at the dawn of a “third nuclear age” in which Britain is threatened by multiple dilemmas, the head of the armed forces has warned. But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”In the realm of investment opportunities, the CSI A Series products have been making waves with their remarkable growth and promising prospects. The steady expansion of these products has piqued the interest of seasoned investors and newcomers alike, as incremental funds are anticipated to flow in with increasing momentum.haha777 redeem code 。

On the other hand, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak faced a different fate following his ouster from power. Mubarak, who was tried and convicted of corruption and complicity in the deaths of protesters during the Arab Spring uprising, spent years in prison before being released on medical grounds. His post-exile life in Egypt has been marked by continued legal battles and public scrutiny, demonstrating that even in exile, former leaders may not escape accountability for their actions.

The Big Ten Conference released its 2025 football schedule on Wednesday afternoon, handing UCLA some new Big Ten opponents as well as some familiar competition from the Pac-12. The Bruins will close out the season on Nov. 29 with a rivalry game against USC at the Coliseum with hopes of taking back the Victory Bell. UCLA lost, 19-13, at the Rose Bowl in this season’s edition of the rivalry. The second Big Ten Conference schedule for the Bruins includes away games against Northwestern, Michigan State, Indiana, Ohio State and USC. Home conference games will come against Penn State, Maryland, Nebraska and former Pac-12 foe Washington. UCLA has played Northwestern only once since 1970 and hasn’t squared up with Maryland since 1955. The Bruins will alternate home and away games on a weekly basis, as opposed to a 2024 slate that featured back-to-back road games on two different occasions. Although head coach DeShaun Foster said the team had gotten the hang of Big Ten travel, the 2025 schedule could alleviate some travel fatigue. The nonconference schedule includes a season opener at home against Pac-12-turned-Big-12 opponent Utah, followed by a game at UNLV and another home game against New Mexico before a bye week. The timing of the bye week could be another benefit for UCLA and allow the Bruins to prepare and rest ahead of its Big Ten schedule. UCLA had a bye immediately after its first game this season and resumed its schedule with five straight losses. (*indicates Big Ten game) Aug. 30 vs. Utah Sept. 6 at UNLV Sept. 13 vs. New Mexico Sept. 27 at Northwestern* Oct. 4 vs. Penn State* Oct. 11 at Michigan State* Oct. 18 vs. Maryland* Oct. 25 at Indiana* Nov. 8 vs. Nebraska* Nov. 15 at Ohio State* Nov. 22 vs. Washington* Nov. 29 at USC*Lily's journey began with her loving parents by her side every step of the way. When she was first diagnosed, her parents were devastated, but they quickly sprang into action to provide the best care possible for their precious daughter. They learned everything they could about her condition, sought out the best medical specialists, and dedicated themselves to ensuring that Lily had the support she needed to thrive.As the clock ticks down on these football superstars' contracts, fans around the world are eagerly awaiting news of their decisions. Will they stay loyal to their current clubs, seek new challenges abroad, or perhaps even retire from the game altogether? The coming months promise to be filled with speculation and intrigue as these iconic players weigh up their futures in the beautiful game.

By Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Israelis and Palestinians are signalling new efforts to forge a ceasefire deal, their first in a year, to pause the fighting in Gaza and return to Israel some of the hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave. The guarded optimism emerges as U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan holds talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Thursday before heading to Egypt and Qatar, co-mediators with the U.S. on a deal. A Western diplomat in the region said a deal was taking shape but it was likely to be limited in scope, involving the release of only a handful of hostages and a short pause in hostilities. Such a truce would be only the second since the start of the war in October 2023. It would also enable the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel's Mossad intelligence agency head David Barnea met Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha on Wednesday to discuss a ceasefire and hostage release deal, a source briefed on the meeting said. Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz told his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin in a phone call on Wednesday there was now a chance for a deal that would allow the return of all the hostages, including U.S. citizens, Katz's office said. Anything more than a limited truce remains unlikely so long as both sides stick to demands that have hampered numerous rounds of failed negotiations. The Palestinian militant group Hamas wants an end to the war before all hostages are freed, while Israel says the war will not end until Hamas no longer rules Gaza or constitutes a threat to Israelis. The war began after Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military has levelled swathes of Gaza, killing nearly 45,000 Palestinians, driving nearly all its 2.3 million people from their homes and giving rise to deadly hunger and disease, according to Palestinian health authorities. 'HELL TO PAY' U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has demanded Hamas release the hostages held in Gaza before he takes over from Biden on Jan. 20. Otherwise, Trump has said, there will be "hell to pay". Trump's designated hostage envoy Adam Boehler has said he too is involved, having spoken already to Biden and to Netanyahu. Some 100 hostages remain in Gaza, seven of them U.S. citizens. Boehler told Israel's Channel 13 news last week: "I would appeal to those people that have taken hostages: Make your best deal now. Make it now because every day that passes, it is going to get harder and harder and more Hamas lives will be lost." Although Biden and Trump are working separately, their efforts overlap and both stand to gain from a deal. A U.S. official said Trump's public statements about the need for a swift ceasefire "have not been harmful". The official said the priority is to get the hostages home, whether it is at the end of the Biden term or the start of the Trump term. Steve Witkoff, Trump's designated Middle East envoy, met separately in late November with Netanyahu and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said a source briefed on the talks. TIMING APT FOR NETANYAHU The timing for a deal may never have been better for Netanyahu. The prime minister told reporters on Monday that Hamas' increasing isolation following the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule opened the door to a possible hostage deal even if it was too early to claim success. The public optimism of Israeli leaders over the past week has matched the general tone in internal discussions behind closed doors, according to an Israeli official. For Netanyahu, concessions would be far easier now with Israel having reestablished its reputation as the most powerful Middle East force and its Iran-backed enemies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria now posing less of a threat. Netanyahu's once-fragile coalition has been strengthened by the addition of Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and his more centrist faction. Netanyahu, having achieved a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, can complete the picture with the return of the hostages. Over the past year, some far-right ministers in his cabinet had voiced objections, even threatening to bring down the government, should the war in Gaza end. But with Israel's enemies weakened and his coalition strengthened, Netanyahu is far less vulnerable politically. Saar said on Monday that Israel was now more optimistic about a possible hostage deal amid reports Hamas had asked other Gaza factions to help it compile a list of Israeli and foreign hostages in their custody, whether dead or alive. A Palestinian official close to the talks and familiar with the positions of all the parties involved described what he called "a fever of negotiations" with ideas emerging on all sides, including among mediators in Egypt and Qatar. Trump's involvement had given the talks a boost, the Palestinian official said. Hamas was willing to show some flexibility should there be guarantees Israel would not resume the fighting, he said. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Andrew Mills and Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Howard Goller; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Angus MacSwan)AP Sports SummaryBrief at 3:59 p.m. EST

Shanxi Province, with its rich history and diverse economic sectors, presents both opportunities and challenges for governance. As Vice Governor, Guan Zhiou will be tasked with spearheading initiatives to promote sustainable development, address environmental concerns, and improve the livelihoods of the province's residents.It all started on a sunny Tuesday morning when Mrs. Jenkins, a sprightly octogenarian, decided to take a leisurely stroll around her neighborhood. However, a wrong turn led her into unfamiliar territory, and before she knew it, she was miles away from her home.

Pep Guardiola admits Man City 'have a lot of problems' in disagreement over Ilkay Gundogan verdict

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. Supporters of transgender rights rally Wednesday outside the Supreme Court in Washington. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should weigh in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. People attend a rally March 31, 2023, as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility, near the Capitol in Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, left, and plaintiff Joaquin Carcano address reporters after a June 25, 2018, hearing in Winston-Salem, N.C., on their lawsuit challenging the law that replaced North Carolina's "bathroom bill." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Demonstrators against transgender rights protest Wednesday during a rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. For many trans and nonbinary people, bathrooms can be complicated places to navigate — a fact highlighted by the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is far from an outlier when it comes to failing to provide safe and equitable bathrooms for transgender people. According to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks LGBTQ+ policy, 13 states have a policy that prevents transgender people from safely or legally using public bathrooms. But data shows that even in states with trans-friendly policies, transgender and nonbinary people report high rates of harassment in public bathrooms. Advocates say everyday people can have a big impact in interrupting discrimination in gendered restrooms. The 19th shows how anyone can help prevent abuse. Sex-segregated restrooms have historically been a hostile space for Tat Bellamy-Walker, a Seattle-based journalist and Black gender-fluid trans person. In graduate school and at journalism internships, they had to go far out of their way to find all-gender single-stall restrooms they could use safely. "You never forget being told you don't belong in a restroom, you never forget not having a place to dispose of sanitary products if you're on your period in the men's bathroom," Bellamy-Walker said. "It's just clear you do not belong in public spaces." Allies can help tremendously by locating and pointing out gender-neutral bathrooms to friends or family who might need them. This is especially important for people planning events or parties. Make sure your space has safe bathrooms. Carrie Soto, a South Dakota parent of a transgender child, said she lives by the mantra "see something, say something." That means speaking up when there is bullying and harassment and volunteering to accompany a trans/nonbinary friend or family member when they have to head into a public bathroom. "Validate a trans person's fears and anxiety about the situation," Soto said. " If [my daughter] uses a gendered restroom and feels anxious, I go with." It may seem obvious, but transgender health advocate Jamison Green notes this step can really help trans people feel safe. Consider first that according to 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey , 59 percent of trans people avoided using a public restroom due to fear of harassment. Data from 2022 found that 6 percent of trans people said they were physically or verbally attacked while trying to use a bathroom, while 4 percent were denied access to a bathroom. "If you see someone who you clock as trans or nonbinary, just smile or pay them a non-provocative compliment. ... Wish them good day or good evening, and move on," Green said. "Of course that only goes for the women's room! In the men's room, talking is extremely rare." Green recommends that cisgender people offer a kind, silent nod. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., allow residents to opt for "X" gender markers on their IDs in addition to selecting "M" or "F." Still, in every state, regardless of laws, most bathrooms in government buildings, schools, businesses, places of worship and cultural institutions are gendered. Advocates say people can help change this by simply asking businesses and building owners for more options to accommodate all genders. "Advocacy is the most important part of the fight for transgender rights," Lambda Legal notes in its guide to restrooms. "And if employers adopt pro-trans policies proactively, instead of waiting for a transgender person to pave the way, there's much less chance of having problems down the line." The internet is full of rants not appropriate for a news article about people using the only single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms available not for safety but for ... well, pooping. As a result, gender-neutral bathrooms, especially in airports, are almost always occupied. There are many reasons why a cisgender person might need a single-occupancy bathroom (accessibility, illness, child care and, yes, even a little more privacy). Just like accessible stalls, it's a kindness to leave gender-neutral restrooms unoccupied when you don't need them. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, but authorities have indicated that the suspect may have harbored a grudge against the victim or the company he represented. Investigations are ongoing, with detectives combing through surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses, and collecting evidence in an effort to piece together the events leading up to the tragic incident.General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has rapped Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton over criticisms regarding government’s recent salary increase announcements for public servants. In criticising the 10% retroactive increase for 2024 and the additional 8% increase for 2025, Norton called out President Dr Irfaan Ali’s monthly salary of $2.9 million. But Jagdeo, during a press conference on Thursday, labelled Norton as being hypocritical, noting that the Opposition Leader makes $1.8 million monthly for doing ‘practically nothing’. Jagdeo, who is also the country’s Vice President, disclosed that Norton’s emoluments, allowances and other benefits equate to $1.8 million, excluding vacation allowance and other annual payments. “This is what Norton gets....for doing nothing practically, for just walking around the place and being a nuisance. At least Ali is working,” Jagdeo contended. Furthermore, the Vice President noted that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration has increased wages and salaries by 80% from 2020 to 2025 compared to a 36% increase for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government. “In five years, your salary increases were less than the 50% the government took three months after they got into office,” he said referring to the 50% increase in salaries granted to Government Ministers in 2015. According to Jagdeo, since 2020, the PPP has successfully increased the overall public sector wages as follows: Central Government – $71.8B in 2020 to $121.4B in 2024 Public enterprises – $16.1B in 2020 to $24B in 2024 Statutory bodies – $38.9B in 2020 to $69.2B in 2024 “For the whole of the public sector, in 2020, the wage bill was $126.8B, it’s $210.7B per year. That means it’s an $83.9B more per year than the public sector is currently getting from the Government of Guyana...this is a significant increase” This, he said, benefits over 70,000 persons.

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In addition to promoting innovation internally, Huang Renxun also places a strong emphasis on building strategic partnerships and collaborations with external stakeholders. By forming alliances with other leading companies, research institutions, and industry experts, he is able to tap into a diverse range of resources, expertise, and perspectives that fuel the company's growth and drive innovation.