Author: Press Room

The new countries will join the economic group as partner states from January 1, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov has said Nine countries will officially join BRICS as partner states in January, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov has said, adding that the economic group is open to like-minded partners.The new ‘partner country’ status was approved at the BRICS summit in October, hosted by Russia in Kazan, and is intended to serve as an alternative to membership after more than 30 nations applied to join the organization. The status provides for permanent participation in special sessions of BRICS summits and foreign ministers’…

Shane Lamond (MPD) Former DC Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Shane Lamond has been convicted of “obstruction of justice” and three counts of “making false statements” for being in contact with former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio. Lamond, 49, often coordinated with Tarrio to keep his group away from areas where Antifa militants were counter-protesting to prevent political violence. Before his arrest, Lamond had been with the department for 22 years and served as supervisor of the Intelligence Branch for his last four years. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson found Lamond guilty on Monday after a seven-day trial. Lamond was…

Cannabis industry leaders are doing some crystal gazing for 2025. getty For the U.S. legal cannabis industry, 2024 was a mixed bag. Progress was made on rescheduling cannabis. However, there were notable setbacks: Some states, such as Florida, failed to legalize while the perennial banking ban, compounded by punitive tax burdens, remain problematic. Complicating matters is the election of Donald Trump, which sent waves of uncertainty throughout the community. Though some leaders do feel the new incoming administration might present challenges to federal cannabis policy and psychedelic research, many are choosing to view 2025, in all its infinite possibilities, through…

An anonymous “elf” in New Albany, Indiana, took the Christmas-giving spirit to the next level by dropping a gold nugget into a Salvation Army kettle. Almost every year, I read about somebody gifting the Salvation Army gold. It always makes the news because getting gold is a big deal. That’s because gold is real money. Everybody immediately recognizes its value! The “trusted elf,” as a Salvation Army press release called the anonymous donor, delivered the nugget to a Kroger store in New Albany, a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky. According to WHAS, the nugget weighed in at 15.5 ounces, making it worth…

ROME — Pope Francis called for a global ceasefire this weekend while again decrying Israel’s “cruelty” in dealing with Palestinians in Gaza. “Let us pray for a ceasefire on all war fronts, in Ukraine, the Holy Land, in all the Middle East and the entire world, at Christmas,” the pontiff said in his weekly Angelus address Sunday. “And with sorrow I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty; of the children machine-gunned, the bombing of schools and hospitals… So much cruelty!” The pope also called out ongoing attacks on “tormented Ukraine” that at times damage schools, hospitals, and churches. “May…

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that after last week’s budget battle, it would be difficult for Republicans to pass President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. Co-host Dana Bash said, “We’ve heard Democrats touting what ended up happening in the early wee hours of yesterday morning as a victory over Donald Trump. But in the end, the bill that you all voted for didn’t include a lot of Democratic priorities that were initially in the deal with Speaker Johnson. So what does that portend about what’s going to come up? I mean, this fight is going…

Honda and Nissan have officially confirmed the rumors that they’re pursuing a merger. Both would still operate under their brands but with a new joint holding company as parent. If Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi also came on board, the combined group would become the world’s third-largest automaker by sales volume, with a net worth of up to $50 billion.Nissan and Honda previously to work together on EV development, but the joint company would be far more integrated. According to the press release, it could include standardizing vehicle platforms, unifying research and development teams, and optimizing manufacturing systems and facilities. This could help…

Here’s what we’re watching in transition world today: 🗓️ What we’re watching Which administration hopefuls and Republican members of Congress are going to spend Christmas Eve at Mar-a-Lago with President-elect Donald Trump? If any attendees are bringing their 7-year-olds, they may want to have a chat about Santa ahead of time. Conservatives who want to slash the federal budget are hoping they can enlist Trump and Elon Musk in their efforts. But last week’s government funding meltdown underscored that Trump doesn’t always share their fiscal restraint, our Jordain Carney reports. Though Trump and Musk helped upend the initial bipartisan bill…

Immigrants are preparing for the possibility of mass deportations once Donald Trump takes office. Whooping cough cases are at their highest number in a decade. And a look back at the internet trends and memes that defined 2024.Here’s what to know today.Immigrants prepare action plans as Trump promises mass deportationsIn some immigrant households in the U.S., families are facing a heart-wrenching thought: “A lot of us are honestly celebrating Christmas together thinking, ‘Oh my God, is this the last time we get to spend Christmas with our family members?” said Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, who leads a Florida nonprofit that advocates for…

The Winter Solstice passed over the weekend. But the solstice doesn’t just mark the longest night of the year – it means the days will only get longer from now until the time changes in March 2025.Here’s when the sun rises in Florida this time of year, what the Winter Solstice is and when we “spring forward” in March.What time is the sunrise today?The exact minute that the sun rises for you depends on where you’re located in the state. On Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, the sun will rising between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., depending on where you are.For…