Author: Trevor Patterson

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has replaced his military’s top general and called for increased weapons production, expansion of military drills, and preparations for the possibility of war, the country’s state media KCNA has reported. Kim made the comments at a meeting of the Central Military Commission, which discussed plans for countermeasures to deter North Korea’s enemies, KCNA reported on Thursday without naming those enemies. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said on Thursday that North Korea appears “focused on flexing its military muscle”. North Korea’s top general, Chief of the General Staff Pak Su Il was also “dismissed”, KCNA reported,…

A Welsh billionaire has been criticised over a “misguided” poster campaign aimed at heavier enforcement of laws against drug users and dealers on the streets of San Francisco. Michael Moritz is a funder of Together SF, whose poster campaign called for an end to open-air drug markets and more city-sponsored recovery programmes. The posters were graffitied and some have labelled the campaign “misguided”. Sir Michael and Together SF have been contacted for comment. Sir Michael was born in Cardiff and moved to the States after graduating from Oxford in 1974. He made his fortune after investing in tech start ups…

In a victory for abortion-rights supporters, the Republican-led but closely divided New Hampshire House on Thursday rejected multiple bills to further restrict abortion access while also approving legislation to protect it. The eight abortion-related bills came up for a vote during what has been a hectic week for abortion policy nationwide. Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to an abortion, court fights are playing out on multiple fronts. States dominated by Democrats are seeking to protect access and Republicans are trying to tighten restrictions. In New Hampshire, Republicans hold a 201-198 majority in the House, with…

The ouster of several officials has renewed questions about how the Zelensky government is addressing concerns about aid. President Volodymyr Zelensky appears on a screen as two members of the military stand nearby.President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who campaigned for president as a bold corruption fighter, remains committed to that goal, according to U.S. officials.Credit…Ronald Wittek/EPA, via ShutterstockPresident Volodymyr Zelensky appears on a screen as two members of the military stand nearby.Sign up for the Russia-Ukraine War Briefing. Every evening, we’ll send you a summary of the day’s biggest news. WASHINGTON — Since the start of the war in Ukraine,…

Harvard Medical School will no longer provide data to U.S. News & World Report for its surveys and rankings of best medical schools, its dean announced Tuesday, a decision that echoes that of prominent law schools in rejecting the influential ranking system in recent weeks. George Q. Daley, dean of the faculty of medicine at Harvard University, wrote in a message to the school that the ranking system creates “perverse incentives for institutions to report misleading or inaccurate data,” sets flawed policies or diverts financial aid from needy students to boost rankings. Harvard Medical School is ranked No. 1 in…

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – The author who first envisioned the metaverse 30 years ago sat down on Wednesday with a top executive from the company investing billions in building it and agreed there were formidable hurdles to bringing it to the masses. Neal Stephenson, who coined the term in his 1992 novel “Snowcrash”, and Chris Cox, the chief product officer at Meta, laid out an array of engineering breakthroughs needed to allow millions of people to move seamlessly through immersive virtual worlds displayed on head-mounted devices. “We’re in the very early version, the Xerox PARC era,” said Cox at a…

To help offset inflation and cost-of-living expenses, some Americans had to sell personal belongings or pull money from a savings or retirement account, while others got a new job or started a side hustle. However, many decided to move in with roommates or back home with family members to reduce their expenses. According to our survey, 72% believe multigenerational households are more accepted today due to cost-of-living hikes. 52% believe there is a stigma associated with moving back in with family as an adult. 41% believe there is a stigma associated with getting a roommate as an adult.(USN&WR) To highlight…

(CNN) The evolution of Rudy Giuliani is an epic tale. A celebrated crime fighter who brought down mafia bosses and put Wall Street crooks behind bars, he traded on trust and integrity to prove Republicans could still get elected as mayors of big cities. His empathy and leadership on 9/11 in New York City made him a global figure and a bona fide hero. How that man, who used to get standing ovations whenever he entered a room, morphed into former President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theory lackey peddling lies about the 2020 election is the subject of the new CNN Original Series, “Giuliani:…

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — As Republican infighting debilitates Washington, lawmakers at some U.S. statehouses have managed to launch sessions complicated by similar GOP partisan divides or razor-thin margins of party control with a host of creative — if yet untested — solutions. The approaches differ by state: a delicate working agreement here, a bipartisan truce there. “The commonality is the standing on the edge of the precipice,” said David Niven, an associate professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati. America’s fiercely divided politics are not limited to national government, where Republicans won a threadbare majority in the U.S.…

For many, Christmas is a time of gift exchanges, log cakes and turkey dinners. But that’s not the case everywhere. In a yearly series, CNBC Travel highlights diverse Christmas celebrations around the world. Christmas comes with a spooky twist in Austria, Germany and other Alpine countries that celebrate St. Nicholas Day during the first week of December. “Krampuslauf,” which translates to “Krampus run” in German, is an annual parade typically held on Dec. 5 or 6 where participants dress up as the half-goat, half-demon Krampus to frighten onlookers. Krampus costumes often consist of a mask, horn, coat made of sheep or goat wool, as…