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Published by Mongabay By Mactilda Mbenywe A family of viruses that can cause fatal Ebola-like symptoms that is also a critical threat to macaque populations is now “poised for spillover” to humans, a new report reveals. The study01194-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867422011941%3Fshowall%3Dtrue), published in September in the journal *Cell*, reveals that the animal virus has found ways to access human cells, multiply and evade parts of the immune system that defend people against sickness. Scientists note that this is “pretty rare.” The research team behind the study is… Read More View the full article

Published by Taste of Country Dolly Parton been delighting audiences in country music for more than 55 years, and she’s done it all with her husband Carl Dean by her side. The two have been married as long as she’s been in the business. They met in Nashville on her very first day in town and they wed on May 30, 1966. Their union has stayed strong through the years, and Dolly Parton attributes their lasting marriage to one thing, in particular: laughter. “We love each other, we respect each other, we both have a warped sense of humor,” she tells ET Canada‘s Morgan Hoffman in a recent interview. “I think humor, honestly, I t… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Powerful Democratic consultants have dropped Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) since she disaffiliated from the Democratic Party to register as an Independent. Their departure will make it more difficult for her to win re-election in her home state if she runs again in 2024. “NGP VAN, which manages Democratic voter data, is set to cut off Sinema’s access at the end of January, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation,” The Huffington Post reported. “The ad makers who worked with her in 2018, Dixon/Davis Media Group, have split with her campaign. Two other Democratic sources sai… Read More View the full article

Published by PopCrush The side of TikTok nicknamed “Leztopia” is once again in shambles after JoJo Siwa‘s breakup with her ex-girlfriend Avery Cyrus, a social media influencer. The two dated for a few months before allegedly calling it quits while aboard a recent cruise. Now, on Dec. 20, Siwa posted a shady video to her TikTok account alluding to a mysterious “unplanned hookup” and insinuating that Cyrus used her for the attention. “But I love you why are you breaking up with me??!!” the captions in the video read, seemingly implying the line was meant to represent Cyrus, while Siwa lip-synced to an audio. “There’s… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet George Santos, the Republican congressman-elect for a House seat based in Long Island and Queens, New York, was seemingly exposed as a fraudster by The New York Times on Monday, but even more questions are now arising after he appears to have filed paperwork on Tuesday stating his place of residence is in Florida. That’s according to two investigative articles from Talking Points Memo. On Tuesday evening TPM reported that in May of 2021 Santos registered his company, Devolder Organization LLC, which has no website and it’s unclear what the operation actually does, in Florida. “On his congressi… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com A lot went down in this week’s episode of Yellowstone, and a few moments really stood out in the scope of the show’s fifth season. Especially the show’s first LGBT kiss. The episode started with an intense flashback that explained Rip’s loyalty to John Dutton and the ranch. In his teenage years, Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) beat a fellow cowboy to death because he spoke crudely about Beth, whom they both liked. In a revelatory moment for the show’s viewers, John (Kevin Costner) agrees to cover up the murder as long as he’s loyal to the Yellowstone Ranch. WATCH WES BENTLEY’s uINTERVIEW NOW! In an… Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel Across Florida, support for LGBTQ+ students is crumpling like gift-bag tissue paper, as state education officials demand that school districts erase protections — many just a few years old, adopted after long and sometimes contentious public debate and heartfelt testimony by students and parents pleading that schools be safe for all students. The changes LGBTQ+ students and families asked for might have seemed radical at first to school board members — the right to be addressed by the gender they identified with, and use appropriate bathroom and locker-room facilities; the right to be protecte… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A newly elected Republican congressman’s biography continues to fall apart under scrutiny. The New York Times revealed earlier this week that George Santos had apparently invented his academic and professional backstory, while subsequent reports called into question whether he was actually Jewish, and now The Daily Beast found new discrepancies in his biography. The 34-year-old Santos, who became the first openly gay non-incumbent Republican elected to Congress, was married to a woman he divorced in September 2019, which he has not discussed publicly. Less than two weeks after that divorce was… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Fox News’ Tucker Carlson raged against Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s congressional visit as he took jabs at the Ukraine president’s attire and claimed he “dressed like the manager of a strip club” when he met with lawmakers. During his rare address on Wednesday, Zelenskyy, who was dressed in war fatigues, expressed gratitude for U.S. lawmakers’ efforts to assist his country during its ongoing fight against the Russian insurgency. Carlson’s remarks were made just hours after Zelenskyy’s address. READ MORE: Watch: Tucker Carlson believes that ‘Nazi race science’ will be used by California’s Reparations … Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill allowing transgeder people aged 14 and over to change their legal gender without the need for psychological or other medical evaluation though 14- to 16-year olds would still need parental or guardians’ agreement. In some other countries with similar laws, children under 18 still need parental approval. Scotland’s parliament also approved on Thursday a bill making it easier for people to change their legal gender, including lowering the minimum age to 16 from 18. The Spanish bill, which has been heavily criticised by the conservati… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK LONDON (Reuters) -Scotland’s parliament on Thursday approved disputed reforms that make it easier for transgender people to change their legal gender, including removing the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and lowering the minimum age to 16 from 18. The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) bill passed by 86 votes to 39, making Scotland the first region of the United Kingdom to approve a self-identification process for changing gender. Other countries including Ireland, Denmark and Argentina have adopted self-ID laws to make it simpler and less invasive to change gender. The bi… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Daniel Craig isn’t paying attention to rumours about the next James Bond. The 54-year-old actor – who made his fifth and final appearance as 007 in last year’s espionage blockbuster ‘No Time To Die’ – insisted he doesn’t take any notice of the speculation surrounding his successor as the iconic big screen spy. Speaking to the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast during a live special at New York City’s 92nd Street Y this week, he said: “I don’t really pay any attention. “I just… I don’t go on the internet, I don’t have social media.” However, the ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ star promised he’ll be going to watch the next Bond film at the cinema. Asked if he’ll enjoy seeing a new actor take on the role, he added: “I’ll be front and centre [at the theatre].” Reflecting on his own decision to join the franchise with 2006’s ‘Casino Royale’, Daniel admitted he was in two minds when it came to the “pros and cons” of such a big move. He explained: “It was on the pro list: it would change my life. It was on the con list: it would change my life. “And that really is something that — I knew that I had a certain level of anonymity, I could still kind of go out, I could still travel and go to an airport. “I could do all these things… I knew that would sort of disappear. But it was also on the pro list, and it worked for the best, I mean, that’s the thing. “I just couldn’t…. I went, my closest friends, that’s who I went to for advice, that’s what I did. And they were just like, ‘You’ve got to do this, you’ll regret this if you don’t do this.’ And I did, so here we are.” Speculation is rife about the identity of the next Bond, with Henry Cavill and Aaron Taylor-Johnson among the forerunners ahead of an official announcement. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sam Smith struggles to cope with fame. The 30-year-old singer admitted that fame is the “biggest personal issue” in life because of how it can change relationships with others. even though it is not becoming to “moan” about it. Sam said: “Relationships change and family can change. Money can change that, and fame. Fame is probably the biggest issue I have had in my life. It is this horrible one as you can’t moan about it as I know I am very, very lucky to be in my position, but life does get turned on its head.” The ‘Stay With Me’ hitmaker – who will release new album ‘Gloria’ in 2023 – went on to add that fame can cost loved ones which is the “hardest part” of becoming a celebrity and had been “coming to terms” with personal issues during the production of latest album ‘Love Goes.’ Speaking on BBC Radio 2’s ‘First and Last’, Sam told Cerys Matthews: “You have to find a new way to talk to people you love and you lose people you love, which is the hardest part. I was at my lowest in my life writing my third album. I was coming to terms with gender stuff. I felt like I had to live up to this character of Sam Smith.” The comments come just days after the ‘Unholy’ singer teased that the upcoming album will be a “filthy golden goose time” and will be full of “absolute fun.” Asked what fans can expect, Sam replied: “Filthy golden goose time. Oh you’ll see on tour… I mean there’s no gooses on tour actually…[Expect] Fun. Absolute fun. It was my task to write an album that was full of joy and I think I did it. And so it’s fun, it’s sexy, raunchy, honest. Yeah, I’m proud of it.” View the full article

Published by DPA The logo of the clothing chain H&M hangs above the entrance of a branch in Berlin. T-shirts, sweaters and shopping bags adorned with images of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber are no longer on H&M's shelves after the Swedish clothing retailer pulled them following criticism from the singer. Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa T-shirts, sweaters and shopping bags adorned with images of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber are no longer on H&M’s shelves after the Swedish clothing retailer pulled them following criticism from the singer. Bieber had taken to social media earlier this week to rail against the line, referring to it as “trash” and saying that he had never given permission for the use of his image. H&M says it followed proper procedures in this regard. Nonetheless, the outburst prompted H&M to announce the items’ removal. They had already disappeared from online shops. “H&M has followed proper approval procedures, but out of respect for the collaboration and Justin Bieber, we have removed the garments,” it said. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rob Marshall had “no agenda” when casting Halle Bailey in ‘The Little Mermaid’. The 62-year-old director is helming the live-action take on Disney’s animated classic and explained that he and the crew auditioned “every ethnicity” before deciding to cast the black actress. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Halle said: “We just were looking for the best actor for the role, period. The end. “We saw everybody and every ethnicity. (The goal was to find someone who can be) incredibly strong, passionate, beautiful, smart, clever (and with) a great deal of fire and joy.” Rob explained that Halle has the kind of voice that was needed for Ariel and her love story with Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). He said: “That voice is something that is so signature and so ethereal and so beautiful that it captures the heart of Eric and he looks for her for the entire film.” Marshall explained that the team behind the movie took the opportunity to add more depth to Eric’s story in the new take on the film. The director said: “The role of Eric in the animated film – I’m sure the original creators would agree with this – it’s a wooden, classic prince character with not a lot going on. “There’s a whole story that’s developed in our film. He has a mother, a queen, that’s new to the film. He has a very similar trajectory in a way to Ariel. He doesn’t feel like it’s where he fits in, his world. “These two kindred spirits find each other and really teach the world about prejudice and about breaking down barriers and walls between these two worlds.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Nicolas Cage plays a “pop-art” Dracula in ‘Renfield’. The 58-year-old actor stars as the vampire in Chris McKay’s upcoming horror-comedy film and revealed that he drew inspiration from the iconic artist Andy Warhol for his performance. Nicolas told Empire magazine: “When I got a sense of where McKay wanted to go, I realised the movie has a comedic, pop art attitude. “So I thought: ‘This will be a pop-art Dracula.’ Warhol did a great black-on-black Dracula. This is in that Warhol vein.” Cage explained how he watched the classic vampire film ‘Nosferatu’ to help him bring Count Dracula to life in the new movie, which also stars Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina and is slated for release in April 2023. The ‘Face/Off’ actor explained: “I noticed all these little gestures that are, by today’s standards, ‘over the top’. “When Max Schreck does that (snaps his wrist and extends his fingers) and puffs into smoke, I was like, ‘What is that? Is it dance? What is he conveying there?’ “I said to Chris McKay that I really wanted to find a place to put that in ‘Renfield’. I haven’t seen the movie so I don’t know if they kept it, but I tried.” Nicolas added: “It’s a largely studio picture so I wanted to play with: ‘What can I get away with here?’ If you’re playing Dracula, you have a lot of latitude.” Hoult plays the title role of Dracula’s servant in the film and says that working together with Cage was one of his most enjoyable experiences as an actor. He said: “Being in the same room with Nic Cage, I mean that’s a trip. “But being in the same room as Nic Cage whilst he’s dressed as Dracula and tormenting you as Dracula and you’re his servant is really some of the most fun I’ve ever had onscreen whilst being tortured. It’s really brilliant.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dolly Parton credits her “warped sense of humour” with keeping her marriage going for 56 years. The ‘9 to 5’ hitmaker has been married to husband Carl Dean for well over five decades, and she has revealed that being able to laugh is the key to their long lasting love. She told ET Canada: “We both have a warped sense of humour. And I think humour, honestly, is one of the best things when you’re married like that. “Even if you have a problem, if you have a great sense of humour, if you say something you can’t take back [you] usually have some crazy way of getting out of it.” Although a relationship will always have ups and downs, Dolly insisted they’ve never had any terrible rows where they need to “take back” what they’ve said. She added: “We’ve never had, you know, serious arguments to say bad things to each other we have to take back.” Dolly also pointed to being able to not be “in each other’s faces all the time” and strike a balance in a relationship. She explained: “I like it when people say, ‘How did it last so long?’ I say, ‘I stay going.’ “You know, there’s a lot to be said about that. So we’re not in each other’s face all the time. “He’s not in the business, so we have different interests, but yet we have the things we love to do together. So it was meant to be, I think. He was the one I was supposed to have and and vice versa.” The 76-year-old star surprised Carl Dean on his 79th birthday in July 2021 when she recreated her 1978 Playboy cover and donned the famous white tie and strapless black bunny outfit, much to his delight. Earlier this year, she said: “I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just go surprise my husband and just cook breakfast for him in my bunny suit.’ He got a kick out of it, and evidently a few other people did, too!” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Kellyanne Conway has spoken out to clarify her and Andrew Cuomo’s late-night dinner date together earlier this week was “not romantic,” RadarOnline.com has learned. Conway, who previously served as ex-President Donald Trump’s campaign manager-turned-political advisor from 2016 to 2020, spoke out on Tuesday to quell the rumors she and Cuomo had a romantic meal together on Monday night at a famous Upper East Side Italian restaurant. Mega “Italians prefer eating to Zoom. We could have invited his brother, Christopher, but it’s unclear that he eats carbs,” she told the New York Post. “Nothing romantic. I’ve known the [Cuomo] family for decades.” Conway also indicated she and the disgraced former New York governor discussed their respective podcasts – which are produced by the same company, Quake Media – and a series of political issues in which she, a Republican, and Cuomo, a Democrat, could “find common ground.” “My policy portfolio included nonpartisan issues like veterans and the drug crisis, now worse than ever,” Conway explained to the Post on Tuesday. “Looking to re-engage on that and it requires working across the aisle.” “Sharing a meal with Gov. Christie next week on same,” she added, referring to former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Mega As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Conway and Cuomo’s dinner together earlier this week caused a stir after it was revealed Conway’s husband, Trump-critic George Conway, was not in attendance. But one witness also at the Italian restaurant, Il Postino, on Monday night backed Conway’s claim the dinner date was “not romantic.” According to the witness, the pair were “not affectionate” towards one another and spent the night together “drinking wine and talking.” Cuomo’s sister, Madeline, also spoke out on Tuesday and raged over the rumors her 65-year-old brother and Conway, 55, had met for a romantic dinner together. “The idea that Andrew’s meeting with Kellyanne Conway has caused this much of a stir is frankly really sad, but speaks volumes about where we are as a people,” Madeline Cuomo fumed. Mega “The level of vitriol and animosity has risen to new heights and people no longer understand what it is they’re disagreeing about in the first place,” she continued. “No one talks about issues, but rather adopts the position of `their chosen leader’ and sticks to it, because that’s what they’re supposed to believe.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The congressional panel probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol wraps up its work on Wednesday with a final report outlining its case that former President Donald Trump should face criminal charges of inciting the deadly riot. The report, to be issued online, is expected to be more than 1,000 pages long, based on nearly 1,200 interviews over 18 months and hundreds of thousands of documents, as well as the rulings of more than 60 federal and state courts. The report lists 17 specific findings, discusses the legal implications of actions by Trump and some of his associates and includes criminal referrals to the Justice Department of Trump and other individuals. It also identifies legislative recommendations to help avert another such attack. The report’s release comes two days after the committee asked federal prosecutors to charge the former Republican president with four crimes, including obstruction and insurrection, for efforts to overturn results of the November 2020 election and sparking the attack on the seat of government. “Rather than honor his constitutional obligation to ‘take care that the laws be faithfully executed,’ President Trump instead plotted to overturn the election outcome,” the Democratic-led House of Representatives select committee said in a 160-page summary of the report released on Monday. Trump gave a fiery speech to his supporters near the White House the morning of Jan. 6, and publicly chastised his vice president, Mike Pence, for not going along with his scheme to reject ballots cast for Democrat Joe Biden. Trump then waited hours to make a public statement as thousands of his supporters raged through the Capitol, assaulting police and threatening to hang Pence. ‘UNCHARTED WATERS’ With Trump’s fellow Republicans taking control of the House on Jan. 3, the Democratic-led select committee must wrap up its work, and it ended with a bang. Monday marked the first time in U.S. history that a congressional committee referred a former president for criminal charges. “This committee is nearing the end of its work. But as a country we remain in strange and uncharted waters. We’ve never had a president of the United States stir up a violent attempt to block the transfer of power,” Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson, who chairs the Jan. 6 committee, said on Monday. The committee’s request that Trump be charged does not compel federal prosecutors to act, but comes as a special counsel is overseeing two other federal probes of Trump related to his attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat by Biden and the removal of classified files from the White House. Trump has dismissed the investigations as politically motivated. On Monday, he said any prosecution would mean he was improperly being charged twice, after he was impeached last year for a second time but then acquitted in the Senate. In another congressional inquiry related to Trump, a House of Representatives committee voted on Tuesday to release partially redacted tax filings from Trump and said tax authorities had failed to properly scrutinize his returns while he was in office. The Ways and Means Committee action includes returns between 2015 and 2021, the years Trump was running for president and serving in the White House, panel members said. Trump paid $1.1 million in federal income taxes in his frist three years as president and paid no taxes in 2020, as his income dwindled and losses mounted, according to data released by the committee, the New York Times reported. Trump had fought against releaseing his returns. There was no immediate reaction from Trump or his representatives on the panel’s report. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Alison Williams) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English A toilet will play music and set mood lighting while you go. The Kohler Numi 2.0, a smart bog, will set you back a cool £9,400 but it will make answering nature’s call a bit more techy and fun with many features such as a built-in Alexa, super smart cleaning features and mood boosting properties. The porcelain throne was developed by a Wisconsin-based company and made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas way back in 2019 but has now gone on sale to the general public. It boasts features such as a heated seat, auto flush ability and hands-free experience opening and closing the lid. There is also a n air-dryer for your derriere. Surround sound is also available when users connect to Bluetooth, which can be controlled with a clicker. The fitted bidet feature can be amended for temperature, position and pressure. All appears to be created to make you as clean as can be, like the UV lights and auto mist that wipes away any gross residue. Kohler says the loo gives a “spa-like environment” to your bathroom . View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Ready to make amends? Months after Britney Spears and mom Lynne Spears got into a public squabble on social media, the princess of pop appears to be waving the white flag. Despite rejecting her estranged mom’s apology earlier this year for her role in her conservatorship, going so far as to tell Lynne to “go f**k yourself,” Britney invited her to sit down for a much-needed one-on-one chat. @britneyspears/ Instagram Britney offered her mom a sit down via the caption of yet another confusing Instagram post that featured her smirking at the camera while black eyeliner surrounds her eyes. The photo was taken from her bare shoulders up, though it appears that she was pushing her breasts together without a top or bra on — a pose that has become one of her favorites as of late. ‘GO F**K YOURSELF’: BRITNEY SPEARS SLAMS MOM LYNNE’S APOLOGY, TELLS HER DOCTORS TO ‘BURN IN HELL’ “Instagram doesn’t like posts of people revealing their bodies anymore so here’s a selfie of me in Mexico !!!” she began her caption, before addressing dad Jamie Spears and Lynne. “Mom and Dad … I crossed the border and I made it !!!” mega Seemingly referring to the near 14-years she spent in the conservatorship, with her dad serving as the conservator of her estate until he was suspended in September 2021, Britney continued, “After no coffee for 15 years … Mom we can go have coffee together now !!! I’m treated as an equal … let’s have coffee and talk about it !!!” Britney has savagely gone after her family for the alleged abuse she endured in her conservatorship ever since her bombshell testimony in June 2021. Aside from accusing her dad of treating her like a dog, trying to kill her, spying on her and forcing her to take the mood stabilizing drug lithium against her will, Britney has gone after her mom for abandoning her in her time of need. LYNNE SPEARS CLAPS BACK AT BRITNEY SPEARS’ ACCUSATIONS AFTER SINGER SHARES TEXT MESSAGE EXCHANGE FROM 2019 FACILITY The “Toxic” songstress claimed Lynne could have helped her get a lawyer to free her from the legal bind if she really wanted, insisting the matriarch was actually “the one who gave [Jamie] the idea” for the conservatorship all those years ago. Meanwhile, Lynne has claimed Britney was the one rejecting her and that they should talk face-to-face rather than go back and forth on social media. However, Britney wasn’t having it with her mom’s stance. After the controversial mother figure apologized to her daughter in October for all of the “pain” she has been through, Britney told her to go “f**k” herself. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Charlotte Greenfield KABUL (Reuters) – Female university students in Afghanistan were turned away from campuses on Wednesday after the Taliban-run administration said women would be suspended from tertiary education. The decision to bar women was announced on Tuesday evening in a letter to universities from the higher education ministry, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and the United Nations. “We went to university, the Taliban were at the gate and told us ‘you are not allowed to enter the university until further notice’ … everyone was crying,” said Shaista, a business studies student at a private university in Kabul. Students and Reuters witnesses said that the presence of security forces outside universities was higher than usual and female students were told to leave by armed Taliban forces, even if they were going to complete administrative tasks. The bar on women students is likely to complicate the Taliban administration’s efforts to gain international recognition and to get rid of sanctions that are severely hampering the economy. The U.N.’s mission in Afghanistan asked the Taliban-run administration to “immediately” revoke the decision. It also urged the authorities to reopen girls’ schools beyond the sixth grade and “end all measures preventing women and girls from participating fully in daily public life”. Hasti, a third-year political studies student, was preparing for her final exam scheduled for Wednesday when she heard the news, and spent the evening crying in front of her study materials instead. “I have done my best to study, it is very hard for me, because right now I have to stop my studying and my goals are not achievable…. if the situation continues like this for women, it means women and girls are being buried alive,” she said. MORE SANCTIONS POSSIBLE A student at Kabul University said she initially managed to convince guards to allow her inside to collect her diploma as she had finished her final exams and qualified for her degree. But while inside security forces entered and told all women to leave, including those in the middle of exams, meaning she left empty handed. At Nangahar University, in eastern Afghanistan, male medical students sitting an exam walked out in solidarity with their female classmates, shown in videos posted on social media and confirmed to Reuters by one of the male students. Several male professors at tertiary institutes around the country said on local television and Twitter that they were resigning. According to the late Tuesday announcement, the decision was made by the Taliban administration’s cabinet. Several Taliban officials, including the deputy foreign minister and administration spokesperson, have spoken out in favour of female education in recent months. The Taliban’s supreme spiritual leader, based in the southern city of Kandahar, has the final say on major decisions. Diplomatic and Taliban official sources have told Reuters the issue had been under discussion by the leadership. “This decision had been anticipated for weeks, prompting some Western officials to start talking about additional sanctions and further economic restrictions,” said Graeme Smith, senior consultant at International Crisis Group. “But the flood of outrage from the West will strengthen the resolve of the Taliban leadership, which defines itself as a bulwark against the outside world.” Taliban leadership have said they want peaceful relations with the international community but that foreigners should not interfere in domestic affairs. Most girls are unable to go to school beyond primary classes. The Taliban administration has said it was working on a plan for girls’ secondary education but has not given a time frame. The administration made a surprise U-Turn on signals it would open all high-schools for girls in March. (Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Robert Birsel, Toby Chopra and Alex Richardson) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump paid no income tax during the final full year of his presidency as he reported a loss from his sprawling business interests, according to tax figures released by a congressional panel. The records, released late on Tuesday by the Democratic-led House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee after a years-long fight, show that Trump’s income, and his tax liability, fluctuated dramatically during his four years in the White House. The records cut against the Republican ex-president’s long-cultivated image as a successful businessman as he mounts another bid for the White House. Trump and his wife, Melania, paid some form of tax during all four years, the documents showed, but were able to minimize their income taxes in several years as income from Trump’s businesses was more than offset by deductions and losses. The committee questioned the legitimacy of some of those deductions, including one for $916 million, and members said on Tuesday the tax returns were short on details. The panel is expected to release redacted versions of his full returns in coming days. Trump refused to make his tax returns public during his two presidential bids and his campaign for office, even though all other major-party presidential candidates have done so for decades. The committee obtained the records after a years-long fight and voted on Tuesday to make them public. A Trump spokesman said the release of the documents was politically motivated. “If this injustice can happen to President Trump, it can happen to all Americans without cause,” Trump Organization spokesman Steven Cheung said on Wednesday. Democrats on the panel said their review found that tax authorities did not properly scrutinize Trump’s complex tax returns to ensure accuracy. Though the U.S. Internal Revenue Service is supposed to audit presidents’ tax returns each year, it did not do so until Democrats pressed for action in 2019. The IRS assigned only one agent to the audit most of the time, the panel found, and did not examine some of the deductions claimed by Trump. The IRS declined to comment. Prior to taking office, Trump reported heavy losses for many years from his business to offset hundreds of millions of dollars in income, according to media reports and trial testimony about his finances. The documents released by the committee showed that pattern continued during his time in the White House. During that time Trump and his wife were liable for self-employment and household employment taxes. As a result, they paid a total of $3 million in taxes over those four years. But deductions enabled them to minimize their income tax liability in several years. In 2017, Trump and his wife reported adjusted gross income of negative $12.9 million, leading to a net income tax of $750, the records showed. They reported adjusted gross income of $24.3 million in 2018 and paid a net tax of $1 million, while in 2019 they reported $4.4 million of income in 2019 and paid $134,000 in taxes. In 2020, they reported a loss of $4.8 million and paid no net income tax. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan in WashingtonAdditional reporting by Doina Chiacu in WashingtonEditing by Scott Malone and Matthew Lewis) View the full article