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Published by BANG Showbiz English Leo Woodall was shocked into “silence” when he learned about his ‘White Lotus’ sex scene. The 26-year-old actor stars as Essex boy Jack in the HBO comedy series set at a vacation resort and while viewers have been led to believe that the character of Quentin – played by ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Tom Hollander, 55, – is his uncle, he was surprised to learn that that was not the case at all and the pair were actually due to film a sex scene together. He said: “Well,[I didn’t know], not right when I signed on, but it wasn’t too long after that. I’d been told I might have a rumble and tumble with a couple of characters, but I didn’t know who. When I was told that Tom Hollander was playing my uncle, I was already elated. Then the news dropped about that moment and I just had about ten seconds of silence, digesting it. Tom and I were both a bit nervous, but Mike White was very light about everything, especially on the day. “ The ‘Cherry’ star went on to add that there was an intimacy coordinator on set and joked that the day was “definitely a bonding moment” but he just wanted to “mentally prepare” for going into the “best job” on television. He told Vulture: “We were filming other things before, and he was like, “… Are you ready?” We had a really good intimacy coordinator, who took it seriously but also had fun with it. Definitely a bonding moment. The whole job was about mentally preparing to go into the best show in the world, so everything that came with it took some mental preparation. My first day of filming was actually that sexy scene with Haley. That was the introduction to this job. Quite rock and roll! “But [Tom] is a gentleman and a true professional. There was a moment where he gave me a real boost because I was feeling very overwhelmed early on. On our second shoot day, he just sort of figuratively put an arm around me and was supportive. I’ve got a lot of respect for that.” View the full article

Published by AFP The US Supreme Court heard the first immigration case of the current term Washington (AFP) – The US Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case brought by border state Texas challenging the federal government’s right to decide which undocumented migrants should be targeted for deportation. Defending the Biden’s administration’s policy, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said the federal government has to prioritize its efforts because it does not have the resources to pursue the 11 million undocumented “noncitizens” in the country. “This is not about reducing enforcement of the immigration laws, it’s about prioritizing limited resources to say go after Person A instead of Person B,” Prelogar said. After more than two hours of arguments, the nine justices on the conservative-majority court did not appear to fall clearly on one side or the other of the case, which also raises thorny questions of the legality of state challenges to federal policies. “It means that states can challenge the federal government on any policy with which they disagree,” Prelogar said. “Federal courts should not be transformed into open forums for each and every policy dispute between the states and the national government.” Texas filed suit after the Department of Homeland Security, in a September 2021 memo, instructed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to concentrate expulsion efforts on persons who “pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security.” “We do not have the resources to apprehend and seek the removal of every one of these noncitizens,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. “Therefore, we need to exercise our discretion and determine whom to prioritize for immigration enforcement action.” Texas solicitor general Judd Stone said prioritizing expulsion of undocumented migrants to certain categories of persons would impose costs on the state, which shares a border with Mexico and is an entry point for hundreds of thousands of immigrants every year. “Texas suffers injuries, regardless of what it does, whether it detains, releases or paroles individuals because we have not only law enforcement costs, but social services costs and very serious threats of recidivism,” Stone said. ‘Zenith of federal power’ Elena Kagan, one of the three liberal justices on the court, appeared skeptical about the costs argument and the potential danger of limiting federal authority. “Immigration policy is supposed to be the zenith of federal power,” Kagan said. “And instead, we’re creating a system where a combination of states and courts can bring immigration policy to a dead halt. “We’re going to be in a situation where every administration is confronted by suits by states that can, you know, bring a policy to a dead halt, to a dead stop, by just showing a dollars worth of costs,” Kagan said. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked the Texas solicitor general what would happen if the court rules in favor of Texas, whose Republican governor has been sending busloads of immigrants to Democratic-ruled states. “If you prevail here, what will happen?” Kavanaugh said. “That’s a concern because I’m not sure much will change because they don’t have the resources to change.” The Biden administration’s move to target individuals considered a threat to national security or public safety for deportation represented a shift from the policy of the administration of former president Donald Trump, which called for the expulsion of “all removable aliens.” The Biden policy was immediately challenged by several Republican-led states as being too narrow and was blocked by a court in Texas. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling by the end of June. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Mills and Charlotte Bruneau DOHA (Reuters) -The United States triumphed on the pitch over longtime adversary Iran on Tuesday in a World Cup showdown overshadowed by protests raging in Iran and laced with decades of political tension between the two countries. The contest between the two nations, who severed ties more than 40 years ago, was held with increased security to prevent a flare-up over the unrest that has gripped Iran since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16. In a show of solidarity with protesters in Iran ahead of the match, the U.S. Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, leading Tehran to complain to FIFA. Qatar, which has strong ties with Washington and friendly relations with Tehran, has staked its reputation on delivering a smooth World Cup, beefing up security at Iran games and banning some items deemed inflammatory, like Iran’s pre-revolution flag. U.S.-Iranian tensions have worsened since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump abandoned Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Efforts to salvage the pact under President Joe Biden’s administration have stalled. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in Romania, played down any link between the match and political tensions and said he hoped the game would “speak for itself”, adding that he would be watching and cheering on his country. In sporting terms, the 1-0 win for the United States means they progress to the knockout stage, while Iran are out of the competition. But for fans attending the first World Cup in the Middle East, or watching across the world, Iran’s domestic politics and its four decades of troubled relations with the United States formed the dominant backdrop to the sporting contest. Extra security personnel, some mounted on horseback, patrolled outside the stadium ahead of the match while guards at the perimeter made Iranians unfurl their flags before entering. Police were stationed throughout the stadium alongside regular security guards. Some carried batons. Early in the second half, a group of fans briefly held up letters spelling Mahsa Amini’s name, to applause from Iranian supporters around them. Security personnel took their signs but allowed them to remain in their seats. A Qatari official said before the match that authorities would ensure all matches were “safe and welcoming for all spectators”. Items that “could increase tensions and risk the safety of fans” would not be permitted at stadiums. Gulf Arab monarchies, including Qatar, do not tolerate domestic dissent and protests are rare in the region. “NOT MY TEAM” Ahead of the match, some fans outside Al Thumama Stadium sought to highlight the protests which authorities in Iran have tried for more than two months to quell. “Everybody should know about this. We don’t have voice in Iran,” said an Iranian living in the United States who gave his name only as Sam. He raised his shirt to show a T-shirt underneath with the protesters’ slogan: “Woman, Life, Freedom”. Speaking by phone from Tehran shortly before kick-off, 21-year-old Elham said she wanted the United States to win because victory for the national squad, known as Team Melli, would be a gift for Iranian authorities. “This is not my national team. It is not the Melli team, it is the mullahs’ team,” she said. Under pressure to publicly support protesters at home, the Iran team declined to sing the national anthem in their first game against England, which they lost 6-2. But they sang it ahead of their second match, a 2-0 victory over Wales, and again on Tuesday. The unrest in Iran poses one of the boldest challenges to the theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials over the crackdown on protesters. Washington and Tehran severed formal relations in 1980 after the revolution. When their soccer teams clashed in the 1998 World Cup, Iran emerged with a 2-1 victory. Steve Garcia, from Phoenix, Arizona, said the United States and Iran had their differences but could come together in sport. “I know there’s a lot of politics going on, but the way I look at it like – hey, we’re here to have a common bond, which is the sport of football, soccer,” he said. (Addional reporting by Maya Gebeily, Parisa Hafezi and Elwely Elwelly; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous and Dominic Evans; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Rosalba O’Brien) View the full article

Published by AFP New York mayor Eric Adams has made fighting violent crime the centerpiece of his work running America's largest city New York (AFP) – New York will start involuntarily hospitalizing mentally ill people who live in the street or on the subway, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday in a new push to fight growing crime. “If severe mental illness is causing someone to be unsheltered and a danger to themselves, we have a moral obligation to help them get the treatment and care they need,” said Adams, a moderate Democrat and former police officer who is making the battle against violent crime the centerpiece of his work running America’s largest city. Next year the state legislature and executive branch will consider a bill allowing police, health care professionals and social workers to intervene and seek to hospitalize by force if necessary homeless people deemed to have psychiatric problems. “A common misunderstanding persists that we cannot provide involuntary assistance unless the person is violent, suicidal, or presenting a risk of imminent harm,” the mayor said. “This myth must be put to rest. Going forward, we will make every effort to assist those who are suffering from mental illness and whose illness is endangering them by preventing them from meeting their basic human needs,” he added. After taking office in January, Adams quickly pledged to remove the many homeless people who live in the city’s vast subway system. This came after a young Asian-American woman was pushed to her death in front of an oncoming train by a man with mental health issues who was known to police and hospital officials. New York City has an estimated 50,000 homeless people. Crime rose in New York in 2021 as the pandemic started to ease, and people’s sense of not being safe on the streets grew this year in some areas of the city after a number of shooting and stabbing deaths. A total of 391 people have been killed in New York as of November 27, compared to 440 in all of 2021, according to New York Police Department statistics that are updated weekly. View the full article

Published by AFP For Iranian fans watching the US-Iran game in the United States, there were mixed emotions Los Angeles (AFP) – It was — mostly — about the football for fans watching the Iran-USA game in the United States on Tuesday, a match played against the backdrop of soaring geopolitical tensions, which occasionally poked their way through the sport. Scores of supporters packed a restaurant in a part of Los Angeles known locally as “Tehrangeles” because of the large number of Iranians and Iranian-Americans in the area, cheering their way through a lively meet-up happening half a world away. Chants of “USA, USA” erupted periodically as the US men’s team dominated action on the pitch in Qatar, bagging their first win of the tournament by a score of 1-0 and securing a spot in the knock-out stage. For some Iranian-Americans, either outcome would have worked. “I support both,” said a woman who gave her name only as Shirin. Iran’s team have been under intense scrutiny in Qatar, their players watched for signs that they are — or are not — showing support for mass anti-government demonstrations back home, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in custody of the notorious morality police on September 16. Players opted not to sing their national anthem before Iran’s 6-2 defeat to England, in an apparent sign of support for the demonstrators at home, but did sing ahead of their 2-0 win against Wales. As the anthem struck up ahead of Tuesday’s kick-off, some Iranian fans in Los Angeles raised their middle fingers to the screen as players mouthed the words. Others were more reserved. “Honestly, considering the situation in Iran I found myself torn, so I felt good about the game either way honestly,” said Aubteen Maroufi, an Iranian-American in his 20s. In a bar in Washington DC, one Iranian-American who gave his name as Mike said he had mixed feelings about the game, but had been rooting for the United States. “I didn’t want it to give another joy to the Iranian government,” he said. “My heart is with the Iranian people, not with the government.” Iranian-American student Darius, 23, said Iran’s players were in a difficult position. “With all that what’s going on in the country, they’re playing for more than just themselves, more than just a team,” he told AFP. “They’re playing for the people back home.” US fans in Los Angeles, basking in victory as “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen reverberated over the restaurant’s sound system, said the game and the politics were separate. “I don’t think supporting the Iran players means you are supporting the regime. It’s two different things,” said supporter Max Spear. “I know some people used the game to show support to the revolution by booing the national anthem, but I don’t think this game is a West versus East thing.” There was some animosity, with one group of younger men wearing Iranian jerseys making rude gestures every time a US player appeared on screen — although whether this was because of diplomatic tensions or good old-fashioned footballing rivalry was difficult to tell. “We played hard,” said one of the men, kissing his jersey. One Iranian-American, who gave her name as Rachel, said she was firmly in the US camp. “I’ve been living here for so long, 30 years,” she told AFP. But asked about the politics of her adopted homeland meeting its biggest international foe in metaphorical battle, she demurred. “It’s a really complicated question, I don’t want to answer it,” she said. burs-hg/dw View the full article

Published by AlterNet Fox News propagandist Tucker Carlson, whose nightly show frequently has the largest reach of any on cable news, regularly attacks the LGBTQ community with fear-mongering and hate-filled segments about gay people, transgender people, “groomers” and the latest target: “drag queen story hours.” His senior executive producer, who oversees Carlson’s media empire at Fox News, is a married, out, gay man named Justin Wells, according to veteran journalist and SiriusXM Progress host Michelangelo Signorile, who is calling it “beyond horrific to think a gay man has helped to shape and widely disseminate … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Fountains of lava upto 200 feet (60 meters) high are spewing from Mauna Loa in Hawaii Los Angeles (AFP) – Fountains of lava up to 200 feet (60 meters) high have been fired into the air from Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, geologists say, generating rivers of molten rock from the world’s largest active volcano. Four fissures have now opened up on the mammoth mountain, which burst into life on Sunday for the first time in almost 40 years. Vast clouds of steam and smoke were billowing into the sky from the volcano, which makes up half of Hawaii’s Big Island. “Estimates of the tallest fountain heights are between 100–200 feet” but most are much smaller, the United States Geological Survey said in an update Monday. “There is a visible gas plume from the erupting fissure fountains and lava flows, with the plume primarily being blown to the Northwest.” Geologists say there is currently no risk to people and property below the eruption. “The longest and largest lava flow is issuing from fissure three,” the USGS said Tuesday. “This lava flow crossed the Mauna Loa Weather Observatory Road… and the flow front was located approximately six miles (10 kilometers) from Saddle Road (the main road at the foot of the northern flank).” The lava fountain from the newest fissure was up to 33 feet high, the agency said. Everything is currently contained in the Northeast Rift Zone, the USGS said, but warned Mauna Loa is a dynamic volcano. “Additional fissures could open along the Northeast Rift Zone below the current location, and lava flows can continue to travel downslope.” Pressure has been building at Mauna Loa for years, the USGS said, and the eruption — which lit up the night sky — could be seen 45 miles (72 kilometers) away, in the west coast town of Kona. While lava is not presently a risk to populations, scientists have said winds could carry volcanic gas and fine ash downslope, as well as Pele’s Hair — fine strands of volcanic glass formed when lava skeins cool quickly in the air. Named after Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, the strands can be very sharp and pose potential danger to skin and eyes. ‘Long Mountain’ Authorities in Hawaii have not issued any evacuation orders, although the summit area and several roads in the region were closed, and two shelters have been opened as a precaution. The largest volcano on Earth by volume, Mauna Loa, whose name means “Long Mountain,” is larger than the rest of the Hawaiian islands combined. The volcano’s submarine flanks stretch for miles to an ocean floor that is in turn depressed by Mauna Loa’s great mass — making its summit some 11 miles above its base, according to the USGS. One of six active volcanoes on the Hawaiian islands, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843. Its most recent eruption, in 1984, lasted 22 days and produced lava flows reached to within about four miles of Hilo. Kilauea, a volcano on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa, erupted almost continuously between 1983 and 2019, and a minor eruption there has been ongoing for months. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Stewart Rhodes, founder of the right-wing Oath Keepers militia group, was found guilty on Tuesday of seditious conspiracy for last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to overturn then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss – an important victory for the Justice Department. The verdicts against Rhodes and four co-defendants, after three days of deliberations by the 12-member jury, came in the highest-profile trial so far to emerge from the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, with other high-profile trials due to begin next month. Rhodes, a Yale Law School-educated former Army paratrooper and disbarred attorney, was accused by prosecutors during an eight-week trial of fomenting a plot to use force to try to block Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden’s election victory over Trump, a Republican. Rhodes was convicted on three counts and acquitted on two. One of his co-defendants, Kelly Meggs, was also found guilty of seditious conspiracy while the three others – Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell – were acquitted of that charge. All five defendants were convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding – the congressional certification of the election results – with mixed verdicts on a handful of other charges. The charges of seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding each carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta presided over the trial. Rhodes, who wears an eye patch after accidentally shooting himself in the face with his own gun, is one of the most prominent defendants of the roughly 900 charged so far in connection with the attack. Meggs, who heads the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, was the only defendant besides Rhodes in this trial who played a leadership role in the organization. Rhodes in 2009 founded the Oath Keepers, a militia group whose members include current and retired U.S. military personnel, law enforcement officers and first responders. Its members have showed up, often heavily armed, at protests and political events around the United States including the racial justice demonstrations following the murder of a Black man named George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer. ‘MIXED BAG’ Rhodes’ lawyer Ed Tarpley called the verdicts in the trial “a mixed bag.” “We are grateful for the not guilty verdicts received, we are disappointed in the guilty verdicts,” Tarpley told reporters outside court. “There was no evidence introduced to indicate there was a plan to attack the Capitol.” Prosecutors during the trial said Rhodes and his co-defendants planned to use force to prevent Congress from formally certifying Biden’s election victory. Meggs, Watkins and Harrelson all entered the Capitol clad in tactical gear. The defendants was were accused of creating a “quick reaction force” that prosecutors said positioned at a nearby Virginia hotel and was equipped with firearms that could be quickly transported into Washington if summoned. Fifty witnesses testified during the trial. Rhodes and two of his co-defendants testified in their own defense. They denied plotting any attack or seeking to block Congress from certifying the election results, though Watkins admitted to impeding police officers protecting the Capitol. Rhodes told the jury he had no plan to storm the Capitol and did not learn that some of his fellow Oath Keepers had breached the building until after the riot had ended. Prosecutors during cross-examination sought to paint Rhodes as a liar, showing him page after page of his inflammatory text messages, videos, photos and audio recordings. These included Rhodes lamenting about not bringing rifles to Washington on Jan. 6 and saying he could have hanged U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat reviled by the right, from a lamppost. Watkins, a transgender woman who fled the U.S. Army after being confronted with homophobic slurs, and Caldwell, a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, also chose to testify. Watkins admitted to having “criminal liability” for impeding police officers inside the Capitol and apologized. At the same time, Watkins denied having any plan to storm the building, describing being “swept up” just as enthusiastic shoppers behave on “Black Friday” when they rush into stores to purchase discount-price holiday gifts like TVs. Caldwell, who like Rhodes did not enter the Capitol building and never formally joined the Oath Keepers, tried to downplay some of the inflammatory texts he sent in connection with the attack. Caldwell said some of the lines were adapted from or inspired by movies such as “The Princess Bride” and cartoons such as Bugs Bunny. Four other Oath Keepers members charged with seditious conspiracy are due to go to trial in December. Members of another right-wing group called the Proud Boys, including its former chairman Enrique Tarrio, also are due to head to trial on seditious conspiracy charges in December. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Additional reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Heartless King Charles III blackmailed his dying mother, Queen Elizabeth, into publicly naming his despised mistress-wife, Camilla, the next queen, RadarOnline.com has learned. The ruthless royal twisted the screws on his frail mom by refusing to pay her favorite son Prince Andrew‘s teen accuser a reported $13 million unless she agreed to let Camilla rule by his side as queen — and announce it to the world. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to keep conniving Camilla happy — and Charles seized it,” charges a high-level palace courier. Mega Andrew, 62, was embroiled in a devastating New York civil court case with Virginia Giuffre, an accuser who claimed she was trafficked to the royal by the prince’s late pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein and his now-imprisoned madam Ghislaine Maxwell. Although Andrew denied her charge, the blueblood settled out of court — even though he didn’t have the cash to pay Virginia off. So his big brother capitalized on the situation, spies said. “I’m told Charles knew Her Majesty was desperate to get Andrew off the hook at any cost — and he named his price to do it,” confided the source. The future king proposed a simple quid pro quo — he wouldn’t oppose the multimillion-dollar settlement if Camilla was named queen, author Christopher Andersen, exposed the details of the bombshell deal in his new book, The King: The Life of Charles III. “Charles was in a position where he needed the queen to endorse Camilla as they approached the Platinum Jubilee… and these things converged.” Mega The confrontation took place several months before the popular 96-year-old monarch died at her Balmoral retreat in Scotland on Sept. 8. The royal family was said to be stunned by the queen’s sudden February announcement that it was her “sincere consort when Charles succeeded her.” “They didn’t have a clue this was coming,” said the courtier. “Now we know the truth. Charles apparently realized the millions Her Majesty wanted to spend to bail out Andrew would effectively come out of his own inheritance — and he made his mother an offer too dangerous to ignore. If Her Majesty refused his proposal, Charles would reject Andrew’s settlement deal, plunging the royal into yet another scandal.” Charles resorted to blackmail under tremendous pressure from Camilla, said another palace insider, adding, “She even threatened to leave him! “He’d already persuaded his mother not to push him aside in favor of his son Prince William and beloved Kate. However, Camilla wasn’t content with being called Princess Consort, which Charles had promised her when they wed in 2005. Her goal has always been to be queen. But Her Majesty was reluctant — until Charles apparently pulled out his ace card.” Mega Still, Camilla shouldn’t rest on her laurels, warned insiders. Charles is allegedly so terrified his booze-loving wife’s drunken antics will derail his long-awaited coronation in May, he sent her to an Indian detox center for 10 days. But she returned apparently more scheming than ever in announcing game-changing plans for her role as queen. “That put Charles on red alert,” the palace courtier claimed. “He knows Camilla is a loose cannon who’s fallen off the wagon many times before and caused him untold embarrassment.” Now, Charles is said to be hellbent on controlling her. “During one of their marriage crises, Camilla threatened a tell-all book exposing his deepest secrets, including his kinky sex habits,” noted the courtier. “He knows he can’t allow her to go rogue now. He’d have to retract Camilla’s Queen Consort title himself. “Making no mistake, Charles has waited for decades to become king, and he wants to cement his place in history. He won’t let anything or anyone — even Camilla — stand in his way.” View the full article

Published by The Boot Even at 76 years old, Dolly Parton never seems to slow down. From music to movies, philanthropic efforts and even her own theme park, there is very little the country veteran hasn’t done. Now, she has her eyes set on establishing a few brick and mortars in Nashville. “I’m going to have a museum here [in Nashville] pretty soon,” she tells theTennessean, noting that she wants to open it within the next few years. The museum will be a part of a larger complex that Parton calls the “Dolly Center.” Although she doesn’t expand on the details of this complex, the facility will not be a her first fora… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Emma Farge and Shivani Tanna GENEVA (Reuters) -The World Health Organization said on Monday it would start using a new preferred term, “mpox”, as a synonym for monkeypox and urged others to follow suit after receiving complaints that the current name for the disease was racist and stigmatising. “Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while ‘monkeypox’ is phased out,” the WHO said in a statement. The WHO launched a public consultation process to find a new name for the disease earlier this year and received more than 200 proposals. The United States, which was among the countries and bodies supporting the name change, welcomed the announcement. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)will also begin using the term “mpox”, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a tweet. “We welcome and support the renaming to mpox to reduce stigma and barriers to care for those most impacted,” Walensky added. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said “reducing stigma associated with disease is one critical step in our work to end mpox.” One of the more popular public suggestions was “mpox” or “Mpox”, put forward by men’s health organisation RÉZO among others. Its director said at the time that the removal of monkey imagery helped people take the health emergency seriously. Some ideas were farcical such as “Poxy McPoxface” which alluded to Boaty McBoatface – the choice of a public vote on the name of a British polar research vessel, before a decision to give it another name – Sir David Attenborough. The WHO said global experts settled on “mpox” after considering the scientific appropriateness, extent of current usage as well as pronounceability among other factors. Mpox, discovered in 1958 and named after the first animal to show symptoms, mostly spread in a group of countries in west and central Africa until this year. Around 100 countries where mpox is not endemic have now reported outbreaks of the viral disease. The WHO has a mandate to assign new names to existing diseases under the International Classification of Diseases. Generally, it seeks to avoid associating any disease or virus with a country, region, animal or ethnic group. Last year, it assigned the letters of the Greek alphabet to new coronavirus variants to stop a practice of linking them with specific countries. (Reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva, Shivani Tanna and Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Ahmed Aboulenien and Jeff Mason in Washington; Editing by Mark Heinrich & Simon Cameron-Moore) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Kelly Ripa‘s Instagram is for Madonna and Madonna only. The talk show host, 52, owned up to an embarrassing confession that she purposefully began posting shirtless photos of her husband, Mark Consuelos, as soon as the Queen of Pop followed her on the social media platform. @kellyripa/instagram On Monday, November 28, Ripa joined the “Everything Iconic” podcast, where she admitted to host Danny Pellegrino that she solely posts thirst traps of the 51-year-old hunk for “an audience of one.” JENNIFER LOPEZ & BEN AFFLECK, BLAKE LIVELY & RYAN REYNOLDS AND MORE! HOLLYWOOD’S FAVORITE COUPLES “[Celebrity trainer] Isaac Boots told me. He’s like, ‘Oh, my God, Madonna followed you,’ and I was like, ‘What? What? What?!’ And I immediately sort of changed everything I posted,” the Live with Kelly and Ryan star explained of her efforts to grasp the “Material Girl” singer’s attention. mega “I started posting only shirtless photos of Mark because I was like, ‘Madonna doesn’t want to see my kids. She wants to see eye candy,’” Ripa quipped, adding that her intentions behind switching up her feed were “so dark-sided.” KELLY RIPA REACTS TO 25-YEAR-OLD SON MICHAEL CONSUELOS MAKING ‘SEXIEST MEN ALIVE’ LIST: ‘ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!’ “My thought bubbles of Madonna following me and me feeding her something was like, forget anybody else,” the All My Children alum concluded of her fangirl tendencies toward the pop icon. Although Ripa remains confident enough to flaunt her husband’s flattering figure all over social media, the television personality previously confessed that it took a lot of time and dedication to make the attractive couple’s relationship as strong as it is today. “On paper it should not have worked and when it didn’t work, we really worked at it,” the blonde beauty expressed in an interview for her People cover story, published Monday, September 26. “We fought for our marriage when it would have been easier to quit and throw in the towel.” @kellyripa/instagram The Hope & Faith actress recalled how she and the Riverdale actor “didn’t know any other way” than to work through rough patches within her marriage, as her own “parents have been married for 61 years and Mark’s parents have been married for 55 years.” Ripa and Consuelos have been married for 26 years and share three children, Michael, 24, Lola, 20, Joaquin, 18. View the full article

Published by DPA A streaker with the rainbow flag and political messages about Ukraine and Iran on the T-shirt runs across the lawn during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H soccer match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium. Tom Weller/dpa The activist who ran onto the pitch at the World Cup in Qatar on Monday carrying a rainbow flag says he is not in custody. “No legal consequences, I am free,” Italian Mario Ferri wrote on his Instagram page on Tuesday, thanking everyone for their support. He entered the pitch during the match between Portugal and Uruguay and was taken away by stewards. The messages “Save Ukraine” and “Respect for Iranian Woman” were written on his T-shirt. The rainbow flag appeared to have the word “peace” written on in Italian and is a common sight in Italy. However, rainbow colours have caused controversy at the World Cup because they are a symbol of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community and same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar. World football’s governing body FIFA prevented seven European captains from wearing a multi-coloured armband at the tournament because it might offend the hosts. A streaker with the rainbow flag and political messages about Ukraine and Iran on the T-shirt runs across the lawn during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H soccer match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium. Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa View the full article

Published by Global Voices Image courtesy Giovana Fleck Metin Cihan is a Turkish journalist who has long been engaged in exposing corruption among government officials. On July 17, 2022, Twitter restricted his Twitter account on the grounds that the journalist shared private information, even though none of the information he shared was private. In his tweets, Cihan exposed businesses, names, affiliations, bank account information, and tenders related to the Canikli Files — named after politician Nurettin Canikli, who has been involved in far-reaching corruption in Turkey. Cihan’s Twitter account was eventually restored… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA If children believe they were born with the wrong gender, puberty blockers can temporarily halt their development into a man or a woman. These drugs are not without controversy. Jens Kalaene/dpa Gender non-conformity has become a hot-button issue for many people. It often arises from what’s medically known as gender dysphoria, a feeling of discomfort or distress when a person’s gender identity doesn’t match their gender assigned at birth. Children with this feeling can be prescribed “puberty blockers,” also called pubertal blockers or (synthetic pituitary) hormone blockers, to put off puberty and “give them more time to decide” whether to fully transition to their experienced gender, says Jakob Maske, spokesman for the Cologne-based Professional Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ). Detractors of the drugs, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, see them as the outgrowth of a dangerous new trend, and their supporters as a legitimate way to spare gender-nonconforming kids the intense stress often caused by the physical changes of puberty. GnRH analogues are synthetic drugs modelled after GnRH, which acts upon its receptors on cells in the pituitary gland, stimulating the release of hormones that, in turn, stimulate the production and release of sex hormones by the testicles in men and ovaries in women. They bind to the receptors, thereby blocking them. According to the BVKJ, GnRH analogues are “very rarely” prescribed. Specific numbers aren’t available. Maske contradicts critics who say doctors prescribe the drugs too liberally. “I think they’re prescribed very conscientiously,” he tells dpa. “The decision is made by a team that includes the child, the parents and at least two doctors from different disciplines. I don’t think it’s taken lightly.” He says the drugs aren’t harmless, and that stunted bone growth is one side effect. While the effects of puberty blockers are reversible – when kids stop taking them, their body goes through puberty normally – “the [lost] growth may not be recuperable,” Maske points out. The drugs can also affect mood, circulation and, in particular, libido, he notes, calling the last-named effect “counterproductive” if the aim is to pause puberty while the child decides whether to accept their biological gender. Feeling no sexual desire for the opposite sex, he says, tends to bolster their belief that their assigned gender isn’t right. Adolescents who interrupt puberty with GnRH analogues but later decide to stick to their biological gender appear to be the exception. In a Dutch study published in October in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal, 704 of 720 young people who had started taking the drugs in adolescence went on to transgender hormone therapy. Does this mean that only those who really needed the drugs got them, or that the drugs paved the way to a gender transition that the patients otherwise wouldn’t have made? Study co-author Dr Marianne van der Loos, an internal medicine physician at the Centre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria at Amsterdam University Medical Centres (UMC), is quoted by The Lancet as saying the findings are “reassuring in the context of recent increased public concern regarding regret of transitioning.” In 1998, The Lancet says, the Netherlands introduced a new treatment protocol for young people under 18 diagnosed with gender dysphoria. After a “thorough diagnostic evaluation,” they’re offered puberty blockers to pause physical changes that can be stressful to them, giving them time to “explore their gender identity.” Those who continue to desire to transition medically can subsequently begin transgender hormone treatment after age 15–16. Puberty blockers for young people under 18 have recently become a subject of public debate, and in some countries, such as the US and Britain, legal measures have been taken to ban or limit their use, The Lancet notes. It concedes that “although short-term studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of puberty-suppression treatment for adolescents’ mental and physical health, long-term follow-up data are lacking.” Maske is non-committal on whether increased gender change is merely a passing fashion or that more people who truly have a gender-identity conflict are now unwilling to “live the rest of their lives in the wrong body.” What’s important, he says, is that “every child needs individual counselling before beginning [puberty-suppression] treatment and must then be closely monitored.” View the full article

Published by The Philadelphia Inquirer ‘Tis the season, apparently. Pre-Thanksgiving travelers who clogged the busy Gate D10 at Seattle-Tacoma International were shocked — although maybe slightly less shocked than they would have been five years ago — to see a young-adult male passenger abruptly throw up a Nazi salute and begin a barely comprehensible antisemitic rant. “Heil Hitler! Sieg Heil!” the man shouted, as fellow travelers either shook their heads or flipped on their iPhones. “Race war!” Airport police arrested the man, later identified as Nicholas Edward Letney, before he could board the Dallas-bound flight. As he was drag… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Pat Boone, now 88, went from being a major teen idol, pop star and actor during the 1950s and 1960s to being a far-right conspiracy theorist and an outspoken ally of the Christian Right and far-right White evangelical fundamentalists. The Jacksonville, Florida native supported former President Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020, but now, following the 2022 midterms, Boone is hoping that Trump won’t be the GOP’s 2024 presidential nominee. During an interview with the Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove published on November 29, Boone said, “If Trump were to ask my advice, I would ask him not to run…. I d… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Twitter is not in a good place right now. Many users, nervous about the platform's free speech policy, the company's loss of key staff and a rise in fake accounts, are switching to the next best thing, Mastodon. Should you join them? Zacharie Scheurer/dpa Twitter is about to implode. Or maybe not? It’s anything but clear what fate awaits Twitter in the coming weeks and months. In any case, the company is in a rough spot after it lost numerous critical employees in a mass cull. Twitter’s sales revenue meanwhile appears to be at risk after Elon Musk’s blue tick policy backfired and prompted a shower of “verified” fake accounts, such as a genuine-looking Pepsi account tweeting that Coke is better. Many users, fearing that Twitter will soon become a safe haven for far-right trolls and misinformation under Musk’s free speech policy, have since found their way onto Mastodon. Mastowhat? Mastodon, once a lesser-known social media platform used mostly by tech nerds, has been put in the spotlight during Musk’s chaotic takeover of Twitter. Picture the exact same kind of platform as Twitter, only fewer ads, fewer algorithms, and, alas, much fewer users. Once you get past a little jargon at the beginning, it’s not difficult to get up and running. Here’s how it works and what it can do. What’s with the name? Mastodons were primitive, elephant-like animals that became extinct around 10,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age. That’s why you won’t see phrases like “tweet” from the so-called “bird app”. On Mastodon, you “toot.” The idea for the name came from Eugen Rochko, who founded Mastodon in 2016 and has been developing it ever since, free of advertising and tracking. The entire software development is financed by donations. What can Mastodon do? Mastodon shares the same basic features as Twitter. You can follow others and see their posts, which are called toots, not tweets. Just like on Twitter, you post short texts with attached pictures, videos, audio or polls. You can also limit who can see your tweets – ahem, toots. The same goes for direct messages, hashtags and trending topics. You can also retweet other toots, only that here it’s called “boosting”. Like on Twitter, you can secure your account by adding two-factor authentication to your login, meaning you need to confirm logins on new devices. Is it better than Twitter? You’ll have to decide that for yourself, of course, but advocates say there are two major benefits over Twitter – a timeline that isn’t reordered by algorithms like on Twitter and a decentralised network that isn’t controlled by one company. First of all, your start page is where you can find posts from all the people or organisations you follow in chronological order. Mastodon strictly adheres to chronology. That means there are real timelines, unlike Twitter’s re-ordering of tweets as determined by algorithms designed to increase your interaction. “Your home feed should be filled with what matters to you most, not what a corporation thinks you should see,” reads the mission statement on the Mastodon page. Secondly, Mastodon is also a decentralised social network, connected and powered by open source, free software. Whether it’s for an organisation or a private user, anyone who wants to can run an independent Mastodon server. These are called “instances” and each one exists independently of other instances. That means that control is not in the hands of one company – or one “free speech absolutist” billionaire oligarch – but in the hands of those who wants to participate on running the server. It helps to know this before you sign up, since you’ll need to pick an instance for your account. Many – but not all – instances focus on a topic of interest, be it LGBTQ+ issues, cloud computing or just a particular country or city. Once you have signed up to an instance, you’ll be able to see a feed of what everyone on that instance is tooting in the “local” view. The “federation” view, on the other hand, broadens your perspective to all toots from all servers. Like the start page, the local and federation views are also organised as timelines. Those leaving Twitter, meanwhile, may argue that it’s biggest advantage is that it’s not Twitter, a company recently decimated by tech tycoon Elon Musk in an effort to secure profitability, measures that some fear have undermined the company’s long-term stability. Meanwhile, Musk’s push for free speech and amnesty for banned users, combined with a chaotic roll-out of blue ticks for cash, followed by fake accounts spoofing companies and celebrities, has worried many long-time users about a surge in far-right content and fake posts. And is anything worse than on Twitter? There’s no denying that Mastodon doesn’t come anywhere close to the scale of Twitter, and the vast majority of major celebrities and media organizations on Twitter have yet to make the jump. While Mastodon does have many of the same features, the switch feels somewhat like moving from a buzzing city like New York to a small town in a different country. While the absence of algorithm-based feed of toots has its benefits, it can make for rather dull scrolling depending on what accounts you follow. One media account tooting a dozen or so stories can quickly clog your feed and drown out other potentially interesting toots you may have missed earlier in the day. At the same time, social media nerds and news junkies may find themselves missing Tweetdeck, the advanced version of Twitter. Ok I’m interested. Which server/instance should I sign up to? First of all, it’s important to know that no matter which one you choose, you’ll always be able to see content on all the other servers and interact with all the other users. That’s the purpose of the “federation” view. However, every server operator can block other servers. And it can set rules that then apply to the users of its own server. So it makes sense to look for a community with which you can perhaps not only identify thematically, but whose moderation suits you overall. Are there server directories? Yes, a server directory can be found on the official Mastodon page. It only contains servers that consistently commit to moderating against racism, sexism and transphobia (https://joinmastodon.org/de/covenant). Another possible starting point for your own Mastodon account is the page “Instances.social”, which currently lists more than 3,700 servers worldwide. If you answer a few questions, you will be shown a list of servers that might suit you. Although you can register directly with many servers, there are also instances where you first have to request an invitation, which no longer accept new members or which are basically closed. Wait, what if I later find a community I like better? No problem. You can have several accounts on different Mastodon servers at the same time. You can also move an existing account with your followers to a new account on another server at any time. Instructions can be found directly in the account settings or in the Mastodon documentation. In the settings under “Import and Export” you can also download the other data categories (except media) in CSV format, such as lists or bookmarks. And not only to import them into the new account when you plan to move. Regular backups are also a good idea in case the instance on which you are logged in is unexpectedly switched off. All data categories including media storage can be downloaded once a week as an archive. So I’ve found the right instance – now what? Selecting the server was already half the battle. Now you have to hit “Create account” on the page of your preferred instance, accept the respective server rules, enter an email address and specify both a display name and profile name (preceded by @). The user name is extended with the name of the community domain so that communication and searches are possible across server boundaries (example: @[email protected]). What are my first steps as a new user? After registering, you’ll need to complete your profile (picture, background, interests) and adjust notifications and privacy settings in the settings. For example, you can set it so that followers can only follow you after approval. You can also specify that your own posts do not go into the public timeline by default. Nevertheless, when writing a post, you always have the option to make a different setting for this post individually using the lock symbol. How can I find my Twitter contacts on Mastodon? There are services like Fedifinder or Debirdify that can analyse your Twitter profile to see which contacts are also on Mastodon. This information is available as a list that can also be saved in CSV format and then imported into Mastodon. If you plan on staying on Twitter for the time being, then it’s not a bad idea to change your username to your Mastodon profile name. That way, every time you tweet, your followers see that you’re on Mastodon and know how to find you. For it to work, you need to enter the profile name and community domain, eg. “@[email protected]”, not just “@profilname”. Are there also apps? Yes. In addition to the web app and the official apps for Android and iOS, which have been available since April 2022, there are various third-party apps for different platforms and operating systems. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega The mother of the Colorado Springs’ Club Q shooting suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, was arrested for disorderly conduct — on the same night that her son allegelly stole the lives of five innocent people and injured more than a dozen, RadarOnline.com has learned. Laura Vopel, 45, was taken into custody on November 20 at her apartment, just hours after the deaths at the gay club. mega According to police, Vopel’s arrest occurred around 3:30 AM at her Union Boulevard apartment in Colorado Springs. Authorities claim the 45-year-old became combative and loud as she was warned “multiple times” about her behavior, which included screaming. mega After failed to keep her voice down despite warnings, police attempted to arrest Vopel. Upon doing so, officers claim Vopel “became physically combative by physically resisting officers.” Once police were able to apprehend Vopel, she was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. The charges are a misdemeanor and an “unclassified petty offense.” A neighbor of Vopel, who wished to remain anonymous, told CBS News that they previously heard shouting coming from inside or in the vicinity of Vopel’s apartment. Vopel’s arrest, on the same night that her non-binary son was taken into custody in connection to the mass shooting, would not be the first time Vopel was placed in handcuffs. mega Just as Aldrich’s biological dad has a troubled past, so does the suspected shooter’s mother. Vopel’s records showed that the Colorado Springs woman had been arrested for an arson charge in Bexar County. The arson charge was eventually dropped to a lesser level and Vopel only served five years of probation in August 2013. The mother’s record also included three outstanding warrants for her arrest in California. Vopel was not booked into jail over the recent incident on November 20, however, she is expected to appear for a summons for the arrest incident on January 25. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Shocking details have emerged regarding the “hellish” and “inhumane” conditions Brittney Griner is set to face in the Russian penal colony where she will serve her nine-year prison sentence, RadarOnline.com has learned. The startling development comes as the United States continues to work with Russia in an effort to bring the 32-year-old imprisoned WNBA star home. Mega The new details also come just a few short weeks after Griner’s sentencing appeal was denied, meaning the convicted basketball player is set to be transferred to IK-2 – an infamous Russian penal colony described by many as one of the worst prisons in the nation. According to Daily Mail, IK-2 is located roughly 270 miles southeast of Moscow in Mordovia – a federal subject of Russia. IK-2 has been described as “inhumane” with inmates there allegedly forced to live and work under “slavery-like” conditions. Even more concerning are reports Griner is expected to face both racist and homophobic discrimination at the penal colony by not only the prison’s guards but also by Griner’s fellow inmates. Those who have served time at IK-2 in the past described the penal colony as almost completely lacking in medical care while prisoners are forced to work 16-hour and 17-hour days inside “rat-infested” sweatshops. Prisoners are also reportedly only allowed four hours of sleep each night. Mega One former prisoner, Veronika Krass, claimed a sign reading “Welcome to Hell” greets new inmates being transferred to IK-2 and that “beatings and torture are common” at the infamous Russian penal colony. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Nadya Tolokonnikova – a member of the Russian punk rock and protest band P—y Riot – was arrested in 2012 and forced to serve two years in IK-14, a similar penal colony located only seven minutes from IK-2. According to Tolokonnikova, she was “terrified” after learning Griner was transferred to IK-2 because of its “terrible conditions” and the “human rights abuses” performed on prisoners on a daily basis. “I’m terrified that Brittney Griner was moved to IK-2,” the P—y Riot member said last week. “It’s one of the harshest colonies — it is literally the harshest colony in the whole Russian prison system.” Mega “I was protesting terrible conditions in my penal colony,” she continued. “But I know every single chief official who works at IK-2, and I know exactly what human rights abuses they perform on a daily basis and the kind of torture they use against prisoners.” Despite reports of the “hellish” conditions awaiting Griner at IK-2, a representative for the WNBA star said Griner is trying her best to stay strong amid the latest developments. “Despite the fact she is alone and now nearing her ninth month in detention separated from her loved ones, she is trying to stay strong,” Griner’s representative said. As RadarOnline.com reported, Griner was first arrested in February in Moscow after she was allegedly found with vape cartridges containing less than one gram of marijuana oil in her luggage. After pleading guilty to the charges against her in August, Griner was sentenced to 9.5 years in Russian prison. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Elon Musk says Apple has “mostly stopped advertising on Twitter”. The Tesla billionaire, 51, also asked on the platform: “Do they hate free speech in America?” after a string of big-name bands pulled out of their partnerships with the company after he acquired it for $44 billion. According to non-profit watchdog Media Matters, 50 of Twitter’s top 100 advertisers, which have spent around $2 billion since the start of 2020, have halted advertising on the site in recent weeks, including Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, Kraft, Coca Cola, Chanel, CNN, Heineken, and Kellogg’s. It comes amid worries over Elon’s plans to give users increased “free speech”, which has seen ex-US president Donald Trump’s banned account restored. In the first full week under Elon’s ownership of Twitter, the Center for Countering Digital Hate claimed the use of racist, homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic slurs soared after he took over on October 27. There is also controversy after Elon fired around 50 per cent of Twitter’s 7,500-strong workforce after he bought up the firm in October. And he has sparked concern by warning remaining workers they must be willing to work “long hours at high intensity”. A spokesperson for Kellogg’s said earlier this month it was halting its ads as it wanted to “monitor this new direction and evaluate our marketing spend”. View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rio de Janeiro’s LGBTQ+ Pride marched through the streets, attracting a multi-coloured sea of people on Sunday. The theme of the 27th edition of the parade was “Courage to be happy,” emphasizing the strength of the LGBTQ+ community. Performers staged a re-enactment of the election results with a duo dressed as Brazil’s president and his wife, Jair Bolsonaro and Michele Bolsonaro, playing recordings of Bolsonaro dismissing the COVID-19 pandemic and homophobic quotes. Read More View the full article

Published by DPA Security members take care of a streaker with a tee-shirt of superman saying save Ukraine and rainbow flag during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H soccer match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium. Virginie Lefour/BELGA/dpa An unknown person holding a rainbow flag invaded the pitch during the World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay in Qatar on Monday. The game had to be interrupted for a few minutes. Despite efforts from World Cup broadcasters to avoid showing the action, it was possible to briefly see someone running across the pitch with the flag, which is a symbol of the LGBT community. Photos published on social media also showed that the front of the pitch invader shirt read “Save Ukraine” and the back read “Respect For Iranian Women.” Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar, and the World Cup hosts have been widely criticized for its handling of the LGBTQ+ community, among other things. Earlier in the tournament, a group of nations planned to wear a multi-coloured One Love captain armband in a sign for equality and diversity, but backed down after football governing body FIFA threatened financial and sporting sanctions. A streaker with the rainbow flag and political messages about Ukraine and Iran on the T-shirt runs across the lawn during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H soccer match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium. Tom Weller/dpa A streaker with the rainbow flag and political messages about Ukraine and Iran on the T-shirt runs across the lawn during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H soccer match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium. Tom Weller/dpa View the full article