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At least 70 people have been killed in mass shootings across the United States so far this year    Firearm injuries are now the leading cause of death among people younger than 24 in the United States, according to a study published in the December 2022 edition of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. At least 70 people have been killed in mass shootings across the United States so far this year, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). In the latest incident on Monday, seven people were killed and one critically injured in two related shootings at agricultural facilities in a coastal community in northern California. The shooting took place less than 48 hours after a man killed 11 people during a Lunar New Year celebration near Los Angeles, California on Saturday night.  WK News, Sacramento. 

The world is shocked at how an extremist like Rasmus Paludan was allowed to become a politician in a country like Sweden. The world has erupted in anger and alarm after far-right racist 'Danish-Swedish politician' Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Holy Quran under the "freedom of expression" guise in front of the Turkish embassy building in Stockholm. The world is shocked at how an extremist like Rasmus Paludan was allowed to become a politician in a country like Sweden. A police officer said on condition of anonymity, "It is a matter of great shame for us that we have to provide security to someone like Rasmus Paludan." Several police officers expressed similar sentiments against Rasmus .  Two years ago Good Samaritans and Danish jazz musicians followed Rasmus wherever he went and drowned out his voice with bad music. Police officials said that they cannot arrest these musicians as it is their "freedom of expression''.  Erik, 23, said, '&

Ukraine urges allies to ''think faster'' on Military Aid | Ukraine-Russia War.  A Senior Adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges Ukraine’s allies to ''think faster'' about increasing their military aid. Ukraine's Minister of Defense- Oleksii Reznikov said that he had a frank chat with his German counterpart Germany's new Defense Minister- Boris Pistorius about the supply of Leopard tanks.  The Russian defense ministry has said it held a training exercise on repelling air attacks in the Moscow region. ''In the Moscow region, a training session was held with the personnel of the anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Western Military District on repelling air attacks on important military, industrial and administrative facilities,'' the ministry said in a statement.  WK News. 

Ukrainian soldiers receive bionic arms  Two Ukrainian soldiers are among the first to receive a new type of prosthesis, after losing their hands when a landmine exploded. Andrii Gidzun and Vitalii Ivashchuk were filmed being fitted with bionic arms. Open Bionics, a British tech company, developed the 3D-printed prosthetics and sent a team of technicians to Munich, Germany. The charity Superhumans, with the support of Ukraine's Ministry of Health, is now developing a hospital in Lviv, Ukraine, to help people who have lost their limbs.   WK News, London. 

A historic building in Lima’s historic center caught fire late on Thursday, as heated anti-government protests spread across the Peruvian capital.  The building in Lima caught fire as protests against Peru's President Dina Boluarte continued. This comes after thousands of protesters led anti-government protest in Lima, angered by a mounting death toll since unrest erupted last month and calling for sweeping change. Firefighters battled to put the blaze out as unrest spread across the Peruvian capital.  Governments in Peru in recent years have been anything but stable. The country has seen a series of presidents ousted and a number of ex-presidents sent to prison for crimes committed during their time in office. Dozens of lives have been lost during weeks of demonstrations in Peru, after former President of Peru- Pedro Castillo was ousted. Protesters want Dina Boluarte to step down as president and hold fresh elections, and Pedro Castillo to be released from custody.  WK News, Lima.

ZeroAvia Makes Aviation History | 19-seater, hydrogen-electric engine aircraft.  The zero-emission flight took a giant step forward with ZeroAvia. ZeroAvia's 19-seater aircraft, powered entirely by a hydrogen-electric engine, completed a successful test flight. It is currently the world's largest aircraft powered by a hydrogen-electric engine.  The flight took place from the company’s Research & Development facility at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. And the test flight lasted for around 10 minutes. At 1.35 pm GMT this afternoon the aircraft completed taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit, and landing. The landmark flight forms part of the HyFlyer II project, a major Research & Development (R&D) program backed by the UK Government’s flagship ATI Programme, which targets the development of a 600kW powertrain to support 9-19 seat aircraft worldwide with zero-emission flight. The ATI Programme funds industrial research and investment aid for resea

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in an emotional press briefing that she will step down from her role as PM, saying "it's time."  New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in an emotional press briefing on Thursday that she would be stepping down from her role as Prime Minister by February 7 after five and a half years of service.  Prime Minister Ardern said she had taken time to consider her future over the summer break, hoping to find the heart and energy to go on in the role. "But unfortunately I haven't, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue," she told reporters on Thursday.  "This has been the most fulfilling 5 1/2 years of my life, but it has also had its challenges," Ardern said, citing crises from the COVID-19 pandemic to the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand's history. "But I'm not leaving because it was hard," she said. "I am leaving because with s

President Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska offer their condolences as they attend a memorial ceremony. International reaction following the tragic helicopter crash and the death of 14 people including Ukraine's ministry officials and children  in Brovary.  Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska have attended a memorial service to commemorate the 14 people killed in a helicopter crash this week.  Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs- Denys Monastyrskyi, First Deputy Minister- Yevhen Yenin, State Secretary- Yurii Lubkovych, and four other ministry officials were killed when their French-made Super Puma helicopter plummeted amid fog into a nursery on the eastern outskirts of Kyiv on Wednesday. Another seven people were killed, including one child, in the crash. Emergency Responders and other officials are still investigating the cause of the crash.  Monarchs, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and High Officials of various organizations have expre

Chief of the National Police Ihor Klymenko will serve as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs following Brovary helicopter crash Earlier on Wednesday, a helicopter crash near a kindergarten in the Kyiv region killed Ukrainian Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky and the leadership team of Ukraine’s interior ministry who were traveling on the aircraft.  According to the statement from the Ukrainian Prime Minister on Wednesday,  Ihor  Klymenko had officially been appointed to the role of  Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs,  but would fulfil the responsibilities of the minister.  Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal  announced the appointment hours after the previous Minister, Denys Monastyrskyi, was killed in a helicopter crash near Kyiv.  WK News, Kyiv.

Search-and-rescue operations have ended | State Emergency Service of Ukraine  According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, search-and-rescue operations have ended at the Brovary helicopter crash site.  The State Emergency Service of Ukraine revised the number of dead down to 14 as of 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET) on Wednesday. The previous number was 16 people. According to the updated information, 14 dead people were found at the crash site, including one child and nine people who were on board the helicopter. Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky was among those killed on the helicopter. Another 25 people, including 11 children, have been injured.  An operational center has been set up in Brovary, located in Lyceum #10, where people affected by the helicopter crash and their relatives may seek psychological and medical assistance. Search-and-rescue operations have now ended at the crash site, the service said Wednesday afternoon.  Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missil

14 people, including a minister and 2 children, have died in helicopter crash in Kyiv, Ukraine A helicopter carrying several Ukrainian officials has crashed near a nursery outside the capital, Kyiv. Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky died alongside his first Deputy Minister and State Secretary. In the hours since the disaster, Ukrainian officials and the emergency services have announced figures ranging from 14 to 16 people killed, including children. According to the emergency responders, 14 dead people were found at the crash site, including one child and nine people who were on board the helicopter. Minister Denis Monastyrsky was among those killed on the aircraft. Search-and-rescue operations are still going on.  WK News, Kyiv.  

Around 60,000 people have died of Covid since early December in China.  Nearly 60,000 people have died of the coronavirus in China since December, a National Health Commission (NHC) medical official said Saturday at a press conference in Beijing.  Jiao Yahui, the head of the NHC's medical affairs department said that China recorded 59,938 Covid-related deaths between December 8 and January 12. Of these deaths, 5,503 were from respiratory failure caused by Covid infections and 54,435 were people infected with Covid as well as underlying illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.  On Saturday, WHO Director-General - Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke to Chinese Health Minister - Ma Xiaowei about the surge. Chinese officials shared information including the latest numbers on outpatient clinics, hospitalizations, patients requiring emergency treatment and critical care, and hospital deaths, the WHO said in a statement. The NHC medical official - Jiao Yahui said fever clinic

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht announced her resignation on Monday.  German Defence Minister, Christine Lambrecht resigned from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government on Monday. Christine Lambrecht said in a written statement that she had submitted her resignation request to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that “months of media focus on my person” had stood in the way of a factual debate about the military and Germany’s security policy. “The chancellor respects the decision by Ms. Lambrecht and thanks her for her good work in these difficult and challenging times," Christiane Hoffmann told reporters in Berlin.  The minister was repeatedly attacked over public blunders and her handling of the war in Ukraine. She is the most senior member of Olaf Scholz’s government to resign. Ms. Lambrecht was due to meet other defence ministers from Ukraine's western allies at the American military base in Ramstein on Friday to discuss further support for Ukraine.  The German gove

The photo was made available on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, by Italian Carabinieri. Matteo Messina Denaro, right, is seen in a car with Italian Carabinieri personnel soon after his arrest at a private clinic in Palermo, Sicily.  Italy’s most wanted fugitive, convicted Mafia leader, Matteo Messina Denaro was captured on Monday in Sicily, after three decades on the run.  Italy’s most wanted fugitive, convicted Mafia leader, Matteo Messina Denaro was captured on Monday at a private clinic in Palermo, Sicily, after three decades on the run. Messina Denaro was captured at the clinic where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition, said General Pasquale Angelosanto, the head of Carabinieri's special operations squad. The Carabinieri is a Military Police (MP) branch of the Italian Armed Forces.  Messina Denaro is alleged to be a boss of the notorious Cosa Nostra mafia, and he was tried and sentenced to life in jail in absentia in 2002 over numerous murders. He was tried i

Flight with 72-onboard crashes on runway at Pokhara International Airport, 36 dead  An ATR 72 aircraft of the Yeti Airlines crashed today in Pokhara in Nepal. According to the initial reports, the aircraft flew from Kathmandu to Pokhara on Sunday morning and the accident took place while landing at the Pokhara airport. There were a total of 68 passengers and four crew members.  Of the passengers, 53 are said to be Nepalese. There were five Indian, four Russians, and two Koreans on the plane. There was also one passenger each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina, and France among others.  Hundreds of Nepali emergency responders - army, police, and fire services are involved in the operation at the accident site in the gorge of the Seti river, just one and a half kilometers from the airport. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency meeting of his cabinet and urged state agencies to work on rescue operations.  WK News, Kathmandu.

Government of Canada has imposed sanctions on four Sri Lankan state officials, including former presidents   The Government of Canada has imposed sanctions on four Sri Lankan government officials, including former presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.   According to the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sanctions are over human rights violations committed during the armed conflict from 1983 to 2009. Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa oversaw the forces that were accused of targeting Tamil civilians. The Sri Lankan government has taken “limited meaningful and concrete action” to uphold its human rights obligations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada said on Tuesday in a press release. In addition to former presidents, sanctions have also been imposed on Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake and Lt Commander Chandana P Hettiarachchithe, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.   Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned last July, and hi

The United States and Japan have unveiled plans to strengthen security cooperation | US-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting 2023    The United States and Japan unveiled plans Wednesday to strengthen their alliance. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hold a joint news conference with Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada as part of the 2023 US-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting in Washington, DC, January 11, 2023.  US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said - "It is hard to overstate the importance of the U.S.-Japan Alliance.  For more than seven decades, it’s been the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific – ensuring the security, the liberty, the prosperity of our people and people across the region. One of the Alliance’s enduring sources of strength is our ability to adapt it to meet the evolving challenges as well as the opportunities before us."  In the join