Saka and Arsenal blow away Sporting to banish doubts on road in EuropeIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli airstrikes and evacuation warnings were in a sign that Netanyahu aims to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. Hezbollah, meanwhile, had resumed its rocket fire into Israel, triggering air raid sirens across the country's north. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, in support of the Palestinian militant group. That has set off more than a year of fighting escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon and an Israeli ground invasion of the country’s south. Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets into Israeli military bases, cities and towns, including some 250 projectiles on Sunday. It’s not clear how the ceasefire will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, where more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the 13-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. ——— Here's the Latest: JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country’s east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were “completely civilian places” and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted “We are all hostages,” and “Deal now!” waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. “Of course that didn’t happen,” he says. “This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.” FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn’t refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity . Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a signatory to the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” However, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.” And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.” It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.” The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital’s commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea’s beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut’s suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.” It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country’s only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel’s cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes. FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. (edited)Brightcom Group, shares of which have been suspended from regular trading for nearly seven months now, has shared a detailed plan of how will the company's shares re-list on the stock exchanges. However, there is no timeline yet on when the shares will re-list. Share Market View All Nifty Gainers View All Company Value Change %Change In a separate exchange filing other than its Sunday weekly update, Brightcom Group said that it has worked towards fulfilling all compliance requirements stipulated by the exchanges. It has updated the shareholding pattern for all pending quarters, financial results for all pending quarters have also been declared along with the annual report for financial year 2023. The Annual General Meeting was also conducted for financial year 2023 in November this year. Penalties levied by the NSE and BSE for delays in compliance have also been paid in full, according to the exchange filing. So what next? The exchanges will verify all submitted documents and filings to ensure compliance. The exchanges will also conduct a site visit to confirm the company's operational and regulatory readiness, although a timeline for this has not been shared either. Post the verification, the exchange will issue a circular notifying the date at which the shares will resume trading. Actual re-listing will follow a special exchange procedure. The re-listing process: The re-listing will happen through a Special Pre-Opening Session (SPOS ) as per the exchange rules. The Pre-Open session will take place between 9 AM to 10 AM and will be divided into three stages. Only limit orders will be allowed during the pre-open session. A limit order is an order to buy or sell the stock with a restriction on the buy price limit and a sell price limit or better than the limit. Order entry will take place between 9 AM to 9:45 AM where investors can place, modify or cancel their limit orders. Order matching will take place between 9:45 AM to 9:55 AM, where the limit orders will be matched by the exchanges to determine the opening price. Price discovery and trade confirmations will take place during this period. Transition to regular markets will take place between 9:55 AM and 10 AM where the discovered opening price will become the reference price for the regular market. Regular trading will begin at 10 AM. Price band will be set within the range of 85% lower to 50% higher than the base price, which is the last traded price of the security prior to its re-listing. Brightcom Group shares currently trade in the 'Z' group or Trade-for-Trade category, where trading takes place only on the first trading day of the week with a 5% circuit limit.

First-year swimmers bolster The Dalles roster

Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials following some underwhelming displays away from home, and the Gunners manager got exactly what he asked for. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners had failed to win or score in their two away games in the competition so far this season, but they made a blistering start in the Portuguese capital and took the lead after only seven minutes. Declan Rice fed overlapping full-back Jurrien Timber, who curled a low cross in behind the home defence for Martinelli to finish at the far post. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 20th minute thanks to a glorious ball over the top from Thomas Partey. Saka escaped the clutches of his marker Maximiliano Araujo to beat the offside trap and poke the ball past advancing goalkeeper Franco Israel for Havertz to tap home. It was a scintillating first-half display which completely overshadowed the presence of Viktor Gyokeres in Sporting’s attack. The prolific Sweden striker, formerly of Coventry, has been turning the heads of Europe’s top clubs with his 24 goals in 17 games this season – including a hat-trick against Manchester City earlier this month. But the only time he got a sniff of a run at goal after an optimistic long ball, he was marshalled out of harm’s way by Gabriel. David Raya was forced into one save, tipping a fierce Geovany Quenda drive over the crossbar. But Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Rice’s corner into the back of the net. Our second-half goalscorers ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aFCIMffFaK — Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 26, 2024 To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. Former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards fired over, as did Gyokeres, with Arsenal temporarily on the back foot. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved, and Gyokeres’ miserable night was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.It has been quite the year for the No. 10 ranked golfer in the world, Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau is coming off a season in which he won the 2024 U.S. Open, shooting 6-under for the tournament, and finished second behind Xander Schauffele in the 2024 PGA Championship, shooting a final round of 7-under par 64. The 31-year-old is having one heck of a year, and that goes for his YouTube channel as well. DeChambeau is not only a great golfer but also has one of the best YouTube channels for golf content. DeChambeau's golf channel has reached 1 million subscribers this year, and most of it is due to one of his most popular segments, 'Break 50.' In this segment, DeChambeau and usually a celebrity guest partner up to try to shoot 50 and below throughout 18 holes. DeChambeau's channel features many great celebrities and athletes, but his latest video, which will be released on Wednesday, is promised to be the best yet. DeChambeau shared via his personal Twitter/X that he will have "the greatest to ever play the game." Break 50 with the greatest to ever play the game dropping tomorrow... this video is insane. DeChambeau also shared that Wednesday's episode will be the finale episode of season one. Many on social media have speculated who it will be, and many are guessing between Tiger Woods , Michael Jordan , Tom Brady , or even Wayne Gretzky. Jordan Gretzky Brady or Tiger I am going to guess this is Gretzky Greatest to play the game of basketball = MJ Which game? 👀 Many would assume he would be playing with Woods, but he did not specify in his post. If it is with Woods, that episode would possibly be his most viewed. Woods is arguably the greatest golfer of all time. He is a 15-time major winner and has 82 PGA Tour victories. His records, accolades, and ability to change the game are why Woods is one of a kind. Woods revolutionized the game, and if DeChambeau is on the course with Woods in the video, it is guaranteed to be the most-watched. Nonetheless, the other guesses by fans would be a fun watch as well. Jordan is arguably the greatest of all time in the sport of basketball, and he is an avid golfer. Jordan loves spending time on the course, and a team-up with DeChambeau would be legendary. Gretzky is also an avid golfer who has once made a hole-in-one. Another one in Wednesday's video (if he were to appear) would go a long way toward Breaking 50. Brady is another former athlete who loves to spend his time on the course. He has participated in PGA Tour events since 2004, including the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am six times. Brady has also played with Woods and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. More news: Caitlin Clark Apologizes After Striking Spectator With Ball at Pro-AMIowa QB Cade McNamara slams 'ridiculous' rumors

Warning: This article contains disturbing details of alleged animal abuse. People on social media are calling for a boycott of Butterball brand turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving after People for Ethical Treatment of Animals resurfaced an old video, causing confusion and disturbance. The video, posted to PETA’s Instagram account last week, highlighted disturbing allegations from an investigation at a Butterball plant that reportedly took place nearly 20 years ago. According to PETA’s website, the 2006 “undercover investigation” that allegedly took place at a Butterball slaughterhouse in Ozark, Arkansas, found workers physically and sexually abusing live turkeys. However, Butterball said these allegations took place before the company became privatized and certified by American Humane. The resurfaced video zeroes in on the alleged sexual abuse of the live turkeys. The caption on the video states, “Do you know what happened to your Butterball turkey before they were killed?” However, PETA did not specify that the content was from 18 years ago. Still, a majority of the comments encourage people to boycott Butterball ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Videos of other people on social media discussing PETA’s post have sparked confusion that there is a recall associated with it, but there are currently no active recalls for Butterball turkeys. Scripps News reached out to Butterball and its spokesperson provided the following statement: "We are aware of a video from nearly 20 years ago, which is being re-shared across social media. This video is not current and was taken prior to Butterball becoming a private company and prior to our engagement and certification through American Humane. Animal care and well-being is central to who we are as a company, and we are committed to the ethical and responsible care of our flocks. Eleven years ago, Butterball was the first, and remains the only, turkey company to be American Humane certified. That means we have yearly audits conducted by a third party to ensure compliance with our 200+ science-based standards of best practice for care of turkeys, well exceeding industry best practices. We are proud of this designation that no other turkey company can claim and have a zero-tolerance policy for animal mistreatment."The Top S&P 500 Stock of 2024 (So Far) Isn't Nvidia. Here's Where History Says the Soaring Stock Is Headed in 2025.

Chicago Atlantic REFI REFI stands out in the cannabis finance sector, receiving an “Overweight” rating from senior analyst Pablo Zuanic at Zuanic & Associates . With a near 14% dividend yield, REFI offers an attractive, less volatile way to gain exposure to the cannabis market. The company's loan portfolio boasts a yield to maturity (YTM) of over 18%, indicating the potential average annual return from its loans if held until repayment. Furthermore, with 4.6% of loans in non-accrual status—meaning borrowers have stopped making payments—REFI demonstrates robust risk management. Get Benzinga's exclusive analysis and the top news about the cannabis industry and markets daily in your inbox for free. Subscribe to our newsletter here . You can’t afford to miss out if you're serious about the business. Loan Portfolio And Yield REFI's new loans, up 32% year-over-year, highlight its strong growth potential in year-to-date funding. This growth is supported by a $559 million pipeline, with additional upside from potential cannabis legalization in states like Pennsylvania and Virginia , which could boost demand for financing. The portfolio includes loans across diverse markets, with top states such as Maryland (14%), Pennsylvania (12%) and Missouri (10%) representing a significant portion of the book. Its 1.2% expected credit loss (CECL) reserve and ongoing reversals of provisions signal the stability of its loan book. "We see REFI's dividend as secure, with 118% coverage in Q3 and a pipeline that should sustain growth," Zuanic stated. "The stock offers one of the most compelling risk-adjusted returns in the cannabis sector today." Leveraging Credit Facilities And Operational Leverage REFI has room to increase its leverage, with its gross debt-to-equity ratio at 18% as of September 2024. The company has tapped into only a portion of its $150 million revolving credit facility , leaving significant room to expand. According to Zuanic, REFI is well-positioned to capitalize on the constrained capital environment for cannabis operators. Read Also: 85% Of Cannabis Companies Report Positive Earnings, But Not All Are Winning – See Who’s Leading Loan Book Risk The loan book's risk ratings show that 71% of the portfolio is rated 1-2, indicating low to moderate risk. REFI's exposure to loans with real estate collateral coverage of less than 1x has increased to 39% as of Q3 2024, up from 19% at the end of 2022. However, Zuanic notes that 17% of the book is in markets with challenging economics. The company's focus on high-quality borrowers, including those in states like Michigan , Maryland and New York , underpins the portfolio's stability. Comparisons To Sector Peers And Market Position Among other cannabis capital providers AFCG AFCG , IIPR IIPR , New Lake Capital Partners NLCP and REFI stand out for their lower non-accruals and stronger growth outlook. While AFCG has a similar dividend yield, REFI's loan book is in better shape, with non-accruals at less than 5% compared to AFCG's higher rate. Additionally, REFI’s mortgage REIT competitors, like IIPR and NLCP , offer lower yields and trade at premiums to their book values. By contrast, REFI trades at a 6% premium to book value, with its 18% YTM making it one of the most compelling investment opportunities in the cannabis finance space. Read Also: Better Than The Bank: Weed Real Estate Investment Company’s 14% Yield Beats Traditional Savings Strong Dividend Yield And Earnings Power REFI’s dividend yield remains one of the highest in the sector, with the regular dividend of 47 cents per share well-covered by distributable earnings, which came in at 56 cents per share in Q3 2024—up 12% sequentially. Zuanic estimates that REFI will continue to pay a special dividend of 29 cents in December, bringing the total annual dividend to $2.17 per share, or 13.6% yield on the current share price of $16.01. This represents a compelling yield compared to the 10-year Treasury yield of 4.15%, positioning REFI as an attractive choice for income-focused investors. Read Next: Is MariMed A Safe Haven In The Wake Of Florida’s Cannabis Legalization Defeat? © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) has announced that he is voting against this year’s $900 billion Pentagon budget, citing the defense industry’s “massive fraud” and “waste” as Congress neglects the fact that regular Americans are struggling to survive. In an op-ed in The Guardian on Sunday , Sanders pointed out that the U.S.’s defense budget — which, between the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and other spending for defense, will total nearly $1 trillion — is higher than the next nine top global spenders on the military combined. “The US has fallen far behind other major countries in protecting the most vulnerable, and our government has failed millions of working families. But while so many Americans are struggling to get by, the United States is spending record-breaking amounts of money on the military,” Sanders wrote. The NDAA is poised to come to a vote within the coming days, with the massive figure having not faced much scrutiny in Congress despite the fact that the budget balloons to extreme heights each and every year. This year, Congress is slated to authorize $850 billion for the Department of Defense directly, as well as other “national security” projects, with add-ons like nuclear weapons and emergency spending likely to push the budget close to or over $1 trillion. Sanders pointed out that this spending is going toward an agency that has failed seven audits in a row, unable to account for its over $4 trillion in assets — while hundreds of billions will also go toward private defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, RTX, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman, who charge the government brazenly high prices with little accountability or consequences. For instance, the companies “jacked up prices” as Congress has appropriated emergency funds for defense contractors to expand their production capacity to make weapons for Ukraine, the senator pointed out. These four companies have brought in over $353 billion in revenue from taxpayers since 2022, turning $57 billion in profits and spending $61 billion on dividends and stock buybacks. “Very few people who have researched the military-industrial complex doubt that there is massive fraud, waste and cost over-runs in the system,” Sanders said, pointing out that defense contractors protect their profits and large executive payouts with extensive lobbying campaigns. “We do not need to spend almost a trillion dollars on the military, while half a million Americans are homeless and children go hungry,” Sanders concluded. “I will be voting against the military budget.” In his term in office, President Joe Biden has massively increased the military budget, taking it from $740 billion in 2020 to a level this year that exceeds the amount that the U.S. spent on average each year during World War II when adjusted for inflation, as analyst Stephen Semler has pointed out. When accounting for other military-related programs like veterans’ aid, U.S. spending on militarism in Fiscal Year 2025 will total a whopping $1.6 trillion, according to the National Priorities Project . The U.S.’s militarism projects have horrific and deadly consequences. In the first year of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, for instance, the U.S. sent a record $18 billion in military aid to Israel. The U.S. is slated to send another $20 billion soon, enabling Israel as it carries out an ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza, continually violates a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, and occupies and attacks other surrounding countries like Syria.NAHCON inaugurates committees for 2025 Hajj operations

Effects of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians’ socioeconomic well-beingNone