Monday, January 20, 2025
The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

Monday, January 20, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/world/ceo-of-us-healthcare-and-insurance-giant-shot-dead-in-manhattan/

World

CEO of US healthcare and insurance giant shot dead in Manhattan

Published 5 December 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Brian Thompson was 50 years old.
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Brian Thompson, CEO of US healthcare and insurance giant UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed outside a hotel in Manhattan, New York, last night. Police are searching for a suspect who witnesses say fled the scene on an electric bicycle.

The murder occurred early Wednesday morning as the company was hosting an event for investors at a Manhattan hotel. Witnesses say the gunman waited outside the building and then shot Brian Thompson at point-blank range.

Based on the manner in which the attack was carried out, the New York Police Department suspects that Brian Thompson’s murder was both planned and targeted. They have released footage that they believe shows the suspected shooter firing at Thompson.

Surveillance video shows Brian Thompson, dressed in a blue suit, walking down a quiet street. The gunman approaches him from behind and opens fire. Thompson stumbles forward as a witness runs to safety.

The gunman continues to fire as Thompson falls to the ground, then flees the scene on a city rental bike.

The New York Police Department has offered a reward of more than $10,000 for information in the case.

Förekommit tidigare hot

New York City Police Commissioner Joseph Kenny said the gunman arrived at the scene about five minutes before the shooting and was waiting for Brian Thompson.

Brian Thompson’s wife says there have been threats in the past, but the circumstances surrounding them are unclear.

With a market capitalization of more than $560 billion, UnitedHealthcare is the largest health insurance company in the United States.

Brian Thompson, CEO of the company’s insurance arm since 2021, had worked for the group for over 20 years. UnitedHealthcare describes him as a highly valued colleague and expresses great shock and sadness over the incident, NBC reports.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Facts: UnitedHealthcare

  • Founded: 1977
  • Headquarters: Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA
  • Business: Largest health insurer in the US, offering health services and insurance
  • Market capitalization: Approximately SEK 6 130 billion (2024).
  • Owner: Subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, one of the world's largest health companies.
  • Employees: Over 400 000 globally.

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https://nordictimes.com/world/trump-sworn-in-today-mass-deportations-top-agenda/

World

Trump sworn in today – mass deportations top agenda

Donald Trump's USA

Published today 13:53
– By Editorial Staff
Trump intends to sign a “record-setting” number of executive orders during his first term in office.
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Today, January 20, Donald Trump is sworn in as the country’s 47th president – and nearly a quarter of a million tickets have been distributed to Americans who want to witness the inauguration ceremony.

Trump has promised to immediately end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, close the borders with Mexico and deport millions of illegal migrants as soon as he takes office, and many voters are now expecting these campaign promises to be quickly fulfilled.

Due to bad weather, the ceremony will take place indoors in the rotunda instead of outdoors on the Capitol steps as usual, with security checks opening just before 12 noon. Music, poetry, dancing, speeches and prayers will follow before Vice President J.D. Vance is first sworn in and repeats the same oath used since 1884.

Around 6 p.m. CET, Donald Trump will lay his hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, followed by his inaugural address – a ritual led by Chief Justice John Roberts of the US Supreme Court.

Tickets are required to attend the swearing-in ceremony and although they are free, there has been a huge demand for them, and you have to apply for them through your local politician or senator. According to the congressional committee organizing the ceremony, nearly 250,000 tickets have been distributed to the public.

Because so many people want to see the installation, giant video screens and sound systems have also been placed in the area to ensure that all those gathered can follow the ceremony smoothly.

In the afternoon, there will also be an inauguration parade with around 7,500 participants along Pennsylvania Avenue towards the White House, including veterans, emergency services personnel and school bands. After this, Trump will officially enter the White House – his new place of work and residence, and later in the evening there will be several balls where the President is expected to attend.

“Have to get the criminals out”

And Trump’s first week as president is expected to be a busy one. He has declared that he intends to sign a “record-setting” number of executive orders as soon as he takes office and that mass deportations of illegal migrants and a trip to Los Angeles to survey the damage caused by the wildfires are at the top of his agenda.

– It’ll begin very early, very quickly. I can’t say which cities because things are evolving. And I don’t think we want to say what city. You’ll see it firsthand, the President-elect recently declared.

– We have to get the criminals out of our country. And I think you would agree with that. I don’t know how anyone could not agree.

“The US must be respected”

The situation in Gaza is also high on Trump’s list of priorities, with the Israeli government recently approving a proposal for a temporary ceasefire and a prisoner swap that will see 33 Israeli hostages released in exchange for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.

Trump is a strong supporter of Israel and will soon also visit Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu. Although he will not give further details about this meeting, he stresses that it is important to ensure that the ceasefire is maintained.

– The United States has to get respected again, and it has to get respected fast. If they respect us, it will hold. If they don’t respect us, all hell will break out.

Earlier in his campaign, Trump also promised to close the border with Mexico, fire all transgender people in the military, remove left-wing activism from the education system and end the war in Ukraine immediately after taking office, among other things.

He tells NBC News that there are about 100 measures to be implemented as quickly as possible. Another example of this is that the Biden administration’s investment in electric cars is expected to be scrapped and replaced by increased investment in oil and other fossil fuels.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/new-massive-uranium-deposit-found-in-china/

World

New massive uranium deposit found in China

Published today 7:35
– By Editorial Staff
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China has discovered a significant uranium deposit in its north-western region. The discovery will significantly increase the country’s uranium resources.

The China Geological Survey, under the Ministry of Natural Resources, announced on Friday that major progress has been made in uranium exploration in the Jingchuan area of the Ordos Plateau, also known as Hetao in Chinese, reports the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper.

It is the first ultra-large uranium deposit in the world to be discovered in a region dominated by aeolian sandstone, a type of rock formed by the wind’s effect on sediments. In addition to the 200,000 square kilometer Ordos Basin, similar areas can also be found in other parts of China.

The discovery of the Jingchuan uranium deposit is expected to create new exploration opportunities in China and help secure the country’s uranium resources.

China has also recently made one of the world’s largest gold discoveries. The discovery, made in the Wangu gold field in Pingjiang County, is estimated to contain over 1 000 tons of gold worth more than €80 billion.

Uranium is mainly used as fuel for nuclear power plants.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/biden-warns-of-tech-oligarchs-power-in-farewell-address/

World

Biden warns of tech oligarchs’ power in farewell address

Published 16 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Joe Biden says the “tech-industrial complex” threatens the future of the US.
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On Monday, Donald Trump will be sworn in as US president and yesterday Joe Biden gave his farewell address at the White House.

In his last public address to the nation, the 82-year-old Biden warned that a new oligarchy of tech moguls is taking over the United States, threatening democracy and the rights and freedoms of the American people.

– Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence, that literally threatens our entire democracy. Our basic rights and freedoms. And a fair shot for everyone to get ahead, the heavily criticized president proclaimed.

According to Biden, it is “a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra wealthy people” that risks undermining the very foundation of the American way of life.

The speech was clearly inspired by then-President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1961 address to the nation, but where he highlighted the dangers of an emerging “military-industrial complex”, Biden instead warned of the “tech-industrial complex”.

– Powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interest for power and profit. We must not be bullied to sacrifice in the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren, he continued.

“An avalanche of disinformation”

The Democrat further argued that Americans today are “buried under an avalanche of disinformation”, that “the truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit” and also warned that the development of artificial intelligence “risks creating new threats” to Americans, their rights and way of life.

The resignation speech has drawn mixed reactions. While many agree with the outgoing president that Silicon Valley has a huge influence on American politics, critics also point out that during his time as president, the Democrats and even Biden himself have shown a flexible approach to citizens’ rights and freedoms, judging by the strict COVID-19 policies.

Against this background, others question Biden’s criticism and argue that he is not fundamentally critical of the fact that power is in the hands of a few individuals – but rather that the conflict is about the fact that the tech billionaires who support Donald Trump belong to a different part of the power establishment and thus compete with the Democrats.

It also points out that while it is true that some of the world’s richest people are funding Donald Trump and the Republicans, Biden and the Democrats have also frequently received donations from multi-billionaires with political ambitions, including perhaps most notably extensive support from the notorious ultra-globalist George Soros, and that it is unclear how the Democrats’ billionaires are “better” than the Republicans’.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/qatar-confirms-ceasefire-in-gaza-starting-sunday/

World

Qatar confirms ceasefire in Gaza starting Sunday

The situation in Gaza

Published 16 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the agreement “an important first step” and urged the parties to stick to their commitments.
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Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement that will take effect on Sunday, January 19. Qatar, which mediated the negotiations, confirmed the news during a press conference on Wednesday evening.

The truce includes the release of hostages, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the hope that the fighting will eventually stop completely.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Al-Thani, announced on Wednesday that the ceasefire will have an initial duration of six weeks, according to Swedish TV4.

The Prime Minister expressed hope that the truce will lead to a permanent solution.

– Hopefully, these are the last negotiations leading to a permanent ceasefire.

Under the three-stage agreement, Hamas will, in phase one, release 33 Israeli hostages (out of a total of 98) in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners. The parties have also agreed to allow daily shipments of up to 600 trucks of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reports.

The “Trump effect” may have played a role

Political analysts and experts believe that US President-elect Donald Trump may have had an indirect impact on the agreement.

Isabell Schierenbeck, a political scientist at the University of Gothenburg, says: “Trump’s upcoming inauguration has probably acted as a catalyst for the parties to reach a ceasefire. There is a clear political signal that it may be more difficult to negotiate in the future”, she says in a comment to Stampen-owned Göteborgs-Posten.

Trump himself has taken credit for the agreement, expressing this on his social platform Truth Social.

– This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November, he wrote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly thanked Donald Trump in a phone call for his role in making the truce possible.

Some hope but also uncertainty

The ceasefire is welcomed by many international actors as an important step towards reducing tensions and delivering much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, among others, expressing his support for the agreement and stressing the importance of getting aid to those in need.

Despite this, there is still uncertainty about how sustainable the agreement will be. Previous ceasefires have been broken by both sides, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas remains deeply rooted.

According to local reports, both sides plan to use the ceasefire to redeploy their forces, raising fears that fighting could resume with renewed intensity after the agreement ends.

Swedish foreign minister: “Greatly welcomed”

Several countries, including Sweden, have welcomed the agreement. The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard (M), expresses cautious hope.

– The news of a ceasefire in Gaza is greatly welcomed. At last, several hostages can be reunited with their families. My thoughts are with the families of those who have not returned alive. It is now absolutely essential that the ceasefire eases the immense suffering of Gaza’s civilian population and increases access to humanitarian aid, writes the Foreign Minister in a comment to TV4.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Draft ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas (according to Associated Press).

PHASE 1: (42 days)

  • Hamas releases 33 hostages, including female civilians and soldiers, children and civilians over 50.
  • Israel releases 30 Palestinian prisoners for every civilian hostage and 50 for every female soldier.
  • Fighting stops, Israeli forces move out of populated areas to the outskirts of the Gaza Strip.
  • Displaced Palestinians start returning home, more aid enters the Strip.

PHASE 2: (42 days)

  • Declaration of “sustainable calm”.
  • Hamas releases remaining male hostages (soldiers and civilians) in exchange for a yet to be negotiated number of Palestinian prisoners and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.

PHASE 3:

  • Bodies of deceased Israeli hostages are exchanged for bodies of deceased Palestinian soldiers.
  • Implementation of a reconstruction plan in Gaza.
  • Border crossings into and out of Gaza are reopened.