Lionel Messi’s last-gasp goal earns Inter Miami a draw against LA Galaxy in front of star-studded crowd

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami looks on during the second half of a game against LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on February 25, 2024 in Carson, California.

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami looks on during the second half of a game against LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on February 25, 2024 in Carson, California. Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesCNN — 

The stars were out in force to watch Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami against LA Galaxy in Sunday’s 1-1 draw – and the Argentine, unsurprisingly, didn’t disappoint.

Tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, actors Halle Berry, Edward Norton and Liv Tyler, musician Anderson Paak, footballers Tobin Heath and Christen Press and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi were all in attendance to sample Messimania for themselves.

LA Galaxy, once a home for some of Major League Soccer’s superstar signings following David Beckham’s arrival in 2007, took the lead in the 75th minute through Serbian striker Dejan Joveljić.

Despite its new star-studded lineup, which now also features Luis Saurez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, Inter Miami was thoroughly outplayed for much of the match and looked to be heading for defeat until Messi’s intervention in the 92nd minute.

Novak Djokovic was in attendance to experience Messimania.

Novak Djokovic was in attendance to experience Messimania. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Fans will likely have experienced déjà vu for the equalizer as former Barcelona teammates Messi and Alba turned back the clock, passing the ball between themselves four times before the Argentine finished the move by sliding in and steering the ball past Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy.

Miami was aided by a red card shown to Galaxy midfielder Marco Delgado in the 88th minute after Busquets appeared to dive, with the referee showing the American a second yellow.

Despite this being a home game for the Galaxy, a significant roar went up in the stadium as the goal went in, before pockets of Argentina and Miami fans started bowing to Messi from the stands.

Former Galaxy star Beckham, who has a statue outside of the the club’s stadium and is now a part-owner of Inter Miami, didn’t celebrate the equalizing goal against his former team.

“It’s true that they dominated the first half, especially with the period in which Riqui Puig had the most amount of time with the ball and made the team play very well,” Miami coach Gerardo Martino said after the match, per MLS.

“They recently got their last two DPs [Designated Players] and because of that, the team looks completely different,” Martino added, referring to Galaxy stars Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil. “Because they have a great No. 9 and also two dangerous wingers, and also they’re very solid defensively.

Actors Edward Norton and Liv Tyler watched alongside David Beckham and son Brooklyn Beckham.

Actors Edward Norton and Liv Tyler watched alongside David Beckham and son Brooklyn Beckham. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images North America/Getty Images

“But then we had the personality to https://gorenganpedas.com continue searching, and we reached the tie, well, you could say with the genius of Leo.”

Additonally, Sunday’s performance came hours before Messi reach 500 million Instagram followers, the second most on the app behind only long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Japan and the UK are in recessions. Is the US next?

Consumer spending is one of the main drivers of economic growth in the US.

Consumer spending is one of the main drivers of economic growth in the US. Ash Ponders/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesNew YorkCNN — 

And just like that, two of the world’s largest economies are in technical recessions.

On Thursday, Japan and the UK both reported their second consecutive negative quarters of gross domestic product, fitting the widely agreed-upon definition of a recession.

Could the US, the world’s largest economy, be next? Far from it.

Japan’s economic contraction is connected to its shrinking population, wrote Paul Donovan, chief economist at UBS Global Wealth Management, in a note Thursday. In 2022, the nation’s population declined by 800,000, marking the 14th consecutive year of contraction. That limits the country’s ability to grow because it means “fewer people make and consume fewer things,” Donovan said.

In the UK, however, population and wage growth weren’t sufficient to stave off a drop in consumer spending, one of the main drivers of that economy.

Japan's economy contracted at an annualized pace of 0.4% in the last three months of 2023, causing it to lose its position as the world’s third-largest economy to Germany.

Japan’s economy contracted at an annualized pace of 0.4% in the last three months of 2023, causing it to lose its position as the world’s third-largest economy to Germany. Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images

The state of the US economy

The polar opposite occurred in the US. In the past two quarters, the nation’s economy experienced much higher than expected GDP growth, due in large part to robust consumer spending.

The US economy has an edge over most advanced economies thanks to $5 trillion in pandemic stimulus money, which continues to help bolster household finances. Another advantage is being less dependent on Russian energy, making it less vulnerable than many other countries to the surge in natural gas prices that followed the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But Thursday’s US retail sales data for the month of January came in much lower than expected, suggesting Americans could be fastening their belts a little more tightly after a record holiday season.

Still, the labor market remains remarkably strong, as evidenced by the nation’s unemployment rate, which has stayed below 4% for 24 straight months.

Will there be a US recession in 2024?

The US economy could be in a recession right now without Americans knowing it.

That’s because the economy isn’t broadly and officially considered to be in a recession until a relatively unknown group of eight economists says so.

That group, known as the Business Cycle Dating Committee at the National Bureau of Economic Research, judges the onset of a recession retroactively based upon “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months.”

There’s no fixed rule about what that involves, but it could include factors like a spike in the unemployment rate, falling income, a major drop in spending or a negative economic growth rate.

But, importantly, two consecutive negative quarters of GDP don’t always qualify as a recession. The US experienced that in 2022, and the NBER committee didn’t announce a recession.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, the United States, on Jan. 31, 2024.

RELATED ARTICLEWhy some investors don’t mind waiting longer for rate cuts

That said, the risk of a recession has been elevated since the US Federal Reserve began its tightening cycle in March 2022, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters in December. However, he said, “there’s little basis for thinking that the economy is in a recession now.”

But even when the economy seems as though it’s never been better, there’s always the possibility of a recession in the next year, Powell added.

That’s because unforeseen economic shocks — like, say, a global pandemic — can arise at any point.

Putting that aside, Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Boston Consulting Group’s global chief economist, doesn’t think the US will enter a recession this year. Rather, “it’s going to be a slow-growth year,” he said.

“The resilience of the US economy is rooted in fundamental strengths,” chief among them the labor market and Americans’ personal finances, he added.

While he doesn’t think it’s likely, one potential path to a recession in the US could be if the Fed doesn’t cut interest rates at all this year.

Since investors are widely pricing in the possibility of multiple rate cuts in 2024, if they don’t pan out it could https://gorenganpedas.com damage financial markets badly enough to ignite a recession, said Carlsson-Szlezak.

‘Erasing a part of history’ – What a double mosque demolition tells us about India ahead of crucial election

A 600-year-old mosque was destroyed by government authorities for alleged "illegal encroachment" in Delhi.

A 600-year-old mosque was destroyed by government authorities for alleged “illegal encroachment” in Delhi. Aishwarya Iyer/CNNNew DelhiCNN — 

The demolition of two mosques in India within days of each other has highlighted the deep religious divide in the country, months before voters head to the polls for a nationwide election that is expected to hand Prime Minister Narendra Modi a rare third term in power.

The twin demolitions in Uttarakhand state and Delhi came just weeks after Modi inaugurated the controversial Ram Mandir, a temple built on the foundations of a centuries-old mosque that was torn down by hardline Hindu crowds in the early 1990s.

That ceremony marked a seismic shift away from modern India’s secular founding principles and was hailed by Hindu nationalists as a crowning moment in their decades-long campaign to reshape the nation.

Deadly violence erupted in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani city last week, after government officials, accompanied by police, razed a mosque and madrassa (an Islamic school), citing “illegal encroachment.”

But advocates working on behalf of the Muslim community point to court documents, seen by CNN, that show no such order had been given.

The demolitions drew incensed residents onto the streets and at least six people have been killed in clashes with police. Authorities have imposed curfews, but scared Muslim families told CNN they just want to leave. About a third of Haldwani’s 220,000 people are Muslim, according to the most recent census from 2011.

Security walk past bricks and stones scattered on a road after day an Islamic school in Haldwani was destroyed in Uttarakhand on February 9, 2024.

Security walk past bricks and stones scattered on a road after day an Islamic school in Haldwani was destroyed in Uttarakhand on February 9, 2024. AFP/Getty Images

Pushkar Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, said his government will take strict action against “rioters and miscreants.”

“Every rioter who indulged in arson and stone pelting is being identified, no miscreant who disturbs harmony and peace will be spared,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The clashes come one week after another madrassa, a centuries-old mosque, a Sufi shrine and dozens of Muslim graves were demolished by government authorities in Delhi, also for alleged “illegal encroachment,” prompting anger and outrage in the Indian capital.

exp India prime minister inauguration ram temple vedika sud live _00001409.png

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Analysts say these incidents underscore an uncomfortable reality in the world’s largest democracy and fear that inter-religious tensions will increase as Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continue to push their populist, yet divisive, policies in the lead up to a nationwide election in just a few months’ time.

The image of India that Modi wants to project is one of a confident, vibrant, and modern superpower. But many of the country’s 230 million Muslims say they are being sidelined and marginalized in the world’s largest democracy.

“This is the worst possible time to be a Muslim in India,” said author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, adding that it has “become normal to demolish mosques in India.”

“The stigmatization of Muslims is an old story, seen as the new normal. No longer does it shock people.”

CNN has reached out to the BJP but is yet to receive a response.

A sectarian shift

The mosque demolitions come against a backdrop of increased religious polarization and accusations that the BJP is building a Hindu-first state in what is constitutionally meant to be a secular country.

They follow the opening of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, a controversial Hindu temple built on the ruins of a 16th century mosque that was destroyed by hardline Hindus some 30 years ago, setting off a wave of deadly sectarian violence not seen in India since its bloody 1947 partition.

Modi presided over a lavish consecration ceremony, where he played the role of a priest and hailed the beginning of a “new divine India.” But his vision is a far cry from the ideas of the modern country’s founding fathers, analysts say.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the inauguration of the Ram Janmaboomi Temple in Uttar Pradesh, India on January 22, 2024.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the inauguration of the Ram Janmaboomi Temple in Uttar Pradesh, India on January 22, 2024. Imtiyaz Khan/Anadolu/Getty Images/File

And during his decade in power, Modi’s BJP has isolated millions among India’s sizable minorities, analysts say.

Modi rose to power in 2014 with a pledge to reform India’s economy and usher in a new era of development – but he and his party also heavily pushed a Hindutva agenda, an ideology that believes India is inherently a land meant for Hindus.

About 80% of India’s 1.4 billion people are Hindu, but the country is home to a diverse group of religions and faiths, including Sikhs, Buddhists and one of the world’s largest Muslim populations of some 230 million.

When he stood for reelection in 2019, Modi’s Hindutva policies became more brazen, according to analysts.

A few months after winning, he announced he was stripping the statehood of India’s only Muslim-majority territory, Jammu and Kashmir, and turning it into two union territories while bringing it under federal control.

Modi laid the temple's foundation stone during a 2018 visit to the UAE, years before the temple opened on February 14, 2024.

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And earlier this month, the BJP-ruled state of Uttarakhand became the first in independent India to pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a set of contentious common laws that have been criticized by some minority groups for trying to replace their personal religious laws.

In India, a country of diverse faiths, religious groups follow their own laws for matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. But these have long been considered by some to be regressive, including by many more secular figures.

The BJP’s attempt to reform these religious laws is seen by some as a welcome move, but critics fear the government’s Hindu nationalist policies could unduly influence the legislation.

Asaduddin Owaisi, a Muslim opposition lawmaker, criticized the law, saying it forces Muslims to follow a different religion.

“I have a right to practice my religion and culture, this Bill forces me to follow a different religion and culture,” he wrote on X. “In our religion, inheritance and marriage are part of religious practice.”

Earlier this month, a report from Amnesty International said between April and June 2022, a total of 128 properties largely belonging to Muslims across five states were bulldozed by government authorities.

“The demolitions adversely impacted at least 617 people, including men, women, and children, either rendering them homeless or deprived of their sole livelihood,” the report said.

Author Mukhopadhyay added: “It is a 360 degree Islamophobic campaign that is going on in every sphere of life.”

600-year-old mosque destroyed

A sense of despair among many Muslims lingers in Delhi’s Mehrauli district, where government authorities razed the 600-year-old Akhondji Mosque to the ground late last month.

Late last month, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) – the governing body operating under India’s ruling BJP – bulldozed the structure, alleging “illegal encroachment.”

But Mohammed Zakir Hussain, the mosque’s 40-year-old cleric, says the building was under the control of the city’s Waqf Board, a statutory body established to protect Islamic affairs, and should never have been destroyed.

He felt “helpless” as he pleaded with authorities to stop tearing the building to the ground, he said.

Mohammad Zakir Hussain has said he barely slept since the demolition of his mosque, the madrasa, and his home in India’s capital Delhi.

Mohammad Zakir Hussain has said he barely slept since the demolition of his mosque, the madrasa, and his home in India’s capital Delhi. Aishwarya Iyer/CNN

The DDA’s lawyer Sanjay Katyal told the Delhi High Court that the body had bought the land for planned development.The case is expected to be heard again later this month.

Delhi, a metropolis of more than 20 million people, has seen rapid urbanization over the past few decades, with a vast, modern metro system, and a burgeoning middle class that has come to symbolize India’s economic growth.

But between its meandering roads stand centuries-old monuments and medieval ruins that put the Indian capital on a par with the world’s great ancient cities, historians say.

Historian Rana Safvi said the architecture of the Akhondji Mosque was typical of the Sultanate era, which flourished in India between 1192 and 1526. Its arched roof and pillars of grey stone had stood for some 600 years before it was torn to the ground.

“It is like erasing a part of Indian history,” Safvi said. “It is a loss of a mosque, a safe place for one to congregate to pray, especially at a time when namaz in the open or in public areas is frowned upon.”

Mohammad Aman, a 32-year-old Salon worker from Delhi, looks at photos of the mosque demolition on his phone.

Mohammad Aman, a 32-year-old Salon worker from Delhi, looks at photos of the mosque demolition on his phone. Aishwarya Iyer/CNN

And along with the mosque, authorities also broke down the Islamic school that housed dozens of children, including orphans, and destroyed an old graveyard that stood beside it.

Mohammad Arif, 22, whose father, grandmother and grandfather’s graves are among those ruined, said he arrives at the site every day to try and restore what’s left of it.

“I come here every day to ask (the guards) to let me go inside and put mud to restore their graves at least. They do not allow it,” he said.

Mohammad Aman, 32, mourned the deepening divide between Hindus and Muslims.

“(The government) rationalizes everything by blaming Mughal emperors,” he said, referring to India’s ancient Islamic rulers. https://gorenganpedas.com “But you’re doing the same thing now. What is the difference between you and him then?”

A fierce storm uncovered a mysterious shipwreck. Now another could destroy it

An aerial view of the shipwreck on the shore of Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada on January 30.

An aerial view of the shipwreck on the shore of Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada on January 30. Corey Purchase/AFP/Getty ImagesCNN — 

A mysterious shipwreck suddenly appeared on the shores of a Newfoundland coastal community last month, believed to have been dislodged from the seabed by a fierce storm. Now, as a new storm barrels toward eastern Canada, the community is in a race against time to save it.

The wreck, lodged in shallow waters near the small town of Cape Ray, was discovered by a local resident on the morning of January 20.

As soon as Shawn Bath and Trevor Croft, both from the Clean Harbours Initiative, heard about it, they grabbed their dive gear and rushed down to the beach. Swimming around the vessel, they attempted to secure it by slinging ropes across its 100-foot-long frame.

“It’s a pretty magical experience when you’re the first two people to stand on that ship in probably 200 years,” Croft told CNN.

Both men have been working in the region for two years as part of a coastal clean-up operation in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, which slammed into Canada’s Atlantic Coast in 2022 as one of the most powerful storms in the country’s history.

Bath believes it was Hurricane Fiona that initially dislodged the shipwreck from its resting place, before it slowly drifted toward the southwestern coastline of Newfoundland island, pushed along by storms and sea swells.

Now, as a new storm approaches, the community is scrambling to stop the vessel being destroyed by the same elements that brought it to their shores.

The Cape Ray shipwreck is an example of a wider phenomenon, experts say, where climate change-fueled storms are uncovering the world’s underwater history — but also destroying it.

Shawn Bath, of the Clean Harbours Initiative, works to secure the shipwreck in Cape Ray, Newfoundland, Canada.

Shawn Bath, of the Clean Harbours Initiative, works to secure the shipwreck in Cape Ray, Newfoundland, Canada. Courtesy Shawn Trevor/Clean Harbours Initiative

A section of shipwreck that washed ashore is seen in Cape Ray, Canada.

A section of shipwreck that washed ashore is seen in Cape Ray, Canada. Shawn Trevor/Clean Harbours Initiative

The wreck’s origins and age remain unknown. Croft said it may be a French or British ship possibly around 200 years old, but until it comes out of the water, it’s all guesswork, he said.

Lisa Briggs, an underwater archaeologist and research fellow at Cranfield University in the UK, said the wreck is significant for the community because it could be a clue as to how people arrived on the island.

“The likelihood is that people who are descendants of those who came on this ship still live on the island today,” she told CNN.

Waves in the North Atlantic Ocean near Gatklettur, Iceland, March 2020.

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But this preserved slice of local history is at risk. The tides are already weakening the vessel. While the wood is in good shape, it is held together with copper and brass pins. “Every time the wave goes underneath that ship and raises it up a little bit, those beams get looser and looser,” Bath said.

The approaching storm, forecast to arrive Wednesday evening, has raised the stakes even further. Forecasts suggest wind gusts of 25 mph around Cape Ray with waves up to 20 feet.

“The wreck could just pretty much disintegrate,” Croft said.

Without government funds to extract and preserve the wreck, Bath and Croft are trying to raise funds through a GoFundMe campaign. Their aim is to pull the wreck from the water to preserve it and, ultimately, put it on display as a tourist attraction for this remote community.

“It’s a race against time,” Croft said.

Trevor Croft, also from the Clean Harbours Initiative, attempts to secure parts of the shipwreck to keep it from breaking up in the rough waters off the coast of Cape Ray, Newfoundland, Canada.

Trevor Croft, also from the Clean Harbours Initiative, attempts to secure parts of the shipwreck to keep it from breaking up in the rough waters off the coast of Cape Ray, Newfoundland, Canada. Courtesy Shawn Trevor/Clean Harbours Initiative

Part of a shipwreck is seen underwater after it washed ashore at Cape Ray, a small coastal community in Newfoundland, Canada, on January 20.

Part of a shipwreck is seen underwater after it washed ashore at Cape Ray, a small coastal community in Newfoundland, Canada, on January 20. Courtesy Shawn Trevor/Clean Harbours Initiative

The phenomenon of storms dislodging shipwrecks from seabeds — where they have sometimes rested for centuries — is not uncommon, Briggs said, especially as climate change fuels more powerful and more intense storms.

While that might sound like a good thing for underwater archaeologists, it often isn’t, she added. When storms rip the protective layers of sand off shipwrecks, they can cause irretrievable damage. “It’s much better if the archaeologists themselves are gently removing sand in a controlled way,” Briggs said.

Climate change presents other threats to shipwrecks, too, Briggs added.

Rising levels of carbon pollution in the atmosphere are changing the chemistry of seawater, making it more acidic. This can accelerate the disintegration of delicate, organic materials preserved on wrecks, such as ropes, sails and textiles.

Russell Glacier and proglacial area, near Kangerlussuaq, west Greenland, courtesy of Jonathan Carrivick

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Then there’s the underwater archeologist’s nightmare: shipworms. These worm-shaped mollusks have a voracious appetite for wood.

Shipworms have traditionally only been found in warmer waters, meaning wrecks in the colder waters were considered safe from their destruction. But as the oceans warm, the mollusks are migrating further north. In 2016, archaeologists hauled up a piece of wood from the Arctic seafloor teeming with slimy, white shipworms.

“The more we see climate change affecting our world today, the more damage we’re going to see to submerged cultural heritage,” Briggs said.

It matters, she said, because ships tell a https://gorenganpedas.com unique story about our past. “You have this one moment in time, that’s been perfectly crystallized on the seafloor,” she said.

In Cape Ray, Croft and Bath are doing all they can to protect the mysterious wreck.

Bath can’t quite believe how much of a challenge it has been. “Something so beautiful drifts ashore in this little town,” he said, “and we’re struggling to get finances to haul it out of the water before the storms destroy it.”

RFK Jr. apologizes to cousins offended by Super Bowl ad’s reference to JFK

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event "Declare Your Independence Celebration" at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County on October 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event “Declare Your Independence Celebration” at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County on October 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty ImagesCNN — 

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized to members of his family who objected to a new TV ad released Sunday during the Super Bowl that repurposed a spot from his uncle’s 1960 campaign.

The retro-themed ad from a PAC backing his candidacy mimics the soundtrack and theme of President John F. Kennedy’s 1960 campaign ad. The spot features a dramatic orchestra opening and a jingle repeating the word “Kennedy” over and over again.

The ad also feature the lyrics, “Do you want a man for president who sees it through and through? A man who’s old enough to know and young enough to do.” The words are a potential jab from the 70-year-old Kennedy toward his somewhat older competitors, 81-year-old President Joe Biden and 77-year-old former President Donald Trump, in a race defined by criticisms of age and mental cognition.

My cousin’s Super Bowl ad used our uncle’s faces- and my Mother’s. She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA,” Kennedy’s cousin Bobby Shriver said on X following the release of the ad.

Another of Kennedy’s cousins, Mark Shriver, replied to Bobby Shiver’s post by saying “I agree with my brother @bobbyshriver simple as that.”

Bobby and Mark Shriver are sons of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President Kennedy and the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

Kennedy responded to criticism from Bobby Shriver by apologizing.

“Bobby. I’m so sorry if that advertisement caused you pain. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Superpac without any involvement or approvals from my campaign. Federal rules prohibit Superpacs from consulting with me or my staff. I send you and your family my sincerest apologies. God bless you,” Kennedy posted on X.

American Values 2024, the group supporting Kennedy’s presidential bid, spent $7 million on the ad. More recently, the PAC faced allegations from the Democratic National Committee that it illegally contributed to Kennedy’s signature-gathering efforts.

Kennedy has faced dissent from members of his family throughout his presidential run. On the day of he announced his intention to run for president as an independent, a group of his siblings called his decision to run against Biden in a general election “dangerous to our country.”

Kennedy has been a leading proponent of vaccine misinformation through his Children’s Health Defense organization and has spent years wrongly suggesting that many vaccines are not safe. In a CNN interview in December, he walked back some of his comments and rejected the label that he’s “anti-vaccine” despite his history of spreading misinformation about the efficacy of vaccines.

He also made a series of comments in 2022 in which he https://gorenganpedas.com compared the Covid-19 lockdowns to Nazi Germany, arguing that “even in Hitler’s Germany, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland.”

“Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment,” Rory Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Joseph P Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend said in a statement in October.

Paris 2024 Olympic medals to feature iron from the Eiffel Tower

A gold medal featuring iron from the iconic Eiffel Tower, designed by jeweller Chaumet. The medals will be awarded at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

A gold medal featuring iron from the iconic Eiffel Tower, designed by jeweller Chaumet. The medals will be awarded at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Benoit Tessier/ReutersCNN — 

The medals at this year’s Olympics in Paris were not only inspired by the Eiffel Tower — they each contain an original piece of the 19th-century landmark.

Unveiling the designs Thursday, Games organizers said that ironwork removed from the structure during earlier renovations had been repurposed to create the medals’ hexagonal centerpiece. The move, they added, would give successful athletes “veritable pieces of the history of Paris” to take home with them.

The design was overseen by French jeweler Chaumet, whose parent company LVMH signed a major sponsorship deal with Paris 2024 last summer. Like all designs since the 2004 Games in Athens, the reverse of the Olympics medal features an image of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The Paralympics medal, meanwhile, is decorated with a graphical representation of the Eiffel Tower, as if viewed from below.

PA Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medal is seen on display with Paralympic Games gold and silver medals at Chaumet jewellery REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

PA Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medal is seen on display with Paralympic Games gold and silver medals at Chaumet jewellery REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Benoit Tessier/Reuters

According to a press release, “certain metallic elements” were removed from the landmark during renovation work in the 20th century and “have been carefully preserved ever since.” The Eiffel Tower’s distinctive dark brown paint was cleaned off, and the pieces cut into hexagons before being embossed with the Paris 2024 logo.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7333190883807890730?lang=en-US&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2024%2F02%2F08%2Fstyle%2Fparis-olympics-2024-medals%2Findex.html&embedFrom=oembed

The iron pieces are held in position with a “claw” setting, a technique typically usually to secure gems to items of jewelry. Speaking to CNN at Chaumet’s Paris atelier ahead of the reveal, the luxury house’s creative director Clémentine Massonnat-Schaller said the design aimed to “bring out” the hexagonal centerpiece “like a precious stone.” But while the Eiffel Tower served as “the main inspiration,” Massonnat-Schaller added, Chaumet also looked to its own archives — including its history of making jewel-encrusted tiaras. The jeweler said this was most apparent in the lines resembling rays of sunlight that project out from the medals’ center.

From right: Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 Olympics organising committee on the Eiffel Tower with French cyclist Marie Patouillet, fencer Sara Balzer and athlete Arnaud Assoumani holding Olympic and Paralympic Games medals.

From right: Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 Olympics organising committee on the Eiffel Tower with French cyclist Marie Patouillet, fencer Sara Balzer and athlete Arnaud Assoumani holding Olympic and Paralympic Games medals. Benoit Tessier/Reuters

“A tiara is a piece that makes the wearer radiate,” said Massonnat-Schaller, adding that the sunray motif was intended to “make the athletes shine even brighter.”

CEO of LVMH Holding Company, Antoine Arnault attends a meeting after LVMH was named as final premium sponsor of 2024 Paris Olympics, in Paris on July 24, 2023.

LVMH strikes Paris Olympic Games sponsorship deal

Unlike in previous years both the Olympic and Paralympic medals share one face. In a statement announcing the designs, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said the decision represented a “coming together” of the two events.

Last July, Olympics organizers announced that the Olympic torch will be the first in Games history to be used for both the Olympics and Paralympics. With a ripple effect designed to evoke moving water, French designer Mathieu Lehanneur’s 3.3-pound torch will be produced entirely from recycled steel. The torch was unveiled just weeks after LVMH announced a deal to https://gorenganpedas.com become the Games’ “Premium Partner.” The conglomerate’s other brands, including Louis Vuitton and Dior, are expected to enjoy a visible presence at the Games, as will the LVMH-owned Champagne producer Moët Hennessy.

A fugitive suspected of killing a nurse in Boston was captured last month in Kenya. Now he’s escaped from police

Kevin Kangethe, a suspect in the killing of a nurse in Boston, appeared before a judge last week in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, where he was arrested.

Kevin Kangethe, a suspect in the killing of a nurse in Boston, appeared before a judge last week in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, where he was arrested. Office of the Director of Public ProsecutionsCNN — 

A man accused of killing his girlfriend in Boston before fleeing to Kenya has escaped from a Nairobi jail, where he was awaiting extradition after his capture last week.

Kevin Kangethe, 42, was being held without bail after officials in the United States filed an extradition request for him to be returned to the US to face a murder charge.

He’s accused of killing his girlfriend, Maggie Mbitu, whose body was found in his SUV in a parking garage at Boston Logan International Airport on November 1, two days after she was reported missing. Mbitu, 31, had slash wounds on her face and neck, Massachusetts State Police said.

Authorities searched for Kangethe for three months before he was arrested January 29, when an undercover officer spotted him at a nightclub in Nairobi.

On Wednesday evening local time, a man claiming to be Kangethe’s attorney appeared at the law enforcement complex where he was being held and asked to speak to him, Kenyan authorities said in a statement. They were given a private room in which to talk, and Kangethe took off shortly afterward, police said.

Police said Kangethe slipped out of the police station and boarded a matutu, or public transportation bus, according to Nation, an African news outlet.

At the time of his escape, the station’s commander was in a meeting with the anti-crime unit in her office, police said.

The body of Maggie Mbitu, 31, was found in an SUV in a parking garage at Boston Logan International Airport on November 1.

The body of Maggie Mbitu, 31, was found in an SUV in a parking garage at Boston Logan International Airport on November 1. Ann Mbitu/GoFundMe

“She was alerted by a loud noise of officers who were chasing the prisoner along Thika Super Highway but they did not manage to rearrest him,” the statement said, referring to a busy eight-lane freeway bustling with cars in the capital.

The man who claimed to be Kangethe’s attorney has been detained, along with four officers at the station, police said.

Attorneys who represented Kangethe in court at his extradition hearing last week told CNN they have not been in contact with him since his escape and don’t know where he is.

He was arrested 3 months after he boarded a flight from Boston

Kangethe was arrested in Nairobi after an undercover officer spotted someone who looked like him at a nightclub in the Kenyan capital and struck up a conversation with him, a police official told CNN.

Within hours, authorities identified him as the Boston-area fugitive who US investigators said boarded a plane to Kenya shortly after killing his girlfriend. Authorities in Massachusetts had obtained a warrant for his arrest on a murder charge.

Kangethe arrived in Kenya last fall through Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the nation’s director of public prosecutions said in a statement. He went into hiding in the city’s suburbs but stayed in touch via phone with his friends and relatives, including those in the United States, the statement said.

Kenya has an extradition treaty with the United States. The nation’s director of public prosecutions said Kenya has received a formal extradition request from the US and determined there’s “sufficient evidence” against him.

Mbitu lived in a Boston suburb and was the youngest in a family of health care workers. Her two older sisters and her mother are all nurses.

She was reported missing in late October after she didn’t show up for work. Her family notified the police and called nearby hospitals to check if she was a patient. The next evening, police made a gruesome discovery: her bloodied body, in the SUV inside a parking garage at the airport.

In a criminal complaint from https://gorenganpedas.com the Massachusetts State Police, authorities say they “were led to Mbitu’s boyfriend” after she went missing.

The day before her body was found, Kangethe boarded flights from Boston to Kenya. Surveillance footage showed him leaving the parking garage and entering an airport terminal, police said.

Canadian police apologize to woman for taking 6 years to bring charges in sexual assault investigation involving hockey stars

Hockey players Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton and Carter Hart are facing sexual assault charges in Canada in connection with allegations from 2018.

From left, hockey players Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton and Carter Hart, shown with their professional teams. Getty ImagesCNN — 

New information uncovered during a reopened investigation led to sexual assault charges being brought last week against five professional hockey players, four of whom are playing in the NHL, Canadian police said Monday, six years after the offense was allegedly committed.

The case against the players, who were members of the Canada world junior hockey team at the time of the alleged incident, was closed in early 2019 and reopened in July 2022 after an outcry from the Canadian public.

The charges relate to an unnamed woman’s accusation that multiple members of Canada’s world junior hockey team sexually assaulted her in London, Ontario, in 2018. The five men facing charges were members of that team.

Hockey players Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton and Carter Hart are facing sexual assault charges in Canada in connection with allegations from 2018.

RELATED ARTICLE5 hockey pros face sexual assault charges in 2018 case from when they were on Canada’s world junior team

The players, New Jersey Devils center Mike McLeod; Devils defenseman Cal Foote; Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart; Calgary Flames center Dillon Dube; and former Ottawa Senator forward Alex Formenton are each charged with one count of sexual assault, according to an official police charge sheet released by Hockey Canada.

McLeod is charged with an additional count of sexual assault for “being a party to the offence,” which relates to “aiding the behaviour of someone else,” Detective Sgt. Katherine Dann said during a news conference in London on Monday. The players have all been released with undertakings, which are used when police feel confident the conditions placed on the accused will sufficiently protect the safety of the victim and witnesses, according to Dann.

London Police Chief Thai Truong apologized to the victim for the length of time it has taken to file charges. “I want to extend on behalf of the London Police Service to the victim and her family for the amount of time that it has taken to reach this point,” he told reporters.

Earlier Monday, lawyers for the accused appeared in a London court for the first time via video link for a procedural hearing. None of the players were seen on video, according to CNN news partner CTV News, and no pleas were entered, though they are all expected to plead not guilty.

In previous statements by their lawyers, the players have all denied any wrongdoing and said they plan to defend their innocence in court.

CTV News reported the prosecution presented its case and said a “significant” amount of “disclosure,” which refers to forms of evidence, would be sent to defense attorneys in the coming days. The next court date is set for April 30, CTV reported.

The current NHL players have been told to surrender to authorities, London police have said.

How the case came to light

The case garnered widespread attention in May 2022 when Canadian broadcaster TSN reported the woman had settled a lawsuit she’d filed against Hockey Canada – the nation’s governing body for the sport – and members of the junior team over the assault allegations.

A cascade of developments followed, including parliamentary hearings in June 2022 over Hockey Canada’s handling of the case and announcements in July 2022 that London police and Hockey Canada would reopen their investigations.

Formenton, who was playing professionally in Switzerland, “will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence,” his attorneys Daniel Brown and Lindsay Board said in a statement. Formenton, who played for the Senators in 2017, has taken an indefinite leave of absence from Swiss hockey club Ambri-Piotta.

McLeod “denies any criminal wrongdoing,” his attorneys David Humphrey and Seth Weinstein said in a statement. “He will be pleading not guilty and will vigorously defend the case.”

Foote “is innocent of the charge and will defend himself against this allegation to clear his name,” his attorney said. “What is most critical at this time is the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair trial that everyone in Canada is entitled to.”

Hart “is innocent and will provide a full response to this false allegation in the proper forum, a court of law,” his attorneys Riaz Sayani and Megan Savard said in a joint release.

Dube “will plead not guilty and maintains his innocence,” and “will defend the allegations in court,” his attorneys Louis P. Strezos and Kaleigh Davidson said in a statement.

The Flames are “aware of the charge of sexual assault that has been laid against Dillon Dube,” the club said. “We take this matter very seriously. Because the matter is now pending legal proceedings, we will have no further comment at this time.”

The Flames had said January 21 that Dube was “granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team while he attends to his mental health.” Last week, the club said it had “no knowledge of pending charges at the time Dillon’s request for a leave of absence was granted.”

The Devils, for whom McLeod and Foote play, are “aware of the reports” and have “been told to refer all inquiries regarding this to the league,” the team told CNN.

The NHL declined to comment last week when reached by CNN. CNN also has sought comment from the woman’s lawyer and Hockey Canada.

Hockey Canada apologized for its handing of the case

A month after the TSN report, the Canadian government announced in June 2022 that it was freezing federal, public funding for Hockey Canada until the organization had submitted the complete results of its original, two-year investigation and plans for implementing change within Hockey Canada.

During parliamentary hearings in June 2022, executives for Hockey Canada disclosed that it was notified of the incident the day after it was alleged to have taken place in 2018.

“We immediately initiated a process to investigate, beginning by contacting police.
We commissioned an independent investigation and appointed an independent adjudication panel of judges to review the findings of that investigation,” testified Tom Renney, Hockey Canada’s former CEO.

Renney confirmed during the hearings that Hockey Canada had settled a civil lawsuit that the woman filed in https://gorenganpedas.com April 2022, but he did not reveal the settlement amount.

In July 2022, Hockey Canada published a letter apologizing for it said was inadequate action regarding the assault allegations, and said it was reopening an internal investigation. Three months later, the organization announced its CEO and board of directors were being replaced.

Look of the Week: Is Demi Moore bringing back the handbag dog?

Lately, Demi Moore is seldom seen without her micro dog, Pilaf.

Lately, Demi Moore is seldom seen without her micro dog, Pilaf. James Devaney/GC Images/Getty Images

Editor’s Note: Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.CNN — 

The human-canine bond is widely regarded as special. But the union between celebrities and chihuahuas? Sacred.

This week, while completing a press tour around New York for the FX series, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans,” Demi Moore was hardly seen without her 1.5 pound dog, Pilaf, nestled in her elbow. From talk show tapings, autograph signings and even the Saturday Night Live afterparty, Pilaf was practically part of the furniture — or at least part of the outfit.

In the daytime, when Moore was snapped wearing an oversized wool coat and slacks, or wide leg jeans and a graphic tee, her chihuahua was tucked casually into a sleek black sling. But when the occasion called for a little more glamor — as was the case on Wednesday evening, when Moore donned a Versace lace cut-out blazer dress to appear on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Pilaf was held proudly in her owner’s palm like a fluffy tan clutch bag. “My little teeny tiny companion,” she told Colbert on air. “She is a treasure, she’s like my little extra heart.”

On Monday, Moore was spotted again with her dog, Pilaf, this time in Tribeca.

On Monday, Moore was spotted again with her dog, Pilaf, this time in Tribeca. Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images

Of course, Moore isn’t the first A-lister to partner-up with a petite pooch.

In the 2000s, miniature dogs were considered a must-have fashion accessory. During the height of her influence, Paris Hilton was regularly seen with a fleet of chihuahuas in tow. Tinkerbell, Diamond Baby and Harajuku Bitch (who passed away just last year) were often dressed in complementary outfits and considered extensions of Hilton’s hyper feminine fashion identity. Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde,” whose on-screen look was widely regarded to be inspired by Hilton, is not only constantly color-blocked in pink, but also never without her chihuahua, Bruiser. Lindsay Lohan named her micro-mini maltese Gucci, after the pup ate her first ever luxury fashion purchase; while in the 2010s, a caramel-colored maltipoo (a maltese-poodle cross) was permanently wedged under Blake Lively’s armpit.

Paris Hilton photographed with one of her chihuahuas at an SNL afterparty in 2005.

Paris Hilton photographed with one of her chihuahuas at an SNL afterparty in 2005. James Devaney/WireImage/Getty Images

But many animal rights groups and shelters thought the idea of designer dogs was degrading — specifically that forcing animals to wear clothes, or exist for lengths of time inside a Louis Vuitton handbag was “harmful.”

America Ferrera attends the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' 14th Annual Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on January 9, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

Look of the Week: Bye, Barbie! America Ferrera ditches pink for a black tux

Certain miniature breeds, too, came with serious health issues that were often overlooked for their cutesy appearance. In 2015, a report from UK animal welfare charity Blue Cross revealed chihuahuas and other previously fashionable teacup-sized dogs were being abandoned across the country at record numbers.

Wearing a Versace lace tailored blazer dress, Moore held Pilaf like a tiny fluffy clutch bag.

Wearing a Versace lace tailored blazer dress, Moore held Pilaf like a tiny fluffy clutch bag. James Devaney/GC Images/Getty Images

Thankfully, Pilaf is likely a rescue dog. Moore is known to adopt and foster abandoned puppies (she currently has 10 at her home in Idaho) and is staunchly anti-puppy farms. Now, not only does Pilaf get to accompany her famous owner to glitzy engagements, she regularly rubs shoulders with Hollywood’s finest — from Pedro Pascal to Jeremy Allen White. https://gorenganpedas.com The dog’s escapades (including sitting front row at the Spring-Summer 2024 Versace show) are chronicled, naturally, on her own personal Instagram account with 13k followers — in which Moore barely features.

“The truth is, she’s the star and I’m her accessory,” she told Colbert.

Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez continues to split opinion after setting unwanted Premier League record

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 31: Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on January 31, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Darwin Núñez has proved to be a polarizing figure since joining Liverpool in 2022. Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesCNN — 

Since joining Liverpool in 2022, Darwin Núñez has continued to be an entertaining, yet polarizing presence in the English Premier League.

On one hand, the 24-year-old has all the physical attributes to be a world-class striker. He’s fast, strong and has shown signs he can score from almost anywhere when in the mood.

But the Uruguayan is also raw and many question whether he has the technical ability to be a consistent threat at the very top of the sport.

KIRKBY, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 29: (THE SUN OIT. THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on December 29, 2023 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

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This juxtaposition was on full display in Livepool’s league win against Chelsea on Wednesday, where Núñez missed a penalty, made a wonderful assist and then set an unwanted record.

While the Reds won 4-1, the scoreline could have been even more emphatic had Núñez not hit the woodwork on four occasions – a Premier League record for a single game.

Two of those missed chances were brilliant efforts from the striker, but the other two were opportunities he really should have converted.

The first was a missed penalty just before half-time which, despite hitting well, he directed against the post. The second was a stooping header in the second half which really should have been a goal.

Despite the missed chances, Núñez did pop up with a brilliant assist for Luis Díaz who made it 4-1 to the six-time European champions.

When asked about his striker’s performance after the game, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp tried to put a positive spin on it.

“Think you are in his boots, how that feels. Missing a penalty, you could see it at half-time, he was really upset with himself. Then missing the header from close range, but then setting up a goal. He stays in the game,” Klopp told reporters.

“It is just crazy that he creates that many [chances]. Imagine for a second he would take them all, the numbers would be absolutely insane to the extent where you wouldn’t understand it anymore.”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 31: Darwin Nunez of Liverpool shoots whilst under pressure from Axel Disasi of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on January 31, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Núñez proved to be a handful against Chelsea but couldn’t get on the scoresheet. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

According to the Premier League, Núñez now leads the way in big chances missed this season (20), three more than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who sits in second.

The Liverpool forward also taken the most shots, been caught offside the most times and hit the woodwork more than any other player in the league this season.

Agent of chaos

Despite his lack of cutting edge in front of goal, Liverpool fans have seemingly taken to the striker, serenading him with chants throughout the game against Chelsea.

“I thought he did everything but score a goal. He will be a nightmare for [defenders] to play against, whether he scores or not,” pundit and former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sports after the match.

“He runs you into bad places, he’s aggressive, he ricochets everything […] he’s a handful who will end up getting goals at this club.”

With seven league goals to his name so far this season, Núñez has undoubtedly been a pivotal part of his team’s rise to the top of the Premier League – it now sits five places ahead of Manchester City in second, having played one game more.

If Liverpool is going to see off the title challenge from the reigning league champion, it will need to rely on https://gorenganpedas.com the likes of Núñez to keep finding the back of the net.

Whether he can do that is yet to be seen, but Liverpool fans will certainly enjoy their agent of chaos either way.