Music:: 2024 Billboard Women In Music: Honorees, Red Carpet Fan Experience & More | Billboard News Release date: Aug 2024/02/01 Signer: Billboard Official YouTube link:

The FBI is investigating whether Egypt's intelligence services might have been involved in the alleged bribery scheme described in the indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. The counterintelligence investigation is in addition to the federal corruption case that accuses Menendez, D-N.J., of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, the sources said. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez helped oversee billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt. He stepped down as chairman after he was indicted. Investigators want to know whether Egyptian intelligence officials or their associates tried to gain access to Menendez through his wife, Nadine, the sources said. According to a three-count indictment unsealed last week, Menendez accepted lavish bribes to wield his political position for the benefit the Egyptian government and to enrich a group of Egyptian American businessmen named as co-defendants. The three New Jersey-based businessmen named as co-defendants, who are accused of providing bribes from “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in gold bars to a Mercedes-Benz convertible worth more than $60,000, are Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes. Uribe and Daibes are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, along with Menendez and his wife. Hana was arraigned Tuesday and pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York City.Hana’s lawyer, Larry Lustberg, denied that Hana has ties to Egyptian intelligence. He said that Hana and Nadine Menendez have been friends for years — and that the friendship will be part of their defense against the bribery charges. Each of the defendants is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. Menendez and his wife face an additional charge of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Recommended A lawyer for Nadine Menendez declined to comment when asked whether she might have been used by Egyptian intelligence officials. Menendez's Senate office did not respond to requests for comment. Frank Figliuzzi, an NBC News security analyst and former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, said Menendez's post atop the Foreign Relations Committee put him "in a bull’s-eye position for foreign intelligence services that are looking to have him make decisions in their favor, including military equipment and materiel decisions on funding." "The question here is whether this all started chronologically with the senator’s marriage, with the senator needing plausible deniability or an arm’s length from any transactions that might be happening with intelligence operatives," Figliuzzi said. "All of that should be looked at from a counterintelligence perspective." Menendez has denied all of the charges and has resisted calls to resign. The Egyptian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night. Jonathan Dienst https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-probing-whether-egyptian-intelligence-played-role-menendez-case-rcna117531

St. Peter’s Square was filled with horses, cows, donkeys, dogs, sheep, chickens, and rabbits on Wednesday for the feast of St. Anthony Abbot. Farmers and pet owners alike brought out their beloved animals to the Vatican for a special blessing on Jan. 17.While many American Catholics associate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi with a blessing of animals, in Italy farmers traditionally celebrate the feast of St. Anthony Abbot, the patron saint of domestic animals. St. Anthony is also known as St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Anthony of Egypt, and St. Anthony the Great, among other names.St. Anthony Abbot was a fourth-century hermit known for his asceticism and as a father of monasticism. His holy life in the Egyptian desert was recorded by St. Athanasius in “The Life of St. Antony.” Despite the cold and rainy weather, many people showed up to celebrate again with their furry friends. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, individually greeted the animals after offering the blessing. The cardinal kicked off the day’s celebration with a Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica with members of the Italian Breeder’s Association. In his homily, Gambetti reflected on how farming is “a job in contact with the earth, with creation.” Acknowledging that farmers have faced difficulties in recent years, the cardinal encouraged them to face “the challenges that globalization poses” with “the strength of compassionate humanity in the name of Jesus Christ.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256560/photos-animals-blessed-in-st-peter-s-square-for-feast-of-st-anthony-abbot

By Nathan Gomes (Reuters) - Several U.S. auto retailers reported dour fourth-quarter profits this week, as price cuts and incentives to lure in buyers in a turbulent economy put a strain on new-vehicle margins. Higher vehicle production, which has eased supply, has also trimmed dealer margins, auto retail chain executives said this week. This is in contrast to high prices that auto dealers commanded over the past few years, taking advantage of strong demand for new vehicles and short supplies of po[CENSORED]r models due to supply chain bottlenecks. "Discounts and incentives on new-vehicles continue to rise, and that is putting downward pressure on pricing and profitability for dealers and automakers alike," a Cox Automotive report showed on Tuesday. But despite lower prices and higher incentives, U.S. new-vehicle sales pace slowed in the first month of the year, the report said. Electric vehicles (EV) have also been a cause of concern for retailers. They have had to shell out more to market EVs, which have seen varying levels of demand owing to their higher maintenance costs and lower resale values. To make matters worse, EV prices have come down significantly in the U.S. in the past year, led by price cuts at Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Cox added. "New vehicle margins continue to decline, but the rate of moderation in the fourth quarter, which was about $120 per month was more modest than earlier quarters," car retailer AutoNation (NYSE:AN) CEO Mike Manley said on an earnings call on Tuesday. While dealer Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD)' new vehicle margin fell to 7.9%. However, retailers showed confidence in their after-market service units, lifting their profits from maintenance related to new vehicles, with more technology and software adding an extra layer of complexity. Shares of Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH), which missed fourth-quarter estimates on Wednesday, were down about 5%. AutoNation's shares were also marginally down, while those of Lithia were slightly up. https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/us-auto-retailers-falling-new-vehicle-margins-compress-quarterly-profits-3303787

UK Athletics (UKA) and BBC Sport have today announced a broadcast partnership and coverage for the 2024 Major Events series. Fans can watch live coverage from the Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships, the UK Athletics Championships and the London Athletics Meet across BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. 2024 is an action-packed year with European and World Championships action as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris this summer. Fans can follow the highs, lows and photo-finishes starting on February 17 and 18 with the Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. As the summer of sport warms up, BBC Sport will also show coverage of the Olympic Trials at the UK Athletics Championships on June 29 and 30. Attention then turns to the capital for the London Athletics Meet as part of the Wanda Diamond League series on July 20, at the London Stadium. UKA CEO Jack Buckner said: “We are thrilled to confirm BBC Sport as our broadcast partner for our 2024 Major events series. “It’s a huge year ahead for our sport and we are looking forward to working with the team at BBC Sport to bring our big events into people’s homes. The BBC Sport digital and TV audiences give us a great platform and allow the British public to really follow the action in the build up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.” Philip Bernie, Director of BBC Sport said: “This partnership serves as a terrific build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Viewers can watch BBC Sport’s exclusive coverage with expert commentary across TV and online and follow these athletes in top action, as they strive for excellence on the world stage.” Viewers can watch the final farewell for the athletes who will be leaving for Paris as the Olympic Opening Ceremony starts just six days later, on BBC One. Both the UK Athletics Championships (indoor and outdoor) will be available across the BBC’s digital channels. https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/uk-athletics-and-bbc-sport-announce-broadcast-partnership-and-coverage-for-2024-major-event-series/

Valentine's Week is all about spending a week full of love and joy with your partner. While Valentine's Day falls on February 14, the celebrations begin on February 7. Each day is an opportunity to express your love for someone special. After celebrating Rose Day (February 7), Propose Day (February 8), Chocolate Day (February 9), Teddy Day (February 10), and Promise Day (February 11), we are now ready for the sixth day of the Valentine's Week - Hug Day. It falls on February 12. Hug Day is an opportunity to embrace your partner or loved one and let them know how much they mean to you. You can make it extra special by sending them wishes, images, quotes, SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook status, and messages. Check out our curated list inside.I wish I could hug you right now and express all the love that I feel for you in that embrace. You are special now and will always be. Happy Hug Day.We might not be together, but your warm hugs are still with me, supporting and holding me. Missing you so much today. Happy Hug Day! I send my love and wish to keep you in my arms in a comforting hug all day wearing off your worries. Happy Hug Day, my love. https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/festivals/happy-hug-day-2024-wishes-images-quotes-sms-greetings-whatsapp-and-facebook-status-to-share-with-your-partner-101707624048572.html

Initial reports indicate that approximately 100,000 children have been impacted by the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late on Friday night - the strongest seismic event to hit the Kingdom since 1960. Like all major earthquakes, aftershocks are likely to continue in the days and weeks ahead, putting children and families at further risk. The magnitude-6.8 quake struck just after 11 pm on 8 September, at a time when most children and families will have been at home asleep. The United Nations estimates that more than 300,000 people have been affected in Marrakesh and in the High Atlas Mountains. According to authorities, more than 2,600 people have been killed, including children, with thousands more injured. These numbers are only likely to increase. While UNICEF doesn’t yet know the exact number of children killed and injured, the latest estimates from 2022 indicate that children represent almost a third of the po[CENSORED]tion in Morocco. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families, and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures drop down during the nighttime. Schools, hospitals and other medical and educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes, further impacting children. UNICEF has provided support to the children of Morocco since 1957, opening a country office in 1978 and has already mobilized humanitarian staff to support the immediate response on the ground, which is being led by the Kingdom of Morocco. In close coordination with the authorities and UN partners, UNICEF is ready to further support the humanitarian response as necessary to reach children and families affected with critical supplies and services. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-100000-children-affected-morocco-earthquake

Voted

Voted

Voted

Voted

Voted

اللهم امين يارب العالمين احفظ جميع المسلمين ❤️❤️

Voted

Music:: Karol G is Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year! Release date: Aug 2024/02/08 Signer: TODAY Official YouTube link:

weeks into the new year, but the flood of new gadgets for 2024 has already started. Thanks to CES, we've seen a ton of innovative tech launch into the marketplace. While many products announced at CES won't be available till later this year, a fair number are already for sale. Check out this curated selection of devices available for purchase or preorder. (The preorder items listed here should ship within just a month or two.)HP’s new Spectre x360 laptops feature Neural Processing Units (NPUs), which allow them to perform some AI-type computation without sending your data off to the cloud, which is what usually happens with AI queries. That's good for privacy, but might not be great for battery life. To help conserve battery life, the new Spectre x360s have a 2.8K OLED display that dims when you look away and adjusts its refresh rate based on content. —Scott GilbertsonCelestron’s new screen-based telescope, Origin, allows you to explore the stars via the 6.4-megapixel sensor, which projects images to your smart device. You can set up the Origin outside and relax on the couch, projecting the heavens onto your TV. —Scott GilbertsonAnker showed off a ton of wireless chargers at CES 2024, and almost all of these are Qi2-certified—that’s the newest wireless charging standard, and we have a whole explainer you can read to learn more here. All of these chargers have different functions in one way or another. The Anker MagGo Power Bank ($90) has a 10,000-mAh capacity and a built-in kickstand, with a display on the side to show how much juice is left. There’s a smaller 6,600-mAh version that drops the display but has a stand. If you want to spend as little as possible, there’s the MagGo Wireless Charging Magnetic Pad ($22), and then a new version of the original MagGo Charging Station ($100), which has MagSafe on the front, three AC outlets on the back, two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports. Lastly, there’s the 3-in-1 Charging Station ($110) for Apple users, which I’ve actually been using here at CES to top up my phone. It’s a nice compact travel solution if you have an Apple Watch, iPhone, and AirPods. —Julian Chokkattu https://www.wired.com/story/ces-2024-gadgets-you-can-buy-right-now/