FRANKFURT (AP) – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier yesterday ordered Parliament dissolved and set new elections for February 23 in the wake of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition.
Scholz lost a confidence vote on December 16 and leads a minority government after his unpopular and notoriously rancorous three-party coalition collapsed on November 6 when he fired his finance minister in a dispute over how to revitalize Germany’s stagnant economy.
Leaders of several major parties then agreed that a parliamentary election should be held on February 23, seven months earlier than originally planned.
Since the post-World War II constitution doesn’t allow the Bundestag to dissolve itself, it was up to Steinmeier to decide whether to dissolve Parliament and call an election. He had 21 days to make that decision. Once Parliament is dissolved, the election must be held within 60 days.
In practice, the campaign is already well underway. Polls show Scholz’s party trailing the conservative opposition Union bloc led by Friedrich Merz. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the environmentalist Greens, the remaining partner in Scholz’s government, is also bidding for the top job – though his party is further back. If recent polls hold up, the likely next government would be led by Merz as chancellor in coalition with at least one other party.
Key issues include immigration and how to get the sluggish economy going.
The populist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which is polling strongly, nominated Alice Weidel as its candidate for chancellor but has no chance of taking the job because other parties refuse to work with it.
Germany’s electoral system traditionally produces coalitions, and polls show no party anywhere near an absolute majority on its own. The election is expected to be followed by weeks of negotiations to form a new government.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. PHOTO: AP
MADRID (AP) – More than 10,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea this year, a report released by a Spanish migration rights group said on Thursday.
On average, that means 30 migrants died every day this year attempting to reach the country by boat, Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) said. Overall deaths rose 58 per cent compared to last year, the report added.
Tens of thousands of migrants left West Africa in 2024 for the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago close to the African coast that has increasingly been used as a stepping stone to continental Europe.
Caminando Fronteras said most of the 10,457 deaths recorded up until December 15 took place along that crossing, the so-called Atlantic route – considered one of the world’s most dangerous.
The organisation compiles its figures from families of migrants and official statistics of those rescued. It included 1,538 children and 421 women among the dead. April and May were the deadliest months, the report said.
Caminando Fronteras also noted a “sharp increase” in 2024 in boats leaving from Mauritania, which it said became the main departure point on the route to the Canary Islands.
In February, Spain pledged EUR210 million (around USD218 million) in aid to Mauritania to help it crack down on human smugglers and prevent boats from taking off.
File photo shows migrants crowding a wooden boat as they sail to the port in La Restinga on the Canary island of El Hierro, Spain. PHOTO: AP
XINHUA – Greece has been in the grip of a wet weather front named Elena since on December 25, causing traffic disruptions and flooding across the country, authorities said.
In Athens, many northern and southern suburbs residents woke up on Thursday to heavy rainfall, which flooded dozens of houses and swept away cars.
The Fire Brigade received at least 40 telephone calls to pump out water and remove fallen trees from roads.
The Peace and Friendship Stadium in the southern seaside area of the Greek capital near Piraeus Port was also flooded, and authorities are still assessing the damage.
Roads leading to Mount Parnitha in the northern suburbs were closed to traffic due to snowfall.
In central Greece, a five-kilometre traffic jam was formed on Wednesday at the foot of Mount Parnassus as many holidaymakers attempted to reach the ski resort.
On Thursday, officials advised motorists to use snow chains in mountainous zones of central and northern Greece with snowy conditions and to exercise caution during heavy storms.
On Evia island near Athens, heavy showers flooded parts of the road network on Wednesday, and authorities remained on alert as a river began to swell.
Firemen intervened to rescue a family trapped in a car stuck in the mud, newspaper “To Vima” (Tribune) reported.
Parts of the highway linking Athens to the Peloponnese Peninsula in southern Greece were also closed due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
ANN/THE STAR – As children enter their often-turbulent teenage years, parenting approaches must evolve to address their changing needs.
A common dilemma many parents face is whether to take on a friendlier role, potentially blurring the boundaries between parent and friend.
While fostering a close bond with your teen is crucial, it’s equally important to set clear boundaries that support their well-being and growth.
Studies show that teenagers thrive when parents strike a harmonious balance between warmth and appropriate limits.
The key for parents lies in nurturing a strong personal connection with their child while maintaining the authority and responsibility of an adult caregiver.
It’s important to remember that treating your teen with care and respect doesn’t require relinquishing your role as their guide and protector.
Your role as a parent, rather, should include guidance and authority. Children feel secure when there is a clear authoritative figure in their family. However, this does not mean micromanaging by constantly interfering with your teen’s decision-making processes, as this can be detrimental to their emerging independence.
PHOTO: ENVATO
Setting boundaries does not mean you are not a caring parent. to just helps your child know that it is okay for them to become more independent as they grow up, giving them room to explore on their own.
Furthermore, if you become too “friendly” with your child, the boundaries blur and your ability to set essential rules diminishes. Parents often have to impose rules that teens might not enjoy or may rebel against.
However, setting limits (eg curfew, screen time, appropriate attire, type of social activities) is important for your child’s well-being and safety.
It helps them learn what is safe and appropriate, and what is not. Becoming your child’s BFF (best friend forever) can have unintended consequences.
Children, unprepared for the complexities of the adult world, may feel too much pressure trying to navigate issues beyond their emotional maturity.
It’s vital to avoid burdening them with adult concerns, such as disagreements with your spouse or financial issues, as this can lead to anxiety and disrupt their natural development.
By avoiding excessive sharing of adult problems, you allow your child the space to enjoy their teenage years without the premature responsibilities of adulthood. This approach frees up time for shared activities, creating opportunities to relax, have fun and understand your child’s needs and emotions.
Not only does this build up your teen’s emotional well-being, but it also nurtures a healthy relationship where both guidance and independence coexist harmoniously.
Navigating the challenges of parenting during adolescence is an intricate balancing act, and parents need to remember that you can be caring without having to sacrifice your role as an authoritative figure.
The key is finding the right balance and knowing where to draw the line so that you create a nurturing environment where your teen can flourish. – Dr Thiyagar Nadarajaw
SANAA (AFP) – Israeli air strikes hit Sanaa’s international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday as the head of the United Nations’ (UN) World Health Organization (WHO) said he and his team prepared to fly out.
Yemen’s civil aviation authority said the airport planned to re-open yesterday after the strikes that it said occurred while the UN aircraft “was getting ready for its scheduled flight”.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they knew at the time that WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was there.
Israel’s attack came a day after the Huthi rebels claimed the firing of a missile and two drones at Israel.
Yemen’s Huthis have stepped up their attacks against Israel since late November when a ceasefire took effect between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The Huthis Al-Masirah TV said the Israeli strikes killed six people, after earlier Huthi statements said two people died at the rebel-held capital’s airport, and another at Ras Issa port. The strikes targeting the airport, military facilities and power stations in rebel areas marked the second time since December 19 that Israel has hit targets in Yemen after rebel missile fire towards Israel.
In his latest warning to the rebels, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would “continue until the job is done”.
Smoke rises from the Saana International Airport following an airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen. PHOTO: AP
“We are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil,” he said in a video statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the “escalation” in hostilities between Israel and the Huthis and called the Sanaa airport strikes “especially alarming”.
He said bombing transportation infrastructure posed a threat to humanitarian operations in Yemen, where 80 per cent of the population is dependent on aid.
Tedros was in Yemen to seek the release of UN staff detained for months by the Huthis, and to assess the humanitarian situation.
He said he and other UN staff were about to board their flight when “the airport came under aerial bombardment”.
“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge – just a few meters from where we were – and the runway were damaged,” Tedros said on X, adding that he and UN staff were safe.
A witness told AFP that “more than six” attacks struck the rebel-held capital’s airport, with raids also targeting the adjacent Al-Dailami air base.
A series of strikes also targeted a power station in Hodeida, on the rebel-held coast, a witness and Al-Masirah TV said.
Following rebel attacks against Israel, Israeli strikes had already twice this year hit Hodeida, a major entry point for humanitarian aid to impoverished Yemen, which has been ravaged for years by its own war.
On December 19, after the rebels fired a missile towards Israel and badly damaged a school, Israel for the first time struck targets in Sanaa. It said the strikes were against ports and energy infrastructure that “effectively contributed to” Huthi military actions.
Huthi media said those strikes killed nine people.
In the latest attacks, the Israeli military said its “fighter jets conducted intelligence-based strikes on military targets belonging to the Huthi terrorist regime”.
The targets included “military infrastructure” at the airport and power stations in Sanaa and Hodeida, as well as other facilities at Hodeida, Salif and Ras Kanatib ports, an Israeli statement said.
AP – Your brain can still make new neurons when you’re an adult. But how does the rare birth of these new neurons contribute to cognitive function?
Neurons are the cells that govern brain function, and you are born with most of the neurons you will ever have during your lifetime. While the brain undergoes most of its development during early life, specific regions of the brain continue to generate new neurons throughout adulthood, although at a much lower rate.
Whether this process of neurogenesis actually happens in adults and what function it serves in the brain is still a subject of debate among scientists.
Past research has shown that people with epilepsy or Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias develop fewer neurons as adults than people without these conditions. However, whether the absence of new neurons contributes to the cognitive challenges patients with these neurological disorders face is unknown.
We are part of a team of stem cell researchers, neuroscientists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuropsychologists. Our newly published research reveals that the new neurons that form in adults’ brains are linked to how you learn from listening to other people.
NEW NEURONS AND LEARNING
Researchers know that new neurons contribute to memory and learning in mice.
But in humans, the technical challenges of identifying and analysing new neurons in adult brains, combined with their rarity, had led scientists to doubt their significance to brain function.
To uncover the relationship between neurogenesis in adults and cognitive function, we studied patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
PHOTO: ENVATOPHOTO: ENVATOPHOTO: ENVATO
These patients underwent cognitive assessments prior to and donated brain tissue during surgical procedures to treat their seizures. To see whether how many new neurons a patient had was associated with specific cognitive functions, we looked under the microscope for markers of neurogenesis.
We found that new neurons in the adult brain are linked to reduced cognitive decline – particularly in verbal learning, or learning by listening to others. This was very surprising to us.
In mice, new neurons are known for their role in helping them learn and navigate new spaces through visual exploration. However, we did not observe a similar connection between new neurons and spatial learning in people.
IMPROVING COGNITION
Talking with others and remembering those conversations is an integral part of day-to-day life for many people. However, this crucial cognitive function declines with age, and the effects are more severe with neurological disorders.
As ageing populations grow, the burden of cognitive decline on health care systems worldwide will increase. Our research suggests that the link between newborn neurons and verbal learning may be foundational to deve-loping treatments to restore cognition in people. Enhancing new neuron generation could be a potential strategy to improve brain health and restore cognition in aging and in people with epilepsy or dementia. But for now, these ideas are just goals and any future treatments are a long way off.
Importantly, our finding that new neurons function differently in mice and in humans emphasises the critical need to study biological functions like neurogenesis in people whenever possible. This will ensure that research conducted in animal models, such as mice, is relevant to people and can translate to the clinic.
Current drugs for epilepsy primarily aim to reduce seizures, with limited focus on addressing the cognitive decline patients experience. To enhance cognitive outcomes for patients, we started a clinical trial focusing on boosting new neuron production and cognition in epilepsy patients through aerobic exercise.
We are currently in the early Phase 1 of the clinical trial, which seeks to establish the safety of the study. Thus far, two patients have successfully and safely finished the study. We plan to recruit eight more patients to exercise and complete this phase.
By bringing together basic science in the lab and clinical research in people, a better understanding of brain regeneration could help support brain health throughout the lifespan. – Aswathy Ammothumkandy
ANN/THE STAR – When Jaslina Tanzil and her husband moved into their new home last October, they didn’t have a specific décor style in mind. Yet, their thoughtful choices have resulted in a cosy and elegant living space.
Located in a gated and guarded community in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, their double-storey end-lot home spans 20 feet by 70 feet and features four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
“We didn’t stick to a particular theme but focused on creating a warm, inviting atmosphere with earthy wooden tones complemented by marble accents,” shared Jaslina, 37, an in-house legal counsel.
“We wanted something timeless but also modern.”
The home’s aesthetic is defined by dark wood furniture, gold accents, and beige tones, which come together to create a stylish yet comfortable ambiance.
“The combination of these elements gives our space a refreshing mix of modern and classic styles,” Jaslina added. “It feels like a blend of resort-like luxury and homey comfort.”
The dining area has a cosy appeal, set against the arched doorway that leads to the kitchen. PHOTO: JASLINA TANZILThe couple added shiny accessories to their bathroom to jazz up the look. PHOTO: JASLINA TANZILThe kitchen is inspired by an English modern farmhouse concept, with marble-patterned quartz stone countertop, mosaic fish scale tile backsplash and wooden pattern floor tiles. PHOTO: JASLINA TANZILABOVE & BELOW: The framed arched doorway that separates the kitchen and living room; the kitchen is inspired by an English modern farmhouse concept; the shared bathroom upstairs also features a marble-patterned countertop and fluted cabinet; and the master bathroom has a minimal yet luxe feel, with wood textures complementing the dark marble-patterned tiles and gold fixtures. PHOTO: JASLINA TANZILPHOTO: JASLINA TANZILPHOTO: JASLINA TANZILPHOTO: JASLINA TANZIL
“We love the minimal yet very luxe feel in this bathroom. The wood textures perfectly complement the dark marble tiles, and the gold fixtures complete the look.
“The fluted vanity cabinet with marble- patterned countertop and round lighted mirror accentuate the luxe feel, making the bathroom very warm and inviting. We love every bit of it!”
Jaslina’s husband, Akhmal Khan Abu, 37, who is in corporate sales, was the one who designed the bathroom himself after doing research online and on social media.
“Our bathrooms are quite small, therefore the options were quite limited but we managed to still make them look spacious without trying too hard.
“We added a little bit of shiny accessories just to make them pop,” explained Jaslina.
Meanwhile their kitchen is inspired by an English modern farmhouse concept, with marble-patterned quartz stone countertop, mosaic fish scale tile backsplash and wooden pattern floor tiles.
“I focused on having a light-coloured kitchen as our kitchen space is quite small, and having the wood-pattern floor tiles make it look classic,” she shared.
What Jaslina likes best about her kitchen is the custom-made moveable mini island.
“It is small in size but yet so functional. When we’re not using it, we will move it aside and when we have guests in our house, it can be set up as a buffet table.”
Unsurprisingly, the couple’s favourite spot in the house is the kitchen and dining space.
“I love spending time in the kitchen to prepare food as that’s when I will think about how far I’ve come to get my dream kitchen.
“The dining area is where my husband and I eat together and we can see the overall view of the house while facing the yard; it’s just so refreshing,” shared Jaslina, who hopes to work on her laundry area next to improve storage and access. – Wong Li Za
BEIRUT (AFP) – A Syria war monitor said the country’s new authorities had arrested a military justice official under the ousted government of president Bashar al-Assad who issued death sentences for people held in the notorious Saydnaya prison.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Mohammed Kanjo Hassan was arrested in the coastal Tartus province, along with 20 members of his entourage.
Under the deposed government, Kanjo Hassan issued, according to the Observatory, “thousands” of sentences, including death sentences, for people held in Saydnaya.
Located near Damascus, the Saydnaya complex was the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances, and epitomised the atrocities committed against Assad’s opponents.
Kanjo Hassan headed Syria’s military field court from 2011 to 2014, the first three years of the war that began with Assad’s crackdown on democracy protests, according to co-founder Diab Serriya of the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Saydnaya Prison.
He was later promoted to chief of military justice nationwide, Serriya said, adding that he sentenced “thousands of people” to death, often in “trials that lasted minutes”.
Serriya’s group estimates that Kanjo Hassan made USD150 million from bribes paid by relatives of detainees desperate for information on their loved ones. Syria’s exiled National Coalition of opposition forces welcomed the arrest, describing it as an “important step on the path to justice and the prosecution of those who committed crimes against the Syrian people”.
The Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Saydnaya Prison estimates that 30,000 people were taken into detention in the facility since 2011, while only around 6,000 have been released.
The others remain missing.
The fate of tens of thousands of prisoners and missing people is one of the most harrowing legacies of the war.
International organisations have repeatedly called for the establishment of mechanisms for justice and accountability in Syria.
Personnel affiliated with Syria’s new administration inspect a car at a checkpoint in Syria’s western coastal city of Latakia. PHOTO: AFP
AP/AFP – Margherita Maccapani Missoni gave her new fashion baby her own, less-famous birth name, Maccapani, applying her fashion philosophy of mixing the old and new.
Her latest collection was shown in a Milan villa, with models engaged in leisure activities, putting together a puzzle, listening to music or drawing. One sang from the balcony.
Missoni’s mother Angela, former creative director of the Missoni fashion house, wandered through.
Maccapni is launching a storefront on E-bay with curated vintage items alongside her own collection, part of her brand concept to offer pieces – old and new – that can be integrated into a wardrobe, without dictating a style.
HERLIYA (AFP) – An Israeli hospital reported that a woman in her eighties was killed after being stabbed in the coastal city of Herzliya yesterday, while police stated that the suspected attacker had been arrested.
“She was brought to the hospital with multiple stab wounds while undergoing resuscitation efforts, but the hospital staff was forced to pronounce her death upon arrival,” Tel Aviv Ichilov hospital said in a statement.
The incident took place in Herzliya’s De Shalit Square, the police said.
“We provided initial treatment, stopped the bleeding and treated her with medication, and evacuated her in critical condition,” medic Idan Shina from the national medical service Magen David Adom said in a statement, before the hospital announced her death.
In a separate statement, police said the suspected attacker, a 28-year-old “resident of the Palestinian Authority” in the occupied West Bank has been arrested.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.”
