jili games philippines Supreme court judge Dr Esther Kitimbo Kisaakye has fled to exile, fearing for her life due to ongoing threats, according to documents obtained by URN. The documents, including a series of emails, written by Washington-based law firm Covington & Burling LLP outline the situation in which Kisaakye is living. “Justice Kisaakye continued to live in fear for her life based on reports of threats she continued to receive,” reads one of the documents. It adds Kisakye fled the country out of fear for her life and now lives in exile. The acquired materials added that in July 2023, Kisaakye received a report of an imminent threat to her life from her lawyer, which they had received from a person who identified himself as a member of one of the security agencies in Uganda. The materials received, addressed to several organizations including the Centre for Human Rights, International Bar Association Human Rights Institute, International Commission of Jurists, Lawyers for Lawyers, and the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, reveal ongoing efforts to raise awareness about Kisaakye's situation. The law firm is mobilizing support and coordinating initiatives to bring attention to her plight as a judge in exile who is facing retaliation for fulfilling her judicial responsibilities, with her safety still at risk. Kisaakye’s challenges date back to 2021 when she disagreed with eight justices over decisions related to the presidential election petition filed by former candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine challenging the election of President Yoweri Museveni for the sixth term. Kyagulanyi had sought the court’s permission to amend and also introduce new evidence to support his election petition. However, the eight justices, led by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, dismissed the application, citing the strict timelines for determining presidential election petitions, which, they argued, could not be amended. Kisaakye accused the chief justice of attempting to suppress her constitutional right to deliver a minority judgment in which she disagreed with the rest of the panel. She claimed her judgment was confiscated. Despite this, using a duplicate copy, Kisaakye delivered her minority judgment. With the lights and speakers switched off, she sat alone on the bench, as the eight other justices and the respondents’ lawyers had left the room. According to materials from Covington & Burling LLP, these events were followed by two and a half years of persecution, discrimination, and retaliation against Kisaakye by the chief justice and other Supreme court staff. The retaliation took different forms which included; removing her as an administrative judge, denying her any new work, removal of her research officer, denying of leave and medical benefits, and falsely accusing her of failure to write judgments in appeals when she was not a member of the coram or the designated judge to originate the lead judgments. In April 2021, the Uganda Judicial Service Commission initiated an inquiry into Kisaakye's conduct. Two months later, the permanent secretary of the judiciary suspended her salary and benefits for two and a half months, citing ongoing covert investigations by the Commission. By October 2022, after failing to resolve her issues through internal processes within the Ugandan judiciary and other relevant institutions, Kisaakye filed a petition in the Constitutional court. In her petition, she sought several declarations stating that the actions and omissions of five respondents—namely the chief justice of Uganda, the permanent secretary of the judiciary, the Judicial Service Commission, the attorney general, and the chief registrar and commissioner of Human Resources, violated her rights under Uganda's Constitution and undermined judicial independence. Despite her petition, the Judicial Service Commission continued its work, and in February 2023, it issued a report recommending that the President of Uganda establish a tribunal to investigate whether Kisaakye should be removed from office for alleged misconduct that occurred on March 18 and 19, 2021. As a lawyer, Kisaakye took action by filing another petition to quash the commission's report and to postpone the appointment of the tribunal until her initial petition was resolved. however, her case has never been granted any hearing dates. In the set of documents received by URN, it is indicated that; “Unofficially, Justice Kisaakye received information that the deputy chief justice, who will be retiring at the end of the year, is not willing to cause list her Petitions and applications, and that many judges at the Constitutional court were also not ready to hear her Petitions and applications either, because of the political sensitivities involved.” With more than seven years left on her term serving on the Supreme court bench, Kisaakye sought to bring an early end to her career by informing the appointing authority, the President, of her decision in a letter dated July 18. In her letter, she challenged the constitutionality of various administrative actions taken against her, including being investigated on allegations without the disclosure of specific offences, the freezing of her salary, and her removal as head of administration of the Supreme court. Kisaakye’s resignation came five months after the Judicial Service Commission recommended her removal from office due to alleged misconduct and a verbal confrontation with Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo regarding the 2021 presidential election petition. In response to her resignation and the letter from the Judicial Service Commission, President Museveni chose to reject her resignation. He stated that while he could not obstruct her wishes, her decision to resign would "preempt the work of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry or the tribunal." Kisaakye has also since filed another petition in the Supreme court challenging the legality of the president’s decision to stop her from taking early retirement. She noted that despite the refusal to accept her retirement, she has not been given any work in the judiciary since. “Whereas my early retirement was unconstitutionally denied by the President, I have also been denied any judicial work at the Supreme court and as a result, I have been kept in a state of being neither a serving justice nor as a retired justice of the Supreme court,” Kisaakye’s affidavit in support of her application reads in part. When contacted, Covington & Burling LLP, confirmed assisting Kisaakye with her advocacy efforts in promoting the rule of law, good governance, and judicial independence in Uganda and beyond. “In 2022 and 2023, Justice Kisaakye filed two constitutional petitions with the Constitutional Court of Uganda seeking to protect judicial independence and halt the Judicial Service Commission’s unconstitutional inquiry. Thus far, the Constitutional court has failed to follow its duties to hear constitutional cases expeditiously and in the order in which they have been received, as other cases filed after Justice Kisaakye’s have been adjudicated. We are aware that Justice Kisaakye has now filed a third constitutional petition seeking the Ugandan Government’s recognition of her retirement from the Supreme Court and the full payment of her retirement benefits,” an email signed by Amanda Reisinger from the law firm reads in part. The spokesperson of the Judiciary Ereemye Mawanda didn’t respond to our messages and phone calls to his known telephone. [loadposition inarticle}Elon Musk calls Trudeau an ‘insufferable tool’ on his social media platform

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Strome scored with 2:36 remaining as the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Sunday. Strome's goal, his sixth of the season, originally wasn't called, but it was reversed after a review. Strome's shot was entirely over the goal line before Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard could stop it with his skate. Mason McTavish added an empty-net goal. It is the first time since March 30, 2019, the Ducks have defeated the Oilers by more than one goal. Cutter Gauthier, McTavish and Robby Fabbri each had a goal and an assist. Drew Helleson also scored for Anaheim, which snapped a seven-game losing streak to Edmonton. Lukas Dostal made 20 saves. Leon Draisaitl had two goals and Connor McDavid two assists for the Oilers, who were 3-0-1 in their past four. Evan Bouchard also tallied a goal and Pickard stopped 27 shots. Oilers: Draisaitl became the fourth player with at least 120 regular-season points in the calendar year. The forward has 50 goals and 71 assists in 2024. The last calendar year to feature as many NHL skaters with 120-plus points was 1993. Ducks: Anaheim had a 32-23 advantage in shots on goal and has won four of its last seven. Fabbri tied it at 3-all with 2:27 remaining on a snap shot from the right faceoff circle after getting the pass from McTavish. Fabbri has seven points (three goals, four assists) in eight games since returning from a knee injury. McDavid has a 14-game point streak against the Ducks (11 goals, 23 assists). The only teams he has a longer active point streak against are Nashville and New Jersey at 15 games. Both teams have home games on Tuesday. The Oilers face Utah while the Ducks take on New Jersey. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Washington, Dec 13 (PTI) The Biden Administration expects bipartisan support for the India-US relationship to continue during the next Trump Administration, the White House has said. "...(There has) been strong bipartisan support for growing this bilateral relationship. I would expect that, that will continue," White House National Såecurity Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters at a news conference here on Thursday. Also Read | 'Maverick Diplomacy': Donald Trump Invites China's President Xi Jinping to Inauguration for 'Open Dialogue' Despite Tariff Threats. Outgoing President Joe Biden, he said, is very proud of how America's bilateral relationship with India has transformed during his administration. "I mean, we have elevated the Indo-Pacific QUAD. I don't know how many meetings he's had now inside the QUAD and bilaterally with the prime minister (Narendra Modi of India). There's an awful lot in our relationship that has improved military to military, communication ... people to people ties, economic ties," Kirby said in response to a question. Also Read | Donald Trump Named Time Magazine’s Person of Year, Rings New York Stock Exchange’s Opening Bell. On what are Biden's expectations from the coming administration on QUAD and other IMEC, Kirby said, "It's going to be up to them to determine how they leverage the Indo-Pacific QUAD." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Oilers Reporter Wrongfully Blames Coach For Losing Broberg, and Fans Get Riled Up

Anyone visiting Rome in 2024 could be forgiven for being disappointed. While the city has no shortage of ancient treasures to explore, many of them have been buried under scaffolding amid extensive renovations. The city's historic centre has resembled a building site, with construction crews working round the clock on hundreds of infrastructure and restoration projects. Traffic, tricky at the best of times, has been abysmal. READ MORE: These will be the busiest days to fly this Christmas and New Year The good news is that, when it's all over, the Eternal City will hopefully emerge more beautiful than ever, served by a newly revamped metro system that will whisk tourists to some of the star attractions. The bad news is, just weeks away from a yearlong Roman Catholic celebration expected to bring up to 35 million to the city, much of the restoration work is yet to be finished. The jubilee celebration is a regular Catholic Church event, instituted by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 and held every 25 years since 1470. It pulls huge numbers of pilgrims to Rome and the Vatican seeking forgiveness. During celebrations, the "holy doors" of Rome's major basilica churches, normally cemented shut, are opened. Visitors who pass through the doors and carry out spiritual acts will receive plenary indulgences — forgiveness for their sins. READ MORE: This is the best suitcase colour to have, according to travellers The forthcoming jubilee will begin on Christmas Eve — December 24 — when Pope Francis opens the holy door in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. It'll run until January 6, 2026. READ MORE: The 22 travel destinations Australian travellers are being warned to avoid in 2025 In that time Rome, already one of Europe's most visited cities, is forecast to be inundated with record numbers of visitors at a time when many destinations in Italy are buckling under the strain of overtourism. For Italy's capital, the jubilee has been seen as an opportunity to upgrade the city's tourist attractions and facilities. The city has received $3.1b ($US2 billion) in special jubilee funding from the Italian state along with over $4.7 ($US3 billion) from post-pandemic funds from the EU. The disruption involved in overhauling Rome will prove to be worth it, officials say. But it's been a bitter pill for locals and tourists to swallow over the past year. Frustration at seeing the attractions they came to visit swathed in scaffolding and tarpaulins has frequently boiled over onto social media. READ MORE: Not what you'd expect to see during a visit to Alice Springs and the Red Centre Some worry the work — including infrastructure projects unrelated to the jubilee — won't be finished in time. Numerous visitors have poked fun at the city by posting videos as they made their way around the city's historical hot spots, only to find one building site after another. Piazza Navona, home of the Fountain of the Four Rivers; Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano; Fountain of the Four Lions; Ponte Sant'Angelo; Piazza Pia; Piazza Risorgimento; Piazza della Repubblica; Piazaa dei Cinquecento — the restoration list is long. Last month, a temporary pool erected in front of the under-restoration Trevi Fountain was mocked for the underwhelming experience it offered visitors. A new ticketed entry at the fountain has also proven divisive. Piazza Venezia, one of Rome's most famous squares, is now a construction site for a new Line C metro station. Looming over the space is machinery for digging down 85 meters and installing reinforced concrete. The station will be 45 meters underground, with eight floors, each with an area of 4,500 square meters. This being Rome, removing 66,000 cubic meters of earth is as much an exercise in archaeology as it is excavation, adding complications to the construction. Artifacts found in the dig are to be displayed in the station when it's finished. READ MORE: This is the ideal length of a cruise, according to travellers Near the Vatican, another ambitious project is underway to create a pedestrian area between Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Square specifically for the jubilee. The Rome mayor's office has confirmed to CNN that this will be ready before Christmas Eve. There are, however, doubts that the city is prepared for what's about to hit it. "Rome is not ready, it is chaotic," says Sylwia Wysocka, a journalist who has been covering the Vatican and Italy for the Polish Press Agency (PAP) for more than two decades. "Romans are mad. I hear it every time I get on the bus." Riccardo Abate, a guide who shows visitors around on the back of his Vespa scooter, says that he and Scooteroma, the company he works for, have found traffic caused by the works to be challenging. READ MORE: Pilot reveals reason you must put your phone on 'airplane mode' when flying "It's been busy, it's been chaotic, it's been a little bit frustrating — especially for the everyday traffic," he says. "Being in a car is no fun." But, he says, the jubilee deadline is at least pushing the city to complete projects that could otherwise drag on. "Many of the works would have taken much longer without a deadline," he adds. And the "changes mean that Romans will benefit from these improvements long after jubilee, so the pain is worth it." Eugenio Patanè, Rome's deputy mayor of mobility, says whatever the readiness of various parts of the city, it will be able to cope. "Like all capitals, we are constantly under the pressure from tourism and frequent mega events," he says. "Rome is a city where we embrace these challenges and welcome visitors, so these big events don't scare us. We know how to adapt to the pressure." Meanwhile, Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, insists everything is running to schedule. "Yes, we are working very hard for the Jubilee and all the construction sites that are supposed to be ready for the jubilee and finished by December will be finished by December — so there will be new things to admire in Rome next year," he tells CNN. READ MORE: Why you should 'expect the unexpected' when cruising the Arctic, says Catriona Rowntree If it isn't ready, at least the city will be in a forgiving mood. Pope Francis has called for the jubilee's spirit of absolution to be extended beyond Rome, calling for richer countries to forgive the debts of poorer nations, and for governments to issue pardons or amnesties for individual prisoners. On December 26, Francis will become the first pope to open a holy door in a prison when he travels to Rome's Rebibbia detention facility. The Vatican is also planning special events with an array of groups including sportspeople and "digital missionaries and Catholic influencers" and has created a special jubilee mascot, Luce, a cartoon character dressed as a pilgrim, to try and better engage the church with pop culture. READ MORE: Domestic travel spots Aussies most wanted to go this year, according to Google Meanwhile, St Peter's Basilica has partnered with Microsoft to offer a range of Artificial Intelligence-enabled services to allow people to better experience its treasures remotely and in person. A live webcam has also been set up to livestream the tomb of St Peter. This is not Francis' first jubilee. In 2015-2016 he held an "extraordinary" jubilee of mercy which began, for the first time, with the opening of a door in the cathedral in the conflict-ravaged Central African Republic. That jubilee saw visitors of over 21 million to Rome while the last ordinary jubilee in 2000 saw an estimated 25 million visits to the Eternal City. READ MORE: Best places to pick your own sunflowers around Australia Despite this coming year's expected crowds, locals say non-religious tourists shouldn't necessarily think twice about visiting the city, especially as it begins emerging, freshly cleaned, from under its current covers. In recent days, the fountain in front of Rome's Pantheon reopened, giving a taste of what's to come. Restoration works — including cleaning, waterproofing and metal and stucco repair — have restored the structure's original colour, and the difference is startling. And as scooter tour guide Abate points out: "There is never a bad time to visit Rome."Communication is keyNone

Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules

Nasdaq surges above 20,000 after US inflation data matches estimatesSEATTLE — Great Osobor and Zoom Diallo each scored a dozen points and Washington rolled to a 90-53 win over NJIT Sunday in its final tune-up before diving full-time into the Big Ten season. The Huskies bounced back from an upset loss at the hands of Seattle U that snapped a 19-game win streak against the cross-town rival. Osobor opened the game with a three-point play in the first minute and followed it with a layup and the Huskies raced to a 20-point lead by intermission, 46-26. Washington’s bench saw plenty of playing time with four players scoring at least nine points. Diallo led the bench effort with 12 points, five assists and a pair of steals. Wilhelm Briedenbach finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Sebastian Robinson was 5 of 22 from the field, including 0-for-4 from distance, but led the Highlanders (2-12) with 16 points. Tim Moore Jr. added 14 points and Ari Fulton contributed 11. The Huskies will look look for their first Big Ten Conference victory after an 0-2 start when they play host to Maryland on Thursday and No. 24 Illinois on Sunday. NJIT returns home to host Medgar Evers on Saturday.

Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi’s felony voting ban is cruel and unusualConstruction partners director Charles Owens sells $2.74 million in stock