Ex US-President Trump must pay 83 million dollars in compensation

NEWS

1. Ex US-President Trump must pay 83 million dollars in compensation:

   Former US President Donald Trump has been sentenced to pay a further compensation payment of 83.3 million dollars - the equivalent of around 77 million euros - in a second defamation trial in New York. This was the second civil case brought by 80-year-old US author E. Jean Carroll against the 77-year-old, who had accused Trump of ruining her reputation by calling her a liar. The former columnist's defense had demanded damages of around 24 million dollars. The sum she has now been awarded significantly exceeds this claim.

2. No ceasefire, but more protection for Palestinians:

   The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has not ordered an end to the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. In its decision, however, the highest UN court called on Israel to curb death and destruction. South Africa had called on the UN's highest court to order Israel to end its military operation in the Gaza Strip.

   The court had previously announced that it would not dismiss the genocide case brought against Israel by South Africa. The Israeli government had requested that the South African case be dismissed. The court has not yet ruled on whether the actions in the Gaza Strip constitute genocide - a decision on the matter could take years.

3. Putin accuses Ukraine of shooting down plane

   Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of probably using foreign missiles to shoot down the Russian military plane that crashed on Wednesday. Preliminary results indicate that the missiles that hit the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft were American or French, Putin said in a televised speech, adding that the military aircraft had been shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. "I don't know whether they did it on purpose or by mistake, but it is obvious that they did it," Putin added.

4. Microsoft laying off 1900 employees

   Activision Blizzard and Xbox together have seen layoffs totaling 8% of Microsoft's video gaming division. Following the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the company that makes Call of Duty, concluded in October, and significant leadership changes have been made. According to an internal memo published by The Verge, Blizzard President Mike Ybarra has opted to leave, following the resignation of CEO Bobby Kotick in December. Additionally, an impending survival game has been scrapped. The reductions coincide with layoffs at multiple gaming-related businesses, such as Riot Games, Unity, Twitch, and Discord.

5. First execution carried out with nitrogen in USA:

   For the first time in the USA, a man sentenced to death has been executed using a new nitrogen method. The 58-year-old Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was convicted of murder in 1996, died on Thursday evening (local time) in a prison in the US state of Alabama using so-called nitrogen hypoxia, according to Alabama's Attorney General Steve Marshall. During the procedure, a person is injected with nitrogen via a face mask - they die due to the lack of oxygen.

   Journalist Ivana Hrynkiw from the platform al.com, who was present as a media witness, explained at a televised press conference that Smith appeared to have been conscious for several minutes. For about two minutes he had been shaking and writhing. He breathed deeply for several more minutes until those present could no longer see him breathing.

FACTS

1. Regular Exercise is Good for the Brain:

   Physical exercise not only benefits the body but also has positive effects on the brain. Regular physical activity has been associated with improved cognitive function, memory, and attention. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, promotes the growth of new neurons, and enhances overall brain health.

2. Japan is home to the world's oldest company still in operation:

   The Kongo Gumi construction company was founded in 578 AD and operated continuously for over 1,400 years until it was absorbed by the Takamatsu Construction Group in 2006. This remarkable longevity reflects Japan's rich history and enduring traditions.

3. The Great Emu War:

   In 1932, Australia experienced what is humorously referred to as "The Great Emu War." Australia was faced with an overpopulation of emus damaging crops. The Australian government deployed soldiers armed with machine guns to cull the emu population. The emus, however, proved elusive, and the operation was not as successful as intended, resulting in a humorous episode in Australian history.

4. Venus Rotates Backward:

   Unlike most planets in our solar system that rotate counterclockwise, Venus rotates in the opposite direction, making it one of the few planets with retrograde rotation. Additionally, Venus has an extremely slow rotation, taking about 243 Earth days to complete one rotation, but its day (one full rotation on its axis) is only about 117 Earth days.

5. A Jiffy is a Unit of Time:

   In physics, a "jiffy" is used as an informal unit of time representing the time it takes for light to travel one centimeter in a vacuum, approximately 33.3564 picoseconds. The term is also commonly used to express a short, unspecified amount of time in everyday language.

That’s it for this week, we hope you enjoyed this newsletter issue!

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