2020-21 All-Berks girls swimming and diving team

AFP
Japan's record number of women MPs still minority
New lawmaker Saria Hino takes her seat on Monday as one of a record number of women in Japan's parliament, but while campaigning ahead of the recent election, a voter asked her: "Who's looking after your children?"One LDP lawmaker who won a seat was Jun Mukoyama, who faced the same question on the campaign trail over who was looking after her child -- "a question a male candidate wouldn't be asked," the 40-year-old told AFP. She spent 13 years at a trading house but quit in her early 30s when sh
Associated Press
Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district
Republican David Schweikert has won an eighth term in an affluent congressional district in the Phoenix area by fending off a challenge from a Democratic former state lawmaker. Schweikert defeated Amish Shah, an emergency room doctor, in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which includes north Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley. Redistricting ahead of the 2022 midterms accelerated the trend, fueling hopes among Democrats that Schweikert could be defeated.
Reuters
Asian stocks slide as China stimulus disappoints; bitcoin extends record rally
Hong Kong stocks led declines in Asia on Monday after Beijing's latest stimulus fell short of investor expectations, overshadowing Wall Street's record highs from Friday and futures pointing to further strength at the reopen. Bitcoin climbed to an all-time high as Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election along with pro-crypto candidates being voted to Congress spurred expectations of a light-handed regulatory environment. The dollar traded not far from last week's four-month peak versus major peers as traders prepared for a key reading of U.S. consumer inflation this week, as well as a parade of Federal Reserve speakers, including Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday.
AFP
Asian stocks drop as China support plan falls flat, bitcoin hits record
Asian markets fell Monday after China's keenly anticipated plans to support the world's number two economy fell short of expectations, while traders were also keeping tabs on Washington as Donald Trump puts his cabinet together after last week's election win."Yet President-elect Donald Trump’s policy proposals could lead to heightened macroeconomic volatility.
CNN
China maps out baseline claims over a contested South China Sea shoal with the Philippines
China has published baselines for a contested shoal in the South China Sea it had seized from the Philippines, a move that’s likely to increase tensions over overlapping territorial claims.
CNN
Inside Mar-a-Lago, the chaotic Trump epicenter: patio pitches, transition meetings and rogue guests
Mar-a-Lago is the epicenter of Donald Trump’s presidential transition, and foreign leaders, contractors and those seeking a job in the administration have descended on Palm Beach, Florida, filling hotels and seeking rental properties for the next three months to get as much face time as possible with the president-elect and his top advisers.
Associated Press
Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot 'curing' deadline
The Arizona Supreme Court declined Sunday to extend the deadline for voters to fix problems with mail-in ballots, a day after voter rights groups cited reports of delays in vote counting and in notification of voters with problem signatures. Arizona law calls for people who vote by mail to receive notice of problems such as a ballot signature that doesn’t match one on file and get a “reasonable” chance to correct it in a process known as “curing.” “The Court has no information to establish in fact that any such individuals did not have the benefit of ‘reasonable efforts’ to cure their ballots,” wrote Justice Bill Montgomery, who served as duty judge for the seven-member court.
AFP
Fourth typhoon in a month hits Philippines
Thousands of villages were ordered to evacuate and ports shut down, officials said Monday, as the disaster-weary Philippines was struck by another typhoon -- the fourth in less than a month.At least 1,400 people were moved from coastal areas as well as flood-prone and landslide-prone areas of Dinalungan and nearby Baler municipality, said disaster operations official Donald Allan Ty. In all, the government ordered 2,500 villages to be evacuated on Sunday, though the national disaster office does
Reuters
Vietnam says Temu, Shein must register with govt or be blocked in country
The Vietnamese government said it will block the internet domains and apps of Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu in the country if they have not registered their operations with the trade ministry before the end of November. The move comes amid concerns about the impact of Chinese online platforms on local markets due to their heavy discounting and the quality of goods available. Vietnamese deputy trade minister Nguyen Hoang Long told a government meeting at the weekend that the ministry had worked with both Shein and Temu on the licensing matter.
AFP
Trump looms over Saudi-hosted meeting on Mideast wars
Arab and Muslim leaders gather in Saudi Arabia Monday for a summit addressing the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, a chance to send a message to US President-elect Donald Trump.The message is that Trump "can rely on the Saudis as being representatives of the Muslim world", and that "if you want to extend American interests in the region, Saudi Arabia is your bet", he said.
AFP
Japan PM set to form minority government
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces a parliament vote on Monday that is expected to keep him in the job, but with a fragile grip on power after a disastrous general election.With Japan's opposition parties deeply divided on many key issues, Ishiba is expected to lead a minority government from Monday when lawmakers convene for a special four-day session to nominate the prime minister.
NBC News
24 more monkeys found after 43 escape from South Carolina research facility
An additional 24 monkeys believed to be among 43 that escaped a South Carolina research facility last week have been recovered, and eyes are on a "sizable group" nearby, police said Sunday.
AFP
Misinformation fears mount over second Trump term
Donald Trump's election victory paves the way for a fresh wave of misinformation, not only around politics but also on vaccines and climate, with his expected cabinet picks ready to challenge the scientific community.Since taking over Twitter, now known as X, Elon Musk –- who may join Trump's cabinet –- has amplified rather than curbed misinformation.
Associated Press
Storm-weary Philippines forcibly evacuates thousands as another typhoon hits
A new typhoon barreled across an agricultural region in the northeastern Philippines on Monday after thousands were evacuated to safety while still struggling to recover from the devastation caused by three successive storms in the last three weeks. Typhoon Toraji slammed into northeastern Aurora province and was forecast to blow over the mountainous Luzon region, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — just the day before — inspected the damage from the last storm and led the distribution of food packs to residents in Cagayan and Ilocos provinces. Marcos skipped this week’s Asia-Pacific Cooperation forum in Peru to oversee recovery efforts from back-to-back storms.
Associated Press
Rafael dissolves into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after hitting Cuba as a hurricane
Rafael has weakened into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after barreling across Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane last week. Rafael weakened into a tropical storm Saturday and dissipated into a remnant low on Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The center said Sunday that the post-tropical cyclone was located about 345 miles (560 kilometers) north-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph).
NBC News
Trump declares Senate majority candidates should allow him to make recess appointments
President-elect Donald Trump involved himself publicly in the Senate leadership race for the first time, writing in a post on TruthSocial that anyone running to be the next Senate Majority Leader should agree to let Trump make recess appointments to his cabinet.
CNN
Trump expected to announce he’s hiring Tom Homan, his former acting ICE director
Donald Trump is expected to announce in the coming days that he’s bringing back Tom Homan, who served as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in his last administration.
CNN
Elon Musk exerts deepening influence on Donald Trump’s presidential transition
Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club has been brimming in the last 48 hours with two kinds of people: those angling for a job in the president-elect’s incoming administration, and those trying to influence him into hiring their picks for the top spots.
AFP
What would North Korean soldiers do in Ukraine?
The presence of North Korean soldiers alongside Russians fighting Ukraine raises many tactical and military questions, leading some analysts to wonder about their effectiveness and ultimate objectives.Meanwhile, there remains a plethora of organisational questions: will the North Koreans deploy rank-and-file soldiers as well as command structures?
AFP
After hurricanes, two earthquakes jolt crisis-hit Cuba
Two powerful earthquakes rocked southern Cuba in quick succession on Sunday, US geologists said, just days after the island was struck by a hurricane that knocked out power nationwide. Hurricane Rafael left residents in Cuba without power for two days.

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