Party City is closing down all of its stores, ending nearly 40 years in business, CNN has learned. CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees Friday in a meeting viewed by CNN that Party City is “winding down” operations immediately and that today will be their last day of employment. Staff were told they will not receive severance pay, and they were told their benefits would end as the company goes out of business. “That is without question the most difficult message that I’ve ever had to deliver,” Litwin said at the meeting, which was held on a video conference call.…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
With a shutdown of the government looming, lawmakers on Capitol Hill find themselves at an impasse over the debt ceiling – a limit set by Congress on how much the US can borrow. President-elect Donald Trump wants a provision included in the spending bill that would raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit. But some of his own Republican Party lawmakers have balked at supporting a bill that would increase government spending. On Thursday, 235 members of the House of Representatives – including 38 Republicans – voted against this Donald Trump-backed deal. Here’s what to know about the debt ceiling.…
A top campaign adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump has called the incoming UK ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson, “an absolute moron”. In a post on social media, Chris LaCivita said Lord Mandelson “should stay home”. Mr LaCivita, who was a co-campaign manager for Trump’s presidential election bid, criticised the British government’s decision saying it was replacing a “professional universally respected ambo [ambassador] with an absolute moron”. Lord Mandelson is one of the best-known figures in British politics, having served in multiple ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before taking up a life peerage in the…
The US has scrapped a $10m (£7.9m) reward for the arrest of Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, following meetings between senior diplomats and representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf said the discussion with Sharaa was “very productive”, and he came across as “pragmatic”. The US delegation arrived in the capital, Damascus, after HTS overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime less than a fortnight ago. Washington still designates it as a terrorist group. A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the diplomats discussed “transition principles” supported by the US, regional events and the need to fight…
The UK has sanctioned five senior Georgian officials, including the interior minister, for their roles in suppressing pro-European protests in the Black Sea country. The individuals will face travel bans and asset freezes for “violating human rights”, the Foreign Office said, adding that the sanctions were imposed in coordination with the US. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “The shocking violence inflicted upon protestors, opposition leaders and journalists is an egregious attack on democracy.” The country has seen months of violent clashes between protesters and police since parliamentary elections held in October, most recently over the government’s decision to pause EU…
Thirty-five children were killed in a crush at a Christmas funfair in the south-west Nigerian city of Ibadan, with six others hospitalised, the police say. The organisers had promised to give cash handouts and also food but so many people turned up that there was a crush as they struggled to gain entry. Residents said that over 5,000 children had gathered at the venue and the crush occurred when the main organisers arrived to start the event. The sequence of events leading to the crush has not been disclosed. The police say they have arrested eight people who were behind…
The Georgia Court of Appeals has removed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from an election subversion case against President-elect Donald Trump. The ruling reverses a previous decision from a Georgia court allowing Willis to stay on the case after she engaged in a romantic relationship with one of the prosecutors she hired for the case. Trump and several other co-defendants were charged in Georgia for an alleged scheme to overturn the Republican’s election loss in the state to Joe Biden in 2020. “After carefully considering the trial court’s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing…
Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has become the latest billionaire to meet Donald Trump at his Florida resort. He was seen entering Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday night on his way to dinner with the president-elect, in video posted on social media. The business magnate has pledged $1m (£780,000) to Trump’s inauguration fund, one of a number of donations pledged by tech bosses. Mr Bezos also has large business interests with the US government through several of his companies, including Amazon’s cloud computing division and Blue Origin, his space exploration company. Others who have travelled to Mar-a-Lago recently include…
The US could face a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday after President-elect Donald Trump called on Republican lawmakers to reject a bipartisan funding bill that would have kept the government funded through March. Trump urged Congress to scrap the deal and pass a slimmer version with fewer provisions. His intervention followed heavy criticism of the bill by tech billionaire Elon Musk. Congressman Steve Scalise, the Republican House Majority Leader, indicated on Wednesday night that the bill was dead after Trump denounced it. The short-term funding bill will need to be passed by Congress by the end of week to…
Shipping a car can feel like an overwhelming task, but a car shipping calculator makes it easier. Whether you’re relocating, buying a car online, or just need to move your vehicle, this tool simplifies the process and helps you plan your budget. But what exactly is a car shipping calculator, and how does it work? Let’s break it down. What Is a Car Shipping Calculator? A car shipping calculator (see more here) is an online tool that estimates the cost of transporting your vehicle. By entering a few details—like the pick-up and drop-off locations, car type, and shipping preferences—you get…
It means, that in the exponentially growing artificial intelligence field, one of the fascinating inventions is the capability of generating art by the system itself. The AI Art Generator lets you change simple text into stunning visual creations. These tools will help your imagination run wild and transform textual descriptions into vivid images for personal projects, creative works, or even professional presentations. It is an intuitive, fun process accessible to all, independent of any artistic skills. Understanding AI Art Generators An AI Art Generator works by availing the power of advanced machine learning algorithms to interpret textual inputs and create…
Sergio Pérez and Red Bull have agreed to part ways, bringing an end to the Mexican driver’s stint with the Formula 1 team. RB driver Liam Lawson is expected to be announced as Pérez’s replacement in the coming days. Pérez, whose poor form had cost Red Bull this year’s constructors’ championship, had been negotiating next steps of his contract since the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend. While the offer of an ambassadorial role was on the table, Pérez has opted to walk away from his Red Bull contract altogether. “I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years…
Mexico’s government has asked the US to extradite a senior drug cartel figure suspected in the murder of well-known journalist Javier Valdez in 2017. Valdez, known for his award-winning coverage of the drug trade, was gunned down in the city of Culiacán in May 2017. Mexican authorities say the journalist’s assassination was ordered by Dámaso López Serrano, a former high-ranking member of the Sinaloa drug cartel. López Serrano – who the US Justice Department says goes by the moniker of “Mini Lic” – was arrested on fentanyl trafficking charges in Virginia on 13 December. At a news conference this week,…
The US House Ethics Committee has voted to release its report on former Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, two sources familiar with the matter have told the BBC’s US partner, CBS News. The report follows a years-long investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. It is expected to be released in the coming days. House Republicans previously blocked Democratic efforts to unveil the results of the report into the former Florida representative, but during a vote on 5 December, two Republicans voted to release the report, according to CBS. Gaetz, who has denied any wrongdoing, said on Wednesday:…
The US central bank has cut interest rates for a third time, despite concerns that the move will deliver a boost to the economy that risks re-igniting price inflation. The decision was expected, setting the Federal Reserve’s key lending rate in a target range of 4.25% to 4.5%. That is down a full percentage point since September, when the bank started lowering borrowing costs, citing progress stabilising prices and a desire to head off economic weakening. Reports since then indicate the job market has been more resilient than expected while price rises have continued to bubble. Inflation, which measures the…