Day: January 5, 2025

Karnataka: Spiritual leader Dalai Lama accorded rousing welcome at Tibetan settlement  Deccan Herald
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The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has announced it will add an extra race to it’s Pioneer Midwest Seeley Hills Classic in Seeley, WI.
In a press release on Sunday, January 5, the foundation said it would be expanding the event in light of recent race cancellations.
“In times of low snow, we feel a responsibility to the Nordic community to provide as many opportunities for ski racing as possible” said Shawn Connelly, the ABSF’s Marketing and Communications Director.
The additional race will be added on Sunday, January 12. Events listed for that day include the Seely Hills Skate 20k and the Seeley Hills Skate Middle School and High School races.
Additional information on the event can be found on ABSF’s website.

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NFL Week 18 live updates, scores: Commanders, Bears win in final seconds  FOX Sports
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Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 944th Fighter Wing’s 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS) receive a mission briefing from Capt. Eric Huff, 56th Medical Group physician assistant, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Jan. 4, 2025. The briefing prepared the team for a joint operation to support critically injured patients from Hawaii, showcasing the unit’s readiness for real-world missions. The 944th ASTS, a unit known for its expertise in aeromedical evacuation, provided critical manpower for offloading the patients from the aircraft and transferring them to ambulances at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. “We had to transfer patients from military litters to Phoenix Fire Department gurneys, which required precise coordination,” Huff explained. “It’s not just about physical strength – it’s about communication and synchronization among all teams involved.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexis Orozco)
For an emergency medical support request in response to the New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Hawaii, Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 944th Fighter Wing’s 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS) receive a briefing on patient movement techniques at the 56th Medical Group clinic at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Jan. 4, 2025. The briefing prepared the team for a joint operation to support critically injured patients from Hawaii, showcasing the unit’s readiness for real-world missions. The 944th ASTS, a unit known for its expertise in aeromedical evacuation, provided critical manpower for offloading the patients from the aircraft and transferring them to ambulances at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. “Helping people who can’t help themselves – that’s why I joined,” explained Staff Sgt. Nathan Espinoza, 944th ASTS. “Seeing the resilience of these patients and knowing that our efforts are making a difference is incredibly rewarding.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexis Orozco)
For an emergency medical support request in response to the New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Hawaii, Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 944th Fighter Wing’s 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS) practice litter-carry techniques during a joint training event at the 56th Medical Group clinic at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Jan. 4, 2025. The 944th ASTS, a unit known for its expertise in aeromedical evacuation, provided critical manpower for offloading the patients from the aircraft and transferring them to ambulances at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. “This is why we train so rigorously,” said Master Sgt. Elisabeth Yates, 944th ASTS. “When you’re called at a moment’s notice, readiness is everything. This mission brought all our preparation into sharp focus.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexis Orozco)
For an emergency medical support request in response to the New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion in Hawaii, Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 944th Fighter Wing’s 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS) board a bus at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., on their way to support a 6-patient transport at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Jan. 4, 2025. “This is what we train for, and when the call comes, we’re ready,” said Capt. Paris Mandy, 944th ASTS. “It’s both humbling and exhilarating to put our skills to work in such a meaningful way.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexis Orozco)

In the predawn hours of New Year’s Eve, a deadly fireworks explosion in Hawaii sent shockwaves across the islands. By the end of the day, the lives of three people were tragically lost, and 20 more were injured. Six survivors, suffering severe burn injuries described as "warzone-level," were airlifted aboard an Air Force C-17 from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii to Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 4, 2025, where they would receive specialized care at Valleywise Medical Center’s renowned burn unit.

The mission to safely transport these patients exemplified a seamless joint effort between the Air Force Reserve’s 944th Fighter Wing, the active-duty Air Force’s 56th Fighter Wing, the Phoenix Fire Department, and civilian medical professionals.

“This is what we train for, and when the call comes, we’re ready,” said Capt. Paris Mandy, 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS), a specialized unit within the most diverse training wing in the Air Force Reserve.

With their core mission centered on patient movement and stabilization, the 944th ASTS played an instrumental role in this high-stakes operation. From the moment the team was activated, they worked side by side with active-duty Airmen and civilian counterparts to ensure mission success.

The 944th ASTS, a unit known for its expertise in aeromedical evacuation, provided critical manpower for offloading the patients from the aircraft and transferring them to ambulances at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Mandy described the mission as a “rare unicorn opportunity” – a real-world scenario where the unit’s extensive training could be directly applied.

“Today, we’re not working with mannequins. These are real patients who need us,” Mandy said. “It’s both humbling and exhilarating to put our skills to work in such a meaningful way.”

For many of the reservists, including 944th FW ASTS Master Sgt. Elisabeth Yates, this was their first real-world operation.

“This is why we train so rigorously,” Yates noted. “When you’re called at a moment’s notice, readiness is everything. This mission brought all our preparation into sharp focus.”

Yates highlighted the critical role Exercise Desert Hammer 25-1, conducted in November 2024 by the 944th FW, a rigorous annual training exercise, played in preparing them for this moment. The exercise simulates high-pressure, real-world scenarios, requiring rapid adaptability and flawless execution.

“Desert Hammer taught us how to operate at a real-world pace,” Yates added. “That training translated directly into our ability to respond effectively today.”

The joint nature of this operation was a testament to the power of collaboration. Capt. Eric Huff, 56th FW Medical Group Director of Tactical Combat Casualty Care, emphasized the importance of teamwork in ensuring patient safety.

“We had to transfer patients from military litters to Phoenix Fire Department gurneys, which required precise coordination,” Huff explained. “It’s not just about physical strength – it’s about communication and synchronization among all teams involved.”

The mission also highlighted the human element at the heart of military operations. For 94th FW ASTS Staff Sgt. Nathan Espinoza, who was promoted to his new rank that very day, the experience was profoundly meaningful.

“Helping people who can’t help themselves – that’s why I joined,” Espinoza said. “Seeing the resilience of these patients and knowing that our efforts are making a difference is incredibly rewarding.”

The complexity of the operation, from the initial activation to the final patient transfer, highlighted the value of readiness and adaptability by all support involved, explained Huff.

Mandy’s background as an emergency room nurse and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner brought an additional layer of expertise to the mission, bridging the gap between military and civilian medical care.

“It’s a team effort,” Mandy said. “Whether it’s our junior Airmen or senior officers, everyone has a role to play. The camaraderie and mutual respect we’ve built through training like Desert Hammer made all the difference today.”

As the last ambulance departed for Valleywise Medical Center, the gravity of the mission settled over the team. They had answered the call, proving that their training and dedication could rise to meet any challenge.

For the 944th Fighter Wing, this mission was not just a demonstration of operational excellence but also a profound reminder of their collective purpose: to Forge Combat Airmen to Fly, Fight, and Win – in any scenario, at any time.

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The Deliverance
There’s a line from Glenn Close in the third act of Lee Daniels’ possession horror The Deliverance that is undeniably gasp-worthy — a gratuitous piece of unholy dialogue that would be eyebrow-raising anyway, let alone when delivered by an EGOT nominee sporting pointy teeth and demon claws. Whether that line falls on the side of so-wild-it’s-kind-of-great, or just-plain-cringe, it is at least attention-grabbing — which sadly can’t be said for the rest of The Deliverance’s denouement.
The intention is interesting. Daniels — previously behind Precious, The Butler, and most recently The United States Vs. Billie Holiday — places a rare Black lens on the possession-horror subgenre, exploring the trials of single mother Ebony (Andra Day, impressive here as she was in Daniels’ similarly muddled Billie Holiday). Her predicament is already precarious: she’s previously spent time in prison; she has issues with alcohol; she’s raising three kids while funding her mother’s (Glenn Close) cancer treatment; social services are constantly circling. She’s battling demons long before any actual demons enter the picture — and when supernatural manifestations do arise, the results paint her as a poor mother. Are the marks on her children’s bodies a product of neglectful parenting, or a spiritual evil?
The Deliverance struggles to do anything new with horror’s most familiar subgenre.
Before the supernatural stakes really kick in, the human drama admirably attempts to touch on a vast array of topics — addiction, cultural appropriation, the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the Black community. But it overreaches, pushing in too many directions at once. The stacked cast — Daniels reunites with Precious star Mo’Nique, here playing social-services worker Cynthia; Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is the not-exorcist ‘Deliverer’ who offers divine intervention; Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin is Ebony’s oldest son Nate — are underserved by the material, with an overly prescriptive screenplay that deals in blunt exposition, seemingly aimed at phone-distracted viewers.
When the possession stuff does kick in, The Deliverance struggles to do anything new with horror’s most familiar subgenre. Anyone playing demonic bingo will fill their card quickly: kids say ominous things; eyes turn black; bodies contort; walls are inexplicably climbed; foreign languages are suddenly spoken. There are effective sequences — a sibling drowning attempt is squirm-inducing, while the sight of lactose-intolerant kid Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins) chugging milk in a trance is oddly unsettling. But the silliness of the spooky finale feels at odds with the seriousness of the rest of the drama. And since that side of the film was already unfocused, you find yourself wishing that the rest of The Deliverance contained a little more of whatever possessed Glenn Close to say that line.
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The real reason comedy icon Gordon Peters was axed from the BBC sitcom Dad’s Army has finally been revealed.
The hit BBC comedy series was based partly on co-writer and creator Jimy Perry’s experiences in the Local Defence Volunteers – which was known as the Home Guard.
It portrayed a somewhat forgotten aspect of defence the Second World War and aired from 1968 to 1977, before being revived for a film adaptation in 2016 with a new cast.
The beloved show regularly gained audiences of 18million and is still aired intonationally. In the long-running show, Gordon was originally cast as the Chief Fire Officer in an episode titled The Man and the Hour, according to IMDb.
He was set to share the screen alongside Jack Yeomans, Bil Straiton and Brian Nolan as uncredited firemen, but their scene was cut during rehearsals dur to timing reasons.
READ MORE: Eamonn Holmes says ‘I’ve never watched Dad’s Army’ after terrible loss To make it up to him, producer David Croft promised to give him another role in a later episode. This saw the comic portray a soldier who is seen making a delivery to Captain Mainwaring (played by Arthur Lowe) in the episode Command Decision.
Despite his early disappointment, his minor role was a hit with the viewers and led to a further three guest roles later in the series. It comes after it was revealed that leading man Arthur had a harrowing brush with death before he landed the groundbreaking role.
Long before he became a national treasure as Captain Mainwaring in Dad’s Army, he served as a radar technician in the First World War.
The late actor was stationed at Pembroke Dock in Wales with the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry where he experiences one of the most terrifying moments of his life.
Long before he became a national treasure as Captain Mainwaring in Dad’s Army, he served as a radar technician in the First World War.
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The late actor was stationed at Pembroke Dock in Wales with the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry where he experiences one of the most terrifying moments of his life.
The Victorian-era Old Defensible Barracks in Pembroke Dock where Lowe was stationed, is now on the market for £500,000. Build between 1841 and 1846, the Grade II listed fort is steeped in history and offers a glimpse into Britain’s military past.
It was originally constructed to house Royal Marines and later served as an RAF base for 30 years. Today, the sprawling site spans 47,797 square metres of internal space and sits on 447 acres of green land. However, the property is now abandoned and requires significant restoration.
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Two Of 2024’s Highest-Grossing Movies At The Box Office Are Now Streaming On Netflix  Screen Rant
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As first reported in May 2024, it appears Innisfil’s casino will be on the move.
Currently located at 7485 5th Sideroad, just outside the Barrie city limits, Gateway Casinos and Entertainment “purchased a 25-acre parcel of land at 239 Reive Blvd., home to the former Innisfil Creek Golf Course, with plans to move its gaming operations there” in January 2028 once the new facility is ready.
Gateway, a company based in British Columbia, took over the casino at Georgian Downs in July 2018, as one of its 31 casinos across Canada.
It was confirmed that the relocation would not affect the town’s revenue-sharing agreement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), from which the town has received “more than $107 million in cash benefits from hosting, including nearly $7 million since 2018.”
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Windows 10 users urged to upgrade to avoid “security fiasco”  BleepingComputer
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Are you a fan of being scared? While Halloween is several weeks away, Netflix has a new movie out now to get your fear fix.
“The Deliverance” released to Netflix streamers on Aug. 30 and is based around a reported demon possession. Here’s a closer look at the movie itself and the “true story” it’s inspired by:
“The Deliverance” is based on a story out of Gary, IN. Latoya Ammons claimed her children had been victimized by demons, and the movie includes multiple scenes rooted in Ammons’ claims. Some of the more colorful ones involved a boy crawling backwards up a wall and a swarm of flies.
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Ammons’ story involved a thorough investigation by the Department of Child Services and multiple exorcisms sanctioned by the local Roman Catholic diocese. In 2014, the IndyStar obtained and dissected nearly 800 pages of official records including interviews with police, DCS personnel, psychologists, family members, and a Catholic priest.
So did it really happen? Various individuals reported first-hand experiences or strong belief in their reality after spending time around this incident. During a visit to a family physician, medical staff reported a boy being lifted and thrown into a wall with nobody touching him, according to a DCS report. The police captain said he did not believe in demons, but began to change his mind after a visit to the family’s house.
Clinical psychologists had a different view on the situation. Ammons’ son reportedly acted possessed when he was challenged, redirected or asked questions he didn’t want to answer. In her evaluation, a psychologist wrote that he seemed coherent and logical except when he talked about demons. His stories also changed each time he told them. It was believed he didn’t suffer from a true psychotic disorder, instead he had been “induced into a delusional system perpetuated by his mother and potentially reinforced.” A similar conclusion was drawn with Ammons’ daughter.
Ammons’ was separated from her children for a brief period, but they were eventually returned to her. They were all found to be of sound mind. DCS set goals for the family including therapy and coming up with alternate forms of discipline not directly related to religion and demon possession.
“The Deliverance” was produced (in part) and directed by Lee Daniels, who created Fox’s hit show “Empire” and directed “Precious,” the 2010 Oscar-nominee for “best picture.” Daniels said in an interview with USA TODAY that his favorite movie is the 1973 classic “The Exorcist” and has always wanted to make his own version. But instead of a horror flick, he wanted to make a “faith-based thriller” to help audiences connect with a higher power.
“I believe we are in a dark time,” Daniels said. “Whether it’s Buddha, whether it’s Allah, whether it’s Jesus Christ, whether it’s you learning to love yourself more, we need to do that so that we can find peace. Tomorrow isn’t promised for any of us.”
The movie was written by David Coggeshall (who wrote “Orphan: First Kill” in 2022) and Elijah Bynum (who wrote and directed “Magazine Dreams” in 2023).
Some changes were made to certain individuals’ names and relationships as depicted in “The Deliverance.” In the movie, Ammons is named Ebony and is played by Oscar-nominated actress Andra Day who starred as Billie Holiday in Hulu’s “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”
Her children in the film are Nate, Andre, and Shante. They are played (in order) by “Stranger Things” star Caleb McLaughlin, Anthony B. Jenkins who was on Netflix’s “Florida Man” mini-series, and Demi Singleton who was on the 2021 biopic “King Richard” and stars in “Godfather of Harlem” on MGM+.
Glenn Close plays a grandmother in the family named Alberta. Close has been Oscar-nominated five times and was the star of “Fatal Attraction” and “Hillbilly Elegy.” Lee Daniels why he cast a white woman when the real-life grandmother is Black.
“I like giving voice to people that don’t have a voice and a face to people don’t really see often,” he said. “There’s so many white women that I knew growing up. I wanted to pay homage to (that). A lot of African Americans have never seen this character on screen before and will relate to her.”
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USA Today Movie Critic Brian Truitt gave “The Deliverance” a rather favorable review, adding it to his “10 movies you need to stream right now” list:
“Exorcism movie nerds will find a bunch of familiar aspects to Lee Daniels’ possession thriller, inspired by an eerie true story, but who knew the man behind “Precious” and “Empire” is a pretty crafty horror guy? He weaves some freaky imagery in this story of a Black mom (Andra Day) facing personal demons and an evil spirit that’s infecting her kids.”
However it doesn’t seem to be universally loved. On Rotten Tomatoes it’s received a 30% from critics and 53% from audiences, as of Tuesday. It currently has a Metascore of 38 out of 100. A recurring criticism is that the movie is unsurprising and derivative.

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