Garth Hudson, founder member of the Band and Bob Dylan collaborator, dies aged 87

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Hudson was the last remaining member of the folk-rock group, releasing 10 studio albums with them and touring with Dylan in his newfound electric period

Garth Hudson, the last remaining founder member of the Band, has died aged 87.

The multi-instrumentalist, who played keyboards and saxophone for the bestselling 1960s folk-rockers as well as Bob Dylan, died peacefully in his sleep at the Woodstock nursing home he lived in, the executor of his estate confirmed to the Toronto Star.

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Turkey fire: Dozens killed as hotel engulfed by flames in ski resort of Bolu – BBC.com

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  1. Turkey fire: Dozens killed as hotel engulfed by flames in ski resort of Bolu  BBC.com
  2. 4 Arrested After Fire at Popular Ski Resort that Reportedly Killed at Least 76  PEOPLE
  3. Video shows charred hotel after large blaze at ski resort  CNN
  4. At Least 76 Are Killed in Fire at Ski Resort in Turkey  The New York Times
  5. At least 76 people killed in a hotel fire at a ski resort in Turkey  The Associated Press
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France needs ‘clearer’ rape laws that include consent, report finds

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MPs say the need for consent-based law was highlighted again by trial of 51 men over abuse of Gisèle Pelicot

France should update its rape law to add a clear reference to consent, a parliamentary report has found, months after French society was shaken by the trial of 51 men over the repeated drugging and rape of Gisèle Pelicot.

The report, to be presented on Tuesday, said action must be taken urgently to update the law. “Almost 10 years after the start of the #MeToo movement, and as the [Pelicot] trial showed once again, the fight against rape culture must be a priority: the fight against rape culture needs a law that is clearer,” it found.

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Libyan general released after arrest in Turin on ICC warrant for alleged war crimes

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Osama Najim was arrested amid claims he used detained migrants in ‘a form of slavery’, but then freed after after a mistake by prosecutors

A Libyan general wanted for alleged war crimes and violence against inmates at a prison near Tripoli has been arrested in the northern Italian city of Turin – and then released after an apparent mistake by prosecutors.

Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, was detained on Sunday on an international arrest warrant after a tipoff from Interpol, a source at the prosecutors office for the Piedmont region confirmed.

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Two Americans freed from Afghanistan in prisoner swap for Taliban figure

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Ryan Corbett and William McKenty swapped for Khan Mohammed, who was held in California for drug trafficking

A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan’s Taliban has freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug-trafficking and terrorism charges.

The Taliban praised the swap as a step toward the “normalization” of ties between the US and Afghanistan, but that probably remains a tall order as most countries in the world still do not recognize their rule and another two Americans are believed held.

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‘Hit His Head on a Pillar’: Ukrainian Paratroopers Reveal Capture of North Korean POW – Kyiv Post

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  1. ‘Hit His Head on a Pillar’: Ukrainian Paratroopers Reveal Capture of North Korean POW  Kyiv Post
  2. What the North Koreans took into battle against Ukraine  The Washington Post
  3. Surrendering North Korean soldier refuses to drop sausage at gunpoint  The Telegraph
  4. Inside an Elite Ukrainian Unit’s Mission to Capture a North Korean Soldier  The Wall Street Journal
  5. Suicide and soap operas: North Koreans react to being Ukrainian POWs  POLITICO Europe
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Strike Houthis while Iran is weak, UN-backed Yemeni government urges west

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Tehran ‘massively weakened’ by reverses in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, says vice-president of Aden-based administration

The west should seize the opportunity to target the Tehran-backed Houthi leadership in Yemen while the Iranian government is weakened, the vice-president of the UN-backed government in Aden has said.

Aidarus al-Zoubaidi said that Iran’s reverses in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza had left the country “massively weakened”. “They have one remaining domain and that is Yemen,” Zoubaidi told the Guardian. “Now is the time to counter the Houthis and push them back into their position.”

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Sight of Hamas fighters celebrating in Gaza chills Israelis – Middle East Eye

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  1. Sight of Hamas fighters celebrating in Gaza chills Israelis  Middle East Eye
  2. ‘I thought I’d die in Gaza’: First testimonies from freed hostages released  The Times of Israel
  3. Palestinians Return to Their Homes in Gaza  NPR
  4. Israelis’ Joy at Hostage Release Is Weighed Down by Dread  The Wall Street Journal
  5. First Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages freed as Gaza ceasefire takes force  CNN
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Europe extends hand to US, warns of ‘race to bottom’ – Reuters

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  1. Europe extends hand to US, warns of 'race to bottom'  Reuters
  2. EU tells Trump’s America: We have other options  POLITICO Europe
  3. Leaders at Davos Economic Forum Vow to ‘Stay the Course’ on Climate Action  The New York Times
  4. Ursula von der Leyen warns on ‘fracturing’ global economy after Trump tariff threat  Financial Times
  5. As Davos 2025 reacts to Trump tack, EU chief leads defense against climate change  The Associated Press
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