President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peakNone
Elevai Labs Inc. Announces Reverse Stock Split to Maintain Nasdaq Listing Compliance
Escaped convicted murderer puts California town on edge
Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use
Judge overturns conviction in case involving now-discredited detective accused of abusing womenRep. Susan Wild (D-PA), the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, admitted to the panel that she violated her sworn oath and leaked details of the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz to the press, The Hill reported Monday. Leaks about the Gaetz investigation and the threat of its full release played a significant role in derailing Gaetz’s nomination by Donald Trump for attorney general. The report from The Hill’s Mychael Schnell raises new questions about the motivations of the notoriously bipartisan committee, which restarted its investigations into Gaetz after a probe from Joe Biden’s Department of Justice ended without charges and continued even after the nominee resigned from the House and was no longer under the committee’s purview. Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) even signaled the Ethics Committee was likely to ignore Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) recommendation to withhold releasing its report, before Gaetz ultimately announced he would withdraw his nomination after obstinate senators concerned about the report’s contents refused to back him. The Hill reports that Wild: ...was absent from the panel’s meeting last week after being traced as the source of leaks to the press regarding the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , sources told The Hill. It remains unclear if Wild voluntarily skipped the Thursday gathering or was asked not to attend, what information she leaked and to whom, and how the panel tracked her back as being the leaker. Two sources said Wild ultimately acknowledged to the panel that she had leaked information. Wild had expressed her anger after Guest told media following a November 20 meeting that the committee had not agreed to release the report. Wild took to the media to call that statement “inaccurate.” Guest “betrayed the process by disclosing our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee,” Wild said in justifying her own reasoning for going to the press. Wild herself had previously told reporters that the Gaetz report should be released. The committee is known for its intense secrecy and rarely issues an official statement to the press except when required by statute or House rules to provide notice of its actions. Wild’s Chief of Staff, Jed Ober, disputed The Hill’s sources, claiming her frustration over the handling of the yet-to-be-released report was the reason for her attendance issues. “Rep. Wild was frustrated by the manner in which the report was handled and didn’t feel it was fruitful to participate in any further meetings on its ‘potential’ release,” Ober told The Hill. “Characterizing it as anything more is inaccurate. There will be no further statement.” He declined to comment when asked if Wild, who lost her reelection bid in November to Republican Ryan Mackenzie, would attend future meetings regarding the Gaetz report. Reports of Wild’s leaking, as well as the rare public dispute between committee leaders and the unusual timeline of the reinvigorated investigation of Gaetz, cast a shadow on the committee’s investigation and motivations. The leaks, wherever they came from, also raise questions about the committee’s operations. The Hill reports: Various pieces of information about the years-long probe into Gaetz have leaked in recent months, including logistics about meetings, votes taken during those gatherings, and the panel’s plan to vote on releasing the report days after he announced his resignation. Any leaks from members and staff are a violation of the committee’s rules: Individuals on the panel take an oath swearing they will not disclose unauthorized information. Members of the committee and their staffs must take an oath which reads : I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will not disclose, to any person or entity outside the Committee on Ethics, any information received in the course of my service with the Committee, except as authorized by the Committee or in accordance with its rules. The usually sleepy committee has awoken to make plenty of headlines this Congress. Most notably, Republicans on the committee have been criticized for partnering with Democrats to punish Republicans while letting Democrats off the hook. As Breitbart reported : In 2023, the committee broke decades of precedent by releasing its investigation into Republican Rep. George Santos (R-NY) despite the congressman not yet having his day in court for his alleged crimes. The report led to Santos’s expulsion from Congress after prior attempts had failed. When the House last expelled a member, Rep. Jim Traficant (D-OH) in 2002, it did so only after Traficant was found guilty in court. The Ethics Committee then did not even begin an investigation until Traficant’s court case had concluded. The loss of Santos’s reliable conservative vote cost Republicans. Most notably, the House embarrassingly failed by a single vote to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Meanwhile, this Congress, the Republican-chaired committee chose not to take action against Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), despite the congressman pleading guilty after pulling a fire alarm in a House office building that disrupted a House vote — allegedly to prevent House Republicans from passing a spending bill while Senate Democrats readied a package of their own, a potential felony. Committee membership is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats; therefore the math dictates at least one Republican – possibly more – voted to release its report on George Santos, while no Democrats voted to take action against Bowman – already a convicted felon for his actions. The committee is traditionally composed of establishment Republicans. As Breitbart News reported : The Ethics Committee — which, lacking a legislative jurisdiction, provides its members no capability to extract campaign funds from the donor class — is not highly sought after by members of Congress and is generally seen as a chore. Its members usually serve by request of their party’s respective leader and are usually appointed for their loyalty to leadership — often in exchange for other favors quietly bestowed by leadership. Speaker Johnson, who became Speaker after the current members were seated on the committee, responded to a question from Axios’s Juliegrace Brufke Tuesday regarding Wild’s alleged leaking of the report, saying he had not yet spoken to Guest but that “there ought to be repercussions.” “We can’t set that as a precedent,” he said of the leaks. “It’s dangerous.” Gaetz has long denied the allegations against him, arguing the committee only restarted its investigation due to his leading the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) – to whom all members of the committee, including Guest, owe their spot on the committee . Also serving are Reps. David Joyce (R-OH), John Rutherford (R-FL), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Michelle Fischbach (R-MN). Gaetz has repeatedly called ou t Guest for his successful stock trading practices and for his acknowledged failure to disclose to the very Ethics Committee he leads a family stock (as well as his voting record), arguing the Ethics Committee should take up reforms to stock trading by members of Congress. As Attorney General, Gaetz would have oversees federal investigations into members of Congress for insider trading or other corruption — including Guest. Democrats are not done demanding the release of the report into Gaetz, who remains a Trump ally and recently announced he would host a primetime program on One America News. Last week, Democrats forced a vote on the floor to release the vote, although Republicans successfully used a procedural method to prevent its release. But Guest himself told reporters the committee is not yet finished meeting for the year. And regardless of whether Wild attends, the committee’s Republicans have a clear recent history of taking action against the conservative Gaetz and Santos. We may not have seen the last of the ongoing Gaetz report saga, but if voters concerned with accountable government had their way, it’s the investigators themselves who would fall under the microscope. Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye .
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson was carted off the field and taken to a hospital with a neck injury late in the first half of Saturday's game at No. 24 Missouri. Jackson appeared to injure his neck while trying to tackle Missouri running back Jamal Roberts. Medical personnel tended to Jackson for approximately 10 minutes before he was placed on a backboard and driven to a waiting ambulance. Jackson gave a thumbs-up sign as he was carted off the snow-covered field. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said Jackson had movement in his arms and legs but was experiencing pain in his neck. He said Jackson was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Jackson leads the Razorbacks with 9 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks, and is considered a potential first-round pick in next year's NFL draft. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballGOP Armed Services chair criticizes ban on gender-affirming care for minors in NDAA
NoneU.S. Sen. John Fetterman said Thursday while appearing on TV talk show “The View” that recent criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump and Hunter Biden were politically motivated, and that since Biden received a pardon from his father, President Joe Biden, then Trump also deserves one. Fetterman, a Democrat from Braddock who appeared virtually from his Washington, D.C. office, was asked by co-host Joy Behar during the broadcast what he thought of Hunter Biden’s pardon. “I think it’s undeniable that the case against Hunter Biden was really politically motivated,” Fetterman said. “But I also think it’s true that the trial in New York for Trump, that was political as well. In both cases, I think a pardon is appropriate.” Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in New York state earlier this year in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actress who said the two had sex. Hunter Biden was convicted in June of lying on a federal form when he purchased a gun in 2018 and swore that he wasn’t a drug user, though he has acknowledged being addicted at that time. He also pleaded guilty a month earlier to charges accusing him of a scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes. President Biden cannot issue a pardon in Trump’s hush money case since it was prosecuted in New York state courts. New York’s governor would have to issue the pardon. Fetterman is not one to shy away from controversial statements or the limelight. He is a regular guest on late-night talk shows and regularly uses his social media accounts to troll his adversaries , often cursing . When he was introduced on The View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg said Fetterman has “built his political career on calling it like he sees it.” Fetterman also spoke about the political realities facing Democrats with Trump six weeks away from taking office. He noted that Trump and Republicans won the White House, the Senate and the House and said he expects Trump and his party to do things with which he doesn’t agree. Fetterman said his plan is to avoid freaking out and instead be selective on picking fights. “America signed up for this. It is undeniable,” Fetterman said. “He won the popular vote and he ran the table, including in my state. This is what America decided. This is definitely going to go in a direction that a lot of Democrats are not going to agree with.”
Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by a trade union not to impose “blunt headcount targets” for the size of the Civil Service but Government sources insisted there would be no set limit, although the number “cannot keep growing”. Departments have been ordered to find 5% “efficiency savings” as part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review, potentially putting jobs at risk. The size of the Civil Service has increased from a low of around 384,000 in mid-2016, and the Tories went into the general election promising to reduce numbers by 70,000 to fund extra defence spending. Any reduction under Labour would be more modest, with the Guardian reporting more than 10,000 jobs could be lost. A Government spokesman said: “Under our plan for change, we are making sure every part of government is delivering on working people’s priorities — delivering growth, putting more money in people’s pockets, getting the NHS back on its feet, rebuilding Britain and securing our borders in a decade of national renewal. “We are committed to making the Civil Service more efficient and effective, with bold measures to improve skills and harness new technologies.” Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union said: “We need a clear plan for the future of the civil service that goes beyond the blunt headcount targets that have failed in the past. “This plan needs to be developed in partnership with civil servants and their unions, and we look forward to deeper engagement with the government in the coming months.” A Government source said: “The number of civil servants cannot keep growing. “But we will not set an arbitrary cap. “The last government tried that and ended up spending loads on more expensive consultants.” The Government is already risking a confrontation with unions over proposals to limit pay rises for more than a million public servants to 2.8%, a figure only just over the projected 2.6% rate of inflation next year. Unions representing teachers, doctors and nurses have condemned the proposals. In the face of the union backlash, Downing Street said the public sector must improve productivity to justify real-terms pay increases. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s vital that pay awards are fair for both taxpayers and workers.” Asked whether higher pay settlements to staff would mean departmental cuts elsewhere, the spokesman said: “Real-terms pay increases must be matched by productivity gains and departments will only be able to fund pay awards above inflation over the medium-term if they become more productive and workforces become more productive.” TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “It’s hard to see how you address the crisis in our services without meaningful pay rises. “And it’s hard to see how services cut to the bone by 14 years of Tory government will find significant cash savings. “The Government must now engage unions and the millions of public sector workers we represent in a serious conversation about public service reform and delivery.”JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has acknowledged killing Ismail Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Iran in July. Israel was widely believed to be behind the blast and leaders have previously hinted at its involvement. In a speech Monday, Katz said the Houthis would meet a similar fate as the other members of an Iranian-led alliance in the region, including Haniyeh. He also noted that Israel has killed other leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, helped topple Syria’s Bashar Assad and destroyed Iran’s anti-aircraft systems. “We will strike (the Houthis’) strategic infrastructure and cut off the head of the leadership,” he said. “Just like we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon, we will do in Hodeida and Sanaa,” he said, referring to Hamas and Hezbollah leaders killed in previous Israeli attacks. The Iranian-backed Houthis have launched scores of missiles and drones at Israel throughout the war, including a missile that landed in Tel Aviv on Saturday and wounded at least 16 people. Israel has carried out three sets of airstrikes in Yemen during the war and vowed to step up the pressure on the rebel group until the missile attacks stop. Here’s the latest: WASHINGTON — The Pentagon acknowledged Monday that there are more than 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq, the total routinely touted publicly. It also said the number of forces in Syria has grown over the past “several years” due to increasing threats, but was not openly disclosed. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that there are “at least 2,500” U.S. military personnel in Iraq “plus some additional, temporary enablers” that are on rotational deployments. He said that due to diplomatic considerations, the department will not provide more specifics. The U.S. concluded sensitive negotiations with the government of Iraq in September that called for troops to begin leaving after the November election. The presence of U.S. troops there has long been a political liability for Iraqi leaders who are under increased pressure and influence from Iran. U.S. officials have not provided details about the withdrawal agreement, but it calls for the mission against the Islamic State group to end by September 2025, and that some U.S. troops will remain through 2026 to support the anti-IS mission in Syria. Some troops may stay in the Kurdistan region after that because the regional government would like them to stay. Ryder announced last week that there are about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria – more than double the 900 that the U.S. had acknowledged publicly until now. On Monday he said the extra 1,100 deploy for shorter times to do force protection, transportation, maintenance and other missions. He said the number has fluctuated for the past several years and increased “over time.” JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has acknowledged killing Ismail Haniyeh, who died in an explosion in Iran in July. Israel was widely believed to be behind the blast and leaders have previously hinted at its involvement. In a speech Monday, Katz said the Houthis would meet a similar fate as the other members of an Iranian-led alliance in the region, including Haniyeh. He also noted that Israel has killed other leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, helped topple Syria’s Bashar Assad and destroyed Iran’s anti-aircraft systems. BEIRUT — The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon on Monday said it has observed recent “concerning actions” by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, including the destruction of residential areas and road blockages. A spokesperson for the peacekeeping mission, Kandice Ardiel, told The Associated Press that peacekeepers also observed on Monday an Israeli flag flying in Lebanese territory near Naqoura. The town hosts the headquarters of the peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL. Under the terms of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army is required to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon within 60 days of the agreement’s signing on Nov. 27. Since the ceasefire went into effect, the Israeli army has conducted near-daily military operations in southern villages, including firing gunshots, house demolitions, excavations, tank shelling and strikes. These actions have killed at least 27 people, wounded more than 30, destroyed residential buildings and, in one case, a mosque. “Peacekeepers continue to monitor the situation on the ground and report violations of Resolution 1701,” Ardiel said. “We reiterate our call for all actors to cease and refrain from violations of Resolution 1701 and any actions that may upset the current delicate balance.” On Monday, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visited the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern town of Khiam as part of a tour of front-line areas alongside army chief Joseph Aoun and UNIFIL Head of Mission Aroldo Lazaro. Mikati and Lazaro urged the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory to allow the army to fully assume its duties. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says three soldiers were killed Monday in combat in northern Gaza. The military did not provide details of the circumstances. According to a statement released Sunday, the brigade in which the three were serving completed its operational activities in the northern town of Beit Lahiya on Sunday. It then began operating in the nearby town of Beit Hanoun following intelligence suggesting the presence of militants there. Since the start of the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, 389 Israeli soldiers have been killed. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday there is “some progress” in efforts to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, although he added he could not give a time frame for a possible agreement. Of the roughly 250 people who were taken hostage in the Hamas-led raid on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that sparked the war, around 100 are still inside the Gaza Strip, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Speaking in the Knesset, Netanyahu said “we are taking significant actions through all channels to return our loved ones. I would like to tell you cautiously that there is some progress.” Netanyahu said he could not reveal details of what was being done to secure the return of hostages. He said the main reasons for the progress were the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israel’s military actions against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants who had been firing rockets into Israel from neighboring Lebanon in support of Hamas. “Hamas hoped that Iran and Hezbollah would come to its aid but they are busy licking the wounds from the blows we inflicted on them,” he said, adding that Israel was also putting “relentless military pressure” on Hamas in Gaza. “There is progress. I don’t know how long it will take,” Netanyahu said. JERUSALEM — Israel's military said Monday it intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory, days after a long-range rocket attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels hit Tel Aviv, injuring 16 people from shattered glass. The military said no air raid warning sirens were sounded Monday. Israel says the Iran-backed Houthis have fired more than 200 missiles and UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — attacks they say won’t stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. The attacks on shipping and Israel are taking place despite U.S. and European warships patrolling the area. On Saturday night and early Sunday, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on Yemen. Last week, Israel launched its own airstrikes on Yemen, killing at least nine people, and a Houthi missile damaged a school in Israel. DAMASCUS, Syria — A Qatari delegation visited the Syrian capital on Monday for the first time in more than a decade and met with the country's top insurgent commander, who said strategic cooperation between Damascus and Doha will begin soon. Qatar, along with Turkey, has long backed the rebels who now control Damascus, and the two countries are looking to protect their interests in Syria now that former President Bashar Assad has been overthrown. The Qatari delegation was headed by the minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed al-Khulaifi, who met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, the insurgent group that overthrew Assad on Dec. 8. Al-Sharaa was quoted as saying by Syrian media that they have invited the emir of Qatar to visit Damascus adding that relations will return to normal soon. Al-Sharaa said Qatar will back Syria during the transitional period and the two countries will soon start “wide strategic cooperation.” Al-Sharaa also met Monday with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi as well as a Saudi official. Unlike Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan had relations with Assad’s government until he was removed from power. JENIN, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority says a second member of its security forces has been killed in the West Bank town of Jenin during clashes with Palestinian militants . Brig. Gen. Anwar Rajab, the spokesman for PA security forces, said 1st Sgt. Mehran Qadoos was killed on Monday by “outlaws” in the volatile northern town, where the security forces launched a rare crackdown earlier this month. A member of security forces also was killed on Sunday. An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard heavy gunfire and explosions, apparently from a battle between the security forces and Palestinian militants. There was no sign of Israeli forces in the area. Militant groups had earlier called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them in support of Israel’s half-century occupation of the territory. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is internationally recognized but deeply unpopular among Palestinians , in part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. Israel accuses the authority of incitement and of failing to act against armed groups. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in population centers in the West Bank. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state. Israel’s current government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says it will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Violence has soared in the West Bank following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. JENIN, West Bank — Palestinians in the volatile northern West Bank town of Jenin are observing a general strike called by militant groups to protest a rare crackdown by Palestinian security forces. An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard gunfire and explosions, apparently from clashes between militants and Palestinian security forces. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded. There was no sign of Israeli troops in the area. Shops were closed in the city on Monday, the day after militants killed a member of the Palestinian security forces and wounded two others. Militant groups called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them in support of Israel’s half-century occupation of the territory. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is internationally recognized but deeply unpopular among Palestinians , in part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. Israel accuses the authority of incitement and of failing to act against armed groups. The Palestinian Authority blamed Sunday’s attack on “outlaws.” It says it is committed to maintaining law and order but will not police the occupation. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in population centers in the West Bank. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state. Israel’s current government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says it will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Violence has soared in the West Bank following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has begun a tour of military positions in the country’s south, almost a month after a ceasefire deal that ended the war between Israel and the Hezbollah group that battered the country. Najib Mikati on Monday was on his first visit to the southern frontlines, where Lebanese soldiers under the U.S.-brokered deal are expected to gradually deploy, with Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops both expected to withdraw by the end of next month. Mikati’s tour comes after the Lebanese government expressed its frustration over ongoing Israeli strikes and overflights in the country. “We have many tasks ahead of us, the most important being the enemy's (Israel's) withdrawal from all the lands it encroached on during its recent aggression,” he said after meeting with army chief Joseph Aoun in a Lebanese military barracks in the southeastern town of Marjayoun. “Then the army can carry out its tasks in full.” The Lebanese military for years has relied on financial aid to stay functional, primarily from the United States and other Western countries. Lebanon’s cash-strapped government is hoping that the war’s end and ceasefire deal will bring about more funding to increase the military’s capacity to deploy in the south, where Hezbollah’s armed units were notably present. Though they were not active combatants, the Lebanese military said that dozens of its soldiers were killed in Israeli strikes on their premises or patrolling convoys in the south. The Israeli army acknowledged some of these attacks.
Chief ‘disappointed’ to see clean water used as a political ‘tactic’ by Conservatives
Jaipur : The Adani Group Chairman, Gautam Adani on Saturday spoke out on the recent allegations faced by him and other executives after being linked to an alleged bribery case in the US, saying that every attack has made the group stronger, and every obstacle becomes a stepping stone for a more resilient Adani Group. Speaking at the 51st India Gem and Jewellery Awards in Jaipur, the Adani Group Chairman said, “Less than two weeks back, we faced a set of allegations from the US about compliance practices at Adani Green Energy. This is not the first time we have faced such challenges. What I can tell you is that every attack makes us stronger, and every obstacle becomes a stepping stone for a more resilient Adani Group.” “The fact is that despite a lot of the vested reporting, no one from the Adani side has been charged with any violation of the FCPA or any conspiracy to obstruct justice,” the Adani Group Chairman added. The Adani Group Chairman also reflected on the consistent allegations made against his companies, including the attempt made by US short seller Hindenburg. “January last year, just as we were getting ready to launch our Follow-on Public Offering. We faced a short-selling attack initiated from abroad. This was not a typical financial strike; it was a double hit–targeting our financial stability and pulling us into a political controversy,” he said. “But even in the face of such adversity, our commitment to our principles remained strong. After successfully raising 20,000 crore rupees from India’s largest-ever FPO, we made the extraordinary decision to return the proceeds. We then further demonstrated our resilience by raising capital from several international sources and proactively reducing our Debt to EBITDA ratio to below 2.5 times, an unmatched metric in the global infrastructure space,” he added. Gautam Adani stated that the company’s all-time record financial results in the same year showcased its commitment to operational excellence. “Our all-time record financial results in the same year showcased our commitment to operational excellence. Not a single Indian or foreign credit rating agency downgraded us. Finally, the Supreme Court of India’s affirmation of our actions validated our approach,” he said. Gautam Adani also mentioned the 2010 controversy when the company made a move to invest in a coal mine in Australia. “The resistance from NGOs was huge and lasted almost a decade. In fact, it was so intense that we ended up funding the entire project of 10 billion dollars with our own equity. While we now have a world class operating mine in Australia and it could be seen as a great sign of our resilience, the fact is that 100% equity funding took away over 30 billion dollars of debt financing from our green energy projects,” he recollected. Gautam Adani further added that he had come to accept that the roadblocks were the price of pioneering. “I have come to accept that the roadblocks we face are the price of pioneering. The more bold your dreams, the more the world will scrutinize you. But it is precisely in that scrutiny that you must find the courage to rise, to challenge the status quo, and to build a path where none exists. To pioneer is to embrace the unknown, to break limits, and to believe in your vision even when the world cannot yet see it,” he asserted. In his speech the Adani Group chairman gave the audience three guiding thoughts, “First, embrace technology and sustainability as the twin pillars of progress.... Second, empower and uplift the skilled workforce at the heart of our transformation.... And finally, the future belongs to our youth. The younger generation brings fresh ideas, unshakeable energy, and a willingness to disrupt the old ways of thinking. We must nurture them.” “Let us create an India where the wisdom of tradition, and the promise of innovation come together to challenge the status quo. And let us move forward with confidence to create a future where India’s gems illuminate the world with their brilliance,” Gautam Adani concluded. (ANI) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Also Read: US indictment against Adani ‘legal matter’, no request for cooperation from America, says MEA var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );