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Why will it cost me £3,000 to take just £9,000 tax-free from my pension? Reason is that I own two small commercial properties within my Sipp Suddenly they were preventing me from accessing tax-free cash that I needed I was told I needed to organise and pay for new valuations of both properties By JONATHAN MAITLAND Updated: 21:59 GMT, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments When my boiler packed up last month, it was inconvenient to put it mildly – but fortunately I had tax-free cash stashed in my pension ready for just such an eventuality. I have £120,000 in a Self-Invested Personal Pension (Sipp) with investment platform AJ Bell, which I have built up over 20 years of careful saving. As am I older than 55, pension rules permit me to take out substantial amounts of tax-free cash as one lump sum – or smaller amounts whenever I choose. I told AJ Bell I wanted to withdraw £9,000. I expected a fee of around £100 and for the cash to appear in my linked current account within a couple of days. How wrong I was. Initially, I was told the matter would be dealt with quickly and was being labelled 'high priority'. But after a frustrating saga of 17 email exchanges in 11 days, I was told the bad news. Before it could pay out my £9,000, it said I had to arrange and pay for a legal document. I looked into how much it would cost me to get it. The answer? At least £3,000. AJ Bell was insisting I pay £3,000 to access £9,000 of my own money. Hard to get: AJ Bell wanted £3,000 to access £9,000 It turns out the reason is that I own two, small commercial properties within my Sipp. These are a convenience store and a T-shirt shop in Cardiff that I bought using my Sipp around ten years ago to provide me with a small income. They are currently worth around £200,000 together and pay me an income of around £20,000 a year. The beauty of holding them in a Sipp is that the income accrues tax free. It is only when I withdraw it for my own use that it is subject to income tax. They had proved a good investment. But now suddenly they were preventing me from accessing tax-free cash that I really needed. Because of pension regulations, I was told, I needed to organise and pay for new valuations of both properties before I could receive my money. This, I was led to believe, was standard procedure. The valuations would cost me at least £3,000 because of the complex legal nature of the properties. It was, I told AJ Bell, like a bank saying to a customer, 'You have £20,000 in your current account but we won't give you a penny until you pay £1,500 for a survey of your own home'. But this argument cut no ice. Rules were rules. It was the typical 'computer says no' argument so many companies fall back on. When you take tax-free cash from a pension, the first 25 per cent is tax free and the remainder may attract tax. Your pension provider needs to know how much your total pot is worth so that it can calculate how much is tax free. Working out the value of a pension pot is relatively straightforward when it contains just funds, shares and cash. But it's more complicated when it includes commercial properties that need to be valued. However, my Sipp also contained £60,000 in easily accessible cash in addition to the two commercial properties. Surely, to take out £9,000 of tax-free cash, AJ Bell could just assign a further £27,000 of taxable cash (three times the tax-free sum) without having to get a full valuation of the Sipp. So I complained. Three decades of presenting TV shows for the BBC and ITV about poor service and overcharging meant I was never going to take this sort of thing lying down. I did what every customer should and refused to take no for an answer. I told AJ Bell I would be complaining to the Pensions Ombudsman – I will have to wait for the company to look into my complaint first, however – and that I would be writing this article. Two days later, I got an email saying the position had changed. Managers had looked at my case and decided I didn't need the expensive surveys. AJ Bell said: 'Initially, valuations were requested to ensure accurate calculations for your tax-free cash and compliance with HMRC regulations.' RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Could the state pension end up being means-tested before I... Pension credit applications surge 145% after Labour... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account However, because I had recently made a £30,000 cash payment into my Sipp, AJ Bell could now 'match its recorded value and avoid the need for valuations'. The e-mail continued: 'We wouldn't ordinarily do this as it would likely negatively impact the amount of tax-free cash you would receive. We, therefore, went outside of our procedure given you did not want to obtain a property valuation.' This sort of burdensome regulation governing commercial properties needs to change. Tens of thousands of pensioners own commercial properties via their Sipps. Currently, a strict reading of the rules requires administrators to tell customers they must pay for expensive surveys every time they want tax-free cash. This is an overabundance of caution in my view and nearly always completely unnecessary. It won't surprise you to learn I plan to leave AJ Bell. But I will heed the advice of Jenny Ross, of Which? Pension, who says: 'If you want to transfer your Sipp to another provider, the new provider will manage the transfer on your behalf. But bear in mind that some providers charge exit fees if you move elsewhere. But you may think this is a price worth paying.' This experience with AJ Bell is the last straw. For the last five years, I've looked on in horror at its rocketing charges. In that time, my annual fees have gone from just over £1,600 to nearly £2,500 – an increase of 60 per cent. That sum includes nearly £1,500 for 'property administration fees' as AJ Bell collects the rent on two small shops owned by my Sipp in Cardiff, £340 in 'quarterly administration fees', £320 in 'off panel administration fees' (this is what I pay for the privilege of having instructed AJ Bell to invest in a tracker fund), £180 in 'income drawdown fees' and £130 in miscellaneous one-off charges. IPM, a Sipp administrator based in Hertfordshire, would charge £800 annually for exactly the same service – a saving of more than 60 per cent. And that includes any property administration fees IPM would require before letting me access tax-free cash. Other companies which offer a similar service include Investec and Dentons. Revealingly, it seems it is not just me who is unhappy about the regulatory burden of holding commercial property in Sipps. Even AJ Bell itself announced it would no longer be willing to administrate newly purchased commercial properties. The reason, according to Nick Reeve, editor at Pensions Expert, is the increasingly problematic, bureaucratic expensive and time-consuming rules designed to stop scams. He says: 'This is because some unscrupulous people could be flogging commercial property as a way of ripping people off.' In the meantime, I'm moving my Sipp as soon as I'm able. Ask not for whom the bell tolls, AJ Bell: it tolls for thee. 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We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.Peter Dutton (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch) NUCLEAR COSTINGS DAY The day has finally arrived. Some said it would never happen but here we are — today we get the much-promised, long-awaited nuclear power costings from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton . While nothing says “please pay real close attention to my policy’s details” like an announcement on a Friday 12 days before Christmas, unfortunately for Dutton people have been waiting a mighty long time to hear more information on his plans to build seven nuclear power stations around the country and previews of his big reveal are leading the agenda most places this morning. The Nine papers report Dutton “will ask Australians to support hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending on nuclear energy, including a controversial move to use taxpayer subsidies to build the industry while promising to bring down household electricity bills”. The papers say a key part of the Coalition leader’s plans will be an assumption coal-fired power stations will continue to operate as the nuclear plants are built, despite energy companies planning to stop using coal in the near future. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) reckons 90% of coal-fired plants will be shut down before 2035, with complete closure five years later. Disagreeing analysis over the cost of the nuclear plans compared to Labor’s renewable pledges has filled many column inches recently. A rough summary of The Sydney Morning Herald’s reporting goes a bit like: the Coalition handily cites analysis which claims Labor’s renewables rollout will cost $642 billion while its nuclear plan will come in less than $400 billion. The government rejects those figures and cites other analysis that claims its plan will cost $122 billion. Defending the nuclear plans, the Coalition reckons there will be less renewable energy added to the electricity grid than Labor predicts by 2030 and claims renewables will risk blackouts and raise bills. Meanwhile, the CSIRO says the first potential nuclear plant would be completed by 2040 at the earliest (the coalition says 2035) and “a fully operational fleet of nuclear reactors cannot be expected before 2050”. The Nine papers also say the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis believes power bills would rise by $665 a year to repay the cost of building the nuclear plants, while (as previously flagged ) the CSIRO projects nuclear will cost twice as much as renewable energy. So... a whole load of disagreeing over something that potentially isn’t due to provide any help to people’s power bills for decades — something the ABC has picked up and is leading with this morning. The broadcaster points out “senior Coalition sources” have expressed reservations over the nuclear plans, highlighting the fact they will “not map out an energy future in which households would get any immediate or even long-term relief”. A member of the Coalition is quoted as saying: “The fundamental problem is that whichever way you cost it, nuclear power is not hugely cheap. Nuclear will keep the lights on, but it’s hardly going to bring prices back down to where they were 10 years ago.” The ABC reports Coalition strategists are frustrated at the amount of scrutiny Dutton’s plans are getting, complaining Energy Minister Chris Bowen didn’t receive as much over his target of 82% renewable energy by 2030. One could argue perhaps if they’re annoyed over all the attention, maybe they should have considered telling the country a bit earlier about how they planned to fund their eye-catching plan... Anthony Albanese ( see Wednesday’s Worm ) will be shocked to learn The Australian is keen to sell the opposition’s costings vs Labor’s, claiming “wind and solar will still dominate the grid under the Coalition’s model”. RATES CUT HOPES SLIDE There was significant excitement at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) more dovish interest rates statement earlier this week (even though they were held at 4.35% yet again) but it appears to have already faded. The AAP reports the “drastically stronger than predicted” labour market data yesterday caused economists and traders to scale back their previous predictions of a rate cut finally coming in February. The previous excitement was cut short by the unexpected drop in unemployment to 3.9%. The newswire flags ANZ, Westpac and NAB now reckon the RBA will start its monetary easing cycle in May “given the central bank’s concerns inflation remains too high and unemployment too low”. (Reminder: there’s an election due by May.) Commonwealth Bank still reckons a cut could come in February. For that to happen CBA economist Gareth Aird says trimmed mean inflation (released on January 29) would need to come in below 0.6% (it was 0.8% in September) and the labour market would also need to show signs of softening. The Australian Financial Review says yesterday’s figures cemented Australia’s jobs market “as among the strongest in the developed world”. The paper quotes economists as saying the slowing private sector and employment gains meant “the bulk of the jobs created last month were likely in government-funded industries such as public service, healthcare and education”. Betashares chief economist David Bassanese is quoted as saying: “A low unemployment rate alone should not stand in the way of lower official interest rates next year if inflation continues to decline. Instead, falling inflation and still-low unemployment — were that to occur — should force the RBA to reconsider what it deems to be the non-inflationary rate of unemployment — from its current assumption of 4.5%.” Treasurer Jim Chalmers tried to maintain the enthusiasm at the start of the week by saying: “More jobs and better pay are key parts of our plan to help ease cost of living pressures.” Elsewhere, the AFR provides a few more details on yesterday’s announcement about the payments facing tech firms if they don’t agree to deals to pay news publishers. The paper reports: “Apple and Microsoft could also be caught by the new policy with their Apple News and LinkedIn products respectively if they meet the threshold of having Australian revenue greater than $250 million a year.” The paper also flags AMP has invested $27 million in bitcoin, becoming the first major superannuation fund to buy into cryptocurrency. Finally, The Wall Street Journal flags Meta has donated US$1 million to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund. The Guardian says the donation “appears to be the latest effort by the social media company and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg , to improve relations with the incoming president, and comes just weeks after Zuckerberg dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago”. ON A LIGHTER NOTE... If you’ve ever wanted diamante-encrusted spectacles in the shape of the Sydney Opera House, have we got the auction for you! In February next year, Christie’s in London will auction 250 items from the personal collection of the late Barry Humphries. As well as the pair of glasses from his infamous Dame Edna Everage character, paintings by artist Charles Conder and a first edition copy of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest are also being sold at the auction, the Press Association reports. Benedict Winter , associate director of private and iconic collections at Christie’s, said: “ Barry Humphries is best remembered for his comedic genius, but behind his famous figure was a true polymath and connoisseur. “This refined and engaging collection provides compelling insights into the private world of this very public performer.” Say What? I will not touch bread if it is moist. Kemi Badenoch The Conservative Party leader claimed this week “lunch is for wimps”, sandwiches are not real food and she sometimes has steak brought to her while she works. The UK Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said in response that the PM enjoyed a sandwich lunch (tuna, in case you were wondering) “and occasionally a cheese toastie”. The row continues. CRIKEY RECAP Australia’s media movers and shakers on the biggest threats to journalism DAANYAL SAEED Joe Aston, Kate McClymont, Waleed Aly, Janine Perrett and Sue Chrysanthou (Image: Private Media) It has been a dire, unpredictable year for the Australian media. Jobs have been cut en masse , outlets grappled with ideals of objectivity, newspapers prosecuted campaigns that could see wholesale changes to how audiences interact with news, new outlets formed , others died , there were landmark defamation decisions and investigations into newsroom culture, and an executive allegedly shoulder-charged a reporter. After a year of volatility, job cuts, uncertainty and brilliance, Crikey chased down Australia’s biggest media figures — from journalists to editors to defamation lawyers to academics — to pick their brains about our industry. What they shared has formed the backbone of a multi-part Crikey series, Movers and Shakers , holding a mirror up to the industry and asking it to reflect on itself. Labor elevates early childhood education as Coalition tells regions: less childcare for you BERNARD KEANE It’s hard to know whether the Coalition’s support for retaining the activity test is driven by fiscal discipline — difficult to believe given the hundreds of billions it plans to waste on nuclear power — or by hostility to low-income families. It is, after all, the Dutton style to prefer identifying people to demonise rather than make policy work better. But the Coalition’s formal position is now that children — and, in the long-term, the community — should be deprived of the benefits of early childhood education because their parents are assessed as not worthy. The fact that the Coalition will go to the election telling outer suburban and regional communities that it will be withdrawing funding for more childcare services is likely to be something Labor will constantly draw attention to. Indeed, the Coalition will go to the election as the first party in decades actively promising to cut childcare and childcare funding. On the other hand, Labor, backed by the Productivity Commission and even the business community, is investing in “long-term economic benefits” and “maximising the human talent pipeline of our nation”. Even this shambolic outfit can’t mess that up... surely? Nicolette Boele ‘gave up’ on politics over Labor’s climate inaction. Now she wants to win a Liberal seat RACHEL WITHERS Did the backlash to the speech contribute to Fletcher throwing in the towel? “I don’t know what was in Mr Fletcher’s mind,” Boele tells me. “If you can see your main opponent, and it’s a two-horse race, has been in the field for that long ... Maybe the 12 letters to The Sydney Morning Herald as soon as he insulted everybody was a feedback loop that he needed.” Boele has been critical of the speech, arguing it showed little respect for Fletcher’s constituents. Her statement about it was titled , “Bradfield voters aren’t dopes, Paul”. When I ask how it made her feel, she gives a very teal answer. “It was disappointing, but it wasn’t a surprise. I get very protective, kind of a mum instinct, with the constituents. Like, hang on a second, what do you mean we’re dim-witted? Obviously there were some overtones about the gendered part of it, too, which I didn’t take very nicely to.” READ ALL ABOUT IT John Pesutto defies calls to resign after being ordered to pay $300,000 for defaming Moira Deeming ( Guardian Australia ) Sydney street artist revealed as man found not guilty of two counts of rape ( The Sydney Morning Herald ) ($) Donald Trump 2024 TIME Person of the Year ( TIME ) Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency (Associated Press) Trump’s Middle East adviser pick is a small-time truck salesman ( The New York Times ) ($) Mystery New Jersey drones not from Iranian ‘mothership’ — Pentagon (BBC) THE COMMENTARIAT Peter Dutton’s nuclear policy would have coal-fired power stations operating for a lot longer — Michelle Grattan (ABC): The release of the costings unleashes a tsunami of claims and counterclaims about numbers. That debate will be eye-glazing for many voters. Not to worry. We are talking the span of a generation. Numbers that stretch out to 2050 don’t mean a great deal. Hundreds of things — in technology and politics, for starters — can and will change as the years pass. Moreover, numbers from modelling have an extra layer of complexity and uncertainty. They depend heavily on assumptions that are, in many cases, necessarily arbitrary. Anyone inclined to take modelling at face value should reflect on the Labor experience. Before the 2022 election, it released modelling that gave it the basis to promise a $275 reduction in household power bills by next year. We all know what happened to that. Regardless of the problems in attempting to be precise, the broad debate about nuclear’s cost will be intense. Social media gorged itself on a free lunch of news. The buffet could be over — James Massola ( The Sydney Morning Herald ): In an age when hot-takes and “feelpinions” abound, the federal government’s levy on social media giants is designed to shore up the future of news outlets across the country. In regional areas in particular, where local newspapers are part of the fabric of small communities, the measure could slow or halt their retreat. At their press conference announcing the policy, Rowland and Jones argued it was vital that Australians who accessed news through social media had access to “fact-checked information”. One need only look at the spread of dis- and misinformation about vaccines during the pandemic to see why. In the dispute between social and legacy media, it’s clear the government has picked a winner. Now the ball is in Meta’s court to respond.casino game keno 。

STEPHEN BUNTING is dreaming of a Liverpool clean sweep next year — and hopes to show Mancunians what silverware looks like next month. The Bullet heads into the third round, where he faces Latvia’s Madars Razma, with hopes of a deep run at the PDC World Darts Championship . 2 Stephen Bunting is into the third round of the PDC World Championship Credit: Getty 2 He was the King of Lakeside 11 years ago Credit: Getty Only four men: Dennis Priestley, Phil Taylor, John Part and Raymond van Barneveld have managed to win world titles at PDC and BDO level. That is the challenge bespectacled Bunting faces now, 11 years after he was King of Lakeside. Follow all the action from the World Darts Championship as it happens with SunSport's LIVE blog Should he succeed over the next ten days then the mad-keen Liverpool fan would love to show off the tungsten pot ahead of the Reds’ home game with deadly rivals Manchester United on Sunday January 5. READ MORE ON DARTS BULLY BOY Freddie Flintoff hails his ‘finest sporting achievement’ while hosting Bullseye Especially as Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders are in contention for several trophies this campaign. Bunting , 39, said: “I’d love to do that again. I did that when I won the Lakeside trophy but at that time, I didn’t have a massive fanbase. “I’m walking around the pitch, no one knew who I was, and they’re all singing: ‘There’s only one Phil Taylor’. “If I win this title, everyone will know who I am — and I might even get a couple of people cheering for me. That’s a dream that I can only think about so early in the tournament. Most read in Darts CRASH HORROR Man killed and toddler fighting for life after car smashes into pedestrians OFF THE SHELVES Warning to Scots as Tesco, Aldi & Morrisons recall Xmas dinner favourites AMA NEW MAN Rangers flop finds new club after five months in wilderness and buying COWS LOW BLOW Rangers 'open to transfer offers' for star once targeted by Manchester City “But yeah, that’ll sort of push me through and I’d love to be able to do that. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS “I’ll tell you what, to walk on with it against United, that’s a dream come true, isn’t it? “Can you imagine what a world champions’ trophy looks like? I can imagine what the Man United fans would shout at me, though! Freddie Flintoff hails his ‘finest sporting achievement’ after stunning feat while hosting revamped TV classic Bullseye World Darts Championship - top stories READ MORE on all the build-up to the Ally Pally extravaganza... All the info: All the action as it happens in our LIVE BLOG Everything you need to know about the Ally Pally extravaganza How much prize money can be won? What is the format for the tournament? Who are the Sky Sports presenters and pundits ? News, features and interviews: Mardle to take step back after tragic death of wife Donna Emma Paton reveals rise as Queen of Darts Littler loses record to breakthrough star Peter Wright 'lost it' in emotional moment with daughter MVG pays tribute to Wayne Mardle's wife Donna Watch Littler hit 180 as Bullseye makes return to TV Commentator stunned with player's bizarre routine Nick Kenny bursts into tears after beating Van Barneveld Littler storms into third round with impressive win Littler breaks down in parents arms after emotional win “And I don’t think it’d be: ‘There’s only one Phil Taylor...’” Bunting, who has a huge TikTok following, is good friends with Liverpool’s Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher , who is the stand-in whenever No 1 Alisson is not around. The No 8 seed said: “I sent him a set of darts and a shirt the other day. He contacted me about nine months ago. “He wanted a video for his brother, who plays in the lower leagues, because he’s a big fan and they all went on a stag do in Bunting shirts.” Bunting credits the turnaround in his career to embracing hypnotherapy — and winning the Masters last February was evidence of his changed mindset. He has enormous sympathy for fellow St Helens thrower and No 2 seed Michael Smith , the highest seed to exit Ally Pally. Smith, the PDC world champion only two years ago, was bundled out by Kevin Doets in the second round and faces a tough time to reignite his career. Bunting said: “I probably won’t go see him but I’ll send him a message. He knows how good he is. “He probably went home straight after the match. When you lose on that stage, it’s the worst place. And going into Christmas, he’s got a young family as well. “It’s so difficult to go home then and have a great Christmas when you work so hard to get into worlds — and then it’s over in a blink of an eye. “So I can totally understand his disappointment and, thankfully, it’s not me going home and having a bad Christmas. “I totally feel for him. I think my hypnotherapist did reach out to him and his family probably last year. “I don’t know what happened there but it didn’t happen. I’m really happy with my hypnotist. He’s doing fantastic for me. Read more on the Scottish Sun DECEMBRRR Scots blasted with snowfall days before Christmas as storms cause transport chaos FLOOR PHILLER Rangers boss Philippe Clement spotted dancing in popular Glasgow bar “Listen, there’s different things you do. Things like your diet, you look for energy when you’re playing. “Each player is different, so I wouldn’t like to say to players, ‘this is what you need to do’, but listen, learn off the best.” List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke HumphriesSAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada threw for 182 yards and his 17-yard scoring pass to Roy Alexander was the game's only touchdown and Incarnate Word beat Villanova 13-6 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Cardinals (11-2), who earned their highest seed in program history at No. 6, travel to face third-seeded South Dakota State in the quarterfinals. Brack Peacock kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with 8:48 before halftime. Villanova (10-4) tied it on 49-yard field goal by Ethan Gettman almost five minutes later. Late in the third, Gettman gave the Wildcats their lone lead when he kicked a 52-yarder. Calzada connected with Roy early in the fourth and Peacock added insurance in the last stanza with a 35 yarder with 4:14 remaining. Lontrell Turner had 120 yards rushing on 18 carries for Incarnate Word. Connor Watkins threw for 103 yards and an interception for Villanova whose offense was outgained 437-138. The Wildcats hadn't been kept out of the end zone since Nov. 5, 2022 when Towson beat Villanova 27-3. 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-footballGerman security and intelligence chiefs are due on Monday to face questioning about the car-ramming attack that killed five people and wounded more than 200 at a Christmas market 10 days ago. They will be quizzed about possible missed clues and security failures before the December 20 attack in the eastern city of Magdeburg, where police arrested the 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen at the scene. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Saxony-Anhalt state officials, and the heads of Germany's domestic and foreign intelligence services are expected to face a closed-door committee hearing in parliament from 1200 GMT. Abdulmohsen is the only suspect in the attack in which a rented BMW sport utility vehicle ploughed through the crowd of revellers at high speed, leaving a trail of bloody carnage. Investigators have yet to declare a suspected motive in the assault that used a motor vehicle as a weapon, which recalled past jihadist attacks, including in Berlin and in the French city of Nice in 2016. Abdulmohsen, by contrast, has voiced strongly anti-Islam views, sympathies with the far right, and anger at Germany for allowing in too many Muslim war refugees and other asylum-seekers. According to unconfirmed media reports citing unnamed German security sources, he has in the past been treated for mental illness and tested positive for drug use on the night of his arrest. The Saudi suspect has been remanded in custody in a top-security facility on five counts of murder and 205 counts of attempted murder, prosecutors said, but not so far on terrorism-related charges. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who faces elections in February, has declared that Germany needs to "investigate whether this terrible act could have been prevented". "No stone must be left unturned," he told news portal t-online on Friday, echoing similar comments by Faeser. Scholz said that "over the years, there have been repeated clues" about the suspect, adding that "we must examine very carefully whether there were any failings on the part of the authorities in Saxony-Anhalt or at the national level". German media digging through Abdulmohsen's past and his countless social media postings have found expressions of anger and frustration, and threats of violence against German citizens and politicians. Saudi Arabia said it had repeatedly warned Germany about Abdulmohsen, who came to Germany in 2006 and was granted refugee status 10 years later. A source close to the Saudi government told AFP that the kingdom had in the past sought his extradition. Germany has not officially commented on this claim, but would usually deny requests to send people granted asylum back to the country they fled. Abdulmohsen had a history of brushes with the law and court appearances in Germany, media have reported, including for threats of violence. German police have said they had contacted Abdulmohsen in September 2023 and October 2024, and then repeatedly tried but failed to meet him again in December. Police hold such meetings with people deemed a potential threat to make clear they are under close watch and to deter misconduct. Ahead of the German elections, the Christmas market bloodshed has reignited fierce debate about immigration and security, after several deadly knife attacks this year blamed on Islamist extremists. The head of the conservative opposition, Friedrich Merz, wrote that, whether the attacker was a jihadist or an anti-Islam activist, "conflicts are being fought out on German soil... We have to stop this!" bur/fz/bc

NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to: Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN )'s sale to Aya Healthcare for $18.61 per share in cash. If you are a Cross Country shareholder, click here to learn more about your legal rights and options . EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC )'s sale to ONEOK, Inc. for 0.1412 shares of ONEOK common stock for each common unit of EnLink. If you are an EnLink shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options . Manitex International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTX )'s sale to Tadano Ltd. for $5.80 per share in cash. If you are a Manitex shareholder, click here to learn more about your legal rights and options . Halper Sadeh LLC may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders. We would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses. Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email [email protected] or [email protected] . Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Halper Sadeh LLC Daniel Sadeh, Esq. Zachary Halper, Esq. (212) 763-0060 [email protected] [email protected] https://www.halpersadeh.com SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP

Simkovicova, a 53-year-old former television anchor, has been a controversial figure since taking office in October 2023. "I am frustrated and very angry about the way culture is being destroyed and organizations are falling apart," Svetlana Fialova, a 39-year-old visual artist and lecturer, told AFP. "What is happening in Slovakia is ... what is happening in Georgia, Hungary and other countries, where people who collaborate and play to Russian tunes are coming to power and trying to suppress democracy and culture," she said. "The culture of the Slovaks should be Slovak -- Slovak and none else," Simkovicova said in one early speech. Nominated by the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS), she has also slammed "LGBT+ ideology" for causing Europe to "die out". Her views have appealed to Prime Minister Robert Fico from the centrist Smer party, whose objections to liberal values echo Viktor Orban, the prime minister of neighbouring Hungary. Simkovicova had worked notably for the Slovan TV channel, known for spreading conspiracy theories, xenophobia and pro-Russian views. Slovak National Gallery director Alexandra Kusa lost her job in August in what opponents said was part of Simkovicova's purge. "Culture ministry staff accompanied by a lawyer showed up in my office one day with a bunch of flowers and a notice," she told AFP. Kusa, who has been reduced to the post of exhibition curator, said the ministry had launched a derogatory campaign against her. She says she was punished for backing Matej Drlicka, the National Theatre director, who was sacked a day earlier. The head of the country's heritage institute was dismissed this week. "We are not compatible with the ministry. Their idea of culture is completely different from ours," Kusa said. She accuses the ministry of launching "an era of bullying and intimidation". "It's pure destruction and demonstration of power. It's terrible." The ministry did not respond to AFP's request to comment. Simkovicova also targets public media. In June, she pushed through a law reforming the state-run RTVS broadcaster into a new company, STVR, which is under her control. Analyst Pavol Hardos told AFP that wielding political influence over cultural institutions had a precedent in Slovakia. "This is something we experienced in the 1990s during the illiberal regime of Vladimir Meciar, when there were ideological tests and tests ... of who is a good nationalist, a good Slovak, and who isn't," he said. What is new is the government's "commitment to purge cultural institutions from anyone who is in any way perceived as potentially a political enemy", Hardos said. Open-minded and liberal people are "being targeted as a potential troublemaker, and people who are often enough real experts in their areas are being sidelined or thrown out," he added. Hardos said that while it was premature to talk about "an illiberal regime", Fico is walking in Orban's footsteps. The government is also targeting LGBT+ rights organisations. Early this year, Simkovicova said they would not get "a cent" from her ministry. She has recently curbed public subsidies for LGBT+ groups. "This concerns any project with links to LGBT+," said Martin Macko, head of the Iniciativa Inakost NGO. He said attacks on the minority were growing, as were the number of people being treated by the NGO's therapists. The situation has incited protests among artists, cultural institution staff and the public, who turn their backs on directors named by Simkovicova or read protest statements on theatre stages. Large rallies were held this year, mobilising tens of thousands of people. Two petitions written by artists have solicited 400,000 signatures in the EU member country of 5.4 million people. In the Slovak parliament, the opposition initiated a vote to dismiss Simkovicova, but the attempt fell through. "No culture ministry employee prevents anyone from being creative or expressing themselves," Simkovicova told the press. sc-anb-frj-kym/twGerman security chiefs to face questions over Christmas market attackClintons urge voters agitated by today’s politics to remain involved in public service

Suspended Luton midfielder apologises to Hatters fans for letting them down twiceScheifele scores as the Jets beat the Blackhawks 4-2 in Sorensen's first gameSlovakia protests against minister who tests culture, LGBT limits

NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve them. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. And this weekend, Trump returned to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. There, he was welcomed like a sitting dignitary , with a prime seat next to French President Emmanuel Macron . Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden attended in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Trump had already met with several foreign leaders before this weekend's trip. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S. official familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “all transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for a better deal. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. It is unclear the level of State Department involvement, but the Biden and Trump teams say they have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. Sullivan echoed those comments at the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum Saturday. “It has been professional. It has been substantive. And frankly, it has been good," he said of their coordination on national security issues. “Obviously we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, and that’s no secret to anybody," he went on. But he said both teams believe “it is our job on behalf of the American people to make sure this is a smooth transition,” particularly given the seriousness of issues like the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and threats from China. “The nature of the world we find ourselves in today only elevates our responsibility to be engaged, to talk regularly, to meet regularly, to be transparent, to share, and to make sure it’s an effective transition,” he said. Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.Lawmaker doubles down on claim that NJ drones are from Iran

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