UK-based venue executive Rebecca Kane Burton has joined Superstruct Entertainment, Europe’s largest independent festivals group, as Chief Operating Officer.
Kane Burton, who was previously Executive Vice President of Venue Management at Oak View Group (OVG) International, served as VP & General Manager of AEG’s The O2 in London for four and a half years until departing in 2016 to become MD of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatres (now LW Theatres).
Her 30 years of live entertainment experience also includes leadership roles at Sodexo Live! and London’s Alexandra Palace.
Speaking about Kane Burton’s appointment, Superstruct CEO Alex Mahon said: “I am so excited by the depth of experience that Rebecca brings having run such massive live venues. She has first class event management, partnership and F&B experience. She will be a fantastic addition to the Superstruct team.”
“I am so excited by the depth of experience that Rebecca brings having run such massive live venues.”
ALEX MAHON, SUPERSTRUCT
Mahon, the former boss of publicly owned British broadcaster Channel 4, took the helm at Superstruct – owner of festivals such as Sonar (Spain), Zwarte Cross (Netherlands), Wacken and Parookaville (Germany), and Field Day and Lost Village (UK) – in the fall of 2025.
Last year, London-headquartered Superstruct, which was launched in 2017 with backing from Providence Equity Partners, found itself at the centre of global controversy when over 100 artists publicly boycotted the firm’s festivals in protest against KKR’s purported economic interests in Israel.
Barton’s co-founder in Superstruct, Roderick Schlosser, also left the company in 2025.
Meanwhile, venue giant OVG recently confirmed Chris Granger as its new Chief Executive Officer following his five-month tenure as Interim CEO.
The company’s leadership transition followed the departure of former CEO Tim Leiweke, who stepped down last summer after being indicted by the US Department of Justice for allegedly rigging the bidding process for an arena at the University of Texas.
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Hundreds of protesters marched in the US city of Minneapolis on Sunday, demanding justice for the fatal ICE shooting that killed US citizen Alex Pretti. It was the second shooting death involving federal officers in Minneapolis this month.
Australian authorities have issued heatwave warnings for most of the country as millions celebrate Australia Day.
Temperatures are expected to peak on Tuesday, reaching the “high forties” Celsius in the southern states of Victoria and South Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
On Sunday, South Australia recorded temperatures as high as 48.5C, according to the bureau, which is warning of fire danger in parts of the country.
Some national day celebrations on Monday have been cancelled out of safety concerns.
In Adelaide, an Australia Day parade and light show have been cancelled due to the extreme heat forecast.
“While this is deeply disappointing for the community, performers and partners, community safety and wellbeing must come first,” organisers said.
Australia Day – 26 January – is the anniversary of the 1788 landing of Britain’s First Fleet, which began the era of colonisation.
But to many Indigenous Australians the occasion is a reminder of their cultural destruction under European settlers – referring to the occasion as “Invasion Day”.
Across the country on Monday, crowds gathered for rallies in support of Indigenous Australians.
Aside from Victoria and South Australia, heatwave warnings have also been issued in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
Many of these warnings will remain in place until Wednesday.
“We haven’t seen heatwave conditions like this in Victoria for almost 20 years,” Tim Wiebusch, Victoria’s emergency management commissioner, told ABC.
“It was 2009 ahead of the bushfires where we saw those prevailing conditions and so we are indicating to all Victorians that this is a very serious set of weather conditions.”
On Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology warned of “extreme fire dangers” across parts of South Australia and much of south-western Victoria “due to very hot and dry weather combined with moderate to gusty winds”.
Firefighters in Victoria are working to combat several fires across the state, which have prompted evacuations and threatened properties.
The heat has also affected the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Tennis player Jannik Sinner was seen suffering from cramps on the court on Saturday, before play was temporarily suspended in the rising heat. Nearly 80,000 fans were warned to take care under the scorching sun.
Meanwhile, parts of Western Australia were pummelled by Tropical Cyclone Luana over the weekend. The storm damaged homes and a popular beach resort before weakening as it moved inland.
The meteorological bureau has advised people to find places to keep cool, like their homes, libraries, community centres or shopping centres. It also told people to close their windows and draw the curtains to keep heat out of their homes.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday his country has no intention of pursuing a free trade deal with China. He was responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if America’s northern neighbor went ahead with a trade deal with Beijing.
Carney said his recent agreement with China merely cuts tariffs on a few sectors that were recently hit with tariffs.
Trump claims otherwise, posting that “China is successfully and completely taking over the once Great Country of Canada. So sad to see it happen. I only hope they leave Ice Hockey alone! President DJT”
The prime minister said under the free trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico there are commitments not to pursue free trade agreements with nonmarket economies without prior notification.
“We have no intention of doing that with China or any other nonmarket economy,” Carney said. “What we have done with China is to rectify some issues that developed in the last couple of years.”
In 2024, Canada mirrored the United States by putting a 100% tariff on electric vehicles from Beijing and a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum. China had responded by imposing 100% import taxes on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood.
Breaking with the United States this month during a visit to China, Carney cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on those Canadian products.
Carney has said there would be an initial annual cap of 49,000 vehicles on Chinese EV exports coming into Canada at a tariff rate of 6.1%, growing to about 70,000 over five years. He noted there was no cap before 2024. He also has said the initial cap on Chinese EV imports was about 3% of the 1.8 million vehicles sold in Canada annually and that, in exchange, China is expected to begin investing in the Canadian auto industry within three years.
Trump posted a video Sunday in which the chief executive of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association warns there will be no Canadian auto industry without U.S. access, while noting the Canadian market alone is too small to justify large scale manufacturing from China.
“A MUST WATCH. Canada is systematically destroying itself. The China deal is a disaster for them. Will go down as one of the worst deals, of any kind, in history. All their businesses are moving to the USA. I want to see Canada SURVIVE AND THRIVE! President DJT,” Trump posted on social media.
Trump’s post on Saturday said that if Carney “thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.”
“We can’t let Canada become an opening that the Chinese pour their cheap goods into the U.S,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on ABC’s “This Week.”
“We have a (United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement), but based off — based on that, which is going to be renegotiated this summer, and I’m not sure what Prime Minister Carney is doing here, other than trying to virtue-signal to his globalist friends at Davos.”
Carney has emerged as a leader of a movement for countries to find ways to link up and counter the U.S. under Trump. Speaking in Davos before Trump, Carney said, “Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu” and he warned about coercion by great powers — without mentioning Trump’s name. The prime minister received widespread praise and attention for his remarks, upstaging Trump at the World Economic Forum.
Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has come after he has repeatedly needled Canada over its sovereignty and suggested it also be absorbed into the United States as a 51st state. He posted an altered image on social media this week showing a map of the United States that included Canada, Venezuela, Greenland and Cuba as part of its territory.
Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Winter Juniors ‘A’ finalist Taylor Clements has announced her commitment to swim for West Virginia University beginning in the fall of 2026. She publicized the news on Instagram, writing:
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always had the dream to swim in college. Today, I made that happen. I have decided I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at West Virginia University. God has truly blessed me with a talent that I could never be grateful enough for. Thank you to all my family, coaches, and friends. And most importantly, thank you GOD for making this all come true. Go Mountaineers!
A senior at the West Florida School of Advanced Technology in Pensacola, Florida, Clements has been a member of the Jaguars’ swimming and diving team since her freshman year. In addition to competing for her high school team, she currently trains year-round with Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club, where she primarily specializes in sprint freestyle and breaststroke.
Clements has improved steadily throughout high school, and 2025 saw her take a significant leap in sprint freestyle, dropping from 23.48 to 23.14 in the 50 free and 51.93 to 50.81 in the 100 free. She also lowered her personal best in the 100 breast, dropping from 1:02.00 to 1:01.82.
“Taylor has always had a great feel for the water and a need for speed,” GPAC head coach Greg Johnsonsaid on the team’s website. “I am really excited to watch her join the ranks of NCAA Division I swimmers and see where she goes from here.”
At the FHSAA 2A State Championships in November, she capped her high school career with two individual titles, winning the 50 free in 23.14 and the 100 breast in a season-best 1:02.47. Those wins improved on her pair of runner-up finishes as a junior, continuing a progression that included a bronze medal in the 100 breast and fourth place in the 200 IM as a sophomore, and seventh place in the 100 breast and ninth in the 200 IM as a freshman.
Most recently, Clements competed at Winter Juniors East, her second time qualifying for the meet. She made the ‘A’ final of the 100 breast and placed eighth in 1:02.10 after producing her current best time in prelims. It was her first time making a championship final, as a year prior, she finished ninth in prelims with her previous PB, before going on to take 15th. She also placed 30th in the 50 free (23.14), 64th in the 100 free (51.21), and 108th in the 100 back (1:01.18).
Clements’ best time in the 100 free (50.81) came at the NCSA Spring Championships last March, where she also finished seventh in the 50 breast (28.81), 11th in the 100 breast (1:02.34), and 14th in the 50 free (23.38). It marked her best performance at the meet to date, following her first qualification in 2024 when she placed 24th in the 100 breast and 35th in the 50 breast.
Outside of short course swimming, Clements qualified for Junior Nationals last summer, placing 13th in the 50 breast (32.33), 32nd in the 100 breast (1:12.35), 74th in the 50 free (26.89), and 155th in the 50 fly (29.70), all in best times.
Top SCY Times:
50 Freestyle: 23.03
100 Freestyle: 50.81
100 Breaststroke: 1:01.82
A Division I program, West Virginia competes in the Big 12 Conference, with the Mountaineer women placing ninth out of 10 teams at the 2025 Big 12 Conference Championships. To make the ‘C’ finals at last season’s meet, it took times of 23.17/59.48 in the 50/100 free and 1:02.41 in the 100 breast, putting Clements in scoring range in the 50 free and 100 breast.
On the team itself, Clements would rank first in the 50 free and 100 breast and second in the 100 free based on times from both last season and the current 2025-26 season. As the fastest incoming recruit in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 breast, she’ll be a pivotal addition to the Mountaineers’ dual meet lineup and sprint relays. With top 100 freestyler Gabriela Martin De La Torre graduating in May, Clements will be the team’s go-to multi-event sprinter from the jump.
The full list of recruits currently set to join Clements in Morgantown next fall includes Aivleen Walsh, Abby Hill, Maggie Wright, Ireland Gilligan, Scoutyn Jackson, Gabriella Marim, Rowan Baglole, and Evelyn Quick, all of whom should make for strong training partners over the next four years.
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A human rights lawyer and a communications student are among those freed, Caracas-based Foro Penal says.
Published On 26 Jan 202626 Jan 2026
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Authorities in Venezuela have freed more than 100 people listed as political prisoners, according to a rights group, including a lawyer who was imprisoned in 2024 after visiting clients at a detention facility.
The Caracas-based Foro Penal said at least 104 prisoners were released on Sunday and that the number could rise.
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It said one of its lawyers, Kennedy Tejeda, and a communications student, Juan Francisco Alvarado, were among those freed from detention.
Tejeda, a lawyer and human rights activist, had been last seen on August 2, 2024, when he visited a detention centre in Carabobo state to provide legal assistance to political prisoners, according to the NGO.
“Our dear comrade Kennedy Tejeda, lawyer, human rights defender, political prisoner in Tocorón since August 2, 2024, has been released from prison. Now back at home with his family,” Foro Penal’s executive director, Alfredo Romero, said in a statement on social media.
“We continue verifying other releases,” Romero added. “It would be ideal for the government to publish lists of releases.”
Gonzalo Himiob, Foro Penal’s vice president, said the number of releases was “non-definitive” and could increase.
Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez promised to release prisoners detained under Nicolas Maduro, in her first media briefing after the former leader’s abduction by US special forces earlier this month.
Rodriguez said the move to free hundreds of prisoners, many of whom were picked up in a crackdown on dissent following Maduro’s refusal to concede the 2024 presidential election, marked the beginning of a “new political moment” that allowed greater political and ideological diversity.
The Venezuelan government has announced the release of more than 600 prisoners in recent weeks, including Rafael Tudares Bracho, the son-in-law of Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez.
Rights groups have disputed the government’s figures, with Foro Penal estimating that only about half as many people have been released as claimed by the authorities.
Rodriguez said in a speech broadcast on state television last week that she would speak to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on Monday to request the UN to confirm the figures.
Foro Penal said there were 777 political prisoners in Venezuelan jails as of January 19.
A new CRISPR-based one-off procedure that lowers “bad” cholesterol has been approved to enter Phase I human trial. If successful, it could be the first approved genetic-silencing method on the market, replacing the need for long-term medication and slashing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
There are high hopes for US biotech company Scribe Therapeutics‘ STX-1150 treatment, which epigenetically silences the PCSK9 gene in the liver to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This is, of course, not the first of its kind – we wrote about Verve Therapeutics’ effort in 2023 and CRISPR Therapeutics’ CTX310 candidate more recently. However, they’re both still in their trial stages.
STX-1150 targets hypercholesterolemia, a key driver of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). It epigenetically silences PCSK9 to reduce LDL-C without making any permanent DNA changes.
“We designed STX-1150 to overcome many of the limitations of today’s lipid-lowering therapies through powerful epigenetic silencing, and to meaningfully change how cardiovascular risk is managed for millions of patients,” said Scribe CEO Dr. Benjamin Oakes.
Instead of cutting or permanently altering DNA, STX-1150 essentially installs modifications and DNA methylation marks at the PCSK9 locus in liver cells, which silences gene expression in a way that can be reversed if needed.
In the field of medical science, CRISPR is still in its infancy – major breakthroughs were seen in 2019, and last year it was used for the first time to successfully treat a baby with an incurable genetic illness. In 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a groundbreaking CRISPR/Cas9 therapy for sickle cell disease, showing just how quickly the technology is advancing. And while this precision medicine is seen by many as the future of disease treatment, it still faces a lot of regulatory and ethical challenges.
It also faces accessibility hurdles – the sickle cell disease therapy Casgevy costs an estimated US$2.2 million per patient, which is out of reach of most of us. A successful treatment for cardiovascular disease would remove the cost of ongoing medication to manage conditions such as high LDL-C, but the question remains whether the 70 million Americans estimated to have chronically high cholesterol would have access to this one-off therapy once approved.
That said, penicillin wasn’t cheap when it first hit the market in 1940, costing the equivalent of around $400 per dose. And an approved CRISPR therapy for LDL-C has the potential to be the first of many such treatments that shift its accessibility. After all, biotechnology and personalized medicine is considered to be the future of medicine. We just have to get there first.
“Entering the clinic with STX-1150 represents a defining moment for Scribe and the wider genetic medicine field,” said Oakes. “Scribe has been engineering CRISPR-based medicines with the potency, specificity, and durability profile that can elevate the current standard of care, particularly for large cardiometabolic populations.”
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