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baccarat necklace price KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in CareDx, Inc ( NASDAQ:CDNA – Free Report ) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 3,170 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,000. Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of CareDx by 1,085.4% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,140,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,960,308 shares in the last quarter. Bamco Inc. NY bought a new stake in CareDx during the 1st quarter valued at $13,025,000. Fred Alger Management LLC lifted its position in shares of CareDx by 517.9% during the second quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 1,149,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,853,000 after acquiring an additional 963,554 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in shares of CareDx by 868.6% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 204,987 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,401,000 after purchasing an additional 183,823 shares during the period. Finally, Driehaus Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of CareDx during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,852,000. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of CareDx from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of CareDx from $26.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on CareDx in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $28.00 price objective for the company. HC Wainwright restated a “neutral” rating on shares of CareDx in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research dropped their price target on CareDx from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CareDx has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $29.60. CareDx Stock Up 2.4 % NASDAQ CDNA opened at $23.13 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.97. CareDx, Inc has a twelve month low of $7.42 and a twelve month high of $34.84. The company has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.34 and a beta of 1.80. CareDx ( NASDAQ:CDNA – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.25) by $0.11. The company had revenue of $82.88 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $80.04 million. CareDx had a negative return on equity of 53.70% and a negative net margin of 45.90%. CareDx’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.43) EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that CareDx, Inc will post -0.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About CareDx ( Free Report ) CareDx, Inc engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of diagnostic solutions for transplant patients and caregivers in the United States and internationally. It also provides AlloSure Kidney, a donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) solution for kidney transplant patients; AlloMap Heart, a gene expression solution for heart transplant patients; AlloSure Heart, a dd-cfDNA solution for heart transplant patients; and AlloSure Lung, a dd-cfDNA solution for lung transplant patients. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CDNA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CareDx, Inc ( NASDAQ:CDNA – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for CareDx Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CareDx and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

CHICAGO (AP) — Aidan Laughery rushed for three touchdowns and No. 22 Illinois topped Northwestern 38-28 on Saturday to reach nine victories for the first time since its 2007 Rose Bowl season. Pat Bryant dashed in to score off Luke Altmyer’s 43-yard pass early in the third quarter as Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) struck for touchdowns just over 4 minutes apart early in the third quarter to open a 28-10 lead in what had been a tight game. Bryant's 10th receiving touchdown tied a school record. Altmyer, who threw for 170 yards, had a TD himself on a keeper from the 1-yard line early in the second quarter. David Olano added a field goal in the fourth to cap Illinois' scoring. Laughery, a sophomore running back, rushed for a career-best 172 yards and topped 100 for the first time. He entered with only one TD this season and two for his career. He had a career-long 64-yard run for a score early in the second half. Coach Bret Bielema said he wasn't surprised by Laughery's explosive performance as the Gibson City, Illinois product rounded back into form after being hampered by a hamstring injury earlier this season. “I thought today would be a day that could happen,” Bielema said. “Today some of those turned into big home run hits we've kind of been waiting on all year.” Laughery said he's been prepping for this kind of game, when he carried the ball 12 times for an average of 14.3 yards. “Finally, the opportunity was there,” said Laughery, who got the game ball. “You know you gotta' hit one and it came together today.” He credited the Illini offensive line with opening space for his breakout performance. “Those guys were covering them (Northwestern's defense) all day long,” Laughery said. “It was awesome running behind the looks we were getting” Northwestern’s Devin Turner intercepted Altmyer twice, including for a 13-yard touchdown return late in the first quarter. Thomas Gordon caught Jack Lausch's 15-yard TD pass with a minute left, then the Wildcats added a two-point conversion to complete the scoring. Northwestern (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten) didn’t pack it in as hosted its second game this season at Wrigley Field, this time on a breezy sunny day with game-time temperature of 20 degrees. It looked like the Illini might run away after Bryant’s 10th receiving touchdown 4:52 into the third. He entered tied for the Big Ten lead. But Luke Akers kicked his second field goal of the game, a 34-yarder, with 5:35 left in the third quarter to cut it to 28-13. Lausch led the Wildcats on their next possession and finished it with an 11-yard touchdown toss to A.J. Henning to narrow the Illini lead to 28-20. Then Mac Resetich intercepted Lausch’s pass 50 seconds into the fourth quarter. Laughery powered up the middle for 31 yards and his third TD about two minutes later to quell the Wildcats' momentum. Northwestern dominated in possession time — 34:32 to 25:28 —and plays — 90 to 53. The margin was even more pronounced in the first half, but the Wildcats settled for a 13-yard touchdown return on Turner’s second pick of the game with 2:14 left in the first quarter and Akers’ 21-yard field goal that opened the scoring 6:29 in. Illinois led 14-10 at the half on Laughery’s 30-yard TD run midway through the first quarter and Altmyer’s keeper 1:39 into the second. Akers missed wide to the right on a 44-yard attempt as time ran out in the half. Wide receivers down Both teams’ leading pass receivers were injured. Northwestern’s Bryce Kirtz was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a lower-body injury after two receptions that upped his total yards to 598. Illinois’ Bryant went to the locker room with about 5 minutes left in the first half after Turner collided with him as he plucked his second interception. Bryant returned, however, for the second half. The takeaway Illinois: Is in line for a prestigious bowl game appearance and a chance to tie the school record of 10 wins, most recently set during their 2001 Sugar Bowl season. “We wanted to put ourselves in a good position on this day to get to nine wins and see where it can go,” Bielema said. “Just a fun day overall. I don't know what the future holds. It think we're a team that can play with anybody in the country.” Northwestern: Finished its second season under coach David Braun at 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats dropped their final three and five of the last six. Up next Illinois is headed to a bowl game. Northwestern opens its 2025 season at Tulane on Aug. 30. ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25Donald Trump Jr has emerged as the family’s most influential adviser of the moment as his father builds the most controversial cabinet in modern US history, sources close to Donald Trump’s eldest son say. Trump Jr has in some cases promoted inexperienced loyalists over more qualified candidates for top positions in president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration . During Trump’s first administration, as the 45th president, his elder daughter, Ivanka Trump , and her husband, Jared Kushner , were top level political advisers, while his sons Don Jr and Eric were assigned mainly to run the family business. Ivanka and her husband took a big step back from politics after Trump lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and during Trump’s subsequent descent into a tangle of civil and criminal cases against him, though have been more present since his victory in the election earlier this month. Now sources have told Reuters that Don Jr is currently the leading offspring voice in his father’s ear and the president-elect has become particularly reliant on his son for advice on White House strategy. But at least two of the more controversial choices championed by Don Jr face tough Senate confirmation challenges – vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr , of the chiefly-Democratic Kennedy political dynasty, for health secretary and former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, who faces bipartisan concern over her Russian interests and lack of experience in the intelligence community. Appointments planning continued on Sunday, the Washington Post reported, with the likely elevation of Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford-trained physician and economist, as the next director of the National Institutes of Health. Reuters spoke to half a dozen sources, including donors, political allies and friends, who confirmed Don Jr’s influence in pitching names for appointments, including inexperienced loyalists. Don Jr was credited with making JD Vance his father’s vice-presidential pick, helping cabinet contenders sink or rise to the fore and blocking former secretary of state Mike Pompeo from joining the cabinet. “The reality this time is we actually know what we’re doing,” Don Jr told Fox News earlier this month. “And it’s about surrounding my father with people who are both competent and loyal.” Kushner, formerly Trump’s senior adviser who focused on the Middle East, told Reuters that he is briefing real estate investor Steve Witkoff on his new job as special envoy to the region. Sign up to The Stakes — Presidential Transition We will guide you through the aftermath of the US election and the transition to a Trump presidency after newsletter promotion “I have been working with Witkoff to get him up to speed on Trump’s past efforts,” Kushner said through a spokesperson. One source close to the transition said Trump does not appear to need his family for advice as much as in the past because of aides like Susie Wiles , who helped to run the most disciplined of his election campaigns to date and will be his chief of staff. “Stuff is really buttoned down,” the source said of Trump’s current team. “He may not need the family this time like he used to.”

Women get less exercise than men – and this fitness gender gap is a problem

KBC Group NV Purchases 188 Shares of McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC)

NoneA seminar hosted by Ganado Advocates and Zampa Debattista highlighted the unique challenges facing Maltese family businesses. Findings from a misco survey presented at the forum revealed that family businesses account for 70% of Malta’s 75,000 businesses and that while half of them have expanded internationally, another 66% intend to do so in the future. However, for those uninterested in global expansion, reasons include retirement, market focus on Malta, or lack of resources. A first panel highlighted four core challenges facing these companies: talent shortages at all levels, technological adaptation, access to finance, and competitive pressure from international corporations. Talent shortages were particularly concerning, as several business owners reported difficulty attracting the skills necessary for sustaining growth. The panellists argued that inadequate talent limits a company’s ability to innovate and expand, especially as industries evolve and demand new expertise. This challenge is exacerbated by older family members who sometimes resist change, favouring tradition over innovation - a mindset that can hinder progress in dynamic markets. Adding to these hurdles, family businesses also face intense competition from global players entering Malta’s markets, putting pressure on local companies to adopt technology and streamline their operations. For these family-owned firms, evolving business practices isn’t optional; it’s critical to survival. Panellists emphasized that achieving resilience in the face of such competition requires financial flexibility and strategic foresight. As the panel’s experts pointed out, flexibility in financial planning is crucial to safeguarding family businesses however, unlike large corporations with more diversified resources, family-owned firms remain vulnerable to economic fluctuations and inflation. Adopting flexible financial models will allow family businesses to better withstand market shifts and invest in growth. An essential component of this growth involves training the younger generation, which many Maltese family businesses have started prioritizing. By equipping younger family members with skills in modern governance and technology, companies create a stronger succession pipeline, ensuring that new leaders can navigate future challenges and keep pace with the rapidly changing business environment. One major theme in the seminar was the potential for family businesses to grow by acquisition – a move that, while complex, can deliver significant benefits. However, the panellists stressed the importance of having a clear strategy and vision in place when pursuing this route. Growth through acquisition can be an effective way to shield profits from inflation, but only if it’s approached with a well-defined plan that targets gaps in existing operations. Speakers also noted that successful acquisitions require family businesses to identify and address operational shortcomings. By strategically selecting businesses that complement or fill these gaps, family firms can expand their market presence and bolster profitability. The experts cautioned attendees to be wary of acquisitions where “bad chemistry,” a lack of compromise, or an absence of growth potential could create difficulties in integration and limit long-term benefits. A session on business valuation revealed that one of the more delicate aspects of managing a family firm involves understanding its true market worth. Family members can sometimes assign an emotional value to the business that doesn’t align with its intrinsic value, making it challenging to determine an objective price. Valuations should be based on actual performance and potential for growth, not familial attachment. Key elements of a successful valuation include ensuring that governance structures are in place, operational issues are managed, and necessary documentation is complete. These measures not only enhance the business’s credibility but also make it more attractive to potential buyers or investors. Increased value due to rigorous operational practices often justifies a higher price, positioning the company favourably within the market. The seminar also explored the trends shaping family businesses in Malta and beyond, with a clear focus on the impact of technology and generational change. The younger generation of business leaders is entering these companies with a greater understanding of technology and corporate governance, and they are more willing to adopt practices that enhance agility and scalability. Matthew Bezzina, CEO of eCabs, was featured in a one-on-one interview where he shared insights on the importance of technology in family businesses. Bezzina explained that, for eCabs, building a scalable tech platform has been essential to adapting in a fast-paced industry. Despite challenges posed by Malta’s regulatory framework, which Bezzina described as “reactive,” eCabs has managed to innovate, recently positioning its tech platform for international expansion. His perspective resonated with many attendees, as he illustrated how technological agility can help family businesses stay competitive, particularly when expanding beyond Malta. His remarks underscored the seminar’s focus on adaptability and the importance of embracing innovation to meet global demands. Survey results presented by Ilaria Zammit of misco indicated that family businesses in Malta are increasingly looking beyond domestic borders. While 47% of survey respondents reported having already internationalized, a further 66% expressed intentions to expand abroad. Those who were less inclined to consider international growth cited reasons like impending retirement, a focus on local markets, and a lack of viable opportunities. The survey results also revealed a cautious optimism about international expansion, with many family business owners open to scaling operations when the circumstances align with their business strategy. Panellists noted that internationalization can not only increase revenue streams but also create a buffer against local market fluctuations, making it an attractive prospect for growth-minded family firms. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.

For the second consecutive week, the Las Vegas Raiders notched a meaningless win over their opponent — and for the second consecutive week, a win has cost them multiple spots in the 2025 NFL Draft order. Entering Week 16, the Raiders sat in the top spot in the 2025 NFL Draft order, but after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars , 19-14, Las Vegas fell from No. 1 to No. 6. Then, in Week 17, the Raiders defeated the New Orleans Saints , who were without former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr due to injury. That win has now pushed Las Vegas down to No. 8 in the draft order going into Week 18, per Tankathon . Of course, the further the Raiders fall, the worse their chances are of selecting one of the top quarterbacks in next year's draft, which figure to be Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. And, a lower position also hurts the Raiders' chances of being able to trade up for one of the two. And that was not lost on Raiders fans who wanted their team to get the highest draft pick possible rather than winning meaningless games at the end of a lost season. "Raiders are still gonna fire (Antonio Pierce) after these 2 pointless wins & not be in position to draft Shedeur then just repeat the same cycle in 2-3 years looking for Coach & or QB such a damn joke been this way since 03' I can't anymore," one Raiders fan wrote. "Classic Raiders, win meaningless games. Top two draft pick going to turn into a ten pick," another fan wrote . "Funny how every year that 'Pride' starts chippin away at you and you decide to win meaningless games and hurt your draft position," one fan tweeted at the Raiders. "AGAIN. Why don’t you try winning games from the jump? Stupidest franchise outside of the Chicago White Sox." The Raiders will close out their season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18. The Chargers have already clinched their playoff berth, so it's possible they sit their starters, which could increase Las Vegas' chances of winning and falling further in the draft order. Las Vegas can fall to No. 10 with a win and losses by the Chicago Bears and Saints, but they can also move up with a loss, depending on how things shake out with the teams in front of them. MORE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS NEWS Brock Bowers breaks more NFL records in Week 17 Shedeur Sanders reveals desired destination and it isn't Raiders NFL insider's report is bad news for Antonio Pierce

Reid’s game-winner lifts South Florida past Wright State, 73-72 at Myrtle Beach Invitational

Get a Babbel lifetime language subscription at a big discount right now. Learning a new language can be daunting. But right now, you can buy a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning from Stack Social that lets you choose from 14 languages and access more than 10,000 hours of online language education for $130 -- that's 78% off with this Black Friday deal. Also: The best Black Friday deals: Live updates Not everyone has the time or resources to study a brand-new language. Babbel keeps you organized with lesson plans that are digestible and short -- 10 to 15 minutes -- so that you can fit learning into your busy schedule. No matter where you are, you can work on previous material that you can continue to hone, and cover a wide range of real-life topics like business, eating, traveling, and more. The application is designed with travel in mind -- allowing you to plan that vacation abroad. As a conversation-focused platform, Babbel can help you speak and understand whatever language you choose, as opposed to a more comprehension-driven curriculum. Its speech-recognition technology can help you get a feel for proper pronunciation and accents. Get this Babbel language learning lifetime subscription on sale now. When will this deal expire? Deals are subject to sell-out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to score savings and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com . Best VPN services Best robot vacuums and mops The best phones you can buy (and how the iPhone 16 Pro Max compares) The best laptops you can buy: Expert tested

Rarely does a college basketball game provide such stark contrast between the sport's haves and have-nots as when Jackson State faces No. 9 Kentucky on Friday in Lexington, Ky. While Kentucky claims eight NCAA Tournament crowns and the most wins in college basketball history, Jackson State has never won an NCAA Tournament game and enters the matchup looking for its first win of the season. Impressive tradition and current record aside, Kentucky (4-0) returned no scholarship players from last season's team that was knocked off by Oakland in the NCAA Tournament. New coach Mark Pope and his essentially all-new Wildcats are off to a promising start. Through four games, Kentucky is averaging 94.3 points per game, and with 11.5 3-pointers made per game, the team is on pace to set a school record from long distance. The Wildcats boast six double-figure scorers with transfer guards Otega Oweh (from Oklahoma, 15.0 ppg) and Koby Brea (from Dayton, 14.5 ppg) leading the team. The Wildcats defeated Duke 77-72 on Nov. 12 but showed few signs of an emotional letdown in Tuesday's 97-68 win over a Lipscomb team picked to win the Atlantic Sun Conference in the preseason. Kentucky drained a dozen 3-pointers while outrebounding their visitors 43-28. Guard Jaxson Robinson, held to a single point by Duke, dropped 20 points to lead the Kentucky attack. Afterward, Pope praised his team's focus, saying, "The last game was over and it was kind of on to, ‘How do we get better?' That's the only thing we talk about." Lipscomb coach Lennie Acuff also delivered a ringing endorsement, calling Kentucky "the best offensive Power Four team we've played in my six years at Lipscomb." Jackson State (0-5) and third-year coach Mo Williams are looking for something positive to build upon. Not only are the Tigers winless, but they have lost each game by nine or more points. Sophomore guard Jayme Mitchell Jr. (13.8 ppg) is the leading scorer, but the team shoots just 35.8 percent while allowing opponents to shoot 52.3 percent. The Tigers played on Wednesday at Western Kentucky, where they lost 79-62. Reserve Tamarion Hoover had a breakout game with 18 points to lead Jackson State, but the host Hilltoppers canned 14 3-point shots and outrebounded the Tigers 42-35 to grab the win. Earlier, Williams, who played against Kentucky while a student at Alabama, admitted the difficulties of a challenging nonconference schedule for his team. "Our goal is not to win 13 nonconference games," Williams said. "We're already at a disadvantage in that regard. We use these games to get us ready for conference play and for March Madness." Jackson State has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2007. The Tigers had a perfect regular-season record (11-0) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2020-21 but lost in the league tournament. Kentucky has never played Jackson State before, but the game is being billed as part of a Unity Series of matchups in which Kentucky hosts members of the SWAC to raise awareness of Historical Black Colleges and Universities and provide funds for those schools. Past Unity Series opponents have been Southern in December 2021 and Florida A&M in December 2022. --Field Level MediaBOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Nyla Harris had 14 points and Jayda Curry scored 10 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter to help No. 24 Louisville get past Colorado 79-71 on Saturday. The Cardinals led 56-55 after three quarters before pulling away in the fourth by scoring 16 unanswered points, capped by a fast-break layup by Curry, before Colorado made its first field goal of the frame with 2:48 left. Colorado scored the next six points to get within single digits at 72-63, but freshman Tajianna Roberts banked in a jumper in the lane at the other end. Izela Arenas sealed it on two free throws with 24.9 seconds left for a nine-point lead. Roberts finished with 13 and Arenas had 11 for Louisville (5-2). Frida Formann scored 25 points for Colorado (6-2). Jade Masogayo added 12 points, Nyamer Diew scored 10 and Kindyll Wetta matched her career-high with 10 assists. Formann went on a personal 8-0 run to give Colorado a 43-37 lead with 7:38 left in the third. She reached 20 points during the run, while no other player had scored in double figures. Louisville plays No. 8 Oklahoma on Wednesday in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Colorado continues a five-game homestand against Tennesse Tech on Tuesday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballReport: UCF HC Gus Malzahn to become Florida State OC

Warning: This Skyrocketing Stock Has a Hidden RiskRussia on December 29 claimed to have seized another town in Ukraine's Donetsk region as it continues its long, bloody drive against the strategic -- but nearly destroyed -- southern logistics hub of Pokrovsk . Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces have captured Novotroitske, a settlement with a prewar population 6,300 about 16 kilometers south of Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian military did not comment specifically about Novotroitske, but it said Russian troops had carried out 133 attacks on its positions as of 4 p.m. on December 29 -- the largest number in the Pokrovsk area. "In the Pokrovsk direction, since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have already made 26 attempts to push our defenders out of their positions" in several settlements, it said. On December 15, British intelligence said Russian forces had made gains south of Pokrovsk, but it is not clear what the Kremlin forces' next steps will be. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said geolocation data suggested the Russian military was about 10 kilometers from the border of the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin may be putting pressure on the Russian military command to advance to the border, and not to cover Pokrovsk at this time," it wrote. Heavy fighting was also reported in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces battle to hold territory taken earlier this year. "In the Kursk region, Ukrainian defenders repelled 16 attacks by Russian invaders today, 19 clashes continue. In addition, the enemy launched 152 artillery attacks," the military said. Meanwhile, Russia's assault on Ukraine's Mykolayiv region in the south also intensified. Regional Governor Vitaliy Kim on December 29 said defense forces had shot down at least nine Iranian-made Shahed drones, although falling debris hit one of the targets -- an energy infrastructure facility -- causing a fire and injuring one person. On December 28, the military said Ukrainian defenders had neutralized all 16 drones launched by Russia in Mykolayiv city, the capital of the region adjacent to Kherson. Russia and Ukraine have used drones regularly since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, with the Kremlin increasingly targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure as the winter cold sets in. Russia has denied it targets civilian infrastructure sites, despite widespread evidence of such attacks, as the Kremlin seeks to solidify positions in the territories it has occupied, not only since the February 2022 full-scale invasion but since its invasion of 2014. In an interview with RFE/RL, Viktor Muzhenko, the former Ukrainian military commander, said any truce between Kyiv and Moscow that leaves swaths of Ukrainian territory under Russian control would represent a victory for the Kremlin and "fully compensate [it] for its costs of the war." Muzhenko, who led the military from 2014-19, said the situation with the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions is "critical" -- "not only for the loss of territories, but also [the loss of] half of the resource base of Ukraine." On the foreign-aid front, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on December 29 said Kyiv had received an additional 150 million euros ($156 million) in aid from Denmark, France, and Lithuania to help finance the country's defense industry. "These funds, in particular, will be used for the production of missiles, deep-strike drones and artillery installations.," he said in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, outgoing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she does not expect the next government in Berlin to "abandon" Ukraine in its fight against Russia. "No German government devoted to the security of Germany and Europe will abandon the people of Ukraine," she said in an interview published by Bild newspaper on December 29. Germany will vote on February 23, a day after the anniversary of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed last month. Berlin trails only Washington in the amount of support provided to Ukraine, although Scholz has been reluctant to send heavy weaponry to Kyiv, often angering the Ukrainian leadership. Addressing worries that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may push a peace deal detrimental to Kyiv following his January 20 inauguration, Baerbock underlined the importance of providing for Ukraine's security needs in any such agreements. "Only reliable, long-term and, above all, truly sustainable security guarantees will prevent [Russian President Vladimir] Putin from resorting to further campaigns of conquest. Only then will there be lasting peace and stability in Ukraine," she told Bild, without being specific. A Russian man arrested in October for operating a travel agency for gay customers was found dead in his Moscow cell while in pretrial detention, the OVD-Info rights group said on December 29. The group quoted the lawyer of Andrei Kotov, 48, as saying the man had died by suicide in his cell, although the report cannot independently be confirmed. Kotov was director of the Men Travel agency, and was facing charges of "organizing extremist activity and participating in it." Russia in recent years has intensified its relentless crackdown on LGBT rights, often accusing suspects of extremist activities. To read the original story by Current Time, click here . Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of trying to hide the cause of a deadly plane crash this week, calling on Moscow to admit responsibility. The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane was flying from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya region on December 25 when it was diverted and crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. There has been growing evidence that the jet was hit by a Russian air-defense missile in Chechnya before it went down near the city of Aqtau in western Kazakhstan. Aliyev said the plane was mistakenly shot down while approaching Grozny, adding that the jet's GPS systems were affected by electronic jamming. "Our plane was hit by accident," Aliyev told state television on December 29. "Therefore, admitting the guilt, apologizing in a timely manner to Azerbaijan, which is considered a friendly country, and informing the public about this -- all these were measures and steps that should have been taken." "Unfortunately, for the first three days, we heard nothing from Russia except for some absurd theories," added Aliyev, citing statements in Russia that attributed the crash to birds or the explosion of some sort of gas cylinder on the plane. Those theories, Aliyev said, showed "that the Russian side wanted to cover up the issue." Aliyev's comments came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev but did not accept blame for the plane crash. In a phone call with Aliyev, Putin said Russian air defenses were repelling an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Grozny when the plane was trying to land at the airport there, a Kremlin statement said. Putin "conveyed his apologies in connection with the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace," the statement said, indicating that Putin acknowledged the plane was damaged over Chechnya but stopped short of stating a Russian missile strike was the cause. Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the possible violation of flight safety rules, the statement said. It said two Azerbaijani prosecutors were working with Russian law enforcement in Grozny and that Russian, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh authorities were working together at the crash site in Kazakhstan. The Kremlin statement is likely to further increase suspicions that a Russian missile damaged the Embraer-190 jet before it was diverted to Aktau, across the Caspian Sea from Chechnya, where it crashed near the shore after a steep descent and burst into flames. Evidence of a missile strike includes footage of damage inside the plane before the crash and images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, as well as comments from survivors who said they heard at least one explosion outside the plane over Chechnya. Azerbaijani lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL on December 27 that there is a "very strong" possibility that the plane was damaged by a Russian air-defense missile. He said that the "observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth." TBILISI -- Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player and right-wing populist, has been sworn in as Georgia's new president amid a monthslong political crisis , likely further complicating the country's prospects for European Union membership. Outgoing President Salome Zurabishvili left her residence in the presidential palace in the capital, Tbilisi, on the same day but said she remained the legitimate head of state. The pro-Western Zurabishvili, whose term ended on December 29, had said she would not step down. She claimed her successor -- chosen by an electoral college dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party -- is "illegitimate." Georgia has been the scene of anti-government protests since Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that were marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation. The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on the South Caucasus country joining the European Union. In a defiant speech to thousands of supporters outside the presidential palace on December 29, Zurabishvili said she remained the "only legitimate president" and vowed to continue to fight on. "This building was a symbol only as long as a legitimate president was sitting here," she said. "I take the legitimacy with me." Zurabishvili, who called for new parliamentary elections, called Kavelashvili's inauguration a "parody." Her remarks came moments after the 53-year-old Kavelashvili, a hard-line critic of the West, was formally sworn in during a ceremony in parliament. In his speech, Kavelashvili called for the country to unite behind him around "shared values, the principles of mutual respect, and the future we should build together." Kavelashvili has been known to make fiery anti-Western remarks in the past, although during his speech he stated that Georgians should "strengthen our country and move toward the European family." In 2016, he helped found the People's Power party, a more-radical offshoot of Georgian Dream. But he has remained close to the ruling party and has been criticized for his ties to Moscow-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and founder of the Georgian Dream party, The presidency is a largely ceremonial post, but in the current tense political environment holds deeper symbolic meaning, and the departure of Zurabishvili could deepen Georgia's split with the West -- once the nation's closest backers. Several hundred protesters rallied outside the parliament building, with some holding up red cards in a gesture to Kavelashvili's soccer career. The demonstrators dispersed shortly afterward but vowed to rally again in the evening. The Interior Ministry said six protesters were detained outside the parliament building. Local media reported that several demonstrators were injured by police. A day earlier, Zurabishvili joined protesters in Tbilisi as rally participants waved Georgian and EU flags, played music, and marched along the Saarbruecken Bridge in the capital to form a "chain of unity." The rally marked one month since the start of the recent wave of protests, which have been met with violent police action, injuries, and mass arrests by Georgian authorities. Protesters accuse the Georgian Dream-led government of moving the country away from the EU and tilting closer to Russia. A U.S. State Department spokesperson on December 29 told RFE/RL in e-mailed comments that the United States is closely monitoring the situation in Georgia. The spokeperson added that respect for the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly are critical to a functioning society. On December 27, the United States said it had slapped fresh sanctions on Ivanishvili for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation." "Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The action prompted anger from the Georgian Dream party, while the Georgian opposition hailed the action and called on the EU to also move against Ivanishvili and other Georgian leaders. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in an X post on December 29 that he commends Zurabishvili "for her vital leadership and unwavering commitment to Georgia's European course." "For a month now, Georgian people are peacefully defending their democratic and European future in the streets despite violence and intimidation," he said, adding that the Georgian government should "restore public trust" and "consider possible new elections." Zurabishvili -- who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters early in the wave of rallies -- had called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29. In another show of Western support, U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson on December 27 wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. Russia's state energy giant Gazprom on December 28 said it would cease gas deliveries to Moldova at the end of this year because of a dispute over debt with the small Balkan nation that is aligned with the West. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean condemned Gazprom's decision, describing it as "an oppressive tactic" through which Russia "uses energy as a political weapon" and said he would pursue international legal means to fight it. The head of Moldovagaz said that, as early as December 2022, the entire volume of gas supplied by Gazprom was intended for the Moscow-backed separatist region, Transdniester , located on the left bank of the Dniester River. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, click here . Drone attacks and fighting intensified in Ukraine and Russia on December 28, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Slovakia's prime minister of taking "orders" from the Kremlin to harm Kyiv and his own people as an energy feud heightened as well. "It appears that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin gave [Robert] Fico the orders to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people's interests," Zelenskiy wrote on social media. "Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be explained by this." The comments came after Fico on December 27 threatened to halt supplies of electricity to Ukraine if Kyiv blocks transit of Russian gas to Slovakia. Ukraine has announced it will not extend the transit contract of Russian state-owned company Gazprom after January 1 -- ceasing deliveries of gas to several European nations -- as the West looks to cut off the Kremlin's source of funding for the war. The transport deal was signed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and most European nations have since begun developing alternative sources of gas, although Fico says finding alternatives would be too costly for Slovakia. Fico, along with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, has angered the West by continuing to have close ties to Putin despite U.S. and EU sanctions. Fico visited Putin in Moscow earlier this week and has offered to host potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Zelenskiy said Slovakia accounts for nearly 20 percent of Ukraine's power imports. "Slovakia is part of the single European energy market and Fico must respect common European rules," Zelenskiy wrote. "Any arbitrary decisions in Bratislava or Moscow's orders to Fico regarding electricity cannot cut Ukraine's power supply, but they can certainly cut current Slovak authorities' ties to the European community," he added, suggesting the move would deprive Slovakia itself of some $200 million a year. Meanwhile, as Russia's full-scale invasion grinds on toward its fourth year, Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations of drone attacks in several regions as battlefield clashes intensified along the front lines, with the "hottest" fighting reported around the embattled Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. Russian air defenses destroyed 56 drones overnight, the Defense Ministry said on December 28. It said 28 drones were shot down in the Rostov region, 17 in the Voronezh region, and 11 in the Belgorod region, where local officials reportedly said two residents of a village were injured by shrapnel from a blast. The Russian claims could not be independently verified. A Russian occupation official said on Telegram that four people were wounded in what he said was a Ukrainian drone attack that hit a car in the Russian-held city of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s Kherson region early in the morning. In Mykolayiv, the Ukrainian-held capital of a region adjacent to Kherson, the military said Ukrainian defenders had neutralized all 16 drones launched by Russia on December 28. "Of the 16 UAVs launched, 15 were shot down, another one was a simulator. All 15 were shot down in the Mykolaiv region," the Ukrainian Air Force said Earlier, a Russian drone attack in the city caused fires on the roof of a five-story residential building and on the grounds of a commercial enterprise, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegra. He said that nobody was hurt, and that the military had destroyed 12 drones over the region overnight . Russia and Ukraine have used drones regularly since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. There are mounting suspicions that the crash of a Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet earlier this week near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, that killed 38 of the 67 people aboard was caused by Russian air-defense systems on alert for Ukrainian drone attacks on the Chechnya region, where the jet was due to land in Grozny before it was diverted across the Caspian Sea. Ukraine said its forces struck a "protected facility" of the Russian military in the Oryol region near the border with Ukraine. It said the target was a warehouse holding Iranian-made Shahed drones. Also on December 28, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed it had thwarted a plot to kill a high-level Russian military officer and an unnamed Russian “war blogger” who writes about the invasion. The FSB, whose claim could not be independently verified, said it had arrested a Russian man it said was acting under instructions from Ukrainian military intelligence. It said it had found a cache outside Moscow with an improvised explosive device camouflaged as a stereo speaker. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the FSB claim, which came 11 days after the general who headed Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces (RKhBZ) was killed, along with an assistant, by a bomb concealed in a scooter. A source at Ukraine's SBU security service told RFE/RL that the blast that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant was the result of a special operation by the Ukrainian agency. In the United States, White House spokesman John Kirby on December 27 said Washington has reports of North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops "taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces." He said the action was "likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they’re captured. " In a video address, Zelenskiy had said "several" North Korean soldiers -- badly wounded in fighting alongside Russian forces -- have died after being captured by Ukrainian troops on the battlefield. Zelenskiy said, without providing details, that Kyiv had reports of North Korean "enforcers" executing wounded soldiers to prevent them being captured alive by Ukrainian forces. Western sources estimate that 12,000 North Korean troops are in Russia's Kursk region, parts of which are occupied by Ukrainian forces amid ongoing pitched battles and reports of heavy losses. Germany's foreign minister described the suspected sabotage of a Baltic Sea power cable as a "wake-up call" for the West and urged the European Union to impose new sanctions targeting what is known as Russia's " shadow fleet ." Meanwhile, a media outlet focusing on shipping news and intelligence reported that the ship suspected of damaging the cable linking Finland and Estonia on December 25 was equipped with "special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity." The Eagle S "had transmitting and receiving devices installed that effectively allowed it to become a 'spy ship' for Russia," Lloyd's List reported on December 27, citing "a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago." Finland seized the Eagle S on December 26, citing suspicions that it caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and damaged four Internet lines. Finnish investigators said the ship may have caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the sea floor. Finnish and EU officials say the Eagle S is believed to belong to a "shadow fleet" of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue for Russia's economy and its war against Ukraine. The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters. "The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment , while funding Russia's war budget," the European Commission said on December 26, suggesting the incident was part of a deliberate effort to damage "critical infrastructure" in Europe. "We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet." In comments on December 28, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged "new European sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet," which she said is "a major threat to our environment and security" that is used by Russia "to finance its war of aggression in Ukraine." "Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," Baerbock said in a statement to the Funke media group. "Crews are leaving anchors in the water, dragging them for kilometers along the seafloor for no apparent reason, and then losing them when pulling them up.” "It's more than difficult to still believe in coincidences," she said. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us." TBILISI -- On the eve of a potentially explosion day, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called for supporters to gather at the presidential palace on December 29 as she joined a mass rally against the Georgian Dream-led government’s moves to delay closer European Union integration. "Greetings from the Orbeliani Palace,” she said in a video released to social media. "I am here, I will be here, I will spend the night here as well." "Tomorrow, I will be waiting for you...at 10 a.m. -- and from here, I will tell you what tomorrow will be like. I will tell you what the following days will be like, and what the days of victory will be like." A potential showdown looms on the streets of Tbilisi on December 29 as Zurabishvili has vowed not to step down at the end of her term on that day, claiming her successor -- chosen by an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream -- was "illegitimate." She joined protesters in the capital on December 28 as rally participants waved Georgian and EU flags, played music, and marched along the Saarbruecken Bridge in the capital to form a " chain of unity ." The rally marked one month since the start of the recent wave of anti-government protests, which have been met with violent police action, injuries, and mass arrests by Georgian authorities. Protesters accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the EU and tilting closer to Moscow. The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation. The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU. On December 24, Human Rights Watch called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the "brutal police violence" against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for the demonstrations. On December 27, the United States said it had slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation." "Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The action prompted anger from the Georgian Dream party, while the Georgian opposition hailed the action and called on the EU to also move against Ivanishvili and other Georgian leaders. Zurabishvili -- who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters early in the wave of rallies -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29. In a show of Western support, U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson on December 27 wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20. "I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia. Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president. His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up the potentially tense showdown. "Next week at this time, I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. Afghanistan's Taliban-led government said Taliban forces targeted what it claimed were "centers and hideouts for malicious elements" it said were involved in a recent attack in Afghanistan, as an upsurge of cross-border fighting continues. The statement from the Taliban's Defense Ministry followed reports of deadly early morning clashes on December 28 between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards. It came days after the government said Pakistani aircraft bombed targets in Afghanistan in an attack it said killed dozens of civilians. The ministry gave few details about the strikes, which it said were launched against targets in several districts behind the "hypothetical line" -- a reference to a portion of the border with Pakistan that Afghan authorities have long disputed. Local sources told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that three people in Paktia Province were killed and two wounded by gunfire from Pakistani border guards, and that clashes also took place in the Khost province. The reports could not be independently verified. There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani government. But the head of a community in the Kurram district told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that Taliban forces fired rockets at two security posts near the border at about 6 a.m., setting off fighting that continued for several hours. The Taliban's Defense Ministry suggested the strikes on Pakistan were retaliation for what the Taliban-led government said were Pakistani air strikes that killed 46 civilians in Paktika Province, which also borders Pakistan, on December 24. Pakistan says that militants from the Islamist group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are hiding across the border in Afghanistan, and Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Afghan Taliban to take action against them. The Afghan Taliban say the TTP is in Pakistan. There has been a steady increase in TTP attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan. Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka extended a wave of pardons ahead of a January presidential election in Belarus, ordering the release of 20 prisoners jailed on extremism charges his opponents and rights groups say were politically motivated. Lukashenka's press service suggested the pardons were issued on humanitarian grounds, saying 14 of those ordered released have chronic illnesses and 10 of them have children. It said 11 of the 20 are women. The press service claimed the prisoners had all sought pardons and expressed remorse, an assertion that could not be independently verified. It said that authorities would "monitor their behavior following their release." Since July, Lukashenka has pardoned more than 225 people whom activists consider political prisoners. Rights groups have recognized nearly 3,600 people as political prisoners since the state launched a massive crackdown when pro-democracy protests erupted after Lukashenka, in power since 1994, claimed a landslide victory in an August 2020 election that millions believe was stolen though fraud . Many of those have served out their sentences. Ahead of a January 26 election in which he is certain to be awarded a new term, Lukashenka may be seeking to signal to the West that he is easing off on the persistent clampdown that the state has imposed since the 2020 election. But the crackdown continues, with frequent arrests and trials on what activists say are politically motivated charges. At least 1,253 people whom rights groups consider political prisoners remain behind bars, and the real number is believed to be higher. Lukashenka has roped Belarus closely to Russia and has provided support for Russia's war on neighboring Ukraine, including by allowing Russian forces to invade from Belarusian territory, and he says Russian nuclear weapons have been deployed in Belarus. But over 30 years in power, he has often tried to capitalize on Belarus’ position between Russia in the east and NATO and the European Union to the west and north. Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized over the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane this week, the Kremlin said, amid growing evidence that the jet was hit by a Russian air-defense missile in the Chechnya region before it went down in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. In a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Putin said Russian air defenses were repelling an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Chechnya’s capital, Grozny, when the plane was trying to land at the airport there, a Kremlin statement said. Putin "conveyed his apologies in connection with the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace," the statement said, indicating that Putin acknowledged the plane was damaged over Chechnya but stopped short of stating a Russian missile strike was the cause. "In the conversation, it was noted that...the aircraft tried more than once to approach the Grozny airport for landing," it said, adding that “at this time, Ukrainian combat drones were attacking Grozny [and the nearby cities of] Mozdok and Vladikavkaz, and Russian air-defense systems were repelling these attacks." Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the possible violation of flight safety rules, the statement said. It said two Azerbaijani prosecutors were working with Russian law enforcement in Grozny and that Russian, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh authorities were working together at the crash site near Aqtau, Kazakhstan. The Kremlin statement is likely to further increase suspicions that a Russian missile damaged the Embraer-190 jet before it was diverted to Aktau, across the Caspian Sea from Chechnya, where it crashed near the shore after a steep descent and burst into flames. Evidence of a missile strike includes footage of damage inside the plane before the crash and images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, as well as comments from survivors who said they heard at least one explosion outside the plane over Chechnya. Azerbaijani lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL on December 27 that there is a "very strong" possibility that the plane was damaged by a Russian air-defense missile. He said that the "observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth." On the same day, White House spokesman John Kirby said U.S. experts "have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air-defense systems." Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air-defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia. The crash has disrupted air traffic in the Caucasus and beyond. An Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for the Russian spa town of Mineranlye Vody, not far from Grozny, took off from Baku on December 27 but then abruptly headed back after receiving a flight information notice that Russian airspace it was due to fly through was closed. Azerbaijan Airlines later said it is suspending flights to several Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala. Turkmenistan Airlines announced on December 28 that it was canceling all its flights between the capital, Ashgabat, and Moscow from December 30 to January 31, giving no reason for the decision. Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan on the eastern shore of the Caspian. Also on December 28, Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said that restrictions were briefly placed on the operation of the airport in the Tatarstan regional capital, Kazan, to ensure flight safety, and media reports said that all departures and arrivals had been suspended. Flights heading to Kazan from the Siberian cities of Tomsk, Surgut, and Kemerovo were redirected to an airfield in Nizhnekamsk, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the airport's press service. No specific reason was given for the measures, which Rosaviatsia said had been lifted a few hours later. Russia has closed airports at times due to alleged drone attacks, and a drone attack hit high-rise buildings in Kazan on December 21. NATO has said it would bolster its presence in the Baltic Sea after undersea power lines and Internet cables were damaged by suspected sabotage believed to be carried out by vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “ shadow fleet .” Estonia also announced on December 27 that it had begun a naval operation to guard a crucial electricity line in the Baltic Sea in coordination with allies as tensions mounted in the region. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a social media post following discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb that "NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea." Both Finland and Estonia have coastlines on the Baltic Sea. When asked for details about planned actions, NATO officials told AP that the alliance “remains vigilant and is working to provide further support, including by enhancing our military presence” in the region. "We have agreed with Estonia, and we have also communicated to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, that our wish is to have a stronger NATO presence," Stubb told a news conference. Stubb added that investigators did not want to jump to conclusions, but a day earlier he had said that "it is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian 'shadow fleet.'" The "shadow fleet" is a reference to old, uninsured oil vessels typically used to bypass Western sanctions on Russia and maintain a source of revenue. European government and the United States have accused Russia of intensifying "hybrid attacks" following reports of damage to Baltic Sea communications cables, although they have not yet directly tied Moscow to the damage. NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later. Chinese-linked ships have also been suspected of sabotaging undersea infrastructure over recent years. Sweden -- NATO's newest member, which also has a coastline on the Baltic Sea -- said its coast guard had stepped up surveillance of sea traffic and had deployed aircraft and vessels in concert with regional allies. The European Commission on December 26 said a cargo ship suspected of having deliberately damaged power and Internet cables in the Baltic Sea was part of Russia's "shadow fleet." The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters. Finnish authorities on December 26 boarded and took command of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker in the Baltic Sea as part of its investigation into the damages, saying it likely belong to the "shadow fleet." Investigators have said the damage could have been caused by the ship intentionally dragging its anchor. The Kremlin said it had no connection to the ship seized by Finland. It has regularly denied that it is involved in any of the many incidents involving Baltic Sea region infrastructure assets. The United States said it has slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation." "Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on December 27. Blinken added that "Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream's actions have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights abuses, and curbed the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia." "We strongly condemn Georgian Dream's actions under Ivanishvili's leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures." The new measures will block transactions involving entities owned by Ivanishvili, the statement said. According to Bloomberg News, Ivanishvili's fortune is estimated at $7.5 billion, much of it coming through metals, banking, and telecom assets in Russia during the 1990s. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the U.S. action "blackmail" and said it was Ivanishvili's "reward" for protecting Georgia's national interest. However, opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity National Movement hailed the U.S. decision, according to Georgia's Interpress news agency. "I welcome this step from the United States and believe that we are quickly moving toward victory and will celebrate Georgia without Ivanishvili, who is the bringer of chaos and misery to this country," he was quoted as saying. In a previous action, the United States on December 12 said it would "prohibit visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia." That move affected some 20 people, "including individuals serving as government ministers and in parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens," it said in a statement , without naming the individuals. Georgia, once a closer U.S. ally, has angered Washington and the European Union with its perceived tilt toward Russia and its violent crackdown on dissent in the Caucasus nation. The sanctions come at a crucial time, as Georgia's fate hangs in the balance -- whether it will intensify its tilt toward Moscow, return to the pro-Europe path, or remain in an environment of unrest and uncertainty. Police in Tbilisi have clashed with pro-West protesters over the past several weeks, detaining dozens and injuring scores of people who accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the European Union and closer to Moscow. The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation. The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on December 24 called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the “brutal police violence” against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for huge anti-government demonstrations. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili – who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29. "Next week at this time I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27. U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20 "I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia. Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president. His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up a potentially explosive showdown. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. PODGORICA -- After a multinational back-and-forth legal battle, Montenegro on December 27 said it would extradite South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Hyeong Do Kwon -- the so-called Crypto King -- to the United States. Do Kwon is sought by both the United States and South Korea and also faces possible legal action in Singapore. Montenegrin courts have previously issued at least eight often-contradictory decisions regarding Do Kwon's fate. In September, the Montenegrin Supreme Court ruled that Do Kwon could be sent to either the United States or South Korea and that the final decision on which country would be up to Justice Minister Bojan Bozovic. On December 24, Do Kwon lost his final appeal against extradition with Montenegro's Constitutional Court. In the latest ruling, the Justice Ministry said the U.S. request had met the threshold for removal and, as a result Bozovic "issued a decision approving the extradition." The ministry said the criteria included the gravity of the criminal acts, the order of submission of the extradition requests, and the citizenship of the person in question. The former CEO and co-founder of the cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs is wanted by U.S. and South Korean authorities for his alleged role in capital market and securities fraud involving assets worth some $40 billion. Do Kwon was arrested with business partner Chang Joon in March 2023 at Podgorica airport while attempting to fly to Dubai using on allegedly forged passports. They each received a four-month prison sentence on the forged-passport charge. Chang, who was wanted only by South Korea, was extradited to that country on February 5. After serving his sentence, Do Kwon was sent to a shelter for foreigners near Podgorica, where he awaited extradition. Do Kwon in October claimed that the South Korean charges were illegitimate and "politically motivated." Despite the legal struggle, Do Kwon's trial in absentia took place in the United States, where a New York jury on April 5 found him and Terraform labs liable on civil fraud charges, agreeing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they had misled investors. Terraform Labs agreed to pay about $4.5 billion in a civil settlement with the SEC following the court's ruling. Do Kwon was ordered to pay $204 million. Following the verdict, a Terraform spokesperson said, "We continue to maintain that the SEC does not have the legal authority to bring this case at all" and that the company was weighing its options. Italy’s Foreign Ministry said journalist Cecilia Sala, who was in Iran to carry out "journalistic activities," has been detained by Tehran police authorities. The ministry said in a statement on December 27 that Sala, who has a podcast called Stories that covers life in places around the world, was detained on December 19. It gave no reason for the detention, but said in a statement that the ambassador from Italy's embassy in Tehran had paid a consular visit "to verify the conditions and state of detention of Sala." "The family was informed of the results of the consular visit. Previously, Sala had the opportunity to make two phone calls with her relatives," it said. Sala posted a podcast from Tehran on December 17 about patriarchy in the Iranian capital. Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries. Earlier this month, Reza Valizadeh , a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda, was handed a 10-year sentence by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government." Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of work. He returned to Iran in early 2024 to visit his family but was arrested on September 22. His two court sessions, held on November 20 and December 7, reportedly lacked a prosecution representative, with the judge assuming that role. Sources close to the journalist claim he fell into a "security trap" despite receiving unofficial assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal troubles upon returning to Iran. Iran is among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index. The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists. An Azerbaijani lawmaker said there is a "very strong" possibility that the crash of a passenger jet earlier this week was caused by Russian air-defense systems on alert for Ukrainian drone attacks. Speculation has mounted that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was headed from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya region, may have been hit by an air-defense missile before crossing the Caspian Sea and crashing near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 passengers and crew. Lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service in an interview on December 27 that such an explanation is most likely "closest to the truth." "This is only a possibility, but a very strong one, and the observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth," he said. "In this specific case, the incident involves Azerbaijan's airliner being damaged within the territory of the Russian Federation, with the event causing the crash occurring there. Therefore, there is no doubt that responsibility falls on the Russian Federation. If these assumptions are correct, accountability also undoubtedly rests with Russia," he added. Kazakh experts arrived on December 27 to examine the crash site and black box of the ill-fated passenger jet, as speculation -- and evidence -- mounted suggesting that a Russian air-defense missile may have inadvertently struck the craft. Even as the probe intensifies, countries with victims aboard the plane -- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan -- continue to mourn their dead and treat the injured from the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft. Since the crash, uncertainty has rocked the aviation industry throughout the Caucasus. An Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for the Russian spa town of Mineranlye Vody took off from Baku on December 27 but then abruptly headed back after receiving a flight information notice that Russian airspace it was due to fly through was closed . Azerbaijan Airlines later said it is suspending flights to several Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala. Speculation has swirled around the tragedy, with some experts pointing to holes seen in the plane's tail section as a possible sign that it could have come under fire from Russian air-defense systems engaged in thwarting Ukrainian drone attacks. White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that the United States has seen signs suggesting that the jet could have been hit by Russian air defense systems. U.S. experts "have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems," he said. Kirby added that Washington has “offered our assistance...should they need it" to the ongoing investigation being conducted by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Evidence, yet to be corroborated by authorities, includes footage from inside the plane before the crash, images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, a survivor's comments, and accounts indicating there was a suspected drone attack around the time the plane apparently tried to land in Grozny. Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air-defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia. It was not immediately clear where the black box would be examined. The process can be highly technical, and not all countries have the resources to undertake such work. Gulag Aslanli, a leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Musavat party, told RFE/RL that an international commission was needed to investigate the incident. "Russia cannot be allowed there," he said. "If the black box is going to be taken to Russia and examined there, I will look at its outcome with suspicion." Officials said it typically takes about two weeks to fully assess a black box, although various conditions can alter that time frame. Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the plane may have been shot down by a missile, Kazakh Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbaev said it was "not possible" to say what may have damaged the aircraft until the investigation is finished. "Real experts are looking at all this, and they will make their conclusions. Neither Kazakhstan, Russia, nor Azerbaijan, of course, is interested in hiding information, so it will be brought to the public," Ashimbaev said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made a similar comment, reiterating Moscow's previous stance on the deadly incident. "An investigation is under way, and until the conclusions of the investigation, we do not consider we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so," Peskov told reporters on December 27. Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Russian officials as saying the plane, commissioned in 2013, had passed a maintenance check in October and that the pilot had "vast experience" with more than 15,000 flying hours. Azerbaijan Airlines President Samir Rzayev also told reporters the plane had been fully serviced in October and that there was no sign of technical malfunction. But he said it was too early to determine a cause: "The plane has been found with a black box. After detailed research, all aspects will be clear." The airline suspended flights along the route of the crash pending completion of the investigation. Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office said that "all possible scenarios are being examined." As the first seven survivors arrived back in the country on December 26, Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning. Burials of four of those who lost their lives were conducted during the day, with additional funerals expected in the coming hours and days. Officials in Baku said the wounded arrived on a special flight arranged by Azerbaijan's Emergency Affairs Ministry and that the injured, many with severe burn wounds, were accompanied by medical professionals. Ayhan Solomon, Azerbaijan’s chief consul in Aqtau, told reporters that 26 of those killed were Azerbaijani citizens. He said 16 Azerbaijani citizens survived. “Of those, 10 to 12 are in good condition and others remain critically stable,” he added. Azerbaijan Airlines' supervisory board said on December 26 that the families of those killed will be compensated with 40,000 manats ($23,460), while those injured would receive 20,000 manats ($11,730). Along with the 42 Azerbaijani citizens, those aboard Flight J2-8243 were listed as 16 Russian nationals, six from Kazakhstan, and three Kyrgyz citizens, officials said. The survivors include nine Russian citizens, who were flown to Moscow on December 26 by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. Three of the Russian survivors were in critical condition, according to Russian health authorities. KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said “several” North Korean soldiers – badly wounded in fighting alongside Russian forces – have died after being captured by Ukrainian troops on the battlefield and he accused Moscow of having little regard for their survival. Zelenskiy, echoing earlier remarks by U.S. officials, said soldiers sent to Russia by Pyongyang are suffering major losses in fighting in Russia's Kursk region. The Ukrainian leader accused Moscow and North Korean “enforcers” of leaving the soldiers unprotected in battle and even executing fighters to prevent them from being captured alive. He did not provide evidence to back up the claims and they could not independently be verified. The North Korean military has suffered “many losses. A great deal. And we can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all,” he said in a video address on December 27. “Everything is arranged in a way that makes it impossible for us to capture the Koreans as prisoners – their own people are executing them. There are such cases. And the Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection.” He said Ukrainian soldiers had managed to take some prisoners. "But they were very seriously wounded and could not be saved.” The remarks came after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said that a North Korean fighter had died of wounds suffered before his capture by Ukrainian special operations troops in the Kursk region. "We have confirmed through an allied intelligence agency that a North Korean soldier who was captured on the 26th died a little while ago due to serious injuries," the news release said. On December 26, the Ukrainian news outlet Militarnyi said a soldier believed to be North Korean had been captured by Ukrainian Special Operations Forces in the Kursk region. A photo of a captured soldier, who is believed to have been injured, also was previously shared on Telegram. The photo has not been independently verified. Details about the soldier's condition and status are not known. Last month Pyongyang ratified a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement with Russia, cementing a deal that paved the way for its soldiers to fight on Russian soil against Ukraine. Western sources estimate that 12,000 North Korean troops are in the Kursk region, parts of which are occupied by Ukrainian forces amid ongoing pitched battles. U.S. Response White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that North Korean forces are suffering heavy casualties on the front lines, adding that some 1,000 of their troops have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region over the past week. "It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," Kirby said. Kirby said also U.S. President Joe Biden would likely approve another package of military aid for Kyiv in the coming days as he bids to bolster Ukraine’s forces before leaving office on January 20. U.S. officials later told reporters that a new package of military assistance worth $1.25 billion is scheduled to be announced on December 30. North Korean Losses Zelenskiy on December 23 said more than 3,000 troops, or about a quarter of the North Korean special forces sent to Russia, had been killed or injured, though he couched his statement by saying the data was preliminary. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported on a lower figure, saying on December 19 that about 1,100 North Korean special forces have been killed or injured in Russia since entering the fray against Ukraine. On December 15, Skhemy (Schemes), an investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, received photos from Ukrainian military sources purportedly showing the bodies of dead soldiers in Kursk, including what was said to be North Korean fighters. RFE/RL has not been able to independently verify the claims. Russia has not commented on the report. North Korean military support is coming at a critical time in the war. Russia is seeking to overpower an undermanned and under-resourced Ukrainian infantry and gain territory before its own manpower and resources become constrained. Russia has lost more than 600,000 soldiers in the nearly three-year war, the Pentagon said in early October. It has burned through so much war material that it is struggling to replace its artillery and missile needs amid sweeping Western sanctions. Now nearly two-thirds of the mortars and shells Russia launches at Ukraine come from North Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported , citing Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian Army officer. And every third ballistic missile was made in North Korea, Ukrainian officials said. The European Commission said a cargo ship suspected of having deliberately damaged power and Internet cables in the Baltic Sea is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," prompting the EU to threaten new sanctions against Moscow. "We strongly condemn any deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure," the commission said in a statement on December 26. "The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia’s war budget. We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet," the statement added. The statement added that "in response to these incidents, we are strengthening efforts to protect undersea cables, including enhanced information exchange, new detection technologies, as well as in undersea repair capabilities, and international cooperation." The remarks come after two fiber-optic cables owned by Finnish operator Elisa linking Finland and Estonia were broken on December 25. A third link between the two countries -- owned by China's Citic -- was damaged, authorities said. An Internet cable running between Finland and Germany belonging to Finnish group Cinia was also believed to have been severed, according to officials. Investigators said the damage could have been caused by the ship intentionally dragging its anchor. Finnish authorities on December 26 boarded and took command of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker in the Baltic Sea as part of the investigation. The Finnish customs service said the Eagle S is believed to belong to Russia's so-called “shadow fleet” of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue. The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters. Finnish President Alexander Stubb also suggested the cargo has Russian links and that his country is closely monitoring the situation. "It is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet," Stubb wrote on X . EU foreign ministers on December 16 adopted a package of sanctions against Moscow targeting tankers transporting Russian oil as the bloc looked to curb the circumvention of previous measures aimed at hindering Kremlin's ability to wage war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte said on December 26 that the alliance is ready to help Finland and Estonia as they launch their probe into the possible "sabotage." "Spoke with [Estonian Prime Minister] Kristen Michal about reported possible sabotage of Baltic Sea cables,” he wrote on X. “NATO stands in solidarity with Allies and condemns any attacks on critical infrastructure. We are following investigations by Estonia and Finland, and we stand ready to provide further support." Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 26 that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is ready to offer a “platform” for possible peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine. Putin told the media Fico said during a recent meeting that "if there are any negotiations, [the Slovaks] would be happy to provide their country as a platform." Most terms suggested so far by Putin have been deemed unacceptable to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Fico is one of the few European leaders Putin has stayed friendly with since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prompting criticism of the Slovak leader by Zelenskiy and many Western leaders. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here . Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Russia on January 17, state-controlled media in Iran and Russia reported on December 26. Quoting Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali, Iran's Tasnim news agency said that “the president will visit Russia on January 17 and a cooperation agreement between the two countries will be signed during the visit." Russia and Iran both are under severe financial sanctions imposed by Western nations and have stepped up bilateral cooperation on many fronts in recent years. The West has accused Iran of providing weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine. Tehran has denied the allegations despite evidence widespread use of Iranian-made drones in the war. SARAJEVO -- Bosnia-Herzegovina’s security minister has been arrested on charges of money-laundering, abuse of office, and accepting bribes, the Balkan nation’s prosecutor’s office said. The minister, Nenad Nesic, was among seven people arrested on similar charges, the office said on December 26. The charges stem from an investigation by the Bosnian state prosecutor and the Interior Ministry of Bosnia's ethnic-Serb entity, Republika Srpska, into suspected corruption at the Roads of RS (Putevi RS) public company, where Nesic was general manager from 2016 to 2020. The company's current general manager, Milan Dakic, was also among those arrested, prosecutors said. The company did not immediately comment. Nesic, 46, has been Bosnia’s security minister since 2022. When asked by reporters about the case as he was entering an East Sarajevo police station, Nesic said only that "I continue to fight for Republika Srpska," according to Reuters. Nesic is president of the Democratic People's Alliance (DNS), which is in a coalition with Milorad Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD). Dodik, who is president of Republika Srpska, claimed on social media that this was an "unacceptable procedure" and a "persecution of cadres" from the Bosnian government. The pro-Russia Dodik is under sanctions imposed by the United States and Britain for his efforts to undermine the Dayton agreements that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war. He is currently facing trial himself on charges he failed to comply with the decisions of international High Representative Christian Schmidt. Ethnic Serb lawmakers this week said Dodik's trial was political and based on illegal decisions by the high representative. They claimed that the court was unconstitutional because it was set up by Schmidt and not by the Dayton agreement. Since the Dayton peace accords were put into effect, the country has consisted of a Bosniak-Croat federation and the mostly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska under a weak central government, where Nesic holds the security portfolio. Israel carried out large-scale air strikes on the main airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on December 26 as it steps up attacks on the Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in what Tehran called a “violation” of peace and security. Huthi rebels said three people were killed and 14 were injured or missing following the Israeli attacks on the airport and other sites in Yemen, including port facilities. "Fighter jets conducted intelligence-based strikes on military targets belonging to the Huthi terrorist regime on the western coast and inland Yemen," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. The attacks followed recent rocket launches by the Huthi fighters against the Tel Aviv area, although little damage was reported. The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli strikes on Yemen, calling them "aggressions" that it claimed were "a clear violation of international peace and security." It said they represented "an undeniable crime against the heroic and noble people of Yemen," who had "not spared any effort to support the oppressed people of Palestine." The Israeli military has said air strikes in Yemen are targeting Huthi sites that have been used to receive Iranian weapons, which are then often transported to other Tehran-linked groups in the Mideast -- mainly Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, while Hezbollah has also been deemed a terrorist group by Washington. The EU blacklists its military arm but not its political wing. The U.S. State Department designated the Huthis as a terrorist group at the start of this year. Hamas and Hezbollah have been severely weakened following massive Israeli military strikes on their respective sites in Gaza and Lebanon, and most of their leaders have been killed in Israel's military response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes would continue against the Huthi rebels, who have also targeted shipping in the Red Sea, claiming they are in solidarity of Hamas fighters in Gaza. "We are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil. We will continue until the job is done," Netanyahu said in a video statement. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus -- head of the World Health Organization who was at the Sanaa airport during the Israeli attack -- said he was safe but that "one of our plane's crew members was injured.” A Pakistani military court has sentenced 60 people to prison terms ranging between two and 10 years over violent protests that erupted after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023, the army’s media wing said on December 26. The defendants, who included a relative of Khan as well as two retired military officers, were sentenced in connection with attacks on military facilities. Twenty-five other people were sentenced on the same charges on December 21. They have the right to appeal the sentences, the military’s media wing said in a statement. Protests erupted across Pakistan in May 2023 when Khan was arrested during his court appearance on corruption charges that he and his supporters deny. Thousands of Khan’s supporters ransacked military facilities and stormed government buildings. Several people were killed, and dozens were injured in the unrest. At least 1,400 protesters, including leaders of Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party were arrested following the riots. But only 105 of those detained faced military trials. PTI condemned the sentencing, and said the court had violated the defendants’ rights. The United States expressed deep concern about the sentences, while Britain said that trying civilians in military courts "lacks transparency, independent scrutiny, and undermines the right to a fair trial.” The European Union said the sentences are "inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Four years ago Nigel Dodman and Sandy Boulanger received a letter informing them of plans for 31 wind turbines, each 220m-high, near their home in Mid Wales. Later, the couple claimed the developer offered them a huge compensation sum in exchange for their home and their silence. When Mr Dodman looked into the planned Nant Mithil Energy Park, he estimated 10 of the 31 turbines would directly affect their small organic farm next to Radnor Forest, Powys. Given the amount being offered, they admit to being tempted – but ultimately they rejected it. Mr Dodman said compensation was offered following a meeting with Bute Energy who told him no-one would be materially affected by the planned turbines as no-one lived close enough to the site. It was only then that he realised the company didn’t actually know the couple lived there, he claimed. “At that time we were told by the managing director at Bute that we would not see or hear the turbines,” said Mr Dodman, who has lived in the idyllic rural spot for more than 20 years, says. “In reality they’ll shake our home. He changed his mind when he realised where we lived. I’m confident in saying Bute didn’t actually know there was a property here before we notified them.” Mr Dodman claims the company then offered a significant sum of money to him and his family – more than double the value of their property and land – to buy it from him on the condition he signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This would prevent him discussing matters surrounding Bute Energy’s plans in future. “It was more than double the value of the property and land as well as £10,000 a year each year until they got full planning permission,” he recalled. “In return we’d sign an NDA. We thought hard about it. In the end I just couldn’t live with myself if we were bought out. We’ve got a little paradise here. It’s a small organic farm in beautiful surroundings which we’ve made our home for 25 years. I expect to be carried out of here in a box. No-one could take that away or replace what we have.” Locals claim the area is not close to suitable for large-scale energy development. At Nant Mithil, 23 of the 31 turbines would lie outside the area pre-determined by the Welsh Government to be suitable for large-scale wind energy production, reports WalesOnline . “You can see the Radnor Forest from a long way away,” said Mr Dodman. “You can see it from the Brecon Beacons, Shropshire, the Cambrian Mountains. It’s a beautiful part of the landscape which should be protected. So, no, we didn’t take the money and we’re going to fight these plans all the way.” Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Refusing the offer was not just a decision from the heart, it was born out of principle too. He alleged: “The plans are nonsense and I think they’ll be unmasked as nonsense. Why would you ruin a landscape dependent on farming and tourism which people come here to enjoy in order to send power to England? Because that’s what all this is about. “The motivation for the planning of these energy parks is entirely financial. Money is made when the developer gets planning permission and then they sell the project on to a multinational company to do it. Wales has been seen as an easy target by companies with councils in a right mess and unable to challenge these plans.” The plans Nigel speaks about are not just at Nant Mithil. Within 17 square miles in Radnorshire, Bute Energy is planning 65 other turbines. A few miles down the road there are plans for up to 16 turbines at Bryn Gilwern Energy Park north of the village Hundred House. A couple of miles south there are plans for another 18 turbines at Aberedw Energy Park near Builth Wells. Bute Energy is behind all three of those as well as 13 others across Mid Wales. Further wind farms are planned by RES, EDF, Statkraft, Pennant Walters, RWE Renewables, Vattenfall, Galileo, Muirhall Energy, Coriolis Energy, Cenin, and Bryngygda Wind Farm Ltd. Plans for energy parks are growing at such a speed in rural Wales that groups like the Campaign for Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) have stopped publishing updated maps regularly. As campaign trustee Dr Jonathan Dean puts it, “it’s almost pointless committing it to paper now”. You can see an interactive map showing planned renewable energy parks here. Ed Miliband, UK Government secretary of state for energy security and net zero, wants to turbocharge the creation of energy parks across the UK over the next six years, doubling onshore wind and tripling solar energy. The UK Government says it will enable the UK to reach its net zero target faster and more cheaply. The promise is to eventually make energy bills lower while easing Britain’s reliance on the international energy market. Critics believe that what’s happening across rural Wales is a sign of what’s to come for the rest of Britain. Four miles away from Mr Dodman’s home is a dormant energy park called Hendy Wind Farm where seven wind turbines 110m in height haven’t turned in five years because they can’t be connected to the national grid. Campaigners fought for year to block Hendy’s turbines before the Welsh Government ignored professional advice and approved the development. The decision came with a set of conditions, one of which was that the turbines would be taken down if they didn’t turn within six months. Years later, however, the dormant turbines are still standing. “These plans always leave an awful lot to planning conditions,” said Christine Hugh-Jones of CPRW. “They say, ‘You can do this but only on the basis you abide by these conditions’. Well, look what happened to Hendy. They had loads of conditions and they weren’t properly enforced.” Mr Dodman had always felt Hendy would go wrong, having lived off grid himself in the area for two decades. “Hendy was built in a valley in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Wales,” he said. “But there is no grid connection to this part of the country. “They justified it on the grounds of saving the planet and yet it’s never turned because it was never in the right place. Now it’s just a complete eyesore that offers nothing.” Mr Dodman and Ms Boulanger know more than most about the unpredictability of wind energy. They have a wind turbine in their own garden which they claim they can’t hear because it’s a small farm turbine. They have it, they say, because they’re off grid. But they rely on a back-up generator because the turbine is so unreliable – particularly in the winter when they need the energy the most. “Wind turbines only produce a fraction of their capacity,” Mr Dodman says. “For wind energy it’s less than 26%, I believe.” Developers have vowed to learn from Hendy. Bute Energy’s subsidiary company, GreenGen Cymru (GGC), plans two pylon highways to connect planned wind farms to the National Grid. These would travel 60 miles from Mid Wales to a substation in Carmarthen. Farmers and landowners have received letters informing them their land is earmarked for the pylons. One of the pylon highways, the Towy Usk route, would run from Nant Mithil to Llandyfaelog going through Aberedw Hill, Llangammach Wells, Llandovery, Llandeilo, and Llandyfaelog. The other, the Towy Teifi route, would run from Lan Fawr to Lampeter through Llanllwni, Alltwalis, Rhydargeau, and Llandyfaelog. The plan is for it to go for planning approval in 2026. If green-lighted, construction would start the following year with the scheme operational in 2028. Both schemes have to be decided by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW). Ultimately, the aim is to connect up the electricity transmission systems of North and South Wales to facilitate the building of onshore wind farms in Mid Wales. While some landowners might be ready to host pylons and turbines on their land, most are angry. Drive through the villages in rural Mid Wales and you’ll see many landowners have erected signs telling Bute Energy and GreenGen Cymru to stay off their land. Some have received legal letters informing them that under law they are compelled to allow access to their land for surveys to be carried out for pylons. We tracked down one farmer who had erected signs in the local village. They said they didn’t want to speak to the Press because the situation was volatile - and they needed to maintain relationships with neighbouring farmers who’d agreed to sell their land for pylons. Other locals are more open in their opposition. Susan Williams, who has lived at Hundred House for more than a decade, said: “I can’t see how as a local person I will materially benefit from these plans. If it was benefiting our area, I wouldn’t be so against it. But this is people elsewhere thinking, ‘Not in my back yard but we can do it in theirs’. Sometimes I do feel as if rural people do not matter. “The problem around here is the pylons really. If they put them underground I think people wouldn’t mind. But to be putting all these pylons in people’s land and forcing them to accept it seems shocking to me. “A lot of people now have signs up on their gates saying ‘No entry’. This could end really badly. People will not put up with it. It’s as if there’s no respect for the people who live here and have farmed the land for years. And I very much doubt we’ll get cheaper electricity at the end of it.” GGC was set up with the aim of unlocking Wales’ green energy potential. The company said undergrounding cables was problematic. “Our investigations show that underground cables require more land and create more ground disturbance during construction,” it said. “This could also lead to longer-term ecological and environmental impacts. Using pylons will allow us to provide a new connection quickly with minimal disruption to the land, allowing us to fight back against climate change as soon as we can.” GGC said it is “working with industry experts” to get an accurate cost of delivering the project underground. But it believes overhead lines are “the most viable and cost-effective option at this stage for delivering a connection quickly”. The company said it will assess if any parts of the connection need to be placed underground - “for example in highly constrained or particularly sensitive areas”. The Welsh Government’s position is that new power lines should, where possible, be put underground but “that a balanced view must be taken against costs which could render otherwise acceptable projects unviable”. Bute Energy said it will donate 50% more than the industry average on things that will benefit the community in the Radnorshire hills as de facto compensation for the inconvenience. Campaigners say this doesn’t go far enough. On the strength of feeling across the region, CPRW's Christine Hugh-Jones said: “It’s very divisive because a lot of people stand to make a lot of money and on the other hand there’s a lot of local unhappiness about it all. But there are other ways things like this divide communities too such as the promises of community benefits for people affected by it all. “In reality, what happens is Bute will choose projects like a children’s playground or a rugby pitch or something like that, so only the people who use those things get something back. Surely, if you have a wind farm and it’s making money since it’s producing electricity, you ought to decrease the bills of the people suffering from it. And since you’re trashing the environment, you should pay for environmental restoration elsewhere.” Jenny Chryss, of fellow campaign group ReThink, believes people are starting to “realise exactly what could be coming down the road”. He said: “As developments are beginning to get traction, what’s coming is becoming ingrained in people’s minds. “Some people of course have signed up to have turbines and pylons on their land and I’d assume they’re happy. Some don’t care. A lot of people and particularly those living near the developments proposed or the infrastructure are extremely fearful for their livelihoods. “Yes, compared to a lot of areas across the UK, this area is sparsely populated. But that shouldn’t mean, ‘We’ll just dump this here because there aren’t many of you’. These villages are vibrant communities. This isn’t a wasteland. They are thriving communities with agriculture and tourism at their hearts and this is going to decimate them. “People here are more or less going to be surrounded by wind farms at a size never demonstrated in the UK before. Understandably people living next to these things are very fearful for their futures.” The new-generation turbines proposed across Wales are giants. The construction of Nant Mithil, expected to be completed in 2029 if plans are approved, includes 31 turbines more than 200m in height. Bute Energy said this turbine-flation simply “reflects changes in technology over recent years”. The foundations will be five metres deep and 25 metres wide. Up to 59,000 cubic metres of concrete will be used at the site. The company said it will make every effort to restore the land after use. Campaigners argue wind energy is not needed at such a large scale and could be done more efficiently offshore. Ms Hugh-Jones says: “It’s not just the wind farms – it’s the roads infrastructure and what it would do to the whole area. To me there’s no point trashing your natural environment to get more energy if there are better places to put these turbines. “I care what this will do to a very special swathe of Mid Wales. It’s a relatively traditional and unchanged area of Wales and I feel this is being exploited and is not going to be good for the communities nor the landscape. Bute Energy has taken a look at Wales and have seen a hole in the market. They’ve spotted Wales as a prime money-making spot." ReThink’s Jenny Chryss pointed out that Wales has a nature emergency as well as a climate emergency. She said: “I am not at all convinced enough is being done with these projects to protect nature and ecology at the expense of building these energy parks. “I think the major issue with all of this is the scale of it all really. It’s the size of the proposals and how many of them there are. People are already starting to talk about Wales becoming the power station of England. “Awareness of how this all works is growing. Wales doesn’t need all the renewable energy produced here if all of these wind farms happen – it’ll make its way off to the grid and it’ll be exported out of Wales. That adds to the feeling of Wales being used as a power station. “The development phases would be at least as much concern for local people. It will be years and years of disruption to local people, never mind what the finished product looks like. We are not saying there isn’t a climate emergency and we’re not saying don’t build wind farms. We’re saying simply carpeting Mid Wales with pylons and turbines is not the way forward.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox A spokesperson for Bute Energy said: “We recognise the depth of feeling on the big questions that come with the climate emergency and the need to create a sustainable world for future generations. We also recognise the significant change our move to clean power represents for communities across Wales and the UK – including in mid Wales. Our belief is that we must act now to protect our environment and support vibrant, thriving communities. “We have spent the past two years engaging with host communities for our energy parks, answering questions and actively ensuring that we take on board community views while delivering a greener future for Wales. Meaningful and ongoing engagement with communities on the design of our energy parks is a key part of our approach. At Nant Mithil we reduced the number and maximum height of the turbines and shifted the project’s footprint away from people’s homes in response to the local feedback. “Nant Mithil will generate up to 205 MW of clean energy. That’s enough to power up to 202,000 homes and displace up to 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Our full £3bn portfolio is approximately 10 times that size and will meet around 25% of Wales’ expected electricity needs by 2035. “Our communities also help design and deliver our community benefit fund that could be worth up to £20m every year – the largest offered by any developer in Wales. We work with charities, schools, and other local organisations to ensure our investment remains in Wales and delivers a legacy of green skills, good jobs, and funding for projects that genuinely matter to local people. At Nant Mithil that fund is worth £1.5m a year.” The company did not directly address Mr Dodman’s claims around the financial offer he says was made, nor the request for an NDA. GreenGen Cymru also issued a statement. It said: “Tackling the climate emergency, connecting new community and renewable energy projects, creating and expanding businesses, and electrifying our heating and transport systems will all require more grid capacity. These are challenge that Wales faces – ones that need to be tackled urgently and ones that we are trying to help address. “Whether it is undergrounding cables, wood poles, or lattice towers, across our projects all suitable technology options are being considered, reviewed, and utilised and typically a network will involve a combination of technologies. Throughout Wales and the wider UK electricity connections are a tried and tested technology that have been operating safely within communities for decades. This includes areas popular with tourism and on agricultural land. “Towy Teifi and Towy Usk, along with all our projects, are currently going through consultation phases where we are asking for feedback on our proposals. As is standard across the industry changes are made between these stages. For example, thanks to feedback and further environmental and technical assessments, numerous changes were made on Towy Usk. This includes a 5.5km of underground section near Llanarthne and the rerouting of the project to better avoid tourism businesses near Builth Wells. “Our second round of consultation on our Towy Teifi project will launch in the spring where we will be able to share updated proposals and where we will once again be asking for detailed feedback. In terms of agriculture, if approved, the towers we would propose to use on our 132kv overhead line are around half the size of the transmission pylons already seen in places like Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire along the M4. “There is no evidence that overhead lines and pylons have a materially adverse impact on livestock or grazing behavior which can continue up to and within the footings of the pylons. “The footprint of the pylons currently proposed for the Towy Teifi connection will be modest. Except in the footprint of the pylon it is anticipated the normal farming practice will be able to continue under the overhead lines. “Detailed consideration of pylon siting and overhead line alignment during the design and environmental impact assessment (EIA) process will seek to reduce the loss of agricultural land and disruption of agricultural activities to the extent feasible. We will work closely with farmers and landowners in developing the project to understand their concerns and to reduce any effects on their operation of their land as much as possible. “GreenGen Cymru’s overwhelming preference is to seek voluntary engagements with landowners. As such, we and our external land agents have been actively engaged in negotiating voluntary agreements with landowners on the Towy Teifi project since January 2024. Unfortunately we have been unable to reach voluntary agreements with all landowners and some as a result have recently received statutory notice under section 172 of the Housing & Planning Act. “All landowners have been offered and continue to be offered in person meeting with members of the GGC team and our external land agents. It is always stressed that agreeing to surveys in no way restricts landowners’ ability to respond to project consultations or express their views on our proposals.” Find out what's happening near you