The counting of votes will be undertaken at 8 am on Saturday in where the election is witnessing a major battle. Colaba (number 187), part of the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, is set for a competitive showdown in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Known for its urban population and strategic location in Mumbai, Colaba is a general seat with a diverse electorate. The constituency, while historically a battleground for various political parties, has seen a dominant BJP presence in recent years, making it a key focus for both major political parties in the state. The 2024 elections will see the incumbent BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar seek re-election to a second consecutive term. Narwekar, who won the seat in 2019 with a decisive 53.85 percent vote share, will face a challenge from Heera Navji Devasi of the Congress party. Devasi, a seasoned political figure with deep local ties, will aim to capitalise on any discontent with the current BJP government. Although Congress faces an uphill battle in unseating the sitting BJP MLA, Devasi’s focus on local issues could sway voter sentiment. A total of 13 candidates are contesting from the constituency. In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Rahul Narwekar secured a commanding victory with 57,420 votes, capturing 53.85 percent of the vote share. He defeated Congress’ Ashok Jagtap by a margin of 16,195 votes (15.61 percent). This solid victory came after a similarly strong performance by BJP’s Raj K. Purohit in 2014, who also won with a substantial margin. Key issues in Colaba include urban development, housing, and basic infrastructure, with residents voicing concerns over rising property prices and limited civic amenities. Narwekar, a prominent BJP leader, has often focused on urban planning and development, while Devasi’s campaign will likely focus on community issues and addressing local grievances, seeking to resonate with voters dissatisfied with the BJP’s governance. In the 2019 elections, Colaba had a total electorate of 2,66,587 voters, including 1,55,265 male voters and 1,11,319 female voters. Voter turnout, however, was relatively low, with just 40 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots. This is lower than the 46.19 percent turnout in 2014, reflecting a consistent trend of modest voter engagement in the constituency. Colaba went to polls on November 20, alongside other constituencies in Maharashtra. Results will be declared on Saturday. With the BJP looking to retain its hold on this vital constituency, all eyes will be on whether Congress can disrupt the BJP’s dominance in Colaba. Colaba emerged as a key battleground, recording a voter turnout of 44.44 percent.
The Dallas Cowboys head to Northwest Stadium in Week 12 to take on the Washington Commanders in a matchup rich with storylines. ... but weighted down by injury news. This divisional clash brings familiar faces together in opposing uniforms as former Cowboys, now donning Burgundy and Gold, prepare to face their old team under the leadership of Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Quinn, Dallas’ defensive coordinator until last season, isn’t the only familiar name for Cowboys fans. Commanders players Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, Tyler Biadasz, Noah Brown, and Noah Igbinoghene are all former Cowboys who followed Quinn to Washington during the offseason. Even Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was part of the Dallas coaching staff before making the move. The stakes are clear. For Washington, this game is a chance to solidify its playoff position as the team fights to stay atop the NFC East race. For Dallas, it’s an opportunity to salvage pride in what’s shaping up to be a disappointing season. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 78-48-2, having won five of the last six matchups, but have struggled to maintain their dominance this season, dropping to 3-7 this year. Dallas faces the additional challenge of multiple injuries heading into the matchup. Key players like CeeDee Lamb (back/foot), Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder), and Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) are on the injury report, with that threesome unable to practice as of Thursday. #Cowboys #Commanders Injury Report ... 2 All-Pro linemen no-gos pic.twitter.com/L3GSL4uy1Y Meanwhile, the Commanders aim to take advantage of their former teammates’ familiarity with Dallas’ system. Related: Cowboys Injury Report on CeeDee Lamb and Daron Bland A win for Washington would further solidify its standing in the NFC playoff picture, while a loss for Dallas would underscore the challenges of their rebuilding phase while helping their draft chances. With so much at stake, this game promises intensity and emotion as old friends turn into fierce foes. Related: Cowboys 'Cashing Checks' Effort Ripped By Kelce Brothers
Labour would lose its majority and nearly 200 seats if a general election was held today, a new mega poll suggests. While Sir Keir Starmer would still come out on top, it would be in a "highly fragmented and unstable" parliament with five parties holding over 30 seats. More in Common, which used the data of more than 11,000 people to produce the analysis, said the results show the UK's First Past the Post (FPTP) system is "struggling to function" in the new world of multi-party politics, and if the results come true it would make government formation "difficult". The model estimates Labour would win, but with barely a third of the total number of seats and a lead of just six seats over the Conservatives. According to the analysis, Labour would lose 87 seats to the Tories overall, 67 to Reform UK and 26 to the SNP - with "red wall" gains at the July election almost entirely reversed. Nigel Farage's Reform party would emerge as the third largest in the House of Commons, increasing its seat total 14-fold to 72. A number of cabinet ministers would lose their seats to Reform - the main beneficiary of the declining popularity of Labour and the Tories - including Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, Ed Miliband, Bridget Philipson, Jonathan Reynolds and John Healey. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, would lose Ilford North to an independent, the analysis suggests. Luke Tryl, director of More in Common UK, said the model is "not a prediction of what would happen at the next general election", which is not expected until 2029. X X , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change... Faye BrownWoman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 publicly admits she lied
Austria has dropped its long-standing veto to Bulgaria and Romania joining the passport free Schengen zone, opening the door to their accession next year. The breakthrough development was announced on November 22 by the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, which hosted a meeting in Budapest with the interior ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria. The EU will meet with the two candidate countries to finalize a joint security package at a meeting on December 11-12. The two countries could become Schengen members in January. “Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area. I welcome the positive outcome of informal discussions in Budapest today.” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a tweet following the announcement. The addition of Bulgaria and Romania will expand the Schengen zone to 28 states, including 24 EU members. Ireland and Cyprus will remain the only EU members not part of the Schengen Area. Bulgarians and Romanians currently are not permitted to travel freely into other Schengen member states over land borders. Early this year, they received the right to travel freely by air and sea in the first concession by Vienna. After the meeting in Budapest, Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter told media that the agreement to be signed next month includes the establishment of a special contingent of at least 100 border police officers on the Turkish-Bulgarian border. Hungary will contribute to the full deployment of the officers and provide the necessary technical equipment to ensure effective protection of the border, he said. Pinter expressed confidence that the issue could be resolved by December 31. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said a January accession date is a realistic goal. Yekaterina Neroznikova, a journalist and member of the Marem human rights group, is facing administrative charges in Russia for her alleged involvement with an "undesirable organization." The charges stem from Neroznikova's participation in an interview with RFE/RL earlier this year, where she discussed the high-profile abduction of Seda Suleimanova, a native of Chechnya. The administrative protocol was filed with the Zhukovsky City Court in Moscow Oblast on November 15, with a hearing scheduled for November 26. Neroznikova, who left Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, disclosed the development to the OVD-Info human rights group, a prominent watchdog monitoring political persecution in Russia. The case against Neroznikova is linked to her April 2024 appearance on RFE/RL’s program Human Rights Are A Right. During the program, she discussed the abduction of Suleimanova, who was forcibly taken from St. Petersburg in August 2023 by local police and Chechen operatives. Suleimanova, who fled Chechnya in 2022 because of pressure being put on her to agree to a forced marriage, has been missing since September last year. The charges against Neroznikova are seen as part of Russia’s broader crackdown on dissent and press freedom. Suleimanova's case has prompted global protests and solidarity campaigns highlighting ongoing human rights concerns in Chechnya and Russia in general. According to Neroznikova, a man identifying himself as an officer of the Interior Ministry contacted her relatives last week before reaching out to her directly. He informed her of the administrative charges, citing her commentary on RFE/RL as the reason. RFE/RL's Russian Service and its multiple projects in the Russian language were designated as "undesirable organizations" in Russia in February 2024, making any association with them punishable under Russian law. Participation in the activities of an “undesirable organization” in Russia can result in fines of up to 15,000 rubles for individuals. Repeat offenses within a year can escalate to criminal charges, carrying penalties of up to four years in prison. Suleimanova's case has drawn international attention. In 2022, she fled her family in Chechnya to avoid an arranged marriage and persistent conflicts. In August 2023, she was abducted in St. Petersburg by individuals including local police and plainclothes Chechen security officers. She was taken to her family in Chechnya, and no information about her whereabouts has been available since September 2023. An investigation into Suleimanova’s disappearance was launched in March 2024 following thousands of public appeals. Despite the family's claims that she left home again in February, observers remain skeptical, citing conflicting statements made by her relatives. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country's new intermediate-range ballistic missile, a nuclear-capable weapon, will continue to be tested, including in combat conditions, as Moscow struck several Ukrainian regions with other weapons. "We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats that are created for Russia," Putin said on November 22 at a meeting with Defense Ministry officials and military-industrial complex officials. Russia launched the so-called Oreshnik hypersonic missile against Ukraine on November 21 in a strike targeting the city of Dnipro. Putin said at the time it was part of Moscow's response to Ukrainian attacks with U.S.-supplied ATACMS and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. U.S. media reported earlier in the week that the Biden administration had given Kyiv the green light to use ATACMS after Moscow “escalated” the conflict with the deployment of more than 11,000 North Korean troops to the front line. Putin added on November 22 that the missile is new and not an upgrade of previous Soviet-designed weaponry. The United States said the new missile is “experimental” and based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the warhead on the new missile is smaller compared with some of the missiles Russia has launched into Ukraine. Russia probably only has several units of the experimental missiles in stock, a U.S. official told media following the November 21 strike. Ukraine's military intelligence put the figure at up to 10 units. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s use of the new weapon represented a message to the West that Moscow will respond harshly to any "reckless" Western moves in support of Ukraine. Parliament Session Canceled Russia did not use the new weapon during another deadly air attack on Ukraine on November 22. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. In the capital, which has been on edge for several days amid intense Russian attacks on Ukraine, lawmakers were advised to avoid the government district on November 22 and parliament canceled a scheduled session due to warnings of a potential missile strike. "We were informed about the risk of a missile strike on the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv in the coming days. Putin has significantly raised the stakes . Tomorrow's parliamentary session is canceled," lawmaker Taras Batenko said. Oleksiy Honcharenko, another lawmaker, said on Telegram that the next session was now planned for December, although parliament leaders have not officially commented on the warnings. The office of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy assured the public that it would continue operating "as usual" on November 22. The Russian Supreme Court has declared the international organization Post-Russia Free Nations Forum a terrorist group, the latest move in the Kremlin's clampdown on any sign of dissent. The organization, founded in Poland in 2022, has been accused of promoting separatism and aiming to disband the Russian Federation into independent states under foreign influence. Russia is a multiethnic state comprised of more than 80 regions, many of which have large indigenous populations, such as Chechnya and Tatarstan. Since coming to power in 1999, Russian President Vladimir Putin has centralized authority, curtailing the autonomy that some ethnic regions enjoyed. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its attempt to wipe out Ukrainian identity has shone a bright light on the Kremlin's historical mistreatment of its own indigenous populations and triggered a "decolonization" movement that seeks to give more prominence to ethnic groups within Russian historical and cultural studies. The case against the Post-Russia Free Nations Forum was launched in late October by the Prosecutor-General’s Office, which cited its activities as a threat to Russia’s territorial integrity and national security. In its statement, the Prosecutor General’s Office alleged that the forum operates through 172 regional and national entities, including the Baltic Republican Party, the Ingria Movement, the Congress of Peoples of the North Caucasus, the Free Yakutia Foundation, and the Far Eastern Confederation. The office claims these groups are directed by exiled leaders of separatist movements. “These leaders aim to divide the Russian Federation into independent states that would fall under the influence of hostile foreign countries,” the Prosecutor-General’s Office stated on its official website. The Post-Russia Free Nations Forum is registered in Poland and describes itself as a civic movement advocating for greater regional autonomy within Russia, with some members supporting full independence for regions. On its website and social media platforms, the organization also uses variations of its name, such as the Post-Russia Free States Forum. Ukrainian businessman Oleh Mahaletskiy positions himself as one of the founders of the group and is believed to be a major sponsor. The group’s activities have included discussions on decentralization and independence, with notable speakers such as the noted Tatar activist Nafis Kashapov, Bashkir activist Ruslan Gabbasov, Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomaryov, U.S. political analyst Janusz Bugajski, and others. Following the November 22 terrorist designation by the Supreme Court, all activities of the Post-Russia Free Nations Forum are now banned in Russia. Membership or association with the group is subject to criminal prosecution under Russian anti-terrorism laws. Critics of the ruling argue that the designation reflects a broader crackdown on dissent and regional autonomy movements in Russia. They note that the Forum primarily operates abroad and online, raising questions about the ruling’s effectiveness outside Russian borders. The Forum has not yet responded to the court’s decision. Observers suggest that this ruling may escalate tensions between Russia and countries hosting members of the organization, particularly Poland, where it is registered. The authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has threatened to shut down the Internet in the event of mass protests during or after the upcoming presidential election, after the previous vote in 2020 erupted in unprecedented unrest amid opposition allegations it was rigged. Speaking to students at Minsk State Linguistic University on November 22, Lukashenka defended past Internet restrictions and warned of future measures to throttle dissent. "If this happens again, we will shut it down entirely. Do you think I will sit idly and pray you don't send a message when the fate of the country is at stake?" state news agency BelTA quoted him as saying. Lukashenka admitted that Internet disruptions during the 2020 protests were conducted with his approval, citing the need to "protect the country." Following the August 9, 2020, election, which many Western governments have said was not free and fair, Internet access across Belarus was disrupted for several days and intermittently blocked. The disputed election that extended Lukashenka's decades of rule -- he has held power since 1994 -- for another term was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors. The protests, which demanded Lukashenka’s resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead. Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. The next presidential election in Belarus is scheduled for January 26. Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service, was honored with the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in a ceremony held in New York on November 21. Kurmasheva, who was recently released from detention in Russia after spending 288 days in custody, thanked the CPJ for its efforts toward gaining her freedom. "Journalism is not a crime," she said , noting that more than 20 journalists are currently imprisoned in Russia. Kurmasheva added that she was dedicating the award to her colleagues still imprisoned , including RFE/RL journalists Ihar Losik and Andrey Kuznechyk in Belarus, Vladislav Yesypenko in Crimea, and Farid Mehralizada in Azerbaijan. "My colleagues are not just statistics; like me they are real human beings with families who miss and love them. There are dozens of other journalists in Russian prisons. They should be released at once," Kurmasheva stressed . Other recipients of the award this year included Palestinian journalist Shorouq al-Aila, Guatemalan journalist Kimi de Leon, and Nigerien investigative journalist Samira Sabou, all recognized for their courage in the face of persecution. Detained by authorities in June 2023 as she was visiting relatives in the central Russian city of Kazan, Kurmasheva was initially charged with not declaring her U.S. passport. She was released but barred from leaving the country. That October, however, she was arrested, jailed, and charged with being an undeclared "foreign agent" -- under a draconian law targeting journalists, civil society activists, and others. She was later hit with an additional charge: distributing what the government claims is false information about the Russian military, a charge stemming from her work editing a book about Russians opposed to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. RFE/RL, as well as the U.S. government, called the charges absurd. The prisoner exchange that came to fruition on August 1 included 24 people in all -- including Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, and Russian political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza -- in a complex, seven-country deal. Religious tensions are on the rise in northwestern Pakistan following a deadly attack on a police-escorted convoy of Shi'ite Muslims that threatened to reignite sectarian violence in a strife-plagued region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In the aftermath of the attack on the 200-vehicle convoy traveling from Peshawar to Parachinar, the capital city of the Kurram district, authorities on November 22 imposed a curfew and suspended mobile service in the remote mountainous district. RFE/RL correspondents on the ground reported on November 22 that heavily armed people set fire to a military checkpoint in the area overnight. In Parachinar, dozens of angry people carrying automatic weapons were gathering, amid reports that several other facilities of the Pakistani Army and the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were attacked and destroyed, with RFE/RL correspondents reporting sounds of constant heavy gunfire. Jamshed Shirazi, a social activist in Parachinar, told RFE/RL that several government installations had been damaged by the angry protesters. "People are expressing their anger by attacking the government offices," Shirazi said. But Jalal Hussain Bangash, a local Shi'ite leader, voiced dismay at the violence during a Friday Prayer sermon on November 22 and said that Shi'a had nothing to do with the ensuing violence, RFE/RL correspondents on the ground report . Hamid Hussain, a lawmaker from Kurram in the national parliament, was adamant that the violence was the work of provocateurs. "We are helpless. Neither Shi'a nor Sunnis are involved in this. This is some other invisible forces who do not want to see peace in the area," Hussain told RFE/RL. At least 48 people, including several women and children, were killed and more than 40 wounded when gunmen opened fire on November 21 on the convoy of vehicles in the Kurram district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border. Local leaders told RFE/RL that most of those killed were Shi'a, but at least four Sunnis were also among the dead. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in Kurram, long known as a hotspot of Shi'ite-Sunni sectarian conflict. Local tribal leader Malik Dildar Hussain told RFE/RL that there were about 700 people in the convoy. Tensions in Kurram began to heat up in the past several months, where clashes again erupted between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim tribes in the area, which was formerly semiautonomous. On October 12, 17 people were killed in an attack on a convoy, and there have been a handful of deadly attacks since then. Sunnis and Shi'a live together in Kurram and have clashed violently over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace. Minority Shi'ite Muslims have long suffered discrimination and violence in Sunni-majority Pakistan. Moscow launched another deadly attack on Ukraine on November 22, a day after firing what it said was a new intermediate-range missile that the Kremlin boasted was a " warning " for the West, after Kyiv reportedly obtained permission from President Joe Biden to strike into Russia with U.S. long-range missiles. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. Ukraine's air force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. In the capital, which has been on edge for several days amid intense Russian attacks on Ukraine, lawmakers were advised to avoid the government district on November 22 and parliament canceled a scheduled session due to warnings of a potential missile strike. "We were informed about the risk of a missile strike on the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv in the coming days. Putin has significantly raised the stakes . Tomorrow's parliamentary session is canceled," lawmaker Taras Batenko said, while lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko said on Telegram that the next session was now planned for December, although parliament leaders have not officially commented on the warnings. The office of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy assured the public that it would continue operating "as usual" on November 22. On November 20, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine warned of a significant Russian air attack, prompting the temporary closure of its operations. The embassies of Spain, Italy, and Greece also suspended services for the day. On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the "successful combat testing" of a new Oreshnik (Hazel Tree) intermediate-range ballistic missile amid the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin claimed the missile was used in a strike on Ukraine's eastern city of Dnipro, asserting it was a response to NATO’s "aggressive actions" and Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles to target Russian territory. On November 22, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that the test was a message to the West that Moscow will respond harshly to any "reckless" Western moves in support of Ukraine. "The main message is that the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries that produce missiles, supply them to Ukraine, and subsequently participate in strikes on Russian territory cannot remain without a reaction from the Russian side," Peskov told reporters. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns are not taken into account have been quite clearly outlined," he said. Ukraine's military intelligence said on November 22 that Russia may have up to 10 units of the new missile. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited his Israeli counterpart to visit Hungary, defying an arrest warrant for issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Benjamin Netanyahu that other European states say they will honor. Orban, speaking during his regular weekly interview with Hungarian state radio, said on November 22 that the ICC's decision a day earlier to issue the warrant accusing Netanyahu of "crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed during the war in Gaza was "outrageously brazen" and "cynical." The ICC issued similar arrest warrants for former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a Hamas military leader who Israel claims to have killed but whose death the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group has not officially acknowledged. The ICC said Netanyahu and Gallant were suspected of using "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid while targeting civilians in Israel's war in Gaza -- charges Israeli officials deny. Orban said the ICC move against Netanyahu "intervenes in an ongoing conflict...dressed up as a legal decision, but in fact for political purposes." "Later today, I will invite the Israeli prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, to visit Hungary, where I will guarantee him, if he comes, that the judgment of the ICC will have no effect in Hungary, and that we will not follow its terms," he added. "There is no choice here, we have to defy this decision," Orban said. Shortly after the ICC decision was announced, the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU member states." However, the EU's most powerful members, Germany and France, on November 22 reacted with restraint to the ICC warrants. A spokesman said the German government will refrain from any moves until a visit to Germany by Netanyahu is planned. "I find it hard to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis," Steffen Hebestreit said on November 22, adding that legal questions had to be clarified about the warrant. In Paris, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine only said that France acknowledged the ICC's move and voiced its support for the ICC's independence. "France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the court, in accordance with the Rome Statute," Lemoine said. Hungary, a NATO and European Union member state, has signed and ratified the 1999 document. However, it has not published the statute's associated convention and therefore argues that it is not bound to comply with ICC decisions. Netanyahu on November 22 thanked Orban for his show of "moral clarity." "Faced with the shameful weakness of those who stood by the outrageous decision against the right of the State of Israel to defend itself, Hungary" is "standing by the side of justice and truth," Netanyahu said in a statement. A right-wing nationalist in power since 2010, Orban has maintained close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has voiced opposition to the EU's sanctions imposed on Moscow after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Orban has previously said that Hungary would not arrest Putin either, despite the ICC arrest warrant issued on the Russian leader's name for war crimes for his role in deporting Ukrainian children. Furthermore, he flew to Moscow in July immediately after Hungary took over the EU's rotating six-month presidency to meet with Putin, in defiance of the fellow members of the bloc. Soltan Achilova, a veteran journalist and former RFE/RL correspondent in Turkmenistan, was forcibly hospitalized in Ashgabat on November 20 in what appears to be a move by the government to prevent her from flying to Geneva to receive an international award. According to the Chronicle of Turkmenistan website, four men in medical gowns arrived at the 75-year-old's apartment early that morning, claiming she was suspected of carrying an infectious disease and needed an "urgent" examination. Achilova, who showed no signs of illness, was forcibly taken to the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases in Ashgabat's Choganly district. Her family was not allowed to accompany her and her apartment keys were confiscated. One family member said one of the men told Achilova, "Why do you need keys in the afterlife?" Doctors have not disclosed when she will be released. Turkmenistan is consistently ranked by media watchdogs, such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), among the worst countries in the world for press freedom. Independent media are nonexistent in the authoritarian Central Asian state, where journalism "amounts only to praise for the regime," according to RSF. The government continues a relentless clampdown on dissent -- with critics being harassed, beaten, tortured, jailed, and even killed. Many others have been forced abroad into exile. Human rights groups, including the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights and the International Partnership for Human Rights, immediately condemned Achilova's forced detention, calling it a stark escalation in Turkmenistan's crackdown on free speech. They demanded her immediate release and an end to the persecution of journalists. Achilova, the only journalist in Turkmenistan who openly criticizes the authoritarian government, has faced repeated harassment, threats, and attacks. In November 2023, border guards at the Ashgabat airport destroyed her passport to prevent her from traveling to Switzerland, where she was scheduled to attend the Martin Ennals Award human rights ceremony. Achilova has faced verbal threats and physical attacks, which the journalist and her supporters describe as government retaliation for her work. Many of her relatives have also been threatened. Ashgabat doesn't tolerate any dissent, and the government has stifled independent media, forced opposition activists into exile, and blocked access to all major social media and messaging apps to virtually cut its citizens off from the rest of the world. The Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy, has canceled appearances by opera singer Ildar Abdrazakov over his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pina Picierno, a vice president in the European Parliament, announced the cancellation on the social network X on November 21, emphasizing that Abdrazakov's ties to the Kremlin made him unfit for a leading cultural institution in Europe. She had led a campaign to keep Abdrazakov from performing in productions of Verdi’s Don Carlos and Attila operas. The Anti-Corruption Foundation of Aleksei Navalny had previously named Abdrazakov, who comes from the Bashkortostan region, as a regime supporter, citing his performances at events tied to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and a lucrative appearance on Red Square in 2022. This marks the latest in a series of international cancellations for Abdrazakov, whose scheduled performances in the United States and Germany were also recently cancelled. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here . Iran has vowed to respond to a resolution adopted by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that criticizes the Islamic republic for what it says is poor cooperation by installing a number of "new and advanced" centrifuges. The resolution, which comes shortly after the return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi from a trip to Iran , reportedly says it is "essential and urgent" for Tehran to "act to fulfill its legal obligations." A joint statement by Iran's Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization said on November 22 that the country's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, "issued an order to take effective measures, including launching a significant series of new and advanced centrifuges of various types." The Iranian announcement came after the IAEA's board on November 21 issued a second resolution condemning Tehran's cooperation with the agency after a similar warning in June. Some analysts say the resolution may be a step toward making a political decision to trigger a "snapback" of UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against Iran. The "snapback" mechanism is outlined in UNSC Resolution 2231, which enshrined a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. However, the option to reimpose the sanctions expires in October 2025. The IAEA resolution, put forward by France, Germany, and Britain and supported by the United States, comes at a critical time as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return at the White House in January. Trump during his first term embarked on a "maximum pressure" campaign of intensified sanctions on Iran and unilaterally withdrew the United States in 2018 from a landmark 2015 agreement that lifted some sanctions on Iran in exchange of curbs to its nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful. The resolution passed on November 21 also urged Iran to cooperate with an investigation launched after uranium particles were found at two sites that Iranian authorities had not declared as nuclear locations. Nineteen of the 35 members of the IAEA board voted in favor of the resolution. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso opposed it, 12 members abstained, while one did not vote, diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP. It also calls on the IAEA to come up with a "comprehensive report" on Iran's nuclear activities by spring. During Grossi's visit, Iran agreed with an IAEA demand to limit its stock of uranium enriched at 60 percent purity, which is still under the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear weapon, but it is much higher than the 3.67 percent limit it agreed to in the 2015 deal. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who was Tehran's chief negotiator for the 2015 agreement, warned that Iran would not negotiate "under pressure." Tehran has responded to previous similar resolutions by moves such as removing IAEA cameras and monitoring equipment from several nuclear sites, and increasing uranium enrichment to 60 percent purity at a second site, the Fordow plant. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy early on November 22, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. "Several powerful explosions were heard in Sumy," he said in the video, adding that rescue teams, police, and ambulances were working at the site of the explosions. Kobzar urged residents to take shelter, saying that air defenses were still engaging incoming drones in the morning. Ukraine's air force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here . A senior North Korean general has been wounded in Russia’s Kursk region, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Western officials. More than 10,000 North Korean troops are supporting Russian forces in Kursk. Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping to recover the swath of the Kursk region that Ukraine seized in August before President Donald Trump takes office early next year. The United States this week gave Ukraine the green light to use its long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russian assets in Kursk and said North Korean troops would be fair game. It is unclear how the North Korean general was wounded, the WSJ reported . The United States has imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, Russia’s third-largest lender, and dozens of other financial institutions as President Joe Biden seeks to further curtail the Kremlin’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine before he leaves office in two months. Gazprombank, which plays an important role in facilitating Russian energy exports, was the only remaining large Russian lender not under U.S. sanctions. Washington and Brussels had avoided sanctioning Gazprombank amid concern over possible energy export interruptions. Along with Gazprombank, the United States also announced sanctions on more than 50 other Russian banks conducting international operations, more than 40 Russian securities registrars and 15 Russian finance officials. The United States also warned financial institutions against joining Russia’s version of the international messaging system for banks known as SWIFT. Russia is seeking to attract international banks to its messaging platform to get around U.S. financial sanctions. “Today’s action reaffirms the U.S. commitment to curtail Russia’s ability to use the international financial system to conduct its war against Ukraine and disrupts Russia’s attempts to make cross-border payments for dual-use goods and military materiel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a November 21 statement. Ukraine backers had been calling on the Biden administration for months to tighten sanctions on Russia’s banking sector, saying the Kremlin was finding ways around existing sanctions to pay for technology imports and other dual-use items. In addition to facilitating energy payments, Gazprombank had been acting as a conduit for the purchase of military goods. The Kremlin also uses Gazprombank to pay Russian soldiers and compensate families for war deaths. “I am grateful to @POTUS and his administration for today’s strong package of financial and banking sanctions targeting Russia’s economy and war chest,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a tweet . Eddie Fishman, a former State Department official and sanctions expert, called the latest announcement a “strong step” toward closing loopholes around Russia’s energy sector, which generates about half of federal budget revenues. Biden will leave office on January 20 to make way for President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to end the war in Ukraine by getting Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table, something that experts say will be harder done than said. The financial sanctions come at a critical time for Russia’s economy as Putin’s record spending on the war effort drives up inflation and interest rates. The Russian Central Bank last month raised interest rates to 21 percent, the highest in decades, and could continue to ratchet them up with no end in sight to the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin said his military fired a new intermediate-range missile into Ukraine following accusations by Kyiv that it was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In a November 21 video statement to the nation, Putin said the use of the new weapon was a response to the United States and the United Kingdom giving permission to Kyiv to fire their long-range missiles into Russia. "In combat conditions, one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested," Putin said, adding that it was a hypersonic, ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Earlier in the day, Kyiv accused Russia of striking Ukraine with what it said appeared to be an ICBM. The new weapon was part of a larger missile attack on Dnipropetrovsk, home to important military-industrial plants. ICBMs, which are designed to deliver long-distance nuclear strikes, have never been used in war before. "On the morning of November 21, 2024...Russian troops attacked the city of Dnipro (facilities and critical infrastructure) with missiles of various types. In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation," the Ukrainian Air Force said in its statement on Telegram. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram later that the new Russian weapon had "all characteristics -- speed, altitude -- [of an] intercontinental ballistic missile." Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Russia struck Ukraine with an "experimental" intermediate-range ballistic missile that was based on its RS-26 Rubezh ICBM. She said Russia had informed the United States it would be launching the experimental missile shortly beforehand through "nuclear risk reduction channels." She said the new weapon had a smaller warhead that some other missiles Russia has launched into Ukraine. A U.S. official who asked not to be identified told media that Putin was seeking to intimidate Ukraine but added that Moscow only had a few of the "experimental" missiles. The Russian attack comes just days after reports that Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and U.S.-made ATACMS systems to strike military targets deeper inside Russia following the long-sought approval by President Joe Biden. The RS-26 Rubezh is a solid-fueled, road-mobile ICBM currently in development that has been tested with heavier payloads at intermediate ranges. Military analysts said ICBM missiles can be classified as intermediate-range weapons when their payloads are increased and ranges decreased. The main target of the Russian attack was the southeastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's most important industrial region, and its capital, the city of Dnipro. Ukraine's air force said that besides the ICBM, Russian aircraft also launched a hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile and seven subsonic Kh-101 cruise missiles. Ukrainian air defenses shot down six Kh-101 missiles, the air force reported. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said his region bore the brunt of the Russian attack. "Since early in the morning, the aggressor massively attacked our region," Lysak reported on Telegram, adding that preliminary information showed that an industrial facility was damaged in the regional capital, Dnipro, where two fires were started by the attack. Explosions were also reported in Kremenchuk, in the central Poltava region. Moscow's use of a large number of sophisticated missiles as opposed to the usual drone attacks appears to be in response to Ukraine's gaining approval to use some Western-donated long-range missile systems to strike deeper into Russia. On November 20, Russian military bloggers and a source cited by Reuters reported that Ukraine had fired up to 12 Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia's Kursk region, part of which has been under Ukrainian control following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian troops in August. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to confirm whether the missiles had been used. Previously, London had given permission to use the Storm Shadows, which have a 250-kilometer range, within Ukraine's territory. Earlier this week, Ukraine reportedly used ATACMS to strike a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region after Biden was reported as giving his OK. The White House has not officially confirmed the approval and Ukraine hasn't directly acknowledged the use of ATACMS on Russian targets. Russia has long warned that Ukraine's use Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike inside its territory would mark a serious escalation of the conflict. On November 21, Moscow said a new U.S. missile defence base in the Polish town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, which was opened on November 13 as part of a broader NATO missile shield, will lead to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger. "This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilising actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic alliance in the strategic sphere," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger," Zakharova said. Poland rejected the claim, saying there were no nuclear missiles at the base. "It is a base that serves the purpose of defense, not attack," Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said on November 21. At least 38 people were killed and more than 40 wounded after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying Shi'ite Muslims in northwest Pakistan as religious tension in the region rises. Three women and a child were among those killed in the November 21 attack, police told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal. The convoy of 200 cars was heading from Peshawar to Parachinar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province near the border with Afghanistan when the unknown gunmen attacked. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in the Kurram region. Police, who were escorting the cars, said the death toll could climb. There were about 700 people in the convoy, according to law enforcement. Tension in Kurram began to heat up after 17 people were killed in an attack on a convoy on October 12. There have been about a handful of deadly attacks since then. Sunnis and Shi'a live together in Kurram and have clashed violently over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace. Influential Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash is among eight people targeted by fresh British sanctions that accuse the group, which includes his wife, Lada, of large-scale, international corruption. Angolan-Russian billionaire Isabel dos Santos and Latvian politician and businessman Aivars Lembergs are also among those hit by the new sanctions announced on November 21. The British government accuses Firtash of bribing officials to secure mining licenses for his companies and profiting illegally from Ukraine's gas-transportation system. Firtash is also linked to financier Denys Horbunenko, a resident of the United Kingdom who was added to the sanctions list on November 21 for his association with Firtash. Firtash has faced legal scrutiny in Ukraine over embezzlement and money-laundering accusations involving fraudulent gas-trading schemes. The United States has been seeking his extradition from Austria on charges of bribing Indian officials. Firtash, who gained prominence in the 2000s through his joint venture RosUkrEnergo with Russian energy giant Gazprom, has denied allegations of working in Russia's interests. Dos Santos, daughter of former Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is Africa's first female billionaire. She is accused of corruption in Angola, where she allegedly exploited her political connections for personal gain. Dos Santos claims she has held Russian citizenship since birth, as she was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1973 under the former Soviet Union. Lembergs, a former populist mayor of the Latvian city of Ventspils, has been convicted in Latvia of corruption and sentenced to five years in prison. He claims the charges against him are politically motivated. The sanctions are part of a British efforts to combat international corruption and disrupt the financial networks of individuals accused of abusing their power for personal enrichment. The measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and restricting these individuals from accessing the U.K.'s financial system or entering the country. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Muhammad Deif, a military commander in the Iran-backed group Hamas, alleging they committed crimes against humanity in the ongoing Gaza war. All three are accused of committing war crimes connected to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, an EU- and U.S-designated terrorist organization that is part of Tehran's network of proxies in the Middle East, and Israel's subsequent military intervention in the Gaza Strip. Iran's backing of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-supported militant group and political party that controls much of the southern part of Israel's neighbor, Lebanon, has sparked fears that the war in the Gaza Strip will engulf the Middle East. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. The court said the warrants had been classified as "secret" to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. Israel, which claims it killed Deif in July, blasted the move as "a dark moment for the ICC." Hamas, which has never officially acknowledged Deif's death, called the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant an "important step toward justice." The ICC said it had issued the arrest warrant for Deif as the prosecutor had not been able to determine whether he was dead. His warrant shows charges of mass killings during the October 7 attack on Israel that left some 1,200 dead, as well as charges of rape and the taking of around 240 hostages in the attack. "The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both [Israeli] individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024," the ICC said in a statement . "This finding is based on the role of Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal," it said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the move against Netanyahu and Gallant "absurd" in a post on X, saying it was an attack of Israel's right to self-defense. "A dark moment for the ICC in The Hague, in which it lost all legitimacy for its existence and activity," Sa'ar said. Tehran has yet to comment publicly on the warrants. Neither the United States nor Israel have recognized the ICC's jurisdiction. A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said Washington "fundamentally rejects" the issuance of the arrest warrants and "the troubling process errors that led to this decision. Meanwhile, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a post on X that ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States." The court said Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction was not required. However, the court itself has no law enforcement levers to enforce warrants and relies on cooperation from its member states. Russian police have conducted searches at the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art in the city of Perm, as well as at the home of its current director, in connection with a case against former director Marat Gelman , REN-TV reported, citing anonymous sources. The PERMM Museum announced on social media that it would remain closed until 3 p.m. local time due to "technical reasons." Gelman, a well-known art dealer who currently lives in Montenegro, where he owns an art gallery, was placed on Russia’s federal wanted list in December 2022 under a criminal charge, though details of the accusation remain unclear. In an interview with Current Time, Gelman suggested that the charges might be in connection with him "discrediting" the Russian military, a common pretext used against critics of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Gelman has been a vocal member of the Anti-War Committee and a member of the Permanent Committee of the Free Russia Forum. He has repeatedly expressed his support for Ukraine and his opposition to Russia's war efforts. The raid in Perm is part of a broader pattern of increasing pressure on Gelman. In the past week, he was added to Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists," with a designation indicating an ongoing criminal case against him. Critics argue this move is part of a crackdown on anti-war activists and dissenting voices within and beyond Russia. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on November 21 that 11 people were arrested after being found responsible for the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in Serbia's second-largest city. The huge canopy collapsed on November 1, killing 15 people and seriously injuring another two. The accident occurred after the railway station, built in 1964, had been renovated twice in recent years by a consortium of four companies -- China Railway International and China Communications Construction, France's Egis, and Hungary's Utiber. Among those arrested are former Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic, and the ex-director of Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic. They face charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work, the prosecutor said in a statement, adding that they faced up to 12 years in prison. The arrests came after public protests that turned violent demanded the punishment of those responsible amid accusations of corruption that resulted in substandard renovation work on the railway station. In a message on X, Vesic wrote that he had not been arrested, but had "voluntarily responded to the call of the police officers" and "made himself available to police authorities." Vesic, an official from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, resigned after the accident on November 4 but said he did not accept blame for the accident. Tomislav Momirovic, who headed the Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Ministry from 2020 to 2022, submitted his resignation as trade minister on November 20. The same day, Tanaskovic resigned as head of Serbian Railway Infrastructure. Opposition politicians have voiced scepticism about the arrests and demanded that the case be handed over to organized-crime prosecutors. The office of Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has issued a statement condemning the recent extradition from Vietnam to Belarus of Vasil Verameychyk, who fought on the Ukrainian side against invading Russian troops. Verameychyk, who moved to Vietnam after he was denied permission to settle in Lithuania because of he had previously served in the Belarusian Army, was detained in Vietnam earlier this year. Despite international appeals, Vietnamese authorities proceeded with his extradition in late October 2024. Tsikhanouskaya's office described the extradition as a direct consequence of the repressive policies of the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, highlighting the regime's efforts to target opponents beyond its borders. The statement emphasizes the urgent need for stronger international mechanisms to protect human rights, not only for Belarusians fleeing repression but also for those supporting Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's ongoing invasion. It calls on the international community to adopt individualized approaches when reviewing cases for international protection, end cooperation with the Belarusian security forces, and suspend bilateral agreements on extradition and legal assistance with Belarus. Additionally, the statement advises Belarusians abroad to remain vigilant against potential actions by Lukashenka's security services. It recommends consulting resources like Pashpart.org to identify countries deemed unsafe for Belarusians at risk of persecution. Russian mathematician and political prisoner Azat Miftakhov has been placed in solitary confinement for seven days. According to a support group for Miftakhov, the decision came after he reported feeling endangered by his current cellmate. In a letter shared by the group, Miftakhov explained that instead of being transferred to another cell, he was put in solitary confinement. It remains unclear whether Miftakhov will be returned to the same cell after completing his time in solitary. His support group says that his cellmate appears to be mentally ill. Miftakhov said that the man had undergone treatment while in pretrial detention but was nonetheless sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and is now being held in a general cell without access to medical care. Miftakhov is currently serving his sentence in a prison in Dimitrovgrad in the Ulyanovsk region. In March 2023, he was sentenced to four years in prison for "justifying terrorism." The charges stemmed from comments Miftakhov allegedly made while serving a previous sentence expressing support for Mikhail Zhlobitsky, who carried out a suicide bombing in 2018 at a Federal Security Service building in Arkhangelsk. Only Zhlobitsky was killed in the bombing. Before this, Miftakhov served five years and nine months on charges of hooliganism for allegedly participating in an attack on a Moscow office of the ruling United Russia party in 2018. He and his supporters have maintained his innocence, stating that he was tortured during the investigation and coerced into signing a confession, which he retracted. In 2019, the Russian human rights organization Memorial recognized Miftakhov as a political prisoner. Vietnam has extradited a Belarusian national who fought as a volunteer in Ukraine on Kyiv's side to Minsk, Belarusian media reported on November 20. The opposition-led Coordination Council said Vasyl Verameychyk, who is a member of the council, was turned over to Belarus on November 14. Verameychyk served in the Belarusian Army for seven years but participated in the 2020 anti-government protests. After the threat of arrest, he fled to Ukraine, where he joined the fighting against Russian forcesand was wounded in April 2022. Nasha Niva news reported Verameychyk moved to Vietnam after he was denied permission to settle in Lithuania because of his former Belarusian Army service. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, click here . European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson told RFE/RL in an interview that she is “optimistic” that Romania and Bulgaria will be fully integrated into the visa-free Schengen travel zone by the end of the year. “Romania and Bulgaria are ready, the Schengen area is ready, so I can’t see any obstacles,” she said. “It’s time to lift internal border controls now.” The interview, conducted on November 19, will be published in full on November 21. In March, both countries joined the Schengen area on a partial basis , allowing visa-free travel for those arriving and departing on flights and by boat to both countries, but not by road. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Romanian Service, click here .Prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday gave a clarion call for unity and brotherhood in the country in his final Mann ki Baat episode of the year, and urged people to “annihilate the feeling of division and hatred in the society” while he hailed the upcoming Kumbh Mela as a unique scene of unity in diversity. Modi also announced that a special website named constitution75.com has been created to connect the citizens of the country with the legacy of the Constitution. As the Prime Minister informed his audience of the preparations for the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from January 13, he hailed the spiritual festival as a manifestation of India’s diversity where there is no discrimination against anyone and everyone is treated equally. “The speciality of the Maha Kumbh is not only in its vastness. The speciality of the Kumbh is also in its diversity. Crores of people congregate for this event. Lakhs of saints, thousands of traditions, hundreds of sects, many akharas, everyone becomes a part of this event. There is no discrimination anywhere, no one is big, no one is small. Such a scene of unity in diversity will not be seen anywhere else in the world. Therefore, our Kumbh is also the Maha Kumbh of unity. This time’s Maha Kumbh will also bolster the mantra of Maha Kumbh of unity.” “Let me tell all of you; when we participate in the Kumbh, let us bring along this resolve of unity with us. Let us also make a resolve to annihilate the feeling of division and hatred in society. If I have to say it in a few words, then I will say Mahakumbh Ka Sandesh, Ek Ho Poora Desh... The message of the Mahakumbh, let the whole country be united... and putting it in another way, I will express Ganga Ki Aviral Dhara, Na Bate Samaj Hamara... Like the uninterrupted flow of the Ganga, let our society be undivided. Friends, this time in Prayagraj, devotees from the country and the world will also be witness to the digital Maha Kumbh,” the PM added. This is the second time in as many months that the PM has spoken about unity and peace in society. On November 11, speaking virtually at the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Vadtal, Gujarat, Modi urged for collective action to safeguard national integrity. “Unity among citizens and integrity of the nation is important to make India a developed nation by 2047. Some forces are working to divide our society on the basis of caste, faith, language, social status, gender, and the rural-urban divide. We must recognise the gravity of these attempts by those who seek to harm our nation, understand the threat they pose, and work collectively to defeat such divisive acts,” Modi said. The PM also informed that for the first time an AI chatbot will be used at the mega carnival of humanity. “With the help of digital navigation, you will be able to reach different ghats, temples, and akharas of sadhus. The same navigation system will also help you reach parking spaces. For the first time, an AI chatbot will be used in the Kumbh event. All kinds of information related to the Kumbh will be available in 11 Indian languages through the AI chatbot. Anyone can ask for any kind of help through this chatbot, either by typing text or by speaking in. The entire fair area is being covered with AI-powered cameras,” the PM said. If a person gets separated from one’s kith and kin during the Kumbh, these cameras will help find them and devotees will also get the facility of a digital lost and found centre, the PM added. He spoke of how devotees will also be provided information about government-approved tour packages, accommodation and homestays on their mobile phones and a facility to click selfies with #EktaKaMahakumbh. As the government is making mega plans to celebrate 75 years of the installation of the Constitution — which has also been at the centre of major political battles in the recent past between the Congress and the BJP — the Prime Minister in his Mann ki Baat announced that a special website has been created to bring the common people closer to the spirit of the document. “On January 26, 2025, our Constitution is completing 75 years. It is a matter of great honour for all of us. The Constitution, handed over to us by our Constitution makers, has stood the test of time in every sense of the term. The Constitution is our guiding light, our guide. It is on account of the Constitution of India that I am here today, being able to talk to you. This year, on Constitution Day, the 26th of November, many activities have commenced that will go on for a year. A special website named constitution75.com has also been created to connect the citizens of the country with the legacy of the Constitution,” the PM said. “In this”, Modi added, “you can read the Preamble of the Constitution and upload your video. You can read the Constitution in myriad languages; you can also ask questions pertaining to the Constitution. I urge the listeners of Mann Ki Baat, school-going children, college-going youth, to visit this website and become a part of it.” Modi also touted the ministry of information and broadcasting’s upcoming WAVES Summit in New Delhi that the ministry wants to turn into India’s flagship entertainment conference, akin to what the Cannes Film Festival is to France. “A great opportunity is on the way to showcase India’s creative talent to the world. Next year, for the first time, the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit, that is, WAVES Summit is going to be organised in our country. All of you must have heard about Davos, where the world’s economic giants gather. Similarly, in the WAVES Summit, giants from the media and entertainment industry and people from the creative world will come to India. This summit is an important step towards making India a hub of global content creation. I feel proud informing you that the young creators of our country are also joining with full enthusiasm in the preparations for this summit. When we are moving towards a $5 trillion economy, our creator economy is bringing in a new energy. “I would urge the entire entertainment and creative industry of India -- whether you are a young creator or an established artist, associated with Bollywood or regional cinema, a professional from the TV industry, an expert in animation, gaming or an innovator in entertainment technology -- to be a part of the WAVES Summit,” he said. The WAVES Summit was earlier scheduled to be held in Goa alongside IFFI in November but was rescheduled to four months later. Modi also told the country about the first Bastar Olympics that concluded earlier this month and saw the participation of 165,000 players from seven districts. “You will also be happy to know that this is taking place in the region which was once a witness to Maoist violence,” he said. The events included athletics, archery, badminton, football, hockey, weightlifting, karate, kabaddi, kho-kho, and volleyball. “Bastar Olympics is not just a sports event. It is a platform where development and sports are merging together, where our youth are honing their talent and building a new India,” he said.
On 21 August 2024 ‘Colombo Telegraph’ published an article titled, “Will the old order accept AKD victory?” The reason for raising that question then was because, of all the 39 contestants in the race for Presidency, including the two front runners Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) and Sajith Premadasa (SP), only AKD stood for something radically different. While all the others had exhibited no understanding of the root cause of the poly-crises that plagued the nation and promising blindly to tackle them rather spasmodically with the help of foreign agencies and advisors, only AKD was advocating something entirely different. He identified the root cause of the crises in the reigning political culture and system of governance and vowed to uproot them completely through a social revolution if voters gave him a clear mandate. In fact, he was giving voice to the political aspirations of a new generation of Sri Lankans some of whom gathered peacefully at the Galle Face Green in 2022 to express their loss of confidence on the Government of the day and demanded “system change”. That slogan expressed and elaborated repeatedly through the oratorical skill of AKD soon caught the imagination of a whole generation of voters, which finally resulted in his victory at the Presidential Election. That election was virtually transformed into a contest between the old and new orders. But his victory however was not as overwhelming as the new generation had expected because of the less than 50% of votes garnered by AKD. His critics were quick to dub him as a minority president. Yet, it was an approval for system change none the less. However, since the majority did not vote for AKD his victory provided a window of opportunity to the two main losers, RW and SP, who are the products and beneficiaries of the old order and therefore had no appetite for any system change. They therefore decided to try their fortune at the General Election in November. Just like the Presidential contest in September the November election too promised to be a battle between two orders. Against all expectations the results turned out to be an avalanche with a massive swing of voter preference towards AKD’s National People’s Power (NPP). It was an avalanche because the votes he polled came from almost all corners of the country and from every community. With more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats captured, NPP is in an unassailable position to put into effect its program for system-change without compromising. But the humiliation suffered by his two main opponents and their close supporters is immeasurable. They still don’t seem to have recovered from that shock. Will they wait patiently for another five years to try their luck again, although RW would be nearing his eighth decade of his life? Or will the ancient regime try short cuts to end the rule of NPP through undemocratic means? This indeed is the worrying concern. At the domestic front, while the majority of Sri Lankans are obviously fed up with the old order – an order which hijacked the country’s parliamentary democracy and its pluralist ethos to turn it virtually into a Sinhala-Buddhist majoritarian ethnocracy with a system of governance noted more for endemic corruption and mismanagement than honesty and accountability – and therefore welcomes the new alternative, there is a significant lot of disgruntled but influential elements that are licking their electoral wounds and wondering what to do next. Those elements will not rest until they recapture power and restore the ancient regime with vengeance. There are enough instances in history where this had occurred. The 2011 post-Arab Spring experience of Egypt is among the more recent ones. A series of reforms that the new Government is scheduled to undertake such as the anti-corruption drive, ethnic reconciliation, secularising the country’s democracy with a new constitution, cleansing the market of mafia control and so on would provide ample opportunities for the losers to stirrup trouble. At the foreign front also, there is mixed reception for the new Government. Behind the diplomatic formality of congratulating AKD and his NPP there would certainly be concerns in certain quarters particularly in the West about the new regime’s leftist orientation and its soft corner for China on matters of strategic foreign relations. Even on the economic front, although AKD is committed to maintain an open free-market economy there would still be areas where the State needs to exert some control in the interest of rejuvenating the domestic production sector, achieving food security and maintaining a degree of economic independence. Several developing countries especially in Africa and Latin America, which blindly got hooked to the open economy model of global capitalism have ultimately become net importers of even food items produced in rich countries, and consequently had fallen into financial debt. After 1978, Sri Lanka too followed the same track and is now struggling to pay back its huge debt. Ranil Wickremesinghe wanted to go along that way until 2048. Thank God! People rejected him. With a commitment to go along with the IMF agenda, NPP Government should look out for other avenues and possibilities to achieve its economic objectives. IMF is more worried about financial stability than economic stability although the two are interconnected. But NPP wants to achieve both to become economically independent. Extra resources are therefore needed. It is in this context that ethnic reconciliation should be given priority in Government’s list of reforms. There is a huge amount of untapped investment potential lying outside the country and within the expatriate Tamil, Muslim and even Sinhalese communities which could be harnessed to rebuild the local economy. Ethnic reconciliation with corruption-free Government therefore becomes an absolute requirement to build an independent economy within the open economy model. AKD’s call for system change at home also sends a subtle message internationally that the reigning global capitalist model also needs change. All this no doubt would raise concern among certain foreign powers such as US, India, China and lately Israel at the foreign policy direction of the new regime. China’s One Belt Road and String of Pearls strategies are viewed by US as threats to its imperial domination. That threat may intensify once the Hawkish President Donald Trump enters the White House in January 2025. India too believes, as K.M. Panikkar once pointed out, that without control over the Indian Ocean its security would be jeopardised. China’s foothold at Hambantota is an eyesore to both these countries. And Israel as the most reliable agent of US and friend of India could play the role of an agent provocateur on Sri Lankan soil if necessity arises. The recent incident at Arugam Bay and mushrooming Chabad Houses should be a cause for concern to local authorities. Thus, while the domestically disgruntled political elements are looking for opportunities to make life difficult for President AKD and his NPP Government those very elements could become tools at the hands of foreign elements with their own strategic agenda. In recent years Sri Lanka had been bedevilled with intelligence failures. If there is one area where the new Government needs pay immediate attention it is to improve the operation of its intelligence agencies. With full support from the masses, with Kautilya diplomacy and with sharp intelligence services Sri Lanka under NPP could regain its lost reputation as the most hospitable and peaceful democratic nation in the whole of Asia at least. What has been discussed so far may sound farfetched and could be criticised as sheer fantasy. However, it is better to err on the side of caution than to be caught unprepared when the tremor strikes.
Ben Davies is the latest to fall into that category, with the Welsh international initially primed to return for Sunday’s visit of Wolves but no longer available. Davies suffered a setback in training this week, which means Spurs could be without a fit centre-back after Radu Dragusin was forced off in the latter stages of Thursday’s 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest with an ankle issue. Ange with a team news update ahead of Wolves on Sunday 🗣️ — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) Postecoglou is already without first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven after both failed to make it through their comeback fixture against Chelsea on December 7. “Yeah, that’s been our major problem this year. Guys who are coming back from injury rather than us losing players as such,” Postecoglou said. “We’re looking at those things and why they’re happening. It’s certainly happened too often this year where guys have come back and they’re the ones who are missing. “I think just about all of them, apart from Vic (Guglielmo Vicario), are recurrences of an injury. “Even with Romero, it was a different injury but it’s still a guy coming back, so it’s something we’re looking at.” There could be good news on the horizon with attackers Mikey Moore and Richarlison expected to return to training next week. Richarlison suffered his own setback in November when his short-lived return after a calf issue was cut short when he injured the same area against Aston Villa. Moore, meanwhile, has been sidelined by a virus for the best part of two months but the 17-year-old could provide a much-needed spark in the new year when Newcastle visit on January 4. Postecoglou said: “Him and Richy are in the final phases. Next week they can start training. We’ve got a bit of a gap before the Newcastle game. “The plan is Mikey and Richy come back into first-team training next week.” Anticipated returns for Moore and Richarlison will fail to help Postecoglou against Wolves, with makeshift centre-back Archie Gray potentially set to partner up with fellow midfielder Yves Bissouma if Dragusin cannot recover. Pressed on the issue of fixture scheduling, with Spurs definitely missing eight players for Sunday’s fixture, Postecoglou said: “It is challenging. “All clubs are going to have to get their heads around it and authorities are going to have to get their heads around it. “One of two things need to happen: either you somehow change the fixture schedule, which doesn’t seem feasible, or you allow clubs bigger squads. Then you have other issues with that, as well. “The attrition rate you’re seeing and it’s not just us. We’re going through a particularly badly moment. Newcastle went through it last year and it affected them pretty badly. They were obviously in the Champions League as well and probably didn’t have the squad to cope with it. “It hits certain clubs at different times and is probably becoming more prevalent, and for all of us it’s a challenge as to how we navigate this process to keep our players healthy. “It’s not just a physical thing, it’s a mental thing. For us it’s been constant since August and we’re not even halfway through the year. And they’re not going to get a break now, so these things we’re constantly assessing.”
Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski promised to give new coach Barry Odom everything he needed to revive the Boilermakers program. Increasing the NIL budget is a solid start. Odom knows what's coming next — the questions. So naturally, it didn't take long for the former UNLV coach to be asked one thing he's likely to hear frequently on the recruiting trail: Could he explain the payment dispute that led to after just three games this season? “I think every story, you look at what you're able to say, what's the truth, what's the reality and what's fabricated,” Odom said Tuesday at his introductory news conference. “I think you look at that very specific instance there was very open communication from the day the recruiting process started. Everything we did as a staff, as a university, as an athletic department was by the book and by the law.” after twice being selected as a Walter Payton Award finalist. The award goes to the best player in the Football Championship Series. He didn't last long in Las Vegas. Sluka entered the transfer portal after winning all three starts, claiming he never received a promised $100,000 NIL payment. Odom issued a statement at the time saying the program abided by the “applicable rules.” On Tuesday, he seemed to acknowledge that part of the explanation was a continuing quarterback competition between Sluka and Hajj Malik-Williams, who took over as the starter and led UNLV (10-3) to its best record in 40 years and a second straight Mountain West Conference championship game appearance. Malik-Williams was a second-team all-conference selection. Odom likely will need more detailed answers for prospective recruits if he intends to make the Boilermakers competitive again in a Big Ten with four teams. Odom does have some advantages at Purdue — a strong alumni base led by former NFL star Drew Brees, a recently renovated stadium, other upgraded facilities and the school's longtime reputation as the “Cradle of Quarterbacks.” The biggest advantage, though, will be “We’re going to operate at the full cap," Bobinski said. “We’re going to be as resourced as anybody in the country, allowing Barry and his staff the ability to go out there and be eyeball to eyeball with everybody we’re competing for, a transfer or from a high school recruiting perspective.” Bobinski said Odom's results at UNLV were the primary attraction, though. As the Boilermakers continued to struggle in November, Bobinski started studying the revival of a UNLV program that had struggled for decades. What he found was that the man Missouri fired in 2019 after posting a 25-25 record in four seasons had earned a second chance with a Power Four program. “What was accomplished at UNLV these last couple years was nothing short of remarkable,” Bobinski said. “What that shows me is Coach Odom brings a very unique combination of an old-school, traditional football toughness and mindset with ability to operate and adapt to today’s college football environment.” It's a combination Purdue desperately needs following in which it went 1-11 (0-9 Big Ten) and suffered the two most lopsided losses in school history — 66-7 to Notre Dame and 66-0 to Indiana. He takes over a team that lost its final 11 games and did not beat an FBS opponent. Navigating the path back in what's likely to be the first year of revenue sharing and NIL caps tied to roster limits could be even trickier given what he's facing. The state's other two most prominent programs — No. 3 Notre Dame (11-1, No. 5 CFP) and No. 9 Indiana (11-1, No. 8 CFP), will meet in a first-round playoff game on Dec. 20. There are other complications, too. Purdue signed only six recruits on the first day of the early signing period and has 21 players currently in the transfer portal, including All-American safety Dillon Thieneman, starting linebacker Yanni Karlaftis, starting tight end Max Klare and two quarterbacks. “We've got to be great evaluators, and then you've got to build an offense or a defense and a kicking game around the strengths of our players,” Odom said. “And then we've got to be great teachers at making them and teaching them, understanding the reasons we're calling the play and how important their job is to get that job done.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: andNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to enforce the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, according to state media reports, in anticipation of Donald Trump assuming the U.S. presidency. Kim’s declaration comes amid uncertainties regarding a swift return to high-level diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington upon Trump’s return to the White House. During his first term, Trump engaged in multiple summits with Kim, but experts predict Trump will initially address other international conflicts before revisiting nuclear diplomacy with North Korea. Kim made his stance clear during a Workers’ Party plenary meeting, denouncing the U.S. as a state committed to anti-communism. He condemned the growing U.S.-South Korea-Japan security collaborations as forming a “nuclear military bloc for aggression.” The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim outlined a strategy for aggressive counteraction against the U.S., emphasizing the enhancement of North Korea’s military and the strengthening of its soldiers’ mental resilience. The previous period of diplomacy between Trump and Kim reduced belligerent exchanges and led to historic meetings. However, talks broke down in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions, and North Korea has advanced its weapons testing since. The U.S. and South Korea have consequently increased military exercises, which North Korea perceives as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating diplomatic efforts is North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia, including the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. This has raised concerns about the potential exchange of advanced weapons technology between Moscow and Pyongyang. North Korea’s military support for Russia and ongoing missile tests have made it challenging for international bodies, hindered by Russia and China’s vetoes, to impose additional sanctions. Kim recently reiterated his belief that his country’s nuclear armament is essential for countering perceived threats from the U.S.Genesis Bryant scores 27 and No. 19 Illinois women beat UMES 75-55 in Music City Classic
The counting of votes will be undertaken at 8 am on Saturday in where the election is witnessing a major battle. The Mahim Assembly constituency (number 181) is a general seat located in the Mumbai district. Mahim is part of Mumbai's bustling urban landscape, which has made it a focal point for political activity. The constituency includes a diverse voter base from one of the city’s most cosmopolitan areas. In the 2024 election, incumbent MLA Sada Sarvankar from the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction will seek re-election, aiming to retain his seat. Sarvankar, who won the seat in 2019, faces a strong challenge from Amit Thackeray of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Shiv Sena (UBT) has also fielded Mahesh Sawant, adding complexity to the race with a multi-cornered contest. Sarvankar's previous victories and Thackeray's rising political profile make this election highly competitive. A total of six candidates are contesting from the constituency. In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Sada Sarvankar won the seat with 61,337 votes, capturing 49.45 percent of the vote share. He defeated MNS's Sandeep Deshpande, who secured 42,690 votes (34.42 percent), with Sarvankar winning by a margin of 18,647 votes. In the 2014 elections, Sarvankar also emerged victorious, defeating MNS's Nitin Sardesai with 46,291 votes (33.97 percent). Key local issues include infrastructure development, water supply, traffic congestion, and housing in Mahim, which is an urban, densely populated area. The constituency is also focused on addressing the needs of its diverse communities, with many voters looking for better amenities and services. These issues will likely dominate the political discourse as candidates seek to address local concerns. According to 2019 Election Commission data, Mahim has 25,19,586 eligible voters, including 13,55,982 male voters and 11,63,374 female voters. The constituency also has 230 third-gender voters. With a significant and diverse electorate, Mahim sees active political engagement, and voter turnout will play a key role in determining the winner. The Mahim constituency went to polls on November 20, along with other constituencies across Maharashtra. Results will be announced on Saturday, marking the conclusion of the election process. The contest in Mahim promises to be a closely watched race with several key players in the fray. Mahim emerged as a key battleground, recording a voter turnout of 59.01 percent.Lewis County, West Virginia, Senior Center to host second annual Chili Cook-off on Jan. 22
Remembering Jimmy Carter: The president who set the standard for national-disaster response
By Stephen Whyno The Associated Press LANDOVER, Md. — Army and Navy have combined to win 19 of 23 games this season and re-emerged as nationally relevant college football programs. For the first time since 2017, the two military academies are both going to a bowl game . None of that matters much to players and coaches — not with the 125th rendition of the Army-Navy game on deck Saturday. “It’s a game and a season really all of its own,” Army coach Jeff Monken said Tuesday. “We’ve had a good year. You make it a great year by winning this game coming up on Saturday. Frankly, that’s just the way it goes around here.” Monken’s Black Knights are ranked 19th in the country after routing Tulane to win the American Athletic Conference. They’re 11-1, unbeaten in the AAC in their first season in it and their only loss came to College Football Playoff -bound Notre Dame. Marshall awaits in the Independence Bowl. Navy will face Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl to cap its first winning season since 2019. Still, there’s no way the Midshipmen are looking past this rivalry to the Sooners. “Oklahoma’s not on our mind right now because it’s all Army-Navy,” linebacker Colin Ramos said. “This is our No. 1 goal, and then after that, we’ll have about a week and a half, two weeks — whatever it is — to prepare. Right now, it’s Army-Navy.” Ramos said beating Army would define Navy’s season even more than the previous eight victories. Fellow senior captain Daba Fofana notices that importance when he feels the intensity of each practice leading up to this game. “It’s definitely amped up,” Fofana said. “We put a lot of emphasis on it naturally, but our mentality to deal with the big stage and just to play like we do, it’s another game. We’ve played this since we were young kids.” Monken, in his 11th year at West Point, refuses to apologize for making the Army-Navy game a talking point 365 days a year. He ends some conversations with the phrase, “Beat Navy.” Army would love to beat Marshall, too, but standout quarterback Bryson Daily has been proud of how he and his teammates have avoided getting ahead of themselves in recent months. He expects nothing less in the most anticipated showdown of the year. “You come here to play in this game: the biggest stage possible, millions of people watching and a sold-out NFL stadium,” said Daily, whose 29 touchdowns are tied for the most in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision with Boise State Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty. “Records don’t matter. Rankings don’t matter. All that goes out the window for the Army-Navy Game.” Army is a 6 1/2-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook for the game at the Washington Commanders’ stadium in Landover, Maryland, a few miles outside the nation’s capital. All the success so far has not prevented athletic director Mike Buddie from feeling nervous about this weekend. “Thrilled that we’ve had the season that we’ve had, but the beauty of this game is this is the one that matters,” Buddie said. “They know that this is big game, and our guys know this is a big game. We’re hoping we can stay focused the way we’ve been able to do so far and make Saturday really special, but it won’t be easy.” Navy coach Brian Newberry called this “the most complete, well-rounded Army football team, the best Army football team” he has seen since arriving in Annapolis in 2019 as defensive coordinator. After a few games he’d like to have back, including a lopsided loss to Notre Dame, this is still a winner-take-all chance to capture the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy that has gone to Army and Air Force in recent years. “Winning the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, this game, is our most important goal in our program,” Newberry said. Facing a talented SEC opponent like Oklahoma in a bowl game in the fertile recruiting ground of Texas is important, too, but he added without hesitation, “We’ll worry about that on Monday.”KINGSTON — The Wolfe Islander IV remains out of service 10 days after being damaged while crossing between the city and Marysville . Kingston and the Islands MPP Ted Hsu wrote on social media earlier this week that in a meeting with Ministry of Transportation officials he was told the investigation into how the ferry was damaged is still underway. The extent of the damage, and the potential of having to send the ferry to a dry dock for repair, is also being assessed. The 399-passenger, 75-vehicle ferry only entered service in mid-August almost three years after arriving in the Kingston area from Romania where it and the Amherst Islander II were built. Since entering service, island residents have been angered by the schedule that has the ferry making fewer crossings than before. Hsu wrote that the ministry is to consider improving the way it communicates ferry service conditions to the public. Hsu added that the navigational charts of the area where collision took place are to be reviewed. “The Coast Guard will be checking whether, near where the Wolfe Islander IV hit bottom, whether the buoys, navigation maps and the actual topography of the lake bottom match up,” Hsu wrote. Losing the Wolfe Islander IV for an undetermined amount of time is another hit to the island residents who rely on the ferry to link them to the mainland, said Frontenac Islands Mayor Judy Greenwood-Speers. Greenwood-Speers said the Ontario government is trying go back on a plan to have two ferries serving the island. “At this point, they could meet Wolfe Island needs by having the Wolfe Islander III and the Frontenac II running with nearly the same staffing used as the one Wolfe Islander IV needs to have. The two older boats can run in heavy weather,” she said, adding that the new ferry, unlike the Canadian-designed and -built vessel it replaced, was not built to handle the conditions on the Great Lakes.Ben Davies is the latest to fall into that category, with the Welsh international initially primed to return for Sunday’s visit of Wolves but no longer available. Davies suffered a setback in training this week, which means Spurs could be without a fit centre-back after Radu Dragusin was forced off in the latter stages of Thursday’s 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest with an ankle issue. Ange with a team news update ahead of Wolves on Sunday 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0EiYh4TP8j — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 27, 2024 Postecoglou is already without first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven after both failed to make it through their comeback fixture against Chelsea on December 7. “Yeah, that’s been our major problem this year. Guys who are coming back from injury rather than us losing players as such,” Postecoglou said. “We’re looking at those things and why they’re happening. It’s certainly happened too often this year where guys have come back and they’re the ones who are missing. “I think just about all of them, apart from Vic (Guglielmo Vicario), are recurrences of an injury. “Even with Romero, it was a different injury but it’s still a guy coming back, so it’s something we’re looking at.” There could be good news on the horizon with attackers Mikey Moore and Richarlison expected to return to training next week. A post shared by Richarlison (@richarlison) Richarlison suffered his own setback in November when his short-lived return after a calf issue was cut short when he injured the same area against Aston Villa. Moore, meanwhile, has been sidelined by a virus for the best part of two months but the 17-year-old could provide a much-needed spark in the new year when Newcastle visit on January 4. Postecoglou said: “Him and Richy are in the final phases. Next week they can start training. We’ve got a bit of a gap before the Newcastle game. “The plan is Mikey and Richy come back into first-team training next week.” Anticipated returns for Moore and Richarlison will fail to help Postecoglou against Wolves, with makeshift centre-back Archie Gray potentially set to partner up with fellow midfielder Yves Bissouma if Dragusin cannot recover. Pressed on the issue of fixture scheduling, with Spurs definitely missing eight players for Sunday’s fixture, Postecoglou said: “It is challenging. “All clubs are going to have to get their heads around it and authorities are going to have to get their heads around it. “One of two things need to happen: either you somehow change the fixture schedule, which doesn’t seem feasible, or you allow clubs bigger squads. Then you have other issues with that, as well. “The attrition rate you’re seeing and it’s not just us. We’re going through a particularly badly moment. Newcastle went through it last year and it affected them pretty badly. They were obviously in the Champions League as well and probably didn’t have the squad to cope with it. “It hits certain clubs at different times and is probably becoming more prevalent, and for all of us it’s a challenge as to how we navigate this process to keep our players healthy. “It’s not just a physical thing, it’s a mental thing. For us it’s been constant since August and we’re not even halfway through the year. And they’re not going to get a break now, so these things we’re constantly assessing.”Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login A five-year surge in renovations and knock-down-and-rebuild work has tied up half of Australia’s home-building workforce and resources in projects that capitalise existing housing or replace it, rather than increasing overall stock, KPMG analysis shows. High land prices discouraging owners from moving to a larger house and the supply-chain chaos of the pandemic that sapped builders’ appetite to take on small, two-townhouse developments lifted spending on one-for-one replacements and alterations and additions to 46 per cent of total dwelling investment nationally last year. Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Introducing your Newsfeed Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Latest In Residential Fetching latest articles Most Viewed In Property
Mauritius accused of demanding ‘crazy’ money in diplomatic negotiations with UK over future of Chagos Islands
Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the US presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” AP