swerte gaming.net
Why Investors Were Slamming the Phone Down on T-Mobile US Stock Today - Yahoo Finance
Equinix Inc. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading dayNone
None
Boko Haram, military committed war cimes in North-East – AmnestyClimate finance's 'new era' shows new political realities
Romanians cast ballots in presidential race that could pit nationalist against leftist in a runoff
About 3,000 people marched in Bucharest on December 5 demanding Romania maintain its pro-European path ahead of a runoff that will decide whether a far-right pro-Russian candidate will become the country’s next president. With the country braced for a December 8 second round vote pitting pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi against Calin Georgescu , who won the first round amid allegations of election influence orchestrated by Russia, Romanians gathered in University Square chanting "Freedom" and "Europe." Georgescu's first-place finish sparked fears and triggered protests, especially among younger Romanians, over the future of democracy in the country. The country was rocked further when Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) on December 4 declassified documents revealing the country was the target of an "aggressive hybrid Russian action" that led to Georgescu's shock first-round victory. Activists, including poet Ana Blandiana, prominent actors and other Romanians spoke at the rally, which was sponsored by the group Romania Hope. Blandiana said the vote represents more than just a simple election. The balloting is a true referendum: "'Yes' - for Europe or 'no' for the past that I came out of 35 years ago," she told the crowd. Serban Pavlu, an actor known for playing in feature films and television series, echoed Blandiana's comments, urging voters to choose the pro-European candidate. "We cannot, 30 years after the revolution, fear that the Russians will come after us," Pavlu said. Both speakers referred to the events of December 1989 when civil unrest spread through the country and resulted in the Christmas day execution of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena. Actress Oana Pellea told the gathering that there is only one path for Romanians: the one toward freedom "so that we don't end up spending our holidays [in Russia] in St. Petersburg." After each speaker, the people gathered in the square shout "Freedom! Freedom!" as they were urged to vote for Lasconi, a small town mayor and former journalist. History professor Marcel Bartic opened the rally by telling people they were using their voices to speak out against fascism, which he said Romania doesn't want. "We are here to remind our compatriots that Romania says no to extremists, to fascism. We want Europe, European values and we are not afraid to say it," Bartic said. The group's announcement on Facebook said Romania is at a decisive moment after the revolution opened the country's path to freedom and democracy. The organization said the country had been on a “difficult road...with many disappointments” since 1989 but had still achieved the right to travel, settle, study, and work in the countries of Europe and membership in NATO. “Human dignity, fundamental freedoms, equality between persons, solidarity, citizens' rights, and justice are the values that can unite us all,” the organization said, adding that it represents a “common cry for the protection and strengthening of these fundamental values.” Britain’s counterterrorism police say they are awaiting the extradition of two Romanian men who are suspects in the stabbing in March of a journalist working for a Persian-language media organization in London. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on December 5 that Nandito Badea, 19, and George Stana, 23, had been arrested in Romania and charged in the attack on Pouria Zeraati, a London-based TV host for the Iran International news network. Badea and Stana appeared in a Romanian court after their arrest on December 4 for the start of extradition proceedings," a CPS spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying. "We continue to work closely with Romanian authorities, to ensure that our extradition request is progressed through the courts." British authorities have authorized charges against both of "wounding and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm," according to a statement issued by the London Metropolitan Police. Zeraati, a British-Iranian journalist, suffered injuries after being stabbed near his home on March 29 in southwestern London. Counterterrorism police have led the investigation into the attack over concerns he had been targeted because of his job at Iran International, which is critical of Iran's government. “We now await the extradition process to progress so that the men can face prosecution here in the U.K.,” Acting Commander Helen Flanagan of the Counter Terrorism Command said in the statement. Flanagan said the command planned no further comments on the investigation and urged others not to speculate about the case, given criminal proceedings are now pending. Officials had previously said that the Romanians were suspected of being associates of an Eastern European crime network hired to carry out an attack directed by Iran’s security services. The suspects were likely hired to carry out the attack and had arrived in Britain shortly before the incident, according to British police sources quoted by The Guardian newspaper. British police, security officials, and politicians have issued a number of warnings about what they say is Iran's growing use of criminal proxies to carry out attacks abroad. The U.S. Justice Department last month unsealed criminal charges that included details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election. FBI Director Christopher Wray said at the time that the charges exposed Iran's “continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens” and dissidents who criticize the Iranian regime, which has rejected accusations that it is involved. One of the targets of the alleged plot was dissident journalist Masih Alinejad, who said on X that she was shocked to have learned of the conspiracy from the FBI. Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021 according to U.S. prosecutors, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home. Britain and the United States have imposed sanctions on Iranian officials who they say have been involved in threats to kill journalists on their soil. Iran International said the network is pleased that the police investigation has made progress. “It is reassuring for our journalists, as for others in organizations under similar threat," said Adam Baillie, a spokesman for the network, according to Reuters. Authorities initially believed three suspects were involved in the attack on Zeraati. The three men abandoned their vehicle shortly after the incident and left the country by air within hours, police said. A third person was detained in Romania on December 4, but was later released, according to individuals familiar with the case quoted by The Washington Post. The London Metropolitan Police statement did not mention the third person or specifically accuse those arrested of acting on behalf of Tehran. Zeraati did not comment directly on the developments but posted links on his X account to news stories about the arrests made in Romania. Georgian law enforcement officers conducted searches of homes owned by former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili following a decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to uphold a ruling that he had embezzled over 5 million euros ($5.3 million) during his tenure as defense minister more than a decade ago. It was not clear what was being sought during the December 5 investigative actions. Details will be announced once the searches are complete, Kezerashvili's lawyer said. The searches took place amid large anti-government protests in the country over the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to suspend talks on Georgia joining the European Union and a crackdown that has drawn international condemnation and sanctions. One of the leaders of the opposition United National Movement (ENM), Dimitri Chikovani, currently lives in one of the homes searched. Chikovani reacted to the search on social media, saying it was an attempt to intimidate by “the Russian regime” and vowing that it would not succeed. “They want to form a dictatorship in the country, and they are wrong if they think they can do it,” Chikovani said. “Home invasions, illegal arrests, and pressure on individuals will not stop anyone. The Georgian people will soon force the Russian dictator and his regime out of Georgia forever and ever.” Kezerashvili, who fled Georgia in 2012 for France, reacted to the searches by taunting the Georgian authorities in a post on social media. "The so-called authorities have been so overwhelmed by the ECHR's decision that they are entering my house at the moment. Come on boys, keep it up. We still got this!!" Earlier on December 5, Georgian Justice Minister Anri Okhanashvili told a news conference in Tbilisi that the embezzled funds had been designated in the state budget for the Georgian armed forces shortly before the August 2008 war with Russia. Okhanashvili described Kezerashvili’s actions as a “blatant act of corruption,” and added that the former minister had signed a fictitious agreement with an offshore company for army training, bypassing the General Staff of the Defense Forces. The justice minister said the Strasbourg-based ECHR ruling showed thatthere had been no political prosecution against Kezerashvili and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Georgia on Kezerashvili's guilty plea was also substantiated and the presumption of innocence against him was not violated. “The court unequivocally found no violation of the presumption of innocence and affirmed that the Supreme Court of Georgia’s verdict was well-founded,” he said. "I congratulate our state, the Georgian Army, and our community on this worthy victory in the European Court," Okhanashvili added. However, ECHR decision indicated that an article of the Convention on Human Rights on the right to a fair trial was violated in Kezerashvili’s case. The court held that the presence of former Prosecutor-General Shalva Tadumadze on the three-judge panel that convicted him was sufficient to question the objectivity of the Supreme Court during the hearing of the appeal. But the court did not believe that the Supreme Court's decision was unsubstantiated and would result in a denial of the fairness of the proceedings as a whole. Kezerashvili filed the case with the ECHR in February 2022. The decision was made by the Grand Chamber of the ECHR with the consent of seven judges. The Syrian Army said it was redeploying troops "to preserve civilians lives and prevent urban combat" after Islamist-led rebels entered the key city of Hama, another loss for the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. "Over the past few hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups...these groups were able to breach a number of axes in the city and entered it," a Syrian Army statement said on December 5. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. Syrian and Russian forces had shelled the rebels a day earlier and used air strikes to try and stop their advance. "With that (advance in Hama), Assad's in real trouble. Homs is next & its countryside is FAR more amenable to facilitating an opposition advance," Charles Lister, a senior fellow and the Director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute, wrote on X . The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim Airbase. Syria turned over the air base to Russia in 2015 as Moscow moved in to help Damascus turn the tide of a four-year civil war in its favor. Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The United Nations has said tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting. The European Union has ordered TikTok to freeze all its data amid reports that the Chinese-owned social platform had been instrumental in implementing a Moscow-orchestrated campaign to influence Romania's presidential and parliamentary elections. Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) on December 4 declassified documents revealing the country was the target of an "aggressive hybrid Russian action" that led to last month's surprise victory of pro-Russian far-right candidate Calin Georgescu in the first round of presidential elections. CSAT said the document showed EU and NATO member Romania was the target of various coordinated actions, most likely orchestrated by a "state actor," leading up to the November 24 election won by Georgescu, who ran as an independent. The European Commission -- the bloc's executive arm -- on December 5 issued a "retention order" to TikTok under its Digital Services Act (DSA) that would preserve evidence "related to actual or foreseeable systemic risks its service could pose on electoral processes and civic discourse in the EU," the commission said in a statement . It added the move was necessary in case of a further probe of TikTok's "compliance with its obligations under the DSA." According to the declassified documents, Romania's intelligence services believe Georgescu was massively promoted on TikTok with backing from Russia through multiple methods, including coordinated accounts, algorithms to boost his presence on the platform, and paid promotion. The documents purported to explain how Georgescu's popularity increased from 1 percent shortly before the race to 22 percent through a vast operation of manipulation that involved influencers and ensnared Romanian institutions as well as ordinary voters. A parliamentary election a week later resulted in a surge for three pro-Russia far right parties that garnered about a third of the vote, although the pro-European parties appear to have enough votes to form a coalition government. On December 8, voters will decide the winner of the presidential election in a runoff that pits Georgescu against pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied Russia was interfering in the election. "The campaign for the Romanian presidential election...is accompanied by an unprecedented outburst of anti-Russian hysteria," Zakharova said. "More and more absurd accusations are being made by local politicians, officials and media representatives," she added. "We firmly reject all hostile attacks, which we consider absolutely groundless." Ahead of the vote, the United States called for a thorough investigation into Moscow's alleged actions. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that while the United States does not interfere with the Romanian people's choice or the election process, Washington is "concerned by the CSAT's report of Russian involvement in malign cyberactivity designed to influence the integrity of the Romanian electoral process." Miller said Romania is a strong NATO ally and the United States values its contributions to the alliance's security and the country's hard-earned position in the transatlantic community cannot be reversed "by foreign actors seeking to shift Romania's foreign policy away from its Western alliances." Such a change in policy would have "serious negative impacts on U.S. security cooperation with Romania," Miller said. The declassified documents say influencers on TikTok were recruited to promote Georgescu directly by publicly supporting him and indirectly through neutral messages that contained labels associated with him. Dozens of TikTok accounts were found that falsely used the intelligence service's logo and the title Anti-Terrorist Brigade, each displaying thousands of followers and over 100,000 likes. Romania's intelligence services hinted that large sums of money would have been spent in the operation. Georgescu has told Romanian electoral authorities that he spent nothing on his campaign. Romanian intelligence linked the operation to Russia by noting that access data for official Romanian election websites was published on Russian cybercrime platforms. The access data was probably procured by targeting legitimate users or exploiting the legitimate training server, the intelligence services said. The State Department statement said Washington has been "closely following the elections in Romania" and that it "will continue to work together [with Romanian authorities] "to preserve the security of our nations and the prosperity and well-being of our citizens." On December 5, three Romanian institutions, including the country's top political sciences school, and a former presidential candidate asked the Constitutional Court to annul the first round of presidential elections and repeat them. It was not known immediately if the Court would consider the requests just hours ahead the start of the runoff abroad. TBILISI -- A Georgian opposition leader who was beaten unconscious during his arrest is recovering and expecting a court hearing, his lawyer said on December 5, as the United States firmly condemned the ruling Georgian Dream party's use of violence against demonstrators protesting the party's move to halt accession talks with the European Union. Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Akhali party under the Coalition for Change umbrella, was detained on December 4 by police during searches by authorities at opposition parties' headquarters in Tbilisi and was repeatedly hit in the stomach until he lost consciousness before being dragged motionless into a police vehicle. Gvaramia's lawyer, Dito Sadzaglishvili, said on December 5 that the opposition leader's health is "satisfactory." Sadzaglishvili said Gvaramia was arrested for "petty hooliganism and failing to comply with police orders" and a court hearing in his case should take place within 48 hours from his arrest. Another prominent member of the Coalition for Change, activist Gela Khasaia, was also taken into custody during the police operation. The wave of repression unleashed by the Georgian Dream government against protesters drew international condemnation as well as sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a stern warning to the Georgian Dream government, urging it "to cease its repressive tactics, including its use of arbitrary detention and physical violence" as Tbilisi was roiled by a sixth day of mass protests that were met with excessive force by riot police. "The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream party's brutal and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, and opposition figures," Blinken said in a statement. Blinken reaffirmed the United States' "solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratic aspirations," warning those attempting to suppress the Georgians' right to freedom "will be held to account," including through additional sanctions. Washington in July suspended $95 million in assistance to Georgia after the Georgian Dream-controlled parliament adopted legislation related to foreign agents that critics say was inspired by a similar Russian law used by the Kremlin to crack down on political dissent and that sparked weeks of mass protests. Blinken's statement came after the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi on December 4 urged authorities to treat protesters with dignity as law enforcement authorities conducted raids on the offices of several Georgian opposition parties and protest leaders. On December 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Kyiv was imposing sanctions on 19 Georgian individuals. Zelenskiy's move came after the three Baltic states on December 2 announced joint sanctions against 11 Georgians, including Ivanishvili and Gomelauri. The list included Georgian Dream founder and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, State Security Service chief Grigol Liluashvili, Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, Tbilisi City Mayor Kakha Kaladze, and a number of judges and lawmakers. Despite the growing protests, Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests. Georgia's ombudsman accused police of torturing pro-EU protesters. Levan Ioseliani, whose role is to defend citizens' rights, said he and his officials had met people subjected to "the harshest treatment" by police. Protesters have described to RFE/RL the brutality employed by security forces against them. "They were hitting us in the head," protester Salome Zandukeli said, describing how she and a friend had been chased on the night of December 2 by some 25 riot police into a building in downtown Tbilisi before taking refuge in a cafe. Activist Gia Jvarsheishvili told RFE/RL that he was thrown to the ground by charging officers and beaten before being shoved into a police van where police pushed detainees to the floor and began stomping on them. "Suddenly, I was in unbearable pain and I realized that I had been injured. I didn't know it then, but I had a broken rib," Jvarsheishvili said. Georgia's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with the demonstrators, said on X that many of the arrested protesters had injuries to their heads and faces. Some people were subjected to systematic beatings between arrest and transportation to detention facilities, she added. Georgia has been thrown into the latest wave of turmoil since parliamentary elections in October in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote. The opposition and Western governments argued that the poll was marred by violations and Russian influence. Kobakhidze has blamed the unrest on foreign "instructors" and tried to explain the decision to halt EU accession talks through 2028 by saying Georgia is ready for the talks, "but only with dignity and justice and without blackmail." Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law, which critics say threatens media outlets and civil society groups. accusing them of "serving" outside powers. A majority of Georgians support EU membership, and efforts to join the bloc are mandated in the Georgian Constitution. Documents declassified by Romania's security council on December 4 said the country was the target of an "aggressive hybrid Russian action" during recent election campaigns, including last month's surprise victory of a pro-Russian far-right candidate. The Supreme Council of National Defense declassified the documents, saying they showed that Romania was the target of various coordinated actions leading up to the presidential election's November 24 first round, won by Calin Georgescu. Voters in the EU and NATO member state will decide the winner of the presidential election in a runoff on December 8 that pits Georgescu against pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi. It had already been reported that TikTok was used to generate support for Georgescu and connect him to a Romanian audience in the millions. But the declassified documents show that Romania's intelligence service believes that Georgescu was massively promoted on TikTok with backing from Russia through multiple methods, including coordinated accounts, algorithms to boost his presence on the platform, and paid promotion. The documents help explain how Georgescu's popularity increased from 1 percent shortly before the race to 22 percent artificially, through a vast operation of manipulation that involved influencers and ensnared Romanian institutions as well as ordinary voters. Some 25,000 TikTok accounts allegedly used to increase Georgescu's popularity "became very active two weeks before the date of the elections," according to the declassified documents. About 800 of these accounts had extremely low activity until November 11. From that date onward "the entire network was activated at full capacity," according to the documents. The intelligence service documents also show that influencers on TikTok were recruited to promote Georgescu directly by publicly supporting him and indirectly through neutral messages that contained labels associated with him. Another method used to promote the independent candidate involved the creation of accounts that falsely represented institutions of the Romanian state. Dozens of TikTok accounts were found that falsely used the intelligence service's logo and the title Anti-Terrorist Brigade (BAT), each displaying thousands of followers and over 100,000 likes. These fake accounts had supportive posts for Georgescu, presenting the false notion that these state institutions supported him. In addition, Georgescu's posts were not marked as belonging to a candidate, and this favored their mass dissemination. Other candidates whose posts were labeled as belonging to a candidate had a diminished online presence. Romania's intelligence services hinted that large sums of money would have been spent in the operation. Georgescu, according to information revealed in the declassified documents, declared to Romanian electoral authorities that he spent nothing on his campaign. The intelligence service linked the operation to Russia by noting that access data for official Romanian election websites was published on Russian cybercrime platforms. The access data was probably procured by targeting legitimate users or by exploiting the legitimate training server, the intelligence service said. It added that it had identified more than 85,000 cyberattacks that aimed to exploit system vulnerabilities. "The attacks continued intensively including on election day and the night after elections," the agency said in one of the declassified document. "The operating mode and the amplitude of the campaign leads us to conclude the attacker has considerable resources specific to an attacking state." Russia has denied any interference in Romania's elections. TikTok confirmed the deletion of electoral propaganda materials two days after the request of the Central Electoral Bureau, but it did not delete the electoral content as requested by the Permanent Electoral Authority, and it continued to be available to the public even after the end of the election campaign, including on election day, in violation of Romanian election law. Serbian lawmakers have begun deliberating a bill submitted to parliament that would establish a " foreign agents " registry, a move that may alienate Serbia from its EU ambitions. Initiated by members of the Movement of Socialists, led by pro-Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, the bill aims to regulate organizations and individuals receiving more than 50 percent of their funding from foreign sources. Supporters of the law argue that it aims to ensure greater transparency in the NGO sector. They claim that some foreign-funded organizations work against Serbia's national interests. However, critics -- both within Serbia and internationally -- warn that such a law could stigmatize civil society organizations, hinder their operations, and limit freedom of expression. "This draft law poses a serious and direct threat to civil society organizations, jeopardizing their role in safeguarding democratic values, human rights, and European integration," the EU's Economic and Social Committee said in a statement . "As with similar initiatives in other candidate countries, such as in the case of Georgia, the EESC reiterates that such legislation is incompatible with the fundamental values of the European Union, which Serbia, as an EU candidate country, is expected to uphold." The regional trend toward adopting such laws, legislation that mirrors Russian law and is often driven by pro-Russian political forces, highlights a broader geopolitical struggle in the Balkans. Several countries in the region find themselves in a situation where they try to balance historic ties with Russia and their aspirations for European integration. Serbia, alongside Montenegro, is considered a front-runner in the EU accession process. However, to achieve membership, candidate countries must harmonize their laws, policies, institutions, and practices with EU standards. Any legislation perceived as suppressing civil liberties, the EU has said, could jeopardize this progress. In Montenegro, a comparable draft law was introduced in October by the coalition For the Future of Montenegro, which includes pro-Russian parties such as the New Serbian Democracy and the Democratic People's Party. The bill in Serbia is also steeped in further controversy because of its origins. Deputy Prime Minister Vulin, a staunch ally of Russia, has positioned the bill as a transparency measure, comparing it to the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). However, Serbian opposition figures and international observers argue that the draft law more closely resembles the restrictive legislation seen in Russia. Vulin's close ties to Moscow -- underscored by frequent visits and his role in coordinating Serbia's BRICS-related activities -- have drawn international attention. In 2023, he was placed under U.S. sanctions for allegedly facilitating Russian activities in the Balkans. Critics view the proposed law as aligning with Moscow’s pattern to muzzle independent civil society organizations and limit dissent. YEREVAN -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian declared on December 4 in parliament that Yerevan had effectively passed the "point of no return" regarding its reintegration into a Russian-led military alliance. His remarks came in response to recent statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who argued that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) could not intervene in the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh because it did not occur on Armenian territory. "With all due respect to the Russian president, this statement highlights the fundamental issues within the CSTO," Pashinian said. His comments underscored the growing tensions between Armenia and the CSTO, marking a pivotal shift in the region's security dynamics. The relationship between Armenia and the CSTO has been strained for some time, particularly since the 2022 incursion by Azerbaijani forces into Armenia's sovereign territory. Yerevan accused the CSTO of failing to uphold its commitment to defend a member state, even as Armenia flagged the imminent threat to its allies. According to Pashinian, initial assurances from CSTO allies that Armenia's borders were a "red line" were later dismissed as ambiguous claims of undefined boundaries. "When the aggression occurred, we said that the red line had been crossed. They responded by saying, 'Well, the border isn't officially delimited,'" Pashinian said, stressing the lack of a clear response from the alliance. Armenian authorities have also criticized Russian peacekeepers for failing to prevent Azerbaijan's rapid offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, which ultimately resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control over the region after nearly three decades of ethnic Armenian rule. This lack of action led to Yerevan's decision to freeze its participation in CSTO activities. Armenia did not attend the CSTO Collective Security Council meeting on November 28 in Kazakhstan and has skipped joint military exercises and other meetings. However, it has stopped short of officially withdrawing from the organization. Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are also CSTO member states. CSTO Secretary-General Imanghali Tasmaghambetov of Kazakhstan has downplayed Armenia's absence, stating that it does not affect the alliance’s overall efficiency. He reiterated on December 4 that Armenia remained a formal ally and that all CSTO commitments to Armenia were intact. Tasmaghambetov also emphasized that Armenia could resume full participation at any time, noting that there are no objections or obstacles from other member states. Despite these reassurances, Armenia's criticisms of the CSTO's inaction in the face of Azerbaijani military moves have fueled a broader debate about the alliance's reliability. Many in Armenia see the CSTO’s hesitancy as a sign of its weakening relevance in addressing the region's security challenges. The deepening divide between Armenia and the CSTO also reflects a broader realignment in Yerevan's foreign policy. Armenia’s growing criticism of the CSTO and its strategic turn toward other international partners suggest a waning dependence on Russian-led security structures. This shift is particularly significant as regional powers, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, assert greater influence in the South Caucasus. While Armenia has not formally initiated the process of leaving the CSTO, Pashinian's remarks signal that such a move may not be far off. The longer Yerevan remains at odds with the alliance, the more its security policies are likely to diverge from the CSTO framework. Senior Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin, were directly involved in ordering the forcible transfer , fostering, and later adoption of Ukrainian children moved out of war zones and occupied regions of Ukraine, U.S. researchers found. In a report released on December 3, investigators from Yale University said at least 314 children from Ukraine were subject to a "systematic program of coerced adoption and fostering" by Russian individuals and families. "The Russian Federation engaged in systematic, deliberate, and widespread forced adoption and transfer of children from Ukraine," the report says. "The operation...was initiated by Putin and his subordinates with the intent to 'Russify' children from Ukraine." The findings add to a growing body of evidence pointing to possible culpability for war crimes by Putin and other top officials. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 for the "war crime of unlawful deportation" and "unlawful transfer" of children from Ukrainian territory to Russia. The Kremlin's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, was also charged. Researchers at Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, whose work is partially supported by the U.S. State Department, said they had documented since 2022: The majority of the children from Ukraine who are listed in Russian databases, the report says, were taken from Donetsk, an eastern Ukrainian region that has been partially occupied by Russian and Russian-allied forces since 2014. The Kremlin has declared the annexation of the Donetsk region, and three other Ukrainian regions -- Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson -- plus the Crimean Peninsula. Only Syria and North Korea have recognized the move. Russian officials frequently portray their efforts as a humanitarian gesture, sheltering, feeding, or protecting children from war or the breakdown of services in occupied regions. However, in many cases, Russian authorities did little to identify parents or relatives or legal guardians of the Ukrainian children. Ukrainian officials, journalists, and civil society activists, meanwhile, have also compiled substantial evidence of state support for transferring and deporting children out of Ukraine. In many cases, the effort strained Russia's already overburdened social welfare infrastructure. Hundreds of Ukrainian children were transferred from occupied Ukrainian regions and sent to a network of summer and holiday camps in Belarus, where they were exposed to pro-Russian education and propaganda, RFE/RL found. According to official Ukrainian figures , as of July 24, 2024, 19,546 children had been deported from Ukraine to Russia since the start of Russia's all-out invasion in February 2022. Ukraine’s human rights commissioner last month said 1,012 children had been returned from Russia to date. The U.S. State Department said in a statement on December 4 that it was pursuing visa restrictions for five Russian officials backed or installed by Russia in response to their involvement in human rights abuses in Ukraine, including the forced deportation of children. "Many of these children have had their identities changed and origins obscured, have been subjected to pro-Russian indoctrination and militarization, or have been adopted by Russian families," the State Department said. It did not identify the five Russian officials but added that Kremlin authorities had created obstacles preventing the return of the children to Ukraine. "Russia's continued contempt for its international legal obligations to report the locations of these children makes securing their safe return nearly impossible," the State Department said. The head of the Zaporizhzhya region's military administration, Ivan Fedorov, has alleged that the mayor of the Ukrainian town of Dniproprudne died after being tortured while in Russian custody. Fedorov said in a statement on Telegram on December 4 that the body of Yevhen Matveyev was recently returned to Ukraine during a prisoner exchange with Russia, which has occupied Dniproprudne since the early days of the February 2022 full-scale invasion. Matveyev was captured by Russian forces on March 13, 2022. Last month, Ukraine recovered the bodies of 502 fallen soldiers and civilians, including 17 from morgues in Russia, as part of an exchange of prisoners of war between the two countries. "He was held captive by the occupiers for two years and eight months and tortured to death. During the last exchange, his body was returned to Ukraine," Fedorov said. He gave no further details. Russian officials have not commented publicly on the allegations. Despite the occupation, Matveyev refused to abandon his town and worked to ensure the functioning of essential services and kept the population informed about ongoing events, Federov noted. Matveyev's death underscores the brutal conditions under which Ukrainian officials and civilians have been held while in Russian captivity. In October 2023, a UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine found "continued war crimes and human rights violations gravely impacting civilians," including confirmation that "Russian authorities have used torture in a widespread and systematic way in various types of detention facilities." Ukraine has also been accused of committing war crimes during the conflict, though to a far lesser extent. A war monitor and state media say that Syrian government forces have launched a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels who were getting close to a Russian-operated airbase after capturing a string of towns and closing in on the key city of Hama. The government forces' counteroffensive came after a blitz advance over the past several days by the rebels led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). They have captured Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from Khmeimim Airbase. President Bashar al-Assad's regime turned over the air base to Russia in 2015 as Moscow moved in to help Damascus turn the tide of a four-year civil was in its favor. The Syrian state news agency SANA said rebels on December 4 retreated some 20 kilometers from government-held Hama, Syria's fourth largest city, after government troops backed by Russian air strikes repelled the rebels from the city's outskirts. Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the rebels only withdrew some 10 kilometers. Hama, which is key to the defense of Damascus, is the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, said on December 3 that tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting. Police and security officials have cordoned off a large area near Dusanbe after a drone resembling a military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in a nearby town in an area where there are both Tajik and Russian military bases. Officials have not given any details on the drone, which went down on December 3 in the town of Sharora, just 5 kilometers from Tajikistan's capital. Eyewitness footage from the site, obtained exclusively by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, indicated that the drone struck a utility pole before crashing to the ground. The video shows flames at the crash site, which was quickly cordoned off by police and military personnel. The incident occurred near a residential area, but no injuries or damage to homes was reported, according to local residents. Tajikistan's Defense Ministry did not respond to RFE/RL's attempts to get comments from its representatives. The crash site is located near significant military facilities, raising questions about the drone’s origin and purpose. The Aini Military Airbase, controlled by the Defense Ministry, is situated just outside Dushanbe. A Russian military base, part of the 201st Military Division, is also nearby. Both facilities play strategic roles in the regional security infrastructure. Given the size and apparent military design of the drone, some analysts have speculated whether it could also have been a UAV from a third country. Tajikistan has increasingly relied on drone technology in recent years, acquiring UAVs from various sources, including Turkey and China. The presence of advanced drone technology also highlights the increasing militarization of Central Asia, as nations modernize their arsenals. The Russian military base nearby, which accounts for Moscow's largest military presence outside of Russia, also regularly conducts drone operations as part of its regional activities. The region around Dushanbe, including the Hisor district where Sharora is located, is critical to Tajikistan’s national security. Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been temporarily released for at least three weeks after receiving urgent medical care, her lawyer said on December 4. "According to the medical examiner's opinion, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office suspended the execution of Ms. Narges Mohammadi's sentence for three weeks and she was released from prison. The reason for this is her physical condition after tumor removal and bone grafting, which was done 21 days ago," human rights lawyer Mostafa Nili said in a post on X. Sources confirmed to RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Mohammadi, 52, had been released. Analysts said that by suspending Mohammadi's sentence instead of granting her a medical furlough, the time she spends outside of prison will be added to her sentence. A medical furlough would have meant time spent outside of prison would be considered the same as time spent incarcerated. A United Nations spokesman told AFP it was important that Mohammadi was released temporarily for health reasons in order to receive adequate treatment. The spokesman said the UN reiterated its call for her immediate and unconditional release. Mohammadi has been campaigning for human rights in Iran for decades and has been in and out of prison for the last 20 years. She has been convicted five times since March 2021 and is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for "spreading propaganda" against the Islamic republic. Last month, her husband, Taghi Rahmani, said his wife had been moved to a Tehran hospital after suffering health issues for more than two months. "She had an operation, and the operation was on the right leg, and even moving in the prison, sitting, and doing simple things became impossible for her, and even some prisoners went on hunger strike demanding her release," Rahmani told Radio Farda. "Although prison is not a place for Narges, there is no place for human rights activists in prison at all. She should not go back to prison and all human rights activists and civil activists should be released from prison," he added. Despite being nearly continuously incarcerated since 2010, Mohammadi has often tried to raise awareness about prison conditions and alleged abuses faced by female prisoners. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023. Her teenage children accepted the award in Oslo on her behalf and read out a statement by Mohammadi in which she criticized Iran's "tyrannical" government. "Weeks of enduring excruciating pain in prison, despite tireless advocacy from human rights organizations, and international figures, highlights the persistent disregard for Narges Mohammadi’s basic human rights and the inhumane treatment she endures -- even after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," the Narges Foundation said in a statement . "The Narges Foundation asserts that a 21-day suspension of Narges Mohammadi's sentence is inadequate. After over a decade of imprisonment, Narges requires specialized medical care in a safe, sanitary environment -- a basic human right. As doctors have emphasized, a minimum of three months' recovery is crucial for her healing." NATO members have agreed to make protecting Ukraine's infrastructure a top priority, alliance chief Mark Rutte said on December 4, as Russia continues to pound Ukrainian cities and towns with drone and missile strikes. Speaking to reporters ahead of the second day of a meeting of foreign ministers from the 32-member military alliance, Rutte said the gathering discussed providing Ukraine with enough air defenses to protect its infrastructure from Russian attacks. "There was a clear agreement around the table last night that to help Ukraine, particularly with its infrastructure, has to be a priority," Rutte said. "I'm confident that allies will follow up in the coming days and weeks in making sure that whatever they can supply to Ukraine will be supplied." Russia has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure for the third winter in a row, causing casualties and hampering the supply of electricity to thousands of civilians. Early on December 4, Russian drones attacked the northern Cernihiv region, damaging several houses in a village, regional governor Vyacheslav Chaus said on Telegram. In the central region of Vinnytsya, debris from a falling drone set a house on fire in the Haysyn district, partially destroying it, the State Emergencies Service said on December 4. Separately, the Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched a guided air missile and 50 drones at targets in Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 29 drones in nine regions -- Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskiy, Ternopil, Mykolayiv, and Donetsk -- the air force said, adding that 18 drones were neutralized after their navigation systems were jammed using Ukraine's electronic-warfare capabilities. Separately, strong explosions were reported overnight in Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, one of the main hubs for Russian oil exports and an important military port that hosts part of Russia's Black Sea fleet. An air alert was announced and Novorossiisk Mayor Andrei Kravchenko called on residents to take shelter because of a drone attack. Neither Ukraine nor Russia have so far commented on the explosions. TBILISI -- The United States has urged the Georgian government to treat protesters with dignity after several days of a brutal crackdown in Tbilisi and accusation of excessive use of force and even torture by riot police. Early on December 4 security forces again used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters taking part in the sixth consecutive night of protests in the Georgian capital triggered by the ruling Georgian Dream party's announced that it would halt accession talks with the European Union. The U.S. Embassy to Georgia posted a laconic message on its Facebook page on December 4, reading only three words: "Leadership with dignity?" The U.S. message came a day after a similarly curt sentence told the Georgian government "Don't blame others" in a post on Facebook, noting it was Georgian Dream that stopped the EU membership process and the party was to blame for a decision by Washington to halt a strategic partnership between the two countries. On December 4, demonstrators moved from the central Rustaveli Avenue to a nearby subway station after security forces blocked their access to the parliament building and arrested several protesters. Later in the day, law enforcement authorities conducted raids on the offices of several Georgian opposition parties. Offices targeted include those of the United National Movement and the Coalition for Change. Notably, Nika Gvaramia, founder of the Mtavari television network and leader of the opposition party Akhali under the Coalition for Change, was detained by police near the offices of allied parties Girchi -- More Freedom and Droa following searches at those locations. Gvaramia's lawyer, Dito Sadzaglishvili, said on Georgian television that during the arrest the policemen hit him repeatedly in the stomach, resulting in Gvaramia losing his breath for a few seconds. Sadzaglishvili also said that Gvaramia learned that he was arrested for petty hooliganism and failure to comply with a police officer's order by eavesdropping on the conversation of the police. These are commonly used administrative offenses. Sadzaglishvili said a hearing should take place within 48 hours. Another prominent member of the Coalition for Change, activist Gela Khasaia, was also taken into custody during the police operation. The crackdown extended beyond party offices. Law enforcement entered the home of Ilia Glonti, administrator of the Facebook platform Daitove. The platform is known for facilitating the coordination of protest activities, where organizers and participants share logistical details and updates about rallies. Despite the growing protests, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests. Security forces started dispersing demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament building after the Interior Ministry said some of them had insulted law enforcement officers and thrown various blunt objects, fireworks, and inflammable items in their direction. Three influential U.S. senators -- U.S. Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Ben Cardin (Democrat-Maryland), Roger Wicker (Republican- Mississippi), and John Cornyn (Republican-Texas) issued a joint statement in support of the Georgian protesters and condemning the excessive use of violence by the government. "The Georgian Dream's move to abandon European Union membership negotiations is a profound betrayal of the Georgian people’s clear and overwhelming desire to embrace European values and institutions," the three senators said in their statement. "This is not the conduct of a government committed to democratic reforms and pluralism but of an insecure regime dragging Georgia toward Russian-style autocracy. These actions flagrantly violate international democratic norms and undermine the legitimate aspirations of the Georgian people," the statement said, adding, "We strongly condemn the violence unleashed against peaceful protesters – tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, beatings, and mass arrests have no place on the streets of Tbilisi." Georgia's ombudsman accused police of torturing pro-EU protesters. Levan Ioseliani, whose role is to defend citizens' rights, said he and his officials had met people subjected to "the harshest treatment" by police. "In most cases, they have received serious injuries in the face, eye and head area, which practically excludes even the possibility that the police used the necessary, proportional force against them every time," he said in a statement. Protesters have described to RFE/RL the brutality employed by security forces against them. "They were hitting us in the head," protester Salome Zandukeli said, describing how she and a friend had been chased on the night of December 2 by some 25 riot police into a building in downtown Tbilisi before taking refuge in a cafe. Activist Gia Jvarsheishvili told RFE/RL that he was thrown to the ground by charging officers and beaten before being shoved into a police van where police pushed detainees to the floor and began stomping on them. "Suddenly, I was in unbearable pain and I realized that I had been injured. I didn't know it then, but I had a broken rib," Jvarsheishvili said. Georgia's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with the demnstrators, said on X that many of the arrested protesters had injuries to their heads and faces. Some people were subjected to systematic beatings between arrest and transportation to detention facilities, she added. Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since parliamentary elections in October in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote. The opposition and Western governments argued that the poll was marred by violations and Russian influence. Kobakhidze has blamed the unrest on foreign "instructors" and tried to explain the decision to halt EU accession talks through 2028 by saying Georgia is ready for the talks, "but only with dignity and justice and without blackmail." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized the crackdown on protesters and accused the country's leaders of "pushing the country into obvious dependence on Russia." When the Georgian government receives praise from Moscow "it clearly shows who they are working for in Tbilisi and who the protests are being dispersed for," Zelenskiy said in his evening address. He added that Ukraine was working with European countries on a response and he has "given the order to prepare appropriate sanctions resolutions." A majority of Georgians support EU membership, and efforts to join the bloc are mandated in the Georgian Constitution. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law, which critics say threatens media outlets and civil society groups. accusing them of "serving" outside powers. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve the conflict in northern Syria in a phone call on December 3 to discuss the renewed fighting. A statement from Erdogan’s office after the call said Syria should not become a source of greater instability. "President Erdogan emphasized that while Turkey continues to support the territorial integrity of Syria, it also strives for a just and permanent solution in Syria," Erdogan told Putin in their conversation on December 3, according to the statement from Erdogan's office posted on X. He also said it is important to open more space for diplomacy in the region and the Syrian regime must engage in the political solution process, according to the statement. Erdogan vowed Turkey will maintain its determined stance on the fight against the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been designated as a terrorist group by Turkey and the United States, and its "extensions,” who are trying to take advantage of the recent developments in Syria, the statement said. Erdogan and Putin spoke as Syrian rebels advanced against government forces after capturing Aleppo last week. The rebels pushed close on December 3 to the major city of Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the rebels said. The Syrian Observatory said on December 3 that the toll from the rebel offensive in the north had risen to 602 dead, including 104 civilians. An attack on Hama would ramp up pressure on Assad, whose Russian and Iranian allies have scrambled to support him against the revived rebellion. The city has remained in government hands since civil war erupted in 2011. A statement from Syria's army command said its forces were striking "terrorist organizations" in north Hama and Idlib provinces with Russian air support. The Kremlin said Putin stressed the need for a "speedy end to the terrorist aggression against the Syrian state by radical groups." Both leaders noted the importance of further close coordination between Russia, Turkey, and Iran on the matter, a Kremlin statement said. "The two presidents will continue to be in contact with each other in the context of seeking steps to de-escalate the crisis," the statement said. The Syrian civil war had been mostly dormant for years until a major offensive by militants in northwestern Syria revived the conflict. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies last week seized control of most of Aleppo and the surrounding countryside, marking the biggest offensive in years. HTS is a militant Islamist group that seeks to establish a state in Syria governed by Islamic law. The U.S.-designated terrorist organization has between 5,000 and 10,000 fighters, according to U.S. intelligence estimates. The conflict has pitted Moscow and Tehran against Turkey, which supports armed groups involved in the HTS-led offensive. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations late on December 3 accused Ukrainian intelligence services of aiding the HTS. Rebels fighting with HTS are "openly flaunting" that they are supported by Ukraine, Vasily Nebenzya told the UN Security Council. The envoy said there was an "identifiable trail" showing Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service was "providing weapons to fighters" and claimed Ukrainian military instructors from the GUR are training HTS fighters for combat operations, including against Russian troops in Syria. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier that Russia and Iran "bear the main responsibility" for the recent escalation in fighting. It also noted Ukrainians were being targeted on a nightly basis by Iranian-designed drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies in Iran "continue to make every effort not to lose control over the puppet Syrian regime, which is associated by the majority of Syrians with inhuman cruelty, tyranny, and crimes," the ministry said on December 2. There are indications the conflict could escalate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on December 3 in an interview with a Qatari news outlet that Tehran would consider sending troops to Syria if Damascus asked. Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani said Baghdad would not be "a mere spectator" in Syria and blamed Israeli military strikes on the Syrian government for the rebel advance, his office said. Compounding Assad's problems, fighters from a U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led coalition battled government forces in the northeast, both sides said, opening a new front along a vital supply route. SUKHUMI, Georgia -- De facto lawmakers of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia on December 3 rejected an investment deal with Russia, a document that has caused political turmoil and mass protests, highlighting the region’s fraught relationship with Moscow. The extraordinary parliamentary session, convened at the request of 19 deputies, saw 23 members in attendance, while 12 did not show up. The majority voted against the agreement. There were two abstentions and no votes in favor. The investment agreement, signed on October 30 in Moscow, aimed to strengthen economic ties between the breakaway region and Russia but was met with widespread opposition. Critics, including opposition figures and civil society groups, labeled the deal "exploitative," claiming it would give undue advantages to Russian investors while undermining Abkhazia’s sovereignty. The backlash against the agreement intensified, ultimately leading to the resignation of Abkhazia’s de facto leader, Aslan Bzhania, on November 19. During the parliamentary session on December 3, lawmaker Kan Kvarchia talked to opposition activists who gathered in front of the parliament building describing the agreement as "enslaving for Abkhazia" and lambasting the breakaway region's executive branch for pushing it forward despite widespread opposition. Kvarchia highlighted internal resistance to the agreement, including warnings from parliamentary leaders to delay its signing, which were reportedly ignored by the Economy Ministry. The opposition supporters demanded accountability from acting leader Badra Gunba and called for Bzhania to publicly address allegations of deceit regarding the agreement. The protesters also urged swift action against government officials involved in the controversial deal. Bzhania resigned to maintain "stability and constitutional order," a move he negotiated with opposition leaders to end the occupation of government buildings by protesters at the time. However, Bzhania signaled his intention to contest the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for February 15, 2025. In the interim Gunba has assumed leadership, while Valery Bganba, a former parliamentary speaker, has been appointed de facto prime minister. The current administration will remain in a caretaker capacity until a new leader is elected. The rejection of the agreement and the overall political crisis underscore the delicate balancing act Abkhazia faces in its relationship with Russia. While Moscow provides essential economic and military support, the opposition and segments of the public are wary of overreliance on Russia, fearing it could erode Abkhazia's "independence." Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia's rule after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Moscow recognized the independence of the two regions after Russian forces repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war in the summer of 2008 that ended with Georgia's defeat. Most countries still recognize Abkhazia as part of Georgia. The ongoing political crisis also highlights internal divisions within Abkhaz leadership. The opposition’s success in mobilizing public dissent and forcing Bzhania’s resignation suggests growing discontent with the current de facto administration’s handling of governance and external policies. The events could serve as a turning point, potentially reshaping the region’s political landscape ahead of the February 2025 elections. A Russian national, Nomma Zarubina, has been arrested on possible charges of providing false information to U.S. law enforcement and maintaining connections with Russian intelligence services, linking her to another suspected spy who fled the United States while being pursued by authorities. According to FBI allegations presented in a New York Southern District Court hearing in late November, Zarubina was recruited by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in 2020 and operated under the codename "Alyssa." She allegedly worked to build a network of contacts among journalists and experts while carrying out tasks for an FSB officer from her native city of Tomsk in Siberia. The FBI claims that Zarubina deliberately misled agents in 2021, denying any connection with Russian intelligence. Contrary to her statements, she allegedly attended forums and meetings in Europe and the United States to fulfill assignments from the FSB. Notably, Russian opposition figure in exile Leonid Volkov said on Facebook on December 2 that he saw Zarubina at a Washington gathering with his supporters in January 2023. The case also links Zarubina to Elena Branson (aka Chernykh), the head of the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots in the United States, who was charged in 2022 for illegal activities on behalf of Russian intelligence. Branson, who fled the United States after police searched her New York apartment at the time and is believed to be currently in Russia, has reportedly mentored Zarubina since 2016. Zarubina has been released on $25,000 bail, with restrictions barring her from leaving New York, contacting Russian officials, and surrendering her passport. She said her bail was guaranteed by a third party, but did not say who the party was. Zarubina has maintained an active public profile, often participating as an expert at conferences, such as the Forum of Free States of Post-Russia. On social media, she speculated about Siberia's political future, advocating for a United States of Siberia. Despite her public statements denying espionage, her online activity suggests a more complex narrative. For instance, until September 2023, her profile on VKontakte included posts supporting Kremlin policies, including President Vladimir Putin's 2014 speech on the annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, a move the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union have all called illegal. Blurred Lines In an interview with RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, Zarubina denied working as an FSB agent but admitted to being contacted by Russian intelligence in late 2020. She described being coerced into a meeting with FSB officers in Tomsk, where she discussed her personal background and was subsequently monitored by them. Zarubina asserts that she also contacted the FBI in April 2021 to cooperate, sharing insights on various topics, including Ukraine, and has continued to meet with them. Zarubina says she did not expect that FBI would arrest her, stating: "I thought we had good relations; I was helping them. I didn't expect them to use my information against me." She fears reprisal from Russian intelligence, which she believes was unaware of her cooperation with U.S. authorities. "This is no longer about false testimony -- it’s treason in their eyes," she said. Zarubina's case underscores the complexities of modern espionage and influence operations. Her alleged dual involvement with Russian and U.S. intelligence highlights the blurred lines between cooperation and subversion. The mention of her internship at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies and her outreach to opposition activists adds to her narrative. While Zarubina downplays the risk of deportation , citing her American-born daughter, the case is a test of the U.S. judicial system's ability to handle allegations involving foreign intelligence activities. Ukraine has again called for membership in NATO, saying that only joining the alliance in full would guarantee its future security as it fights to stave off Russia's nearly three-year-old full-scale assault. "We are convinced that the only such real guarantee of security for Ukraine, as well as a deterrent factor for further Russian aggression against Ukraine and other states, is only Ukraine's full membership in NATO," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in a statement released ahead of a December 3 meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers in Brussels. In reaction to the ministry's statement, Kremlin spokesman Dimtry Peskov said on December 3 that Ukraine's joining NATO would be "unacceptable" and a "threat" to Russia. The statement comes just days after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Sky News that Ukraine's NATO admittance could end what he described as the “hot phase of the war” triggered by Russia when it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelenskiy told Sky News on November 30 that he would be willing to consider a cease-fire if Ukraine’s unoccupied territories fell under NATO's protection, as long as an invitation to join the alliance recognized Ukraine's international borders. "If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control," Zelenskiy said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha is set to brief his NATO counterparts in Brussels on the current situation on the eastern front, where Russian troops have been making incremental but steady advances against Kyiv's outnumbered and outgunned forces. The meeting in Brussels is to focus on NATO's continued military support for Ukraine, examine Kyiv's air-defense needs, and also discuss Russia's launching last month of an experimental ballistic missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russia has said that the new medium-range missile, called Oreshnik, can also strike targets across Europe and cannot be stopped by air defenses. On December 3, Zelenskiy announced that Ukraine had conducted a test on new, domestically developed missiles. "We thank our Ukrainian missile developers. We're speeding up production," Zelenskiy said on Telegram after a meeting with the leadership of the Ukrainian military. Russian hybrid attacks and sabotage incidents against NATO members is also due to be discussed in Brussels. Early on December 3, Russia launched yet another drone attack on Ukraine that was largely repelled by Ukrainian air defenses, which shot down 22 out of the 28 incoming drones over nine regions -- Kyiv, Chernihiv, Vinnytsya, Khmelnytskiy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Odesa, Mykolayiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. Russian shelling also killed a woman early on December 3 in the Dnipro district of the southern region of Kherson, local officials reported . TBILISI -- Riot police used water cannons and tear gas against protesters taking part in the sixth consecutive night of protests in Tbilisi after the the Georgian Interior Ministry warned protesters against committing violent acts. The ministry said on December 3 that "aggressive members" of the protest started illegal and violent actions shortly after gathering in central Tbilisi. Special forces started dispersing demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament building after the ministry said some of them had insulted law enforcement officers and thrown various blunt objects, pyrotechnics, and inflammable items in their direction. At around 11:30 p.m. local time, police used water cannons to move protesters away from the parliament building, pushing them in the direction of the Marriott hotel as they had done on previous nights. The special forces periodically also shot tear gas canisters. Police officers responded by directing water cannons at the protesters, some of whom danced in the stream of water while others sheltered under umbrellas. The Caucasus country has been rocked by demonstrations since the ruling Georgian Dream party announced last week it would halt accession talks on Georgia's application to join the European Union. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests. The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi earlier on December 3 blasted the Georgian Dream party for taking decisions that have cost the country Western support and sparked the demonstrations. Georgia has been thrown into turmoil since parliamentary elections in October in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote. The opposition and Western governments argued that the poll was marred by violations and Russian influence. Kobakhidze has blamed the unrest on foreign "instructors" and tried to explain the decision to halt EU accession talks through 2028 by saying Georgia is ready for the talks, "but only with dignity and justice and without blackmail." The U.S. Embassy responded by saying, "Don't blame others" in a post on Facebook, noting it was Georgian Dream that stopped the EU membership process and that the party was to blame for a decision by Washington to halt a strategic partnership between the two countries. The embassy statement came hours after security forces dispersed demonstrators on the fifth night of protests in Tbilisi using tear gas and water cannons. In a change of tactics, several hundred protesters on December 3 left Tbilisi's Chavchavadze Avenue near the state university as police in balaclavas massed in the area following nightlong clashes with demonstrators outside the parliament building, where they have gathered each night since November 28, when the ruling Georgian Dream party declared its decision on EU talks. Georgian security forces' use of excessive violence against protesters has prompted a wave of outrage in the country and abroad, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte calling it "deeply concerning." At a news conference in Brussels ahead of a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers, Rutte said NATO members "urge the Georgian government to stay on the path" toward "more EU and NATO integration." "The reports of violence are deeply concerning, and I condemn them unequivocally," he said. Twenty-six people, including 23 protesters and three members of the security forces needed hospitalization after the clashes on the night of December 1, Georgia's Health Ministry said on December 3. "None of the injuries are life threatening," the ministry added in a statement. The Interior Ministry said 224 protesters were detained on administrative charges and three on criminal charges. In addition, three police officers were hospitalized and 113 others have required medical treatment, the ministry said on December 2. Georgian pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with the protesters, said on X that many of the arrested protesters had injuries to their heads and faces. Some people were subjected to systematic beatings between arrest and transportation to detention facilities, she added. Writing on X on December 3, she said force had been used "disproportionately" against the protesters, while Georgia's ombudsman accused police of torturing pro-EU protesters. Levan Ioseliani, whose role is to defend citizens’ rights, said he and his officials had met people subjected to “the harshest treatment” by police. “In most cases, they have received serious injuries in the face, eye and head area, which practically excludes even the possibility that the police used the necessary, proportional force against them every time,” he said in a statement . “The location, character, and degree of the injuries create a credible impression that the police use violent methods against citizens in order to punish them. Intentional, severe violence for the purpose of punishment constitutes an act of torture.” Kobakhidze has claimed that protests were "funded from abroad" and vowed "there will be no revolution in Georgia." Western governments have questioned Georgia's parliamentary elections in October in which Georgian Dream claimed 54 percent of the vote, arguing the elections were marred by violations and Russian influence. Zurabishvili says people wanted free elections, not revolutions. Kobakhidze said earlier that Zurabishvili must leave office at the end of her term later this month. His announcement came despite her pledge to stay in office "until a president is legitimately elected." Zurabishvili and the opposition have alleged fraud and other improprieties and refuse to recognize the new parliament, which last week scheduled an indirect election for a new president for December 14 despite ongoing legal challenges. One of those challenges suffered a setback on December 3 when Georgia's Constitutional Court declined to hear a lawsuit seeking to annul the election results. The case was brought forward by the pro-EU Zurabishvili, whose powers are mostly ceremonial. Her term ends next month. A majority of Georgians support EU membership, and efforts to join the bloc are mandated in the Georgian Constitution. But the ruling Georgian Dream's enactment this year of what Zurabishvili and critics call a "Russian law" clamping down on NGOs and media financed from abroad, as well as a controversial bill on LGBT rights and public attacks on the West by Kobakhidze and other officials, have raised fears the current government is leading the country back into Russia's orbit. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of the controversial "foreign agent" law, which critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers. The United States on December 2 announced a new $725 million military aid package for Ukraine that includes another shipment of landmines and ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and other artillery systems, Stinger missiles, and drones. The United States announced a first shipment of land mines last month in a move that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said was necessary because Russian forces were using dismounted infantry units instead of vehicles to lead their advances. The Ukrainian defenders "have a need for things that can help slow down that effort," Austin said. The Biden administration is working to provide more aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has repeatedly criticized U.S. assistance to Kyiv. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement called the new aid a “significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment.” The Taliban has ordered all private educational institutions in Afghanistan to cease female medical education starting December 3, according to two informed sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The directive from the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, was announced on December 2 during a meeting of the extremist group's Public Health Ministry in Kabul. The two sources told RFE/RL that the heads of the private medical institutions affected by the order were summoned to the ministry for the announcement. As a result of the order, all institutions offering training in midwifery, dental prosthetics, nursing, and laboratory sciences are now barred from enrolling or teaching female students, the sources said. Taliban spokesmen were not immediately available for comment. Polish authorities have arrested Irina Rogova, the wife of the former coordinator of the now defunct Open Russia project, on charges of espionage. Rogova (aka Moseikina) will remain in custody for three months, according to a report by the Vot Tak online channel citing the Polish Prosecutor-General's Office. The primary charge is espionage linked to aiding an attempt to commit a crime, Polish officials said but gave no further details. The case appears to be part of a broader investigation. Poland’s Internal Security Agency on November 27 conducted a search of the residence of Danila Buzanov, a Russian acquaintance of Rogova and her husband, Igor Rogov. According to Buzanov, agents inquired about possible ties between Igor Rogov and Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). "They asked questions like, 'Do you know this man?' and 'Did Irina ever mention Igor’s connections to the FSB?'" Buzanov told journalists. Igor Rogov was arrested in late July in the Polish city of Katowice. He faces charges of making a direct threat to the lives and health of numerous individuals as well as significant property damage through sabotage. Despite these allegations, no charges of espionage have been brought against him. Open Russia was a Russian pro-democracy organization established by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a self-exiled former oil magnate and outspoken critic of the Kremlin. The group aimed to promote civil society, democracy, and human rights in Russia. Over the years, it became a platform for opposition figures, activists, and independent journalists. The Russian government labeled Open Russia as an "undesirable organization" in 2017, effectively banning its activities in the country. Members and affiliates faced harassment, legal persecution, and accusations of extremism or foreign collaboration. The group's coordination efforts extended across Europe, engaging with Russian diaspora communities and advocating against the Kremlin’s authoritarian policies. Igor Rogov’s role as a coordinator for Open Russia suggests his work may have included organizing opposition activities or disseminating critical information about Russian governance, potentially putting him under the scrutiny of Russian intelligence agencies. Polish authorities have not confirmed whether Rogov’s involvement with Open Russia is directly linked to the charges of espionage against his wife. BAKU -- A district court in the Azerbaijani capital on December 2 fined the chairman of the opposition Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (AXCP), Ali Karimli, over accusations that he defamed a bitter rival in connection with his expulsion from the party five years ago. Tempers flared outside the Nasimi District courthouse before Judge Babek Panahov handed down the fine of 1,500 manats ($882) against Karimli, who announced his intention to appeal the decision. AXCP representatives said police detained multiple people after ordering Karimli supporters gathered outside to disperse and to move their vehicles before the court session began. Karimli tweeted that "Using force, the police detained six activists of the [AXCP]." RFE/RL efforts to learn details of the detentions from the Interior Ministry were unsuccessful. The case has drawn criticism from domestic observers and international human rights organizations, further highlighting concerns about judicial independence in Azerbaijan. The accusation stems from a complaint filed as a special indictment against Karimli. Aydin Aliyev, a former AXCP member expelled five years ago but subsequently reinstated by court order, accused Karimli of slandering him in television appearances by alleging that Aliyev was collaborating with government authorities. He has sought Karimli's prosecution under a defamation article of the Criminal Code. Karimli denies the accusation, arguing that Aliyev’s actions were inconsistent with AXCP’s political agenda, thus justifying his expulsion. He and his lawyer said the ruling -- after a monthslong delay -- appeared to lack legal reasoning. "The Azerbaijani authorities dragged this case on for four months, despite knowing that neither the Azerbaijani public nor the international community took it seriously," Karimli said. "Arresting a political opponent on such an absurd charge would have been indefensible, so they chose this measure instead." President Aliyev has ruled the oil-rich South Caucasus state with an iron fist since 2003 after taking over from his father, Heydar, who was president for a decade.Wall Street edges back from its records
In a decisive move, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Senator David Perdue to serve as ambassador to China. Perdue, with a background in business, is anticipated to navigate the longstanding trade tensions and mistrust characterizing U.S.-China relations. Announcing the appointment via his social media platform, Trump highlighted the critical role Perdue will play in maintaining peace and fostering productive communications with Chinese leaders. As he prepares for his term, commencing January 20, 2025, Trump has expressed intent to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless China acts to curb fentanyl trafficking. Perdue's nomination reflects a traditional approach of assigning political figures to the Beijing embassy, deviating from incumbent President Joe Biden's preference for career diplomats. Trump's hardline strategy is further evidenced by appointing Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, hinting at a broader policy that transcends trade issues. (With inputs from agencies.)
Luke Humphries throws water over fans after Luke Littler final interrupted by whistling
Preview: Santa Clara vs. Rio Ave - prediction, team news, lineups
Littler, who won the Grand Slam of Darts last week, hit checkouts of 170, 164 and 136 as he threatened to overturn an early deficit, but Humphries held his nerve to win the last three legs. “I’m really, really proud of that one to be honest,” Humphries told Sky Sports. FOR THE SECOND TIME 🏆🏆 Luke Humphries retains his 2024 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals title, beating Luke Littler 11-7 in the final. pic.twitter.com/QUhxvSbGeu — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 24, 2024 “I didn’t feel myself this week playing-wise, I felt like I was a dart behind in a lot of the scenarios but there’s something that Luke does to you. He really drives me, makes me want to be a better player and I enjoy playing him. “He let me in really early in that first session to go 4-1 up, I never looked back and I’m proud that I didn’t take my foot off the gas. These big games are what I live for. “Luke is a special talent and he was right – I said to him I’ve got to get these (titles) early before he wins them all. “I’d love to be up here and hitting 105 averages like Luke is all the time but he’s a different calibre, he’s probably the best player in the world right now but there’s something about me that never gives up. “This is a great way to go into the worlds.” HUMPHRIES GOES BACK-TO-BACK! 🏆 Luke Humphries retains his Players Championship Finals title! Cool Hand puts on an absolute clinic to defeat Luke Littler 11-7 in an epic final! 📺 https://t.co/AmuG0PMn18 #PCF2024 | Final pic.twitter.com/nZDWPUVjWE — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 24, 2024 Littler, who lost the world championship final to Humphries last year, said: “It was tough, missed a few doubles and if you don’t take chances early on, it’s a lot to come back. “I hit the 170 and the 164 but just didn’t have enough in the end. “It’s been a good past two weeks. I just can’t wait to go home, chill out, obviously practice at home for the worlds. That’s it now, leading up to the big one.”Rich countries' promise of $300 billion a year in climate finance brought fury at talks in Baku from poor nations that found it too paltry, but it also shows a shift in global political realities. The two-week marathon COP29 climate conference opened days after the decisive victory in the US presidential election of Donald Trump, a sceptic both of climate change and foreign aid. In the new year, Germany, Canada and Australia all hold elections in which conservatives less supportive of green policies stand chances of victory. Britain is an exception, with the new Labour government putting climate high back on the agenda, but in much of the West, concerns about inflation and budgetary shocks from Russia's invasion of Ukraine have dented enthusiasm for aggressive climate measures. At COP29, Germany and the European Union maintained their roles championing climate but also advocated a noticeably practical approach on how much money historical polluters should give poorer countries. "We live in a time of truly challenging geopolitics, and we should simply not have the illusion" otherwise, European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told bleary-eyed delegates at COP29's pre-dawn closing session Sunday, as activists in the back loudly coughed to drown him out. But he vowed leadership by Europe, hailing COP29 as "the start of a new era for climate finance". German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a Green party member and longtime climate advocate, called for flexibility on ways to provide funding. Europe should "live up to its responsibilities, but in a way that it doesn't make promises it can't keep", she said. Avinash Persaud, special advisor on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, called the final deal "the boundary between what is politically achievable today in developed countries and what would make a difference in developing countries". Activists say that climate funding is a duty, not choice, for wealthy nations whose decades of greenhouse gas emissions most contributed to the crisis that most hits the poorest. This year is again set to be the hottest on record on the planet. Just since COP29, deadly storms have battered the Philippines and Honduras, and Ecuador declared a national emergency due to drought and forest fires. Wealthy historic emitters' promise of $300 billion a year by 2035 is a step up from an expiring commitment of $100 billion annually, but all sides acknowledge it is not enough. The COP29 agreement cites the need for $1.3 trillion per year, meaning a whopping $1 trillion a year needs to come from elsewhere. Even within the $300 billion commitment, some activists see too much wiggle room. "It is, to some extent, almost an empty promise," said Mariana Paoli, the global advocacy lead at London-based development group Christian Aid. She described the target as "creative accounting", saying there was not enough clarity on how much money would come from public funds and in grants rather than loans. She acknowledged the politics of the moment but said that wealthy nations had options such as taxation on fossil fuel companies. "There is a backlash because there is no political will," she said. In one closely scrutinised part of the Baku deal, countries will be able to count climate finance through international financial institutions toward the $300 billion goal. The text states that it is "voluntary" -- potentially opening the way to include China, which is the world's largest emitter but refuses to have requirements like long-developed countries. In a joint statement at COP29, multilateral development banks led by the Washington-based World Bank Group but also including the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank -- which has long faced US criticism -- expected that they together can provide $120 billion annually in climate financing and mobilise another $65 billion from the private sector by 2030. Melanie Robinson, director of the global climate program at the World Resources Institute, said there were good reasons to rely on multinational development banks, including how much capital they can leverage and their tools to advance green policies. "They are the most effective way to turn each dollar of finance into impact on the ground," she said. She agreed that the $300 billion was insufficient but added, "It's a down payment on what we need." Beyond the debate on dollar figures, she pointed to an initiative within the G20 by Brazil, which holds COP30 next year, to reform financial institutions so as to incorporate debtor nations as well as climate concerns. "There is really a much bigger opportunity for us -- which is shifting the whole financial system," she said. sct/giv
KLA Corp. stock falls Thursday, underperforms market
Mysterious buck reveals potential AI scheme targeting seniors
Costello Asset Management INC lifted its holdings in Alphabet Inc. ( NASDAQ:GOOGL – Free Report ) by 0.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,638 shares of the information services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 267 shares during the period. Alphabet accounts for approximately 3.4% of Costello Asset Management INC’s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Costello Asset Management INC’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $5,081,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GOOGL. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Alphabet by 3.6% during the second quarter. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,620 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Hengehold Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alphabet by 0.8% in the second quarter. Hengehold Capital Management LLC now owns 7,224 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,316,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc grew its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 75.0% in the second quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 140 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. First PREMIER Bank increased its stake in Alphabet by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 1,655 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, MKT Advisors LLC boosted its position in Alphabet by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. MKT Advisors LLC now owns 7,363 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,221,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.03% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have commented on GOOGL. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Alphabet from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Alphabet from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Roth Mkm increased their price target on Alphabet from $206.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Alphabet from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, DA Davidson initiated coverage on shares of Alphabet in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $170.00 target price on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have given a buy rating and five have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $205.90. Alphabet Stock Performance NASDAQ:GOOGL opened at $164.76 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.95 and a quick ratio of 1.95. The firm has a market cap of $2.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.03. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $167.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $170.35. Alphabet Inc. has a 1-year low of $127.90 and a 1-year high of $191.75. Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The information services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $88.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.85 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 27.74% and a return on equity of 31.66%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.55 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 8.01 EPS for the current year. Alphabet Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 9th. Alphabet’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.61%. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 22,500 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.68, for a total transaction of $3,570,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,137,385 shares in the company, valued at approximately $339,160,251.80. This trade represents a 1.04 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, CAO Amie Thuener O’toole sold 682 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.44, for a total value of $109,420.08. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 32,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,136,807.48. This represents a 2.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 206,795 shares of company stock valued at $34,673,866 in the last three months. 11.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Alphabet Profile ( Free Report ) Alphabet Inc offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The Google Services segment provides products and services, including ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. See Also Five stocks we like better than Alphabet The Basics of Support and Resistance Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot Best ESG Stocks: 11 Best Stocks for ESG Investing MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 Stock Analyst Ratings and Canadian Analyst Ratings 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Receive News & Ratings for Alphabet Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alphabet and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes – and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense — but Biden’s team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exacting “retribution,” could launch investigations that would be reputationally and financially costly for their targets even if they don’t result in prosecutions. While the president’s pardon power is absolute, Biden’s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity. Recipients could include infectious-disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was instrumental in combating the coronavirus pandemic and who has become a pariah to conservatives angry about mask mandates and vaccines. Others include witnesses in Trump’s criminal or civil trials and Biden administration officials who have drawn the ire of the incoming president and his allies. Get the latest political news stories, from local elections and legislation to reaction to national events. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . Some fearful former officials have reached out to the Biden White House preemptively seeking some sort of protection from the future Trump administration, one of the people said. It follows Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter — not just for his convictions on federal gun and tax violations, but for any potential federal offense committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared that Trump allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses. That could serve as a model for other pardons Biden might issue to those who could find themselves in legal jeopardy under Trump. Biden is not the first to consider such pardons — Trump aides considered them for him and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in a violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But he could be the first to issue them since Trump’s pardons never materialized before he left office nearly four years ago. Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. He believed a potential trial would “cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States," as written in the pardon proclamation. Politico was first to report that Biden was studying the use of preemptive pardons. On the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. Trump has talked about “enemies from within" and circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He also zeroed in on former Rep. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris and helped investigate Jan. 6, and he promoted a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals for supposed treason. Kash Patel, whom Trump has announced as his nominee to be director of the FBI, has listed dozens of former government officials he wanted to “come after.” Richard Painter, a Trump critic who served as the top White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said he was reluctantly in support of having Biden issue sweeping pardons to people who could be targeted by Trump's administration. He said he hoped that would “clean the slate” for the incoming president and encourage him to focus on governing, not on punishing his political allies. “It’s not an ideal situation at all,” Painter said. “We have a whole lot of bad options confronting us at this point.” While the Supreme Court this year ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, his aides and allies enjoy no such shield. Some fear that Trump could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage his allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law. “There could be blatant illegal conduct over the next four years, and he can go out and pardon his people before he leaves office,” Painter said. "But if he’s going to do that, he’s going to do that anyway regardless of what Biden does." More conventional pardons from Biden, such as those for sentencing disparities for people convicted of federal crimes, are expected before the end of the year, the White House said.
Climate finance's 'new era' shows new political realities