( MENAFN - Live Mint) Top news today, December 17: A host of developments, updates, and events are expected in India and internationally on December 17 in the markets , political, financial, technology, and general spheres. We take a look. Today (December 17), the PM Modi led central government will table two bills related to One Nation, One Election in Lok Sabha today, US Fed's FOMC meet on interest rate decision today, PM Modi will be in Rajasthan, Poco C75 5G and Poco M7 Pro launch, Bryan Adams final India tour concert in Goa, and more. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi -led central government will table the 'One Nation, One Election' Bills aimed at simultaneous elections in the country, in Lok Sabha today, according to the revised list of business in the lower house of Parliament. It also shows that Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce the two bills. The two bills that were approved by the Centre on December 12 include, The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The government had earlier listed the introduction of the two bills for December 16 but reversed its decision later. Canadian singer songwriter Bryan Adams began his seven-city tour in Kolkata with a sold-out show on December 8; and will perform his final show on the 'So Happy It Hurts' India tour in Goa today. Other cities he performed in over 10 days included Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. The concert today in Goa is being held at the Bambolim Athletic Stadium, in south Goa. You can check Zomato Live for ticket details. This is his sixth visit to India. The Summer of '69 singer had previously toured the country in 2018. Poco is set to expand its entry-level smartphone range in India with the launch of two new devices today: the Poco M7 Pro 5G and the Poco C75 5G. Both of these are expected to be affordable, 5G-centric phones with a decent set of specifications. This is particularly true for the Poco M7 Pro, which is expected to feature a bright AMOLED panel and a high refresh rate screen. As for the pricing, being an entry-level device, the Poco C75 is expected to be between ₹8,000 to ₹10,000. Pricing for the M7 Pro hasn't been tipped yet, but based on past M-series models, it could be around ₹10,000. PM Modi will be in Jaipur today to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 24 projects worth more than ₹46,300 crore, according to a PTI report. He will participate in the 'Ek Varsh - Parinam Utkarsh' program organized to mark the completion of one year of the Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government in Rajasthan . During the programme, which will be held in Dadiya near Sanganer, the prime minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 24 projects related to energy, road, railway and water, it added. The United States' Federal Reserves ' FOMC meeting for rate decision begins today on December 17, according to an AP report. Notably, central banks in Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom all meet this week, with the Bank of Japan, the Bank of England, Norges Bank and Bank of Thailand expected to stand pat, while the Riksbank is seen cutting rates, it added. MENAFN16122024007365015876ID1109000055 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Opposition fighters are closing in on Syria’s capital in a swiftly developing crisis that has taken much of the world by surprise. Syria's army has abandoned key cities in the west and south with little resistance. Nervous residents in Damascus describe security forces on the streets. The state news agency has been forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad has left the country. Who are these opposition fighters ? If they enter Damascus after taking two of Syria’s largest cities , what then? Here’s a look at the stunning reversal of fortune for Assad and his government in just the past 10 days, and what might lie ahead as Syria’s 13-year civil war reignites . This is the first time that opposition forces have reached the outskirts of the Syrian capital since 2018, when the country’s troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The approaching fighters are led by the most powerful insurgent group in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , or HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Both have been entrenched in the northwest. They launched the shock offensive on Nov. 27 with gunmen capturing Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and the central city of Hama, the fourth largest. The HTS has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. But the group said in recent years it cut ties with al-Qaida, and experts say HTS has sought to remake itself in recent years by focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told CNN in an exclusive interview Thursday from Syria that the aim of the offensive is to overthrow Assad’s government. The HTS and Syrian National Army have been allies at times and rivals at times, and their aims might diverge. The Turkish-backed militias also have an interest in creating a buffer zone near the Turkish border to keep away Kurdish militants at odds with Ankara. Turkey has been a main backer of the fighters seeking to overthrow Assad but more recently has urged reconciliation, and Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement in the current offensive. Whether the HTS and the Syrian National Army will work together if they succeed in overthrowing Assad or turn on each other again is a major question. While the flash offensive against Syria’s government began in the north, armed opposition groups have also mobilized elsewhere. The southern areas of Sweida and Daraa have both been taken locally. Sweida is the heartland of Syria’s Druze religious minority and had been the site of regular anti-government protests even after Assad seemingly consolidated his control over the area. Daraa is a Sunni Muslim area that was widely seen as the cradle of the uprising against Assad’s rule that erupted in 2011. Daraa was recaptured by Syrian government troops in 2018, but rebels remained in some areas. In recent years, Daraa was in a state of uneasy quiet under a Russian-mediated ceasefire deal. And much of Syria's east is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led group backed by the United States that in the past has clashed with most other armed groups in the country. Syria’s government now controls just four of 14 provincial capitals. Much depends on Assad’s next moves and his forces' will to fight. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces have started carrying out the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs. If that city is captured, the link would be cut between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support. “Homs to the coastal cities will be a very huge red line politically and socially. Politically, if this line is crossed, then we are talking about the end of the entire Syria, the one that we knew in the past,” said a Damascus resident, Anas Joudeh. Assad appears to be largely on his own as allies Russia and Iran are distracted by other conflicts and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah has been weakened by its war with Israel, now under a fragile ceasefire. The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is calling for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition,” saying the situation is changing by the minute. He met with foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. President-elect Donald Trump in his first extensive comments on the developments in Syria said the besieged Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on social media.Mike Tyson's son defends his father from federal crime: Where's the evidence?
US charges Iranians over deadly strike on American troops Joshua says, "We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about dangers of American technologies getting into dangerous hands" US Attorney District of Massachusetts Joshua Levy takes questions from reporters during a news conference, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, at the federal courthouse, in Boston. — AFP US officials announced on Monday the arrest of two Iranian men for export violations linked to a drone strike that resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers. More than 40 other service members were injured in a drone attack at a Jordanian military base near the Syrian border in January, the Pentagon said at the time of the incident. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); The two men, one an Iranian and the other a naturalised American-Iranian, allegedly colluded to ship navigational components to Iran which were used in the drone that executed the strike. "We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technologies getting into dangerous hands," said Joshua Levy, the United States Attorney for Massachusetts. "Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not speculating, as alleged in this criminal complaint, the grave potential damage from the leak of American technology overseas came to fruition approximately 11 months ago." Mohammad Abedininajafabadi was arrested by the FBI in Italy and US authorities are seeking his extradition after he allegedly procured sophisticated US-made navigation technology, circumventing export laws. Iranian-American Mahdi Sadeghi works for a US company making precision navigational aides and allegedly colluded with Abedininajafabadi to use a shell company in Switzerland to ship restricted items from his firm to Iran. He was arrested in Massachusetts. "We believe both men conspired illegally to export sensitive technology from a semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Massachusetts to Iran using a front company in Switzerland owned by Abedini," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen using a shortened name for Abedininajafabadi. "Abedini is also the owner of an Iranian based company that makes navigation systems for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated foreign terrorist organisation. "The FBI analyzed the drone that struck (in Jordan) killing three American soldiers, and found the navigation system used in this deadly attack was allegedly manufactured by Abedini’s company." Approximately 350 US Army and Air Force personnel were deployed to the base when the attack happened, the Pentagon said in a statement at the time. "The three soldiers were killed when a one-way uncrewed aerial system impacted their container housing units," it added, apparently describing exploding drones.
As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities followsOff the couch and into the fire
Our collective inheritance
With the release of Aviator, the world of online gambling and betting has entered a new phase of development. In addition to slots, scratch cards, bingo and classic table games such as roulette and blackjack, players now have another category of real money entertainment: instant win games. Developed by Spribe, the Aviator game takes online gambling to a whole new level with its innovative format. This online crash game has quickly become popular among players due to its simplicity and reliability. When players launch Aviator , they are not only playing for money, they are also entering a community where players from around the world come together for an exciting gaming experience. The game goes beyond traditional expectations and offers a new and dynamic approach to betting. With easy to understand mechanics and simple gameplay, Aviator game invites players to participate in an entertainment where every round is a new adventure and every decision can dramatically change the outcome. Gameplay Features To start playing Aviator, you need to register on the site of a legal and licensed online casino, deposit money and make a bet in the game itself. The point of this online crash game is to watch the plane, which rises up. Together with it, the multipliers increase. The player needs to have time to withdraw money before the plane flies off the game screen, otherwise the entire amount of the original bet will be lost. Tips for Beginners on How to Win at the Game There are some tips for beginners that increase the chances of winning at Aviator game: Do not forget that only adult users can play this online crash game. Aviator Strategies There are a few strategies that won’t guarantee a hundred per cent win, but will help increase your chances of success: Remember that Aviator is a random game that never guarantees high winnings. The player’s probability of success here depends largely on luck, as the mechanism is based on the random number generator HSC. However, you can properly prepare for the game by learning the above mentioned tricks. Aviator game is available only at legal online casinos. If you want to test the best gaming strategies, choose a reliable platform. When it comes to safety and randomness, Aviator utilises Provability Fair technology. This is a patented algorithm based on technology that ensures 100% randomness of winnings. It takes advantage of the blockchain to achieve completely random results. Conclusion Success in Aviator is a balance between strategy, a sense of intuition, and sometimes just the mood of fate. Strategies in this online crash game are no guarantee of victory. The multiplier is influenced by provably fair game technology, which ensures that each round is fair, but also unpredictable. Consequently, strategies help in decision making but cannot be a guarantee of an exact result. The value of the multiplier in each round is random, so it is difficult to predict what the winnings will be in the next round.
China Unveils Global AI Governance Committee With Alibaba Cloud Founder At The HelmLEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Leo Colimerio had 15 points in Queens' 81-78 win against VMI on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Leo Colimerio had 15 points in Queens' 81-78 win against VMI on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Leo Colimerio had 15 points in Queens’ 81-78 win against VMI on Saturday. Colimerio had seven rebounds and five assists for the Royals (4-5). Jaxon Pollard scored 13 points while finishing 6 of 8 from the floor and added eight rebounds. Yoav Berman had 12 points and shot 4 of 7 from the field, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 1 for 4 from the line. A 3-pointer by TJ Johnson got VMI within 77-76 with 8 seconds remaining, but Nasir Mann’s layup gave Queens an important three-point lead with 6 seconds left. Rickey Bradley, Jr. led the way for the Keydets (5-6) with 19 points and four steals. TJ Johnson added 17 points, six rebounds and three steals for VMI. Augustinas Kiudulas also put up 15 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. AdvertisementWhat is Robin Radar Systems and how can it help track drones?
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