ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos' usually stout defense has been rocked ever since losing second-year cornerback Riley Moss to an MCL injury against Las Vegas in Week 12. Without Moss there to capitalize on opponents shying away from star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos (9-6) have had to largely abandon their preferred man coverage in favor of zone strategies and the results haven't been pretty. They allowed 32 points to the Cleveland Browns when former teammate Jerry Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown. Only Jonathan Taylor's fumble at the goal line as he was about to score a 41-yard touchdown and give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead saved the Broncos in Week 15 and allowed Denver to seize momentum and get the victory. They couldn't stop Justin Herbert , who led the Los Angeles Chargers back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit for a 34-27 win last week that prevented the Broncos from ending their eight-year playoff drought. It also put more pressure on the Broncos to win Saturday at Cincinnati, where the Bengals (7-8) cling to hopes of catching the Broncos and deny Denver a wild-card berth. Moss has enjoyed a breakout season in Denver with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in 12 starts. He played in 14 games as a rotation player his rookie season after recovering from core muscle surgery that relegated him to special teams and spot duty in 2023. “We were and have been super excited" about the third-round pick out of Iowa, coach Sean Payton said. "Obviously, the guy that plays opposite of Patrick is going to get a lot of business. All throughout training camp, he really rose to the occasion, battled, competed and throughout really a good portion of the season. “He’s a big reason why we were playing so well defensively,” Payton added. "The sooner the better when we can get him back in the lineup. Hopefully it can happen this weekend.” In Moss' dozen starts, the Broncos allowed 16.8 points per game. Without him, they've been allowing 26.3 points a game. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase pose a bigger challenge to the Broncos than Jeudy and Jameis Wiston did for Cleveland or Herbert and Ladd McConkey did for the Chargers. Moss returned to practice last week and the Broncos will determine this week whether he's ready to return to the field or if it's better to keep him out until their season finale against Kansas City. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside of the knee that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. It’s one of four major ligaments that stabilize the knee and allow it to rotate. It typically takes a month to recover from an MCL sprain and the Broncos had their bye week earlier this month, meaning Moss might only have to miss three games. If the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 in Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's last start, they'll likely need to have a healthy Moss opposite Surtain to have any realistic hopes of avoiding a one-and-done appearance. The Broncos got a scare when Surtain injured an ankle against Indianapolis two weeks ago and limped off the field in the closing minutes. However, he was a full-go at practice last week and had no issues against the Chargers. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Arnie Stapleton, The Associated PressAs the SMU Mustangs clinched another win Saturday to round out their best season in decades, Ford stadium was practically buzzing. Along the Boulevard, fans couldn’t help but look back, reflecting on where they came from as they prepared for the thing no one saw coming – a trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship their first year in the ACC. “I was here during the Death Penalty, so I was here when it was actually announced and this is very exciting for all of us,” said SMU grad Ronald Pelt. Pelt wasn’t the only long-time fan who said recent success has him thinking of the scandal that rocked SMU in 1987. After learning the school was paying players, the NCAA canceled the Mustangs entire season. The ripple effects lasted for years. They were felt into the mid-90s when Craig Swan was a linebacker. “When the Southwest Conference broke up, you know, there were a lot of schools that kept SMU out. Baylor and some of the other programs didn’t want SMU, and so we were kind of on the outside looking in. But now that we’re in a major conference, we can kind of compete and show that we belong,” said Swan. A former employee of SMU’s police department, Patty Kern used to work those games. “I worked when they were still playing at the Cotton Bowl. It was miserable. This is excitement. Everyone’s excited,” said Kern. Kern flew in for Saturday’s game, joining the influx of fans who have flocked to campus this year. SMU announced Saturday that it set a new season attendance record. Fans said a playoff run would only bring more good fortune. Going all the way would be an extra sweet reward for the fans who have stuck by their team over the last several decades. “If it’s not this year, it’s next year, year after. I don’t care. I want to see it. This school deserves it,” said Kern. SMU will face the Clemson Tigers next Saturday for the ACC Championship.
STUART, Fla. , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Health In Tech, an Insurtech platform company backed by third-party AI technology, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 2,300,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $4.00 per share, for gross proceeds of $9,200,000 , before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and estimated offering expenses. The Company has granted the underwriter an option, exercisable within 30 days from the date of the final prospectus, to purchase an additional 345,000 shares of Class A common stock from Health In Tech at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. Assuming such option is fully exercised, the Company may raise a total of approximately US$10,580,000 in gross proceeds from the Offering Health In Tech intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for system enhancements, expansion of service offerings, sales and distribution channels, talent development and retention, working capital, and other general corporate purposes. American Trust Investment Services, Inc. acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-281853) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and became effective on December 19, 2024 . This offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming part of the effective registration statement. A copy of the prospectus relating to the offering can be obtained when available, by contacting American Trust Investment Services, Inc., 230 W. Monroe Street , Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60606, or via E-Mail at ECM@amtruinvest.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Health In Tech Health in Tech ("HIT") is an Insurtech platform company backed by third-party AI technology. We offer a dynamic marketplace designed to create customized healthcare plan solutions while streamlining processes through vertical integration, process simplification, and automation. By eliminating friction and complexities, HIT enhances value propositions for employers and optimizes underwriting, sales, and service workflows for Managing General Underwriters (MGUs), insurance carriers, licensed brokers, and Third-Party Administrators (TPAs). Learn more at healthintech.com . Forward-Looking Statements Regarding Health In Tech Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about Health In Tech's possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "design," "target," "aim," "hope," "expect," "could," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," "predict," "project," "potential," "goal," or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to Health In Tech's future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Health In Tech's actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond Health In Tech's control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects Health In Tech's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to Health In Tech's operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. Investor Contact Investor Relations: ir@healthintech.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/health-in-tech-announces-closing-of-initial-public-offering-302338923.html SOURCE Health In TechIran will hold talks about its disputed nuclear program with three European countries on November 29, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on November 24, days after the UN atomic watchdog passed a resolution against Tehran. Iran reacted to the resolution -- proposed by Britain, France, Germany, and the United States -- with various measures reportedly such as activating numerous new and advanced centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium. Japan's Kyodo news agency, which first reported the meeting would take place in Geneva, said Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian's government was seeking a solution to the nuclear impasse ahead of the inauguration in January of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei later said the deputy foreign ministers of Iran and the three European countries would take part in the talks, which he said would cover regional issues as well as the nuclear dossier. Iran has vowed to respond to a resolution adopted by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that criticizes the Islamic republic for what it says is poor cooperation by installing a number of "new and advanced" centrifuges. The resolution, which comes shortly after the return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi from a trip to Iran , reportedly says it is "essential and urgent" for Tehran to "act to fulfill its legal obligations." A joint statement by Iran's Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization said on November 22 that the country's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, "issued an order to take effective measures, including launching a significant series of new and advanced centrifuges of various types." The Iranian announcement came after the IAEA's board on November 21 issued a second resolution condemning Tehran's cooperation with the agency after a similar warning in June. Some analysts say the resolution may be a step toward making a political decision to trigger a "snapback" of UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against Iran. The "snapback" mechanism is outlined in UNSC Resolution 2231, which enshrined a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. However, the option to reimpose the sanctions expires in October 2025. The IAEA resolution, put forward by France, Germany, and Britain and supported by the United States, comes at a critical time as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return at the White House in January. Trump during his first term embarked on a "maximum pressure" campaign of intensified sanctions on Iran and unilaterally withdrew the United States in 2018 from a landmark 2015 agreement that lifted some sanctions on Iran in exchange of curbs to its nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful. The resolution passed on November 21 also urged Iran to cooperate with an investigation launched after uranium particles were found at two sites that Iranian authorities had not declared as nuclear locations. Nineteen of the 35 members of the IAEA board voted in favor of the resolution. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso opposed it, 12 members abstained, while one did not vote, diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP. It also calls on the IAEA to come up with a "comprehensive report" on Iran's nuclear activities by spring. During Grossi's visit, Iran agreed with an IAEA demand to limit its stock of uranium enriched at 60 percent purity, which is still under the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear weapon, but it is much higher than the 3.67 percent limit it agreed to in the 2015 deal. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who was Tehran's chief negotiator for the 2015 agreement, warned that Iran would not negotiate "under pressure." Tehran has responded to previous similar resolutions by moves such as removing IAEA cameras and monitoring equipment from several nuclear sites, and increasing uranium enrichment to 60 percent purity at a second site, the Fordow plant. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Muhammad Deif, a military commander in the Iran-backed group Hamas, alleging they committed crimes against humanity in the ongoing Gaza war. All three are accused of committing war crimes connected to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, an EU- and U.S-designated terrorist organization that is part of Tehran's network of proxies in the Middle East, and Israel's subsequent military intervention in the Gaza Strip. Iran's backing of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-supported militant group and political party that controls much of the southern part of Israel's neighbor, Lebanon, has sparked fears that the war in the Gaza Strip will engulf the Middle East. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. The court said the warrants had been classified as "secret" to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. Israel, which claims it killed Deif in July, blasted the move as "a dark moment for the ICC." Hamas, which has never officially acknowledged Deif's death, called the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant an "important step toward justice." The ICC said it had issued the arrest warrant for Deif as the prosecutor had not been able to determine whether he was dead. His warrant shows charges of mass killings during the October 7 attack on Israel that left some 1,200 dead, as well as charges of rape and the taking of around 240 hostages in the attack. "The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both [Israeli] individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024," the ICC said in a statement . "This finding is based on the role of Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal," it said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the move against Netanyahu and Gallant "absurd" in a post on X, saying it was an attack of Israel's right to self-defense. "A dark moment for the ICC in The Hague, in which it lost all legitimacy for its existence and activity," Sa'ar said. Tehran has yet to comment publicly on the warrants. Neither the United States nor Israel have recognized the ICC's jurisdiction. A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said Washington "fundamentally rejects" the issuance of the arrest warrants and "the troubling process errors that led to this decision. Meanwhile, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a post on X that ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States." The court said Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction was not required. However, the court itself has no law enforcement levers to enforce warrants and relies on cooperation from its member states. Autocratic states have long used allegations of mental illness to discredit and imprison their critics. In Iran, the authorities are increasingly branding women who violate the country's hijab law -- a key pillar of the Islamic system -- as psychologically unstable . The move has coincided with unprecedented protests against Iran's clerical establishment and growing calls for greater social and political freedoms. Experts say the Iranian authorities are employing punitive psychiatry -- the misuse of psychiatric diagnoses, treatments, and institutions to punish, control, or repress individuals -- to go after government critics. "In countries like ours, being mentally ill is taboo, so the authorities use mental health allegations to raise public sympathy to justify their human rights violations," Medis Tavakoli, an Iranian psychotherapist and rights activists based in Europe, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda. 'Labeling Healthy People As Sick' In July 2023, for the first time, judges diagnosed three prominent actresses sentenced for not wearing the hijab as "mentally ill." The unprecedented move was condemned by top Iranian psychologists who said the judiciary was abusing its authority. Now, the authorities have announced the creation of a rehabilitation center in Tehran for women who do not wear the mandatory head scarf. The Tehran Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said on November 12 that the center will offer "scientific and psychological treatment" to women who refuse to follow the Islamic dress code. No other details were provided. In response, Iranian psychologists have raised the alarm about the consequences of "labeling healthy people as sick." Earlier this month, a young woman who took off her clothes outside a university in Tehran in apparent protest against harassment was committed to psychiatric care -- a move deemed "illegal" by rights activists. The political abuse of psychiatry is well-documented, and was prominently used in the Soviet Union against dissidents. In recent years, the authorities in countries like China, North Korea, and Russia have labeled their domestic critics as mentally ill . Iran has been increasingly using mental health allegations and other "hateful statements" against women who oppose the hijab since unprecedented protests in 2022, according to Amnesty International . Months of antiestablishment protests erupted across Iran in September 2022 after the death in custody of a young woman who was arrested for violating the hijab law. Women were at the forefront of the protests, which snowballed into one of the most sustained demonstrations against Iran's theocracy, with some protesters calling for an end to clerical rule. "Governments alone cannot get rid of all of their critics," Tavakoli said. "One method is to lob accusations and labels against critics. So, when they get rid of their critics, society thinks that bad actors were weeded out." 'Alternative' Punishment The authorities' decision to establish a rehabilitation center for violators of the hijab law has caused uproar in Iran. Mojgan Ilanlou, a documentary filmmaker and women's rights activist based in Tehran, said she felt "pity" for those who come up with "such brilliant ideas." "They themselves know better than anyone how much these things make people laugh," she told Radio Farda. In recent years, the authorities have taken several measures to enforce the hijab on women in a society that is increasingly shunning head scarves. The Hijab and Chastity law went into force last month, mandating fines and sentences of up to 10 years in prison for those who are deemed to be dressed "inappropriately" in public. Iranian authorities have said the "treatment" center in Tehran can serve as an "alternative" punishment. But Ilanlou said the opening of the clinic showed that the authorities "are losing the fight" to enforce the hijab. Iran-based political activist Pouran Nazemi said that "women have been putting up a fight." "I doubt [the authorities] can continue resisting what society wants," she told Radio Farda. Iranian authorities are using executions as "a tool of fear," particularly directed at ethnic minorities, dissidents, and foreign nationals, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 20. The rights watchdog highlighted a recent surge in capital punishment sentences against these groups, noting that the verdicts are handed down amid rampant violations of due process. According to Iran Human Rights group, in the first 10 months of this year, at least 651 people were executed in Iran -- 166 people in October alone. HRW noted the case of Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi, sentenced to death by Iran’s revolutionary court in Tehran on November 10 on the charge of “armed rebellion against the state." Moradi, a member of the Free Women’s Society of Eastern Kurdistan, was arrested in the city of Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province in August last year and kept for five months in solitary confinement in the infamous Evin prison where she was tortured. Her family has not been allowed to visit her since May, the group said. Moradi was not allowed to defend herself, and the judge did not permit her lawyers to present a defense, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported. “Iranian authorities use the death penalty as a tool of fear, particularly targeting ethnic minorities and political dissidents after unfair trials,” said HRW's Nahid Naghshbandi. “This brutal tactic aims to suppress any opposition to an autocratic government through intimidation,” she said. Five other Kurdish men were sentenced to death in recent weeks on charges of “espionage for Israel," HRW said. Four Arab prisoners from Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, are at risk of imminent execution, after being sentenced to death by a revolutionary court with two other individuals for their alleged involvement in the killings of two Basij members, a law enforcement officer, and a soldier. The four -- Ali Majdam, Moein Khonafri, Mohammadreza Moghadam, and Adnan Gheibshavi (Musavi) -- were arrested in 2017 and 2018, according to human rights groups. Afghan citizens in Iran have been targeted, in particular, by death sentences, HRW noted, adding that according to human rights groups, at least 49 Afghan nationals have been executed in Iran this year, 13 in the past month alone. “Iran’s revolutionary courts are a tool of systematic repression that violate citizens’ fundamental rights and hand out death sentences indiscriminately, leaving legal protections meaningless,” Naghshbandi said. “The international community should categorically condemn this alarming trend and pressure Iranian authorities to halt these executions,” she added. Mai Sato, the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, has also voiced concern about the "alarming" increase in the number of executions. "In August 2024 alone, at least 93 people were executed, with nearly half in relation to drug offences," Sato said on November 1. No charges have been brought against the Iranian woman who disrobed in an apparent protest outside her Tehran university, a spokesman for the judiciary said, adding that she had been released from the hospital to her family. "Given that she has been sent to the hospital and it has been determined that she is sick , she has been handed over to the family and they are currently taking care of her," Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told a news conference on November 19. The spokesman added that "no judicial case has been filed against this student." It wasn't immediately clear if the comments meant that the case had been permanently closed. The woman was identified as Ahoo Bahari, a student from the science and research department of Tehran Azad University. She took off her clothes in public on November 3 in an apparent protest at the university and was arrested shortly afterward. The circumstances that led to her taking off her clothes remain unclear, but witnesses say she was harassed by the university's security officers over what she had been wearing. One video showed officers violently forcing the unidentified woman into a car. Reports in Iranian media later alleged she was suffering from mental illness and that she was taken to a psychiatric hospital. Video footage posted online raised concerns of the woman's safety from international rights groups, who condemned her treatment and demanded her immediate release. Amnesty International said it had previously published evidence of the government's crackdown on protesters under the pretext of "mental disorders" that needed to be "treated." Rights groups and Iranian activists have long assailed the government of the conservative Muslim nation for attacks on protesters, often targeting those who challenge strict laws governing women’s dress in public. New laws increase prison terms and fines for women and girls who breach the dress code in the wake of the mass Women, Life, Freedom protests that followed the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation. Iranian rights activist Hossein Ronaghi was held for several hours after being detained following a sit-in protest in central Tehran, his family said on November 18. "Ronaghi was violently arrested by a large number of armed officers at 5 p.m. at Vali-e Asr Square" before being released at his front door at 9 p.m., his brother Hassan said on Telegram . Ronaghi had announced the protest on Telegram, saying it was to honor Kianoosh Sanjari, a journalist and political activist who jumped to his death from a Tehran building on November 13 to protest the numerous arrests and interrogations of himself and other political activists. The U.S.-based PEN America free-speech watchdog has asked the UN Human Rights Council to intervene in the case of imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who it said is in "urgent need of medical care ." In an open letter, PEN urged the UN “to call on the Iranian authorities to grant Mohammadi a medical furlough on humanitarian grounds so that she is able to receive comprehensive and essential care for a range of serious medical conditions." Mohammadi, 52, has been in and out of prison for the past 20 years. She is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Tehran's Evin prison for "spreading propaganda," allegations that she, her family, and supporters reject. The EU has widened its sanctions against Iran over the country's support of the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine, the European Commission said on November 18, targeting firms, ports, and individuals involved in the transfer of ballistic missiles and drones to Russia for use on the battlefield. Included in the new sanctions are the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) -- which will see its assets frozen -- and measures targeting the activities of Iranian ports on the Caspian Sea linked to listed entities and individuals. The EU said it decided to "widen the scope of the EU framework for restrictive measures in view of Iran's military support to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and to armed groups and entities in the Middle East and the Red Sea region." It said the new measures target "the use of vessels and ports for the transfer of Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles, and related technologies and components." The United States, Britain, France, and Germany have accused Iran of sending ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia for use against Ukraine, sparking consultations among European allies on the matter. Ali Safaei, chief of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, rejected the "European accusations," calling them "baseless," according to the state-run IRNA news agency. "It is regrettable that some delegations, including the U.S., have once again disseminated false and misleading information to advance their political agendas," Safaei said. The IRISL headlined the list of the newly sanctioned entities. "IRISL is Iran's national maritime carrier, and for years its ships have been involved in shipping drones on behalf of the EU-listed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy," the EU said. IRISL director Mohammad Reza Khiabani is also targeted in the sanctions. The measures include "access to facilities of the ports and locks, such as Amirabad and Anzali, and the provision of any services to vessels," it said, adding that exceptions will be made for vessels in need of assistance for safety for humanitarian purposes. The EU also listed three Russian shipping companies -- MG Flot, VTS Broker, and Arapax -- whose vessels are involved in transporting Iranian-made weapons and ammunition, including UAV components, across the Caspian Sea to resupply Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. The November 18 announcement is a continuing of a wide-ranging strategy by the West of targeting Iranian entities and individuals over rights abuses, aid to extremist allies and proxies in the region, and weapons transfer. EU foreign ministers on October 14 approved new sanctions against seven individuals and seven entities linked to Iran after Kyiv's Western allies accused Tehran of sending ballistic missiles to Russia to aid in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Those sanctions, first reported in an exclusive by Radio Farda, targeted companies and individuals accused of being involved in the transfer of the weapons to Russia, including the country's flagship carrier Iran Air, as well as airlines Saha Airlines and Mahan Air. Those targeted are subject to an asset freeze and travel ban to the European Union. Additionally, the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, with those listed is prohibited. Iran Air has direct flights to several cities in Europe, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Paris, and Milan. Overall, the EU said sanctions have been imposed on 227 individuals and 42 entities in Iran in response to "human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation activities, and military support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on November 16 that there remains a "limited opportunity" for nuclear negotiations with the West, according to Iranian state media. Relations between Tehran and the United States have been especially tense since then-President Donald Trump withdrew unilaterally from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and global powers and reimposed tough U.S. sanctions on Iran. "There is still an opportunity for diplomacy, although this opportunity is not much. It is a limited opportunity," Araqchi was quoted as telling state television. Western concerns at Iranian actions have soared amid the yearlong war in the Gaza Strip after U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization Hamas carried out a brutal attack in Israel in October 2023, with Iranian allies including Huthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon attacking Israel in support of Hamas. With Trump poised to return to the White House in January following his election victory earlier this month, reports circulated of possible informal contacts, including claims that Trump ally Elon Musk met last week in New York with Iran's envoy to the United Nations. After days of silence, Tehran on November 16 " categorically denied " that any such meeting took place. This week, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), urged Iran and its global partners to achieve "concrete, tangible, and visible results" in talks over Tehran's nuclear program as the return of Trump could mean the window for diplomacy is closing. The 2015 deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), had given Iran some limited relief from international sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program designed to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. After Washington's withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran expanded its nuclear program and restricted IAEA inspections of its nuclear sites. U.S. President Joe Biden entered the White House in 2017 pledging to try to revive the deal but made no breakthroughs. Trump's announced pick for secretary of state, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, is generally regarded as an advocate of tough action to counter Iranian influence through a return to a "maximum pressure" policy. Tehran has "categorically denied" U.S. reports suggesting that billionaire Trump ally and adviser Elon Musk met with Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani in New York last week, contradicting reporting by The New York Times and AP asserting that Tehran sought the meeting in an apparent effort to ease tensions with President-elect Donald Trump. Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei as saying those are "false reports." In his first term, Trump withdrew from a major nuclear accord with Tehran and global powers and reimposed tough sanctions that walloped Iran's currency and economy. Trump has pledged close if informal cooperation with Musk, who has boasted that he has "top-secret clearance" and said he looks forward to a role as "first buddy" to the next U.S. president. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here . Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, on November 15 asked Iran to help secure a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and whose military wing is blacklisted by the European Union. He also appeared to urge Iran to convince the militant group to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border. As a top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei visited Lebanon for talks, Lebanese officials said an American proposal for a cease-fire deal had been passed on to Hezbollah, aiming to end 13 months of exchanges of fire between Israel and the group. Iran is a main backer of Hezbollah and for decades has been funding and arming the Lebanese militant group. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization Hamas’s surprise attack into Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war in Gaza. Iran backs any decision taken by Lebanon in talks to secure a cease-fire with Israel, a senior Iranian official said on November 15, signaling Tehran wants to see an end to a conflict that has dealt heavy blows to its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and whose military wing is blacklisted by the European Union. Israel launched air strikes in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, flattening buildings for a fourth consecutive day. Israel has stepped up its bombardment of the area this week, an escalation that has coincided with signs of movement in U.S.-led diplomacy toward a cease-fire. Senior Iranian official Ali Larijani, asked whether he had come to Beirut to undermine the U.S. truce plan, said: "We are not looking to sabotage anything. We are after a solution to the problems." Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has visited Iran’s key underground uranium enrichment sites at Fordow and Natanz, Iranian state media reported on November 15, without offering details. Iran has restricted inspection of its nuclear sites and barred several IAEA inspectors from visiting its enrichment facilities. Grossi is in Iran to push for diplomacy, warning that the “space for negotiation...is getting smaller” over Iran’s advancing nuclear program. Tehran insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. The visit comes ahead of an upcoming meeting of the IAEA's Board of Governors, where some nations are pushing for action against the Islamic republic. Iran and Saudi Arabia have been bitter rivals for decades, vying to lead competing branches of Islam and standing on opposing sides of conflicts in Syria and Yemen. But Tehran and Riyadh have taken major steps to de-escalate tensions and boost cooperation, a move that appeared unthinkable until recently. The rapprochement has coincided with growing fears of an all-out war in the Middle East, where U.S. ally Israel is engaged in wars against Iranian-backed groups in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. The detente process has intensified since Donald Trump's decisive victory in the U.S. presidential election earlier this month. The president-elect has pledged to bring peace to the region. "I don't view this as a warming of relations but rather as a cautious detente," said Talal Mohammad, associate fellow at the Britain-based Royal United Services Institute. Reassuring Iran The first signs of a thaw came in March 2023, when Iran and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations after more than seven years following a surprise Chinese-brokered agreement. But it was Israel's invasion of Gaza in October 2023 -- soon after the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel -- that gave real impetus to Iran-Saudi rapprochement efforts. Since the war erupted, Iran and Israel have traded direct aerial attacks for the first time. The tit-for-tat assaults have brought the region to the brink of a full-blown conflict . Saudi Arabia is "concerned that these escalating tensions between Israel and Iran could spiral out of control and lead to a broader regional conflict that may impact their interests," said Hamidreza Azizi, fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Azizi adds that Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shi'a-dominated Iran are still "far from friends," despite the recent rapprochement, and they remain rivals vying for influence. Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has stopped conducting air strikes in neighboring Yemen against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels. Riyadh has also made attempts to negotiate an end to the 10-year conflict pitting the Huthis against the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The Huthis have also ceased cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia. In 2019, the rebels managed to shut down half of the kingdom's oil production. The Trump Factor Trump's victory in the November 5 presidential election has injected more urgency to the Iran-Saudi rapprochement, experts say. Saudi Arabia's top general, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, made a rare trip to Iran on November 10 to meet Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Baqeri in what Iranian media dubbed " defense diplomacy ." The following day, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman accused Israel of committing "collective genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza and explicitly condemned Israel's attack last month on Iranian military sites. Azizi says there are fears in the region that Trump's electoral victory will embolden Israel to intensify its attacks on Iran and Tehran's interests. During Trump's first term in office from 2017 to 2021, his administration pursued a campaign of "maximum pressure" on Iran that included imposing crippling sanctions against Tehran. At the same time, Trump struck a close relationship with Riyadh. He helped facilitate normalization between several Arab states and Israel under the so-called Abraham Accords. Before Israel launched its devastating war in Gaza, Saudi Arabia was reportedly on the verge of a historic deal to normalize relations with Israel. Experts say that the Huthis' attacks in 2019 on Saudi oil facilities convinced Riyadh that Washington will not come to its aid if it is attacked. "Given Trump's tendency toward unpredictable shifts in policy, Saudi Arabia may seek to play an influential role by encouraging Trump to adopt a balanced approach that ensures regional stability without triggering escalation with Iran," Mohammad said. "By subtly guiding U.S. policy toward calibrated sanctions rather than aggressive pressure, Saudi Arabia could help maintain regional security while avoiding the risks of open confrontation," he added. Israeli Normalization Normalization talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel have been indefinitely postponed. Saudi officials have recently said that a deal was off until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Mohammad says Riyadh has significant strategic incentives to normalize relations with Israel, including security and economic cooperation as well as access to U.S. nuclear and defense technology. But analysts say Saudi Arabia will only resume talks when the Gaza war is over, given the current public sentiment in the Muslim world toward Israel. "Normalizing relations without achieving tangible rights for Palestinians could weaken Saudi Arabia's normative influence within the Islamic world -- a position they are keen to maintain," Azizi argued. The Saudis will also have to take into account Iran, which staunchly opposes Saudi normalization with Israel. "Riyadh may consult with Tehran and seek assurances that normalization with Israel would not heighten hostilities or undermine the balance achieved through recent diplomatic outreach to Iran," Mohammad said. Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has urged Iran and its global partners to achieve "concrete, tangible, and visible results" in talks over Tehran's nuclear program as the return of Donald Trump to the White House may mean the window for diplomacy is closing. Speaking to journalists in the Iranian capital on November 14 after a meeting with Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, Grossi said pressure was building for movement toward a solution with Iran-backed proxies at war with Israel and Trump, known for his hard-line stance against Tehran, taking over the U.S. presidency in January. "We know that it is indispensable to get, at this point of time, to get some concrete, tangible, and visible results that will indicate that this joint work is improving (the) situation, is bringing clarification to things, and in a general sense it is moving us away from conflict and ultimately war," Grossi said. “The fact that international tensions and regional tensions do exist...shows that the space for negotiation and diplomacy is not getting bigger, it is getting smaller," he added. Grossi's visit takes place about two months ahead of the inauguration of Trump, who during his first term in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers and reimposed biting sanctions on the Islamic republic. The 2015 deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), had given Iran some limited relief from international sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program designed to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Grossi also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran on November 14. Araqchi, Iran's chief negotiator during the negotiations to reach the JCPOA deal, which barred Tehran from enriching uranium above the level of 3.65 percent, said on X that the talks with Grossi were "important and straightforward." He vowed to continue Iran's cooperation with the IAEA on nuclear nonproliferation "with courage and good will" and reiterated Tehran's longstanding assertion that its nuclear program was "peaceful." Araqchi added, however, that Iran would not negotiate "under pressure." After Washington's withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran expanded its nuclear program and restricted IAEA inspections of its nuclear sites. The IAEA and the international community have voiced alarm at reports that Tehran has substantially increased its stocks of uranium enriched to 60 percent -- considerably closer to the 90 percent level needed for a nuclear weapon. Nuclear expert Eric Brewer told RFE/RL that the IAEA's lack of access to Iran's nuclear sites heightens the risk of it producing more enriched uranium. "I suspect that to get Iran to provide some information on that front is at the top of Director-General Grossi's list," Brewer said. He added that while the trip had been scheduled since before the U.S. election, Trump's re-election "will hang over the conversations." The IAEA chief is expected to hold talks with Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian later in the day. WASHINGTON -- President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Senator Marco Rubio to be his top diplomat as the incoming administration prepares to navigate an increasingly perilous world, with wars raging in Europe and the Middle East and competition heating up with China in the Asia-Pacific. In choosing Rubio -- a senator known for taking a tough line on many foreign policy issues -- the president-elect is seeking someone who largely shares his views on the most pressing international topics, says Behnam Ben Taleblu, an analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "Rubio is someone who has ideological and political alignment with Trump on several key national-security issues like great-power competition, countering China, countering the Islamic [Republic of] Iran, and reinstating the maximum-pressure campaign," Taleblu told RFE/RL. In a wide-ranging interview last week with media before being tapped as secretary of state, Rubio said the decades-long period of unchallenged U.S. global dominance following the collapse of the Soviet Union had ended, replaced by a new Cold War-like era. He warned that the United States can't stretch itself too thin with global commitments, saying Washington must be "pragmatic" in its pursuits abroad. "We're the most powerful [country], but we too have limited resources...so we have to invest both our time and our money on things that serve our core national interest," Rubio said in a November 7 interview with EWTN, a U.S.-based cable network. Rubio, a Cuban-American, played an influential role in shaping Trump's policy on Venezuela during the latter's first term as president from 2017 to 2021. The New York Times described Rubio at the time as Trump's "virtual secretary of state for Latin America." The three-time Florida senator, who challenged Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, comes to the job with ample foreign policy experience, having served on both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. If ultimately confirmed by the Senate, Rubio, 53, would be the first Latino to serve as secretary of state . And while Latin America will certainly be an important focus for Rubio, it will take a back seat to more pressing U.S. foreign policy concerns, namely China's global rise, Iran's threat to the Middle East, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Priority No. 1: China When it comes to demands on U.S. military, political, and financial resources, Rubio wants the focus to be on China. "I think the future of the 21st century is going to largely be defined by what happens in the Indo-Pacific. And I think China would love for us to be bogged down in Europe in a conflict and not focused on what's happening in the Indo-Pacific," Rubio said on November 7. Rubio, who served as a co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, has consistently advocated taking a hard line on China. He led efforts to arm Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing. He called for direct shipments of U.S. munitions and advanced military technologies in hopes of deterring China from attacking the island. Rubio has also been vocal about Beijing's human rights record, pushed for a U.S. industrial policy to better compete with China, and backed tariffs on Chinese goods. He sought to ban imports of Chinese goods made with forced labor by Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in western China and prevent China from circumventing Trump-era tariffs by relocating production to Mexico. NATO And Ukraine Rubio has repeatedly supported Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in its defensive war against Russia and described Ukrainians as "incredibly brave and strong." In February 2022, immediately following Russia's full-scale invasion, he co-sponsored the NYET Act in the Senate, which aimed to "bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities" and impose sanctions on Russia. However, Rubio has also said Russia's war against Ukraine has reached a "stalemate" and "needs to be brought to a conclusion." He was among a minority of senators who, earlier this year, opposed a foreign-assistance bill that included $60 billion in aid for Ukraine. The bill eventually passed in April, bringing total U.S. aid to Ukraine since February 2022 to almost $175 billion -- about as much given by all of Europe combined. Rubio has highlighted that imbalance, emphasizing that Washington should push Europe to take a larger role in handling its own security issues in order to allow the United States to prioritize challenging China in the Indo-Pacific. In last week's interview with EWTN, Rubio said it was "unrealistic" to expect the United States to approve tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine every 10 months. He said European members of NATO need to step up their contributions to the alliance. "Every day in our own country, [we are] grappling with [the question of] how do we provide assistance to Americans, even as we have these defense requirements that we're spending a lot of money on, and these [European NATO] countries are not making that choice," he said. While Rubio sees Russia as a threat to U.S. security and backs Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, he said Kyiv will have to negotiate an end to the war. Rubio said Russia has just too many resources at its disposal, including weapons and men, to allow it to continue the fighting despite suffering extraordinary losses. Iran: 'No Appeasement' In the Middle East, Rubio has long taken a tough stand on Iran, describing its theocratic government as a "terrorist regime" for financing groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, both designated terrorist organizations by the United States. As a senator, he was a fierce critic of U.S. President Barack Obama's 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), which restricted Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. Critics of the deal argued it empowered Iran, offering too much relief from sanctions without guarantees it wouldn't someday produce a nuclear bomb. In 2018, Trump, who was then president, pulled the United States out of the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. More recently, Rubio co-authored three bills punishing Iran that were signed into law this year. The bills authorize placing sanctions on Iranian oil exports and top Iranian leaders for human rights abuses, as well as foreign entities and governments supporting Hamas. An Iranian client, Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, triggering a regional war that threatens to engulf more states. Rubio in September criticized the Biden administration for dragging its feet on enforcing the Iranian oil sanctions , which are aimed at crippling the government's finances. It has also failed to move forward on the human rights sanctions. Depending on what the incoming administration is faced with in Iran when it takes office, analyst Taleblu says -- noting the volatile situation in the Middle East -- he would expect a Rubio-led State Department to make good on enforcement of the sanction bills. A vocal supporter of Israel, Rubio has backed the country's right to defend itself from Iranian threats. Following Tehran's missile strikes on Israel on October 1, Rubio publicly backed an asymmetrical response. Afghanistan Rubio has also taken a hard line on the Taliban, arguing the militant Islamist group should be described as a "terrorist organization" by Washington. In March, the Florida senator introduced a bill in the Senate calling for an end to an end to U.S. aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, arguing that some of that money could end up with "terrorist groups." In remarks to the Senate, Rubio said, "A Taliban-controlled Afghanistan poses a direct threat to U.S. national-security interests and to our allies in the Middle East and Central Asia." Kianoosh Sanjari, a journalist and political activist, has committed suicide to protest numerous arrests and interrogations of himself and other political activists. A relative of Sanjari confirmed the news in an interview with RFE/RL on November 13. Friends of Sanjari also confirmed his death in posts on X. Since returning to Tehran in 2015 to care for his elderly mother, Sanjari was repeatedly summoned and arrested by the security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic republic. Hours before committing suicide, Sanjari announced his decision to end his life on X. After an ultimatum demanding the Iranian government release four activists and journalists by a specified time was not met, Sanjari tweeted again: "My life will end after this tweet but let's not forget that we die for the love of life, not death. I wish that one day Iranians will wake up and overcome slavery." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here . The U.S. Justice Department has charged a man for allegedly leaking highly classified U.S. intelligence about Israel's plans for retaliation against Iran, according to U.S. media reports on November 13. The reports said that Asif W. Rahman was indicted earlier this month for willfully transmitting national defense information. He was arrested on November 12 in Cambodia by the FBI and was to appear in court in Guam. Court documents indicate that he was employed by the U.S. government. According to a person familiar with his employment, he was employed by the CIA. This employment gave him a top-secret security clearance and allowed him to access sensitive information. The New York Times, which first reported the story, said that Rahman was indicted on a charge related to the posting of the intelligence on Telegram in mid-October. The documents posted included Israeli plans for moving munitions and Israeli Air Force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles. Iran says it has measures in place to ensure it will continue producing and exporting oil even if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Tehran once he takes office in January. During his first term in office in 2017-21, Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions as part of his administration’s “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran. As a result, Iran’s oil production dropped from 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd) to 2.1 million bpd, while its exports plummeted to between 200,000 and 500,000 bpd from 2.5 million bpd. But both production and exports have picked up in recent years despite U.S. sanctions, with Iran’s oil output reaching around 3.2m bpd. Exports, meanwhile, have hit a multiyear high of 1.7 million bpd. Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad told reporters on November 13 that Iran has mechanisms in place “to continue selling our oil” regardless of who is in power in the United States. “We have tried-and-tested methods and don’t have serious concerns about [selling oil],” he said, according to Iranian state-aligned media. Without offering details, the oil minister said, “necessary measures have been taken by our colleagues in the oil sector in preparation for what is to come and there is no reason to worry.” Trump is expected to launch a new-look "maximum pressure" campaign against the Islamic republic once he takes office on January 20, 2025. Iran boosted its oil sales by circumventing sanctions through a variety of means, exporting mostly to China, which does not recognize U.S. measures against Iran. The tactic involves the ship-to-ship transfer of oil, middlemen, clandestine money transfers, and the rebranding of the oil to mask its Iranian origin. Iranian crude makes up about 13 percent of oil imports by China, the world's biggest purchaser of the commodity. Beijing says the purchases conform to international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says another attack on Israel would paralyze the Islamic republic's economy and cost billions of dollars that could be spent to the benefit of ordinary Iranians. In his second video addressed directly to Iranians in the last two months, which was released in English with Farsi subtitles on November 12, Netanyahu said that Iran's October 1 missile attack cost it $2.3 billion dollars, "valuable money that the Islamic republic wasted" as the "damage of that attack on Israel was insignificant." He added that the Iranian government is "obsessed" with the destruction of Israel but its theocracy fears its own people more than Israel. Neither the people of Israel nor ordinary Iranians want war, he said. Some analysts said the video could be a warning that if Iran were to attack again, Israel would hit back hard in an attempt to cause major damage to Iran's economy. There was no immediate reaction to the video from Iran. T o read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here . Iranian-American human rights activist Masih Alinejad says she derives joy from the failure of alleged plots by the Islamic republic to kidnap and assassinate her. The U.S. Justice Department on November 8 unsealed criminal charges that include details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill Alinejad and President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election. Iran has rejected the allegation. "When the Islamic republic is defeated, disgraced, and embarrassed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], it has no choice but to deny," Alinejad, 48, said in comments to RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, or head scarf, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021. In 2022 a man was also arrested with a rifle outside her home. “The Islamic republic has been disgraced three times.... The humiliation of [Iranian authorities] is truly pleasing,” she said. The FBI informed Alinejad of the suspected Iranian plot to kill her shortly before the court documents were unsealed, she said, recalling that she was "shocked" to learn about the details. Two men arrested by the FBI were planning to target Alinejad at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where she was scheduled to appear. The Justice Department alleges the two men spent months surveilling Alinejad and earlier this year traveled to the university campus and took photos of the premises. "It is shocking how brazenly the Islamic republic can savagely plan to assassinate someone in another country," Alinejad said. Iran has long been accused of targeting dissidents abroad, either to kidnap them or kill them. Rights groups say exiled opposition activist Ruhollah Zam was abducted in 2019 before being executed in Iran a year later. In 2020, Tehran said it had arrested Iranian-German citizen Jamshid Sharmahd and later sentenced him to death. Sharmahd's family insists he was kidnapped while through the United Arab Emirates. Iranian authorities claim Sharmahd died in prison last month before being executed. Alinejad, who is visiting Germany and recently met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said her message to Germany, the United States, and all Western countries is to "protect your borders and democracy instead of protecting me so that the Islamic republic's terrorists can't enter and plot assassinations on Western soil." She said symbolic gestures by the West in support of Iranian protesters and dissidents "is not enough" to dissuade Iranian authorities from targeting critics abroad. Instead, she argued, severing diplomatic ties and "extensive support" for protesters inside Iran would be more effective. The general chief of staff of Saudi Arabia's armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, met his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Baqeri, in Tehran during a rare visit on November 10. Iran's official IRNA news agency said they discussed the development of defense diplomacy and bilateral cooperation without offering any details. Iranian media said Baqeri had discussed regional developments and defense cooperation with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud last year. Ruwaili is only the second high-profile Saudi official to travel to Tehran since Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years following Chinese-brokered talks in March 2023. Previously, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited Iran in June 2023. Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia severed ties with Shi'a-dominated Iran in 2016 after its diplomatic compounds in Tehran and Mashhad were attacked by protesters over Riyadh's execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The trip comes days after the election of Donald Trump, whose second term as U.S. president begins in January. He has pledged to bring peace to the Middle East, where U.S. ally Israel is engaged in wars against Iranian-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon. Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the timing of the trip was significant because it comes as various countries are preparing for a second Trump presidency. He said the Saudis' decision to send their top military official to Tehran "is a signal that they are committed" to the detente process that started last year and that "they don't want Trump's election to jeopardize the recently improving relations with Iran." Separately, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman on the phone and discussed expanding bilateral relations, according to Pezeshkian's office. Trump had good relations with Persian Gulf Arab states in his first tenure in office and worked on normalizing relations between Arab states and Iran's archfoe, Israel. Saudi Arabia has not normalized relations with Israel but Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to have discussed the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia since 2021. In another sign of warming relations, Saudi Arabia announced last month that it held military drills with Iran in the Sea of Oman. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi will visit Iran on November 13 and start consultations with Iranian officials the following day, state media reported on November 10. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that he might head to Iran in the coming days to discuss its disputed nuclear program and that he expected to work cooperatively with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Long-standing issues between Iran, the IAEA, and Western powers include Tehran barring several uranium-enrichment experts from IAEA inspection teams in the country and its failure for years to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites. Iran has also stepped up nuclear activity since 2019, after then-President Trump abandoned a 2015 deal Iran reached with world powers under which it curbed enrichment -- seen by the West as a disguised effort to develop nuclear weapons capability -- and restored tough U.S. sanctions on the Islamic republic.
Avior Wealth Management LLC Trims Stock Position in Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST)Chargers punch ticket to playoffs with easy win over Patriots
Odisha: 5-year-old girl raped on way to shop near house, accused sentenced to 20 years in jail PTI Updated: November 30th, 2024, 21:37 IST in State , Top Stories 0 Representational image Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Linkedin Balasore: A 40-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a special court in Odisha’s Balasore district Saturday for raping a five-year-old girl when she was going to a shop near her house to buy soap. The incident happened May 3 when the girl’s mother sent her to a nearby shop. On the way, the man got hold of her, and promising her some snacks, took her to a secluded place where he raped her, according to the prosecution. Also Read ISL 2024-25: Odisha FC to take on Bengaluru FC at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium Sunday 3 hours ago Mamata Banerjee govt playing politics over supply of potato to Odisha: Minister 5 hours ago Besides sentencing him to 20 years in jail, the special POCSO court of Judge Ranjan Kumar Sutar also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him. The man was convicted under IPC section 376 (AB) which deals with rape on a woman under 12 years, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, said Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Kumar Panda. The court directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakhs to the survivor. PTI Tags: Balasore crime Odisha POCSO Share Tweet Send Share Suggest A Correction Enter your email to get our daily news in your inbox. Leave this field empty if you're human:
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Eagles cornerback Darius Slay has been ruled out in the third quarter with a concussion. Slay, 33, was injured on the Rams’ first drive of the second half. Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Slay was replaced by veteran Isaiah Rodgers, who was targeted on a 3rd-and-16 pass to Puka Nacua. Rodgers had tight coverage on the play but the ref ruled DPI, which set up a touchdown for the Rams. During this season, Rodgers has been called upon several times in relief of Slay, who has dealt with several injuries. In the first quarter, Slay had to leave for one play when he and Reed Blankenship collided while trying to make a tackle on Rams running back Kyren Williams on the first drive of the game. The two Eagles’ defenders collided as Williams went for a 23-yard gain. Isaiah Rodgers replaced Slay and Tristin McCollum replaced Blankenship but both starters returned for the next drive. On his very first defensive snap of the game, Rodgers forced a fumble that was recovered by Nakobe Dean. It was just his second forced fumble in his NFL career. Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia. Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Simplecast | RSS | Watch on YouTubeTrump endorses H-1B visa for skilled foreign workers Despite backing H-1B visa programme, President-elect vows to deport undocumented immigrants President-elect Donald Trump has publicly endorsed the H-1B worker visa programme, aligning himself with tech magnate Elon Musk and sparking a contentious debate among his supporters over highly skilled foreign workers’ entry into the United States. "I’ve always liked the (H1-B) visas, I have always been in favour of the visas, that’s why we have them" at Trump-owned facilities, the president-elect told the New York Post in his first public comments on the matter since it flared up this week. An angry back-and-forth, largely between Silicon Valley’s Musk and traditional anti-immigration Trump backers, has erupted in fiery fashion, with Musk even vowing to "go to war" over the issue. Trump’s insistent calls for sharp curbs on immigration were central to his election victory in November over President Joe Biden. He has vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants and limit legal immigration. But tech entrepreneurs like Tesla’s Musk -- as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, who with Musk is to co-chair a government cost-cutting panel under Trump -- say the United States produces too few highly skilled graduates, and they fervently champion the H1-B program. Musk, who himself migrated from South Africa on an H1-B, posted Thursday on his X platform that luring elite engineering talent from abroad was "essential for America to keep winning." Adding acrimony to the debate was a post from Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants from India, who deplored an "American culture" that he said venerates mediocrity, adding that the United States risks having "our asses handed to us by China." That angered several prominent conservatives who were backing Trump long before Musk noisily joined their cause this year, going on to pump more than $250 million into the Republican’s campaign. "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech," said Laura Loomer, a far-right MAGA figure known for her conspiracy theories, who often flew with Trump on his campaign plane. "We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats." She and others said Trump should be promoting American workers and further limiting immigration. Musk, who had already infuriated some Republicans after leading an online campaign that helped tank a bipartisan budget deal last week, fired back at his critics. Posting on X, the social media site he owns, he warned of a "MAGA civil war." Musk bluntly swore at one critic, adding that "I will go to war on this issue." That, in turn, drew a volley from Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who wrote on the Gettr platform that the H1-B program brings in migrants who are essentially "indentured servants" working for less than American citizens would. In a striking jab at Trump’s close friend Musk, Bannon called the Tesla CEO a "toddler." Some of Trump’s original backers say they fear he is falling under the sway of big donors from the tech world like Musk and drifting away from his campaign promises. It was not immediately clear whether Trump’s remarks might soothe the intraparty strife, which has exposed just how contentious changing the immigration system might be once he takes office in January. Brazil witnesses 'alarming rise' in climate disasters: study 'Tragic incident': Putin apologises to Aliyev over Azerbaijan plane crash Donald Trump asks US Supreme Court to pause law threatening TikTok ban US homelessness rose by record 18% in latest annual data
We can't lose against Nigeria - Agyemang-BaduASPI creates all time records last weekPresident-elect Donald Trump is poised to make significant changes within his upcoming administration by appointing several key figures to prominent roles. Jay Bhattacharya has emerged as a primary candidate to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), potentially overseeing significant reforms. Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, Richard Grenell, a seasoned former intelligence chief, is being considered for a special envoy position in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as Trump looks to reshape U.S. foreign policy. In a series of strategic appointments, Trump's selections such as Martin Makary for the FDA and Scott Bessent for the Treasury reflect a plan to prioritize regulatory changes and economic strategies. These moves highlight Trump's intent to implement his policy agenda through experienced appointees across various sectors. (With inputs from agencies.)ARSENAL 3-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO, the Nottingham Forest manager, summed up the scene afterwards when he reminded reporters his side had come to London with high expectations, in and outside the club, of ending Arsenal’s season. Just over a quarter of the way there, but it already felt like a win or bust for Mikel Arteta’s men after four matches without victory. Arsenal had been arguably fragile, definitely unconvincing, in their previous 11 matches and one more failure at a time when their fans and manager alike had called for a restart would have been catastrophic for their title aspirations. Are Arsenal back? Too soon to tell, but the vibe is, the energy is and, most importantly, so is their captain and leader Martin Odegaard. Team him up with a hungry Bukayo Saka and the emerging talent of teen Ethan Nwaneri and there is some cause for hope on the huge assumption this is just the start of a strong run between now and the end of the year. One of the players returning from injury in a vastly changed starting line-up was summer signing Ricardo Calafiori. The Italian defender was not quite up to pace but his competitive, winning attitude is infectious and summed up the positivity returning to their squad. Calafiori pointed out how he can see opponents “hate playing against them” when he discussed the twin threat of Saka and Odegaard. This was only the fifth time they have played together and Saka‘s stats are better in every area when they are twinned. Saka broke Forest’s spirit with a 15th minute wonder strike. He could have had a first-half hat trick. Thomas Partey killed it with a long-range pearler shortly after halftime and Nwaneri polished it all off with his late effort. Calafiori was almost lost for words when asked to describe the talent of Nwaneri, who replaced Odegaard as a late sub to score his first Premier League goal. Only Cesc Fabregas was younger in Arsenal history when he got his first. England youngster Nwaneri turns 18 next Spring and is being man-managed by Arteta and his staff daily to ensure the Premier League’s youngest-ever player (he was 15 when he started at Brentford a couple of years ago) fulfils his potent potential. “I don’t think I have even seen a 17-year-old like that,” Calafiori said. “He can be really good. I'm really happy for him but he really deserved his goal. He's a pure talent. For sure you will see more on the pitch and he can help us as well.” Odegaard, playing his first home game since August due to injury, has walked similar steps to Nwaneri. The Norwegian has a close relationship with his young team-mate. He was courted by Europe’s finest, including Arsenal, when he signed for Real Madrid aged 16. At 25, he has found his voice, feet and home in Arteta’s rebuild. Calafiori added: “You can feel it when he is back. You just can feel it when he's missing because he gives us a lot of energy, a lot of quality as well. And you see him, with Bukayo, what they did is unbelievable. I cannot tell you one thing Martin adds, but something we all feel. You can feel it if he is on or off the pitch. When it's missing, you can feel it.” Recent injuries and Tuesday’s Champions League tie could have influenced Arteta’s decision to make five changes from the side that drew at Chelsea before the international break. He explained afterwards he felt the side needed a shake up and some of his fringe players deserved a chance now he had more fit players to choose from. Calafiori noted: "I think the whole team has the same idea of me. For sure when everybody is available it's easier for everybody.” Calafiori and co. were due to work out at their training ground on Monday morning before jetting out to Portugal for pre-match duties ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Sporting Lisbon. They play West Ham away at the weekend, and the three-match pattern looks relentless going into the New Year. “Honestly, all the season will be like this, so we are prepared for this,” Calafiori concluded. “We don't think a lot about the standings right now. We just want to win as many games as possible. From my side, I only think about winning the next game.” Arsenal : Raya 6, Timber 7 (Kiwior 88), Saliba 8, Gabriel 7, Calafiori 6 (Zinchenko 69), Jorginho, 6 (Partey 46) Merino 6, Odegaard 9 (Nwaneri 84), Saka 9 (Sterling 84), Trossard 6, Jesus 6. Subs: Neto, Martinelli, Havertz, Rice. Nottingham Forest: Sels 7, Aina 6, Murillo 6, Milenkovic 6, Moreno 6 (Williams 73), Ward-Prowse 5, Dominguez 6 (Sosa 63), Yates 6, Hudson-Odoi 6, Elanga 6 (Silva 46), Awonyi 6 (Wood 46). Subs: Miguel, Morato, Toffolo, Moreira, Boly. Ref : Simon Hooper 5 Att: 60,298
AP Business SummaryBrief at 1:32 p.m. EST
NoneIt was a weird game in the NFC East as the Dallas Cowboys took down the Washington Commanders on a 34-26 showdown that was straight up wild. There were a lot of mistakes on both sides, particularly on special teams, and some explosive plays in crunch time. Be it Terry McLaurin's 89-touchdown catch or KaVontae Turpin's insane 99-yard kickoff return, a lot happened for a game that was 3-3 at the half. Below are the biggest takeaways from the Cowboys win, the first since October 6th for America's Team. Tyler Guyton's penalties scrap what could've been a decent game As far as his blocking goes, Guyton was pretty decent on Sunday, particularly in the first half. On Cooper Rush's touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert in the third quarter, Guyton put together an exemplary rep in pass protection working on an island against a Commanders DE that had no shot. Guyton https://t.co/6j8iSe0eg6 Later in the game, he was called for an offensive holding that was most likely a mistake from the ref as Guyton didn't appear to be holding when watching the replay. However, it's the mental mistakes that led to the first-round rookie heading to the bench. Guyton was called for two illegal formation fouls, one of which probably killed a very promising drive, and a false start. It just can't happen. The rookie has to be better or these concerns will carry on to 2025 and beyond. Based on the staff's decision to sit Guyton at times on this game, there should be questions about his role moving forward even if playing time seems to be the obvious call for his long-term development. Cooper Rush probably secured the starting role today I'm not pretending Cooper Rush had a fantastic game today, but he did what he was asked to do: He completed 75% of his pass attempts and didn't' turn the ball over. He was given clean pockets to work with and he delivered passing for 247 yards and two touchdowns. This felt like a big game for Rush with a Thanksgiving game ahead with low, low, ticket prices . But he might've bought himself some time and it's not looking like he'll be benched by Trey Lance any time soon. Speaking of which... The Trey Lance packages are a problem Before the Cowboys' go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, Trey Lance went in on first-and-goal in an effort to use his legs in a goal-to-go situation, something the coaching staff had teased since earlier in the week. The problem with these plays is that once Lance goes in, everyone on the defense can see it coming: The Cowboys are trying to get the quarterback to run the ball. That's not necessarily a deal breaker but you better have execution cleaned up if you're going to run this type of plays. In this case, TE Luke Schoonmaker missed a key block and there was nothing left to do. If the Cowboys are going to continue to play Lance in such spots, they gotta be ready to execute. Later in the game, Lance entered in the fourth quarter at the Commanders' 35-yard line for one snap, in which he handed the ball off to CeeDee Lamb for a one-yard gain. He was immediately taken off the field after the one snap. Perhaps it'd be in their best interest to give him a true package of plays where he can be more unpredictable. There are way too many issues on special teams Although KaVontae Turpin's touchdown was straight up epic, we've got to talk about John Fassel's special teams unit. One field goal block and another miss could've proved very costly on this game. Add to that a blocked punt and the Cowboys simply gotta tighten it up. They're already dealing with enough trouble on offense and defense and special teams can't be another obstacle on the way of winning ballgames. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and those in his corner continue to muse about annexing Canada, though Canadian officials have largely sidestepped those comments. In a post on the social media platform X, Eric Trump shared a doctored photo of his father purchasing Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal on Amazon, with the phrase “We are so back!!!” Since winning the presidential election in November, Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the “51st state.” On Trump’s Truth Social platform, he’s also repeatedly referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the “governor” of Canada. Trump has also threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canada, which has prompted discussions at both the federal and provincial levels on the best way to deal with the incoming Trump government. Carleton University professor Aaron Ettinger said federal officials have rightly been dismissing the social-media posts and maintained a “focus like a laser beam” on the real and “existential threat” of tariffs. “This strikes me as being profoundly unserious,” said Ettinger, who has studied Canada-U.S. relations during the first Trump presidency. “These are taunts; these are churlish provocations that are not mature, and do not reflect just how serious the coming trade war is,” he said. Ettinger said Trump is likely continually posting about Canada because it plays well to his supporters, without being seen as a real threat of annexation. “We know his moves. He makes fun of, he belittles, he mocks, because he can,” he said. But he said that a vacuum of leadership in Ottawa from embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is spurring “the freelancing of some of the provincial leaders” in response to Trump’s comments. For example, Ontario Premier Doug Ford weighed in on Trump’s postings on Dec. 18, telling media that “we’ll never be the 51st state. We’re Canada; we’re proud to be Canadians. We’ll always fight for that.” Ettinger said civil society is similarly better to focus on convincing Americans to not impose damaging tariffs on Canada, instead of amping up anti-Trump rhetoric. “Canadians should worry first about what Canada’s actual national interests are,” he said. “We’re not going to out-trash talk Donald Trump, so don’t even bother trying and focus instead on the core stuff that really matters.” In response to Trump’s threats, the Trudeau Liberal government has unveiled a $1.3 billion spending package over six years to address Trump’s threats, which concern border security and the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman has repeatedly characterized Trump’s comments as gentle ribbing between two close countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said on Dec. 13 that she has quipped to Republican senators that they could join Canada as the eleventh province. Greenland’s head of government, Múte Bourup Egede, suggested that Trump’s latest calls to purchase the territory from Denmark would be as meaningless as those made in his first term. “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” he said in a statement. “We must not lose our years-long fight for freedom.” Panama President José Raúl Mulino has also rebuffed Trump’s musing about taking over the Panama Canal. “Every square metre of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to,” he said in a video, to which Trump fired back on his social media site, “We’ll see about that!”
Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho , Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give. Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: Florida , the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy, though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand. Illinois , Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. How hospitals handle pregnancy complications, especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election, they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska , which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota , where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. ___ Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.Kansas rolls out new unemployment system, first in nearly 50 years