South Korea’s President Yoon says he will lift martial law

Decision comes after parliament votes to reject his martial law declaration and cabinet approves reversal of decision made hours earlier.
South Korean parliament votes against president’s martial law declaration | AJ #shorts
South Korea’s president said he would lift a martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, honouring a parliamentary vote against the measure.
President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday to thwart “antistate forces” among his opponents. However, lawmakers rejected the declaration, as protesters gathered outside parliament in the country’s biggest political crisis in decades.
“In light of the National Assembly’s demand to lift martial law, I ordered the withdrawal of military forces involved in martial law operations,” Yoon said in a televised address. “Through an immediate cabinet meeting, we will accept the National Assembly’s request and proceed to revoke martial law.”
Early Wednesday morning, the cabinet agreed to reverse the decision and lift martial law.
Yoon’s surprise declaration, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was unanimously voted down by 190 lawmakers in the parliament.
Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament demands it by a majority vote. His own party urged him to lift the decree.
Nevertheless, Yoon called on parliament to immediately “cease repeated acts of impeachment, legislative obstruction, and other reckless actions that paralyse the government”.
Al Jazeera’s Eunice Kim, reporting from the capital Seoul, said it seemed the country was now “pivoting towards a direction of more normalcy”.
“But this could be short-lived because the political opponents o

f President Yoon will certainly not just sit on their hands and pretend that nothing happened. This is a decision that comes with consequences.”
Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament. Yoon has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals.
The crisis in a country that has been a democracy since the 1980s, and is a US ally and major Asian economy, caused international alarm.
Entrance to the National Assembly was sealed on Tuesday and parliamentarians were barred from entering the building, according to local news outlet Yonhap.
General Park An-soo, the martial law commander, announced a number of measures under the declaration, including prohibitions on all political activities, “including those of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties, and political associations, as well as assemblies [and] demonstrations”.
The order prohibited labour strikes and slowdowns, as well as “gatherings that incite social disorder”. It further stated that all media will be placed under the control of the Martial Law Command.
“Any acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the liberal democratic system, as well as the dissemination of fake news, manipulation of public opinion, or false propaganda,” the order said.
Healthcare workers, including doctors who are currently on strike, must return to work within 48 hours or risk punishment.
“Violators of this proclamation will be subject to arrest, detention, and search and seizure without a warrant,” the commander noted.
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Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza

The human rights group concludes that Israel’s war on Gaza meets the legal threshold for genocide against the Palestinian people in a damning new report.
Human rights group Amnesty International has concluded that Israel’s war on Gaza meets the legal threshold for genocide in a damning new report.
The report published on Thursday, titled, “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman”: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, is the culmination of months of research by Amnesty, including extensive witness interviews, analysis of “visual and digital evidence”, including satellite imagery, and statements made by senior Israeli government and military officials.
Amnesty said the Israeli military has committed at least three of the five acts banned by the 1948 Genocide Convention, including indiscriminate killings of civilians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and “deliberately inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction”.
“Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them,” said Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International.
“Our research reveals that, for months, Israel has persisted in committing genocidal acts, fully aware of the irreparable harm it was inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza,” Callamard said.
“It continued to do so in defiance of countless warnings about the catastrophic humanitarian situation and of legally binding decisions from the International Court of Justice [ICJ] ordering Israel to take immediate measures to enable the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza,” she said.
“Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” she added.
Callamard said that taking into “account the pre-existing context of dispossession, apartheid and unlawful military occupation” in which the Israeli military’s crimes against the civilian population of Gaza have been committed, “we could find only one reasonable conclusion: Israel’s intent is the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza”.
The Israeli military’s argument that it is lawfully targeting Hamas and other fighters who are located among the civilian population of Gaza – and that it is not deliberately targeting the Palestinian people – does not stand up to scrutiny, Amnesty said.
“The presence of Hamas fighters near or within a densely p

opulated area does not absolve Israel from its obligations to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and avoid indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks,” the rights group said.
“Regardless of whether Israel sees the destruction of Palestinians as instrumental to destroying Hamas or as an acceptable by-product of this goal, this view of Palestinians as disposable and not worthy of consideration is in itself evidence of genocidal intent,” it said.
Amnesty also said that it found “no evidence” that the reported diversion of humanitarian aid by armed groups in Gaza “could explain Israel’s extreme and deliberate restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid” to the civilian population of the war-torn territory.
Israeli authorities have yet to respond to the Amnesty report.
Officials in Israel have consistently rejected allegations of committing genocide in Gaza, claiming they are acting in self-defence following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and that criticising their war is anti-Semitic.
The Amnesty report, however, also states that the crimes documented in Gaza were often “preceded by officials urging their implementation”.
More than 100 statements by Israeli military and government officials were reviewed in the report that “dehumanised Palestinians, called for or justified genocidal acts or other crimes against them”.
Of those statements, 22 were made by senior officials in charge of managing the war on Gaza and “appeared to call for, or justify, genocidal acts, providing direct evidence of genocidal intent”.
“This language was frequently replicated, including by Israeli soldiers on the ground” who made calls to “erase” Gaza and celebrated “the destruction of Palestinian homes, mosques, schools and universities”, Amnesty said.
Amnesty’s Callamard said the international community was also guilty of a “seismic, shameful failure” in Gaza by failing to “press Israel to end its atrocities”.
By delaying calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and continuing to send weapons to Israel, the international community’s failure “will remain a stain on our collective conscience”, Callamard said.
“Governments must stop pretending they are powerless to end this genocide, which was enabled by decades of impunity for Israel’s violations of international law,” she said.
“States need to move beyond mere expressions of regret or dismay and take strong and sustained international action, however uncomfortable a finding of genocide may be for some of Israel’s allies.”
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At least 50 people killed in Israeli strikes on homes, camps in Gaza

At least 50 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza, Palestinian medics say, as Israeli tanks push into northern parts of the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza.
Medics said at least 20 people were killed and others wounded in an Israeli attack on Wednesday on a tent encampment in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis. The Palestinian Civil Defence said the attack set several tents housing displaced families ablaze.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, said the death toll was expected to rise.
Patients who are in the hospital were “expected to lose their lives simply because there is no medical care, medical supplies and insufficient medical staff,” Mahmoud said.
“This is not the first time we’ve seen this happening. There’s a growing frustration among the displaced population in the al-Mawasi evacuation zone,” he said. “The Israeli military ordered them in the initial weeks of this genocidal war to evacuate in order to avoid being bombed, but they repeatedly find themselves the victims of these unpredictable attacks.”
At least 10 people were killed in an Israeli air strike that hit three houses in Gaza City, the Civil Defence said. Many victims were still trapped under the rubble with rescue operations under way.
Medics said 11 people were killed in three air strikes on areas in central Gaza, including six children and a medic. Five of the dead had been queueing outside a bakery, they said.
A further nine Palestinians were killed by tank fire in Rafah near the border with Egypt, medics said.
Israeli forces also fired on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza for the fifth straight day, hospital Director Hussam Abu Safiya said. Three of his medical staff had been wounded, one critically, on Tuesday night, he said.
“Drones are dropping bombs filled with shrapnel that injure anyone that dares to move,” Abu Safiya said. “This situation is extremely urgent.”
He said more than 100 patients inside the besieged hospital are at risk of death and Israeli forces are preventing access to the nearby al-Awda Hospital.
Residents in the north’

s main three towns – Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon – said Israeli forces have blown up dozens of houses.
Palestinians said Israel’s army is trying to drive people out of the northern edge of Gaza by issuing threats that if residents do not flee, they risk death and by carrying out bombardments to create a buffer zone. The Israeli military has besieged the area since it began a renewed ground offensive there nearly two months ago.
The siege has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis amid a looming famine.
Hamas said the bombings of homes in Beit Lahiya and the targeting of Kamal Adwan Hospital are “an insistence on the ongoing war” and “genocide” in Gaza.
The group said in a statement that Israel is showing it plans to keep disregarding international law “in light of the shameful failure of the international system to put an end to these horrific crimes”.
Hamas said Israeli actions “are carried out under the full cover and protection of the American administration and some Western capitals”.
In the Khan Younis area, residents told the Reuters news agency that Israeli tanks advanced a day after the military issued new evacuation threats, saying there had been rocket launches by Palestinian groups from the area.
With shells crashing near residential areas, families left their homes on Wednesday and headed westwards towards al-Mawasi, which was designated by the Israeli military as a “safe zone” but has since repeatedly come under attack.
Palestinian and United Nations officials said there are no safe areas left in Gaza and almost all of its 2.3 million residents have been displaced multiple times.
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 44,500 Palestinians, injured many others and reduced much of the enclave to rubble since it began in October last year.
Israel agreed to a ceasefire with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah last week that has halted most fighting in a conflict that has unfolded in Lebanon in parallel with the Gaza war.
But the war in Gaza has ground on with only a single ceasefire more than a year ago that lasted for one week.
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Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of HTS in Syria?

With Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s dramatic capture of Aleppo, al-Golani has upended many expectations about the war in Syria.
In just three days, opposition fighters captured Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, after the stunning collapse of government forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
Leading the offensive was Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who stands at the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group that has become the most powerful armed opposition force in Syria.
Perhaps in an attempt to shake his growing reputation, a photo circulated online on Monday, purporting that al-Golani had been killed in a Russian strike, news that was quickly debunked as the photo was found to be doctored.
He is now front and centre as his forces look to consolidate control over Aleppo and capture more territory in Syria.
Here’s a closer look at al-Golani:
As the founder of HTS, al-Golani has nearly a decade sought to dissociate himself from other armed forces and their focus on transnational operations, switching instead to focusing on creating an “Islamic republic” in Syria.
Since 2016, he has been positioning himself and his group as credible caretakers of a Syria liberated from al-Assad, who brutally repressed a popular uprising during the Arab Spring in 2011, leading to a war that has gone on ever since.
HTS ran the governorate of Idlib via the Syrian Salvation Government, which it established in 2017 to provide civil services, education, healthcare, a judiciary and infrastructure as well as manage finances and aid distribution
However, HTS also rules with a heavy hand and does not tolerate dissent, according to activists, news reports and local monitors.
Independent journalism organisation Syria Direct reports that HTS is behind the disappearances of activists and has shot live ammunition at protesters who accuse the group of denying services to communities that oppose it.
He was born Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in 1982 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where his father worked as a petroleum engineer
The family returned to Syria in 1989, settling near Damascus.
Little is known of his time in Damascus before his move in 2003 to Iraq, where he joined al-Qaeda in Iraq as part of the resistance to the United States invasion that same year.
Arrested by US forces in Iraq in 2006 and held for five years, al-Golani was later tasked with establishing al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, al-Nusra Front, which grew its influence in opposition-held areas, especially Idlib.
Al-Golani coordinated in those early years with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of al-Qaeda’s “Islamic State in Iraq”, which later became ISIL (ISIS).
In April 2013, al-Baghdadi suddenly annou

nced that his group was cutting ties with al-Qaeda and would expand into Syria, effectively swallowing al-Nusra Front into a new group called ISIL.
Al-Golani rejected this change, maintaining his allegiance to al-Qaeda.
During his first televised interview in 2014, he told Al Jazeera that Syria should be ruled under his group’s interpretation of “Islamic law” and the country’s minorities, such as Christians and Alawis would not be accommodated.
In the following years, al-Golani appeared to distance himself from al-Qaeda’s project of establishing a “global caliphate” in all Muslim-majority countries, seeming to focus instead on building up his group within Syria’s borders.
The split appeared to be a bid, according to analysts, to stress his group’s national, as opposed to transnational, ambitions to groups in Idlib.
Then in July 2016, Aleppo fell to the regime and the armed groups there started to head to Idlib, which was still opposition-held. Around the same time, al-Golani announced that his group had changed to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.
By early 2017, thousands of fighters poured into Idlib fleeing Aleppo and al-Golani announced the merging of a number of those groups with his own to form HTS.
The stated aim of HTS is to liberate Syria from Assad’s autocratic government, “expelling Iranian militias” from the country and establishing a state according to their own interpretation of “Islamic law”, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think-tank in Washington, DC.
As opposition fighters retook Aleppo and moved south, al-Golani appears to have taken a more accommodating stance towards Syria’s minorities.
Since capturing Aleppo, the group has offered assurances that religious and ethnic minorities will be protected.
According to Hassan Hassan, a Syrian expert on armed groups in the Levant, al-Golani wants to brand HTS as a credible governing entity in Syria and a possible partner in global counterterrorism efforts.
In Idlib, he sought to partner with other armed opposition groups, such as Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zinki, Liwa al-Haq and Jaysh al-Sunna, according to CSIS, and to avoid earlier allies, like Hurras al-Din, the new al-Qaeda branch in Syria.
HTS is currently labelled a “terrorist” organisation by the United Nations, Turkiye, the US and European Union.
Al-Golani has said this designation is unfair since his group has renounced its past allegiances in favour of a national one.
Irrespective of al-Golani’s stated domestic ambitions, as the head of the biggest opposition armed group in Syria, his impact on the country will echo nationally and internationally.
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Syria gov’t forces battle opposition fighters near city of Hama

The Syrian government said its counteroffensive has pushed back opposition fighters attempting to advance to the strategic central city of Hama, while opposition forces say they captured more Syrian troops and Iran-backed fighters in fierce battles.
Forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have staged their biggest advance in years over the past week, capturing large parts of the northern city of Aleppo, the country’s largest, as well as towns and villages in southern parts of the northwestern Idlib province.
The offensive is being led by led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as well as Turkiye-backed opposition fighters known as the Syrian National Army (SNA). Both groups have in recent years entrenched themselves in northwest Idlib province and parts of northern Aleppo, with HTS considered the dominant force.
A video circulating on social media confirmed by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency showed HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani on Wednesday surrounded by supporters as he walked in front of the Citadel of Aleppo, a large medieval fortified palace in the centre of the old city.
The war between Assad and his allies – including Russia and Iran – and the array of armed opposition forces seeking his overthrow has killed an estimated half-million people during the past 13 years.
Syrian state media SANA on Wednesday said opposition fighters retreated some 20km (12 miles) from government-held Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city, as government troops backed by Russian airpower entrenched themselves in the outskirts.
Fierce fighting has raged for days as Damascus fears that the opposition will make their way into the city as they did over the weekend into Aleppo.
The opposition through its Military Operations Department channel on the Telegram app said they captured five Iran-backed fighters, of whom two were from Afghanistan, as well as three Syrian troops from its 25th Special Mission Forces Division in eastern Hama. The claims could not be independently confirmed.
Wassim, a 36-year-old delivery driver from Hama city, said the sounds were “really terrifying” and the continuous bombing was audible.
“I’ll stay home because I have nowhere else to flee to,” he said.
A Syrian photographer working for the German news agency dpa was killed in an air strike near the city of Hama, the agency said on Wednesday. Anas Alkharboutli, 32, has long documented Syria’s civil war, and worked for the agency from 2017.
If the opposition seize Hama city and control the province, it could leave the coastal cities of Tartous and Lattakia isolated from the rest of the country. Lattakia is a key pol

itical stronghold for al-Assad and Syria’s Alawite community, as well as a strategic Russian naval base.
Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from northwestern Syria’s Menagh military air base, said opposition fighters are “very happy” that Aleppo has been captured.
“Some of the commanders that I have spoken to were from Hama, from Aleppo … they say, they will enter Hama,” Koseoglu said. “Their next target will be Damascus.”
Tens of thousands have been displaced by the fighting, which started last week, Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, said Tuesday.
“If we do not see de-escalation and a rapid move to a serious political process, involving the Syrian parties and the key international players, then I fear we will see a deepening of the crisis,” Pedersen said in an address the UN Security Council. “Syria will be in grave danger of further division, deterioration, and destruction.”
Turkiye, which backs Syria’s opposition, has called on al-Assad to reconcile with opposition forces and include them in any political solution to end the conflict.
Ankara has been seeking to normalise ties with Syria to address perceived security threats from groups affiliated with Kurdish fighters along its southern border and to help ensure the safe return of more than 3 million Syrian refugees.
Al-Assad has insisted that Turkiye’s withdrawal of its military forces from northern Syria be a condition for any normalisation between the two countries.
Damascus refers to the opposition as “terrorists”, and al-Assad has promised to respond to the offensive with an iron fist.
Turkish and Iranian officials met earlier this week, in a bid to reach a solution and de-escalate the flareup. Arab countries bordering Syria, and who once backed groups that tried to overthrow al-Assad, have expressed their concern about the conflict’s regional effects, and have backed the president.
“Many policymakers thought, well, al-Assad won, there is no war,” said Rim Turkmani, director of the Syria Conflict Research Programme at the London School of Economics.
But “we’ve been worrying about this for years, that the fact that there is no intense violence doesn’t mean that the conflict is over,” she said.
While the opposition fighters may have advanced swiftly, it does not mean they will have the capacity to hold the territory they have captured.
HTS is “very well organised, very ideologically driven,” Turkmani said. “However, they spread very quickly and very thin. And I think very quickly they’re going to realise it’s beyond their capacity to maintain these areas and, most importantly, to govern them.”
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Russia says ‘many’ countries eager to host Ukraine talks but no grounds yet

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says Qatar and a number of other countries willing to host negotiations but conditions are not yet right.
Russia has thanked Qatar and “many” other countries for expressing interest in hosting talks about bringing the war in Ukraine to an end, but stressed that conditions are not yet right.
“There are no grounds for negotiations yet,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Izvestia newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday, repeating Russia’s longstanding position on the talks.
“Many countries have declared their readiness to provide their territory … And we are grateful to all countries for such goodwill, including Qatar,” he said.
The Gulf state, in recent months, has mediated several returns of children taken during the war since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The latest humanitarian exchange was announced late last month, in a deal involving nine Russian and Ukrainian children.
Qatar said in a statement that its role as a mediator in the return of the children was “an extension of its approach to mediation and conflict resolution through peaceful means, in accordance with the principles of international law”.
In the interview, Peskov hailed what he described as Qatar’s effective mediation role on several issues, as well as the growing bilateral relations between the two countries.
His comments came after Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, said on Monday that there could be attempts to begin peace talks with Ukraine next year.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over the weekend that he sought an early end to the war, adding Ukraine could retake occupied land later th

rough diplomacy if Kyiv’s NATO membership is certain.
This marked a shift from his earlier stance, where he said the conclusion of the war was contingent on Russia returning seized Ukrainian territory.
Russian forces control about 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory and have been advancing lately at the fastest pace since the early days of the war.
The latest remarks also have come weeks after Donald Trump won the presidential election in the United States, Ukraine’s largest supporter in the war.
The US has supplied Ukraine with more than $64.1bn in military aid since 2022 but Trump, who is due to take office in January, has indicated he wants to end the war, which many see as requiring a settlement that will be to Kyiv’s disadvantage.
The Kremlin has said repeatedly it will not negotiate with Zelenskyy unless Ukraine renounces its ambition to join NATO and withdraws troops from territories now controlled by Russian troops. Ukraine on Tuesday said that it would not settle for anything less than membership in the US-led military alliance to guarantee its future security.
US President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration has sought to bolster Ukraine before leaving office, allowing its army to use US-made long-range missiles to strike into Russia.
On Monday, in the latest of similar moves, it approved another military aid package to Kyiv, this time worth $725m.
Last week, Trump picked a retired general, Keith Kellogg, to be his special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine war.
Earlier this year, Kellogg co-authored a strategy paper that called for putting off NATO membership for Ukraine “for an extended period” in exchange for a “peace deal with security guarantees”.
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NATO chief urges increased defence spending as Trump presidency looms

Mark Rutte says to maintain current level of deterrence, 2 percent of GDP spending is not sufficient.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged members of the alliance to ramp up defence spending as countries brace for renewed pressure from United States President-elect Donald Trump.
After Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula a decade ago, NATO leaders agreed to halt the defence cuts that began when the Cold War ended and move towards spending 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on their military budgets.
Rutte told reporters on Wednesday after chairing a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels that to maintain the current level of deterrence, “2 percent is not enough.”
“We can now defend ourselves, and nobody should try to attack us. But I want that to stay the same in four or five years,” he said.
Countries across the transatlantic military alliance have increased defence spending substantially in recent years, particularly after Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
NATO estimated 23 of its 32 members will meet the 2 percent goal this year – up from only three countries who met the target when it was set in 2014.
Since Russia launched its Ukraine invasion almost three years ago, the leaders have agreed that the 2 percent target should be the floor rather than the ceiling for defence spending. On average, the NATO allies combined meet that figure, but about a third of the members still do not individually.
Trump, who takes office on January 20, has threatened not to defend “delinquent” countries. NATO is founded on the principle that an attack on any member must be considered an attack on them all.
In July, outgoing US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts endorsed the biggest shake-up of the way the military alliance would respond to any attack on its territory by Russia since the Cold War. It wa

s meant to deter Moscow from targeting any of the 32 allies.
Under highly secret new plans, NATO intends to have up to 300,000 soldiers ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans lay out which allies would respond to an attack anywhere from the Arctic and Baltic Sea region through the Atlantic and east to the Black Sea.
But senior NATO officials conceded that countries might have to spend up to 3 percent of their GDPs to execute the security blueprint successfully.
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy insisted that “the time to act is now.”
“We’re living in very dangerous times,” he said, singling out Russia and its role in conflicts in the Middle East and Africa on top of its war on Ukraine. “We urge all allies across the NATO family to get serious about defence spending.”
Speaking to the Reuters news agency, Lammy said he agreed with Trump that the alliance should move beyond its current goal of spending 2 percent.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was on his last visit to Brussels for a NATO meeting before leaving his post, said: “This is a time for every ally to lean in, not lean back.” The US is by far the organisation’s most powerful member.
“A stronger NATO means more capabilities to deter aggression, more effective allies to meet more complex challenges, and the peace and stability that allows our people to pursue fuller lives,” Blinken said.
Rutte also underlined the importance of expanding Europe’s defence industry, proposing incentives to drive companies to set up more production lines and hire more workers to staff them as Western support for Ukraine drains armament stocks.
“We are producing not enough at too high prices, and the delivery is too slow,” he said. “We cannot have a situation where we just pay more for the same, and we see large kickbacks to the shareholders.”
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Government of French PM Michel Barnier faces no-confidence vote

National Assembly to debate two motions brought by the far left and hard right.
The French government is facing a no-confidence vote after Prime Minister Michel Barnier pushed through budget measures without parliamentary approval.
If the measure passes on Wednesday, as is expected, it would mark the first time a French government has been removed this way in more than 60 years.
The National Assembly is due to vote after debating two motions introduced by the left-wing camp and far-right nationalists, which together count more than 330 politicians. A no-confidence motion requires at least 288 of 574 votes to pass.
The far-right National Rally (RN) of three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is expected to vote for the motion put forward by the left, giving it enough numbers to pass.
The session is due to start at 4pm (15:00 GMT), with voting expected hours later. President Emmanuel Macron is set to return to France from a state visit to Saudi Arabia during the day.
Macron, whose term ends in 2027, has dismissed the threat of his potential removal from office amid the turmoil, saying such discussions were “make-believe politics”.
“I’m here because I’ve been elected twice by the French people,” Macron was quoted as saying by French media. “We must not scare people with such things. We have a strong economy.”
But the toppling of the Barnier government after just three months in office would 

leave the president with few options over how to go forward and who to appoint in his place.
No new elections can be called for a year after the previous legislative polls. Macron could ask Barnier to stay on in a caretaker role as he seeks a new prime minister, which could happen only next year.
Asked on French television if there was a chance his government could survive Wednesday’s vote, Barnier replied: “I want this and it is possible. It depends on the MPs,” he said.
The latest political turmoil follows snap elections called by Macron in June in a bid to halt the surge of the far right, which left no party or faction in parliament with a majority.
Some observers have suggested that Le Pen, 56, is seeking to bring down Macron before his term ends by ousting Barnier. The far-right leader is embroiled in a high-profile embezzlement trial and, if found guilty in March, could be blocked from participating in France’s next presidential election in 2027.
She has insisted that the party’s stance was entirely due to a budget that would make the French poorer. “Censuring the budget is for us the only way the constitution gives us to protect the French,” Le Pen told reporters as she arrived in parliament.
If the government falls, it would be the first successful no-confidence vote since a defeat for Georges Pompidou’s government in 1962, when Charles de Gaulle was president.
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Colombia’s President Petro replaces finance minister embroiled in scandal

Ricardo Bonilla is the second finance minister to depart Petro’s government, which faces legislative hurdles and probes.
A key member of President Gustavo Petro’s government in Colombia has resigned, amid the latest corruption scandal to rock the administration.
Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla stepped down from his office on Wednesday, though he remained defiant in the face of accusations that he diverted funds from Colombia’s disaster relief agency and bought votes on a congressional committee involved with government finances.
“I leave with my head held high, confident that I will convince my investigators that I did not buy silence nor votes from congressmen,” Bonilla wrote on social media.
He denied committing any crimes. “The defence I am undertaking with my legal team is supported by truth and transparency.”
President Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president, has weathered a string of scandals and legislative setbacks since taking office in 2022. But he stood by Bonilla, even as he accepted the minister’s resignation.
“I know that the accusation against Bonilla is unfair,” Petro wrote in one of two lengthy missives on social media, describing Bonilla as a “true economist, committed to the necessities of his people”.
But, Petro added, “politics and law continued to be based on corruption” in Colombia.
Petro quickly replaced Bonilla with his vice minister of finance, Diego Guevara, on Wednesday afternoon.
Bonilla was the second finance minister to exit Petro’s government. He took over for Jose Antonio Ocampo in 2023, after Petro abruptly reshuffled his cabinet.
The scandal that brought Bonilla down emerged earlier this year when the public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into hefty contracts for the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, or UNGRD.
Some purchases allegedly i

nvolved $10.5m contracts for defective water tankers destined for the province of La Guajira, where residents struggle to access potable water.
The former head of UNGRD was accused of influence peddling, in a scandal that grew to include Bonilla himself.
Colombia’s Supreme Court has since indicated its investigation hinges on alleged “crimes of bribery and possible illicit enrichment”.
The former deputy director of UNGRD, Sneyder Pinilla — who himself is under investigation — has since become a cooperating witness. His lawyers have said he provided evidence of a “criminal structure” linking UNGRD to high-ranking federal officials.
But Petro has largely rejected accusations of corruption within his government.
In October, for instance, when election officials announced they were investigating possible campaign finance violations in Petro’s historic bid for office, the president framed the efforts as sabotage.
“The coup has begun,” Petro wrote on social media.
That probe is also ongoing and involves not only Petro but also his former campaign manager Ricardo Roa.
Petro’s son, Nicolas Petro, also received house arrest in 2023 for allegedly accepting money from individuals with ties to drug trafficking, though he has denied his father, the president, knew anything about the scheme.
President Petro tied the cases together in his statement on Wednesday about Bonilla’s resignation.
There are people, he wrote on social media, who want to use the scandal involving Bonilla “to make the economic policy of the government collapse”.
“They are the same ones who now say that Bonilla denounced Roa and my son, when it is simply an anonymous liar from the month of October handed over to the Ministry of Finance,” Petro claimed.
“They want to divide us in fights that they themselves invent.”
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Mexico announces largest fentanyl seizure in its history, amid US pressure

The Mexican government also revealed it had detained thousands of migrants, as it attempts to appease Trump’s border concerns.
Mexico has announced its largest-ever seizure of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, as cross-border pressure mounts for the country to crack down on drug trafficking into the United States.
In a statement on Wednesday, Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico’s secretary of security and citizen protection, said the haul came after authorities took “two separate actions” in the coastal state of Sinaloa.
“In Sinaloa, the largest historical seizure of fentanyl was achieved,” Garcia Harfuch explained, saying that “more than a tonne of fentanyl pills” were intercepted.
Two men were also arrested and firearms were confiscated. “These actions will continue until the violence in the state of Sinaloa decreases,” he said.
Separately, the Mexican government also announced it had detained more than 5,200 migrants and asylum seekers a day earlier, on Tuesday, as they headed towards the US border.
Both actions are likely to be seen as efforts to placate the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump in the US.
Trump has threatened to slap an onerous 25-percent tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada unless both countries take actions to tamp down drug trafficking and immigration across their shared borders with the US.
Speaking to The Associated Press (AP) news agency, security analyst David Saucedo indicated that he believes Mexico’s efforts on Wednesday are the result of “pressure from Washington”.
“It is clear that the Mexican government has been managing the timing of fentanyl seizures,” Saucedo said.
“But under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to […] increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.”
For her part, Sheinbaum, who was inaugurated as Mexico’s president in October, framed the fentanyl seizure as an effort long in the making.
“This is an investigation that 

had been going on for some time, and yesterday, it bore fruit,” she said on Wednesday.
Sheinbaum and Trump spoke last week about efforts to stop migration northwards as well, though the two leaders emerged with different accounts of the conversation.
Trump wrote on social media that Sheinbaum had “agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border”.
Sheinbaum, however, clarified she desired “not to close borders but to build bridges”. She did, however, affirm that her government would prevent so-called migrant caravans — large groups of migrants who band together for safety — from reaching the border.
Fentanyl, meanwhile, is the primary cause of overdose deaths in the US. The US Drug Enforcement Administration describes the synthetic opioid as “100 times more potent” than morphine.
In a 12-month period from 2020 to 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that deaths linked to synthetic opioids had risen more than 55 percent in the country.
Trump’s incoming vice president, Senator JD Vance, often spoke about his own family’s experiences with addiction on the campaign trail as the Republican ticket sought the White House.
But statistics from Mexico’s government had shown a slump in fentanyl seizures leading up to Wednesday’s announcement. During the first half of 2024, Mexico’s federal law enforcement seized 130 kilogrammes, or 286 pounds, down 94 percent from the amount seized a year prior.
Violence in Sinaloa is also a factor. Since the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a Sinaloa Cartel kingpin, in the US, rival factions have been seeking to fill the power vacuum left in his absence.
Speaking to AP, Saucedo explained that authorities ultimately need to address the root causes of the fentanyl trade for the trafficking to stop.
“It’s a very very big seizure,” Saucedo said of Wednesday’s haul. “But if they don’t dismantle the labs, this kind of production will continue.”
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Millions without power as Cuba hit by another nationwide blackout

Authorities say Antonio Guiteras power plant shut down overnight, prompting collapse of national power grid.
Cuba’s national power grid has collapsed again, leaving millions of people across the Caribbean island without electricity in the latest such failure in recent months.
Authorities said the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, the country’s top electricity producer, shut down about 2am (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday, prompting the grid collapse.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines said in a post on social media that it was working to restore power.
Cuba’s oil-fired power plants, obsolete and struggling to operate, reached a full crisis this year as oil imports from Venezuela, Russia and Mexico dwindled.
The system failure on Wednesday morning left the capital, Havana, almost completely in the dark, the Reuters news agency reported, quoting a witness.
Lights before sunrise could be seen only in a handful of large hotels and government buildings across the city’s skyline.
Reports of blackouts elsewhere in Cuba on social media suggested the entire island of 10 million people was without power although the government had ye

t to confirm the extent of the outage.
Later Wednesday morning, power began to be restored gradually in some parts of the country, including Havana.
Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy said later in a televised address that service would be fully restored by Thursday.
Cuba’s power grid collapsed multiple times in October as fuel supplies dwindled and Hurricane Oscar struck the far-eastern end of the island, prompting authorities to close schools and nonessential workplaces.
In November, Hurricane Raphael knocked out the grid again as it made landfall on the island as a Category 3 storm.
The storm tore across Cuba with winds hitting 185km/h (115mph), damaging homes, uprooting trees and toppling telephone poles.
The Cuban authorities have blamed previous outages on difficulties in acquiring fuel for power plants, which they have attributed to the tightening, during Donald Trump’s first presidency, of a six-decade-long United States trade embargo.
But the country has also experienced a broader economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and shortages of medicine, food and water.
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South Korea’s defence minister resigns over martial law crisis

South Korean defence minister’s resignation follows short-lived martial law declaration and as Russia-North Korea security pact comes into force.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol has accepted the resignation of the country’s Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and nominated the country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Choi Byung-hyuk, as the new defence minister.
The president’s office confirmed the nomination of Choi, a former army general, as the new defence minister on Thursday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports.
Yonhap said that Kim had proposed to President Yoon that he declare martial law on Tuesday night, a move that was quickly cut short after South Korea’s parliament voted for Yoon to reverse his decision.
Yoon’s nomination of a new defence minister is his first official act since revoking the declaration of martial law in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The reversal sent hundreds of South Korean troops, who had briefly stormed into the National Assembly compound in Seoul, back to their barracks.
Amid public outrage at the attempt to impose martial law and condemnation of Yoon by opposition parties, South Korea’s parliament introduced a motion early on Thursday to impeach the president.
The crisis in South Korea has unfolded as a mutual defence treaty between North Korea and Russia comes into force.
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, which was signed in June between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, came into force on Wednesday, North Korean state media said on Thursday.
The agreement includes a mutual defence pact for immediate military assistance if either Russia or North Korea faces armed aggression.
Chung Jin-suk, Yoon’s chief of staff, said Choi was a fitting choice for the role of new defence minister as he was a retired four-star army general who had served as deputy commander of the South Korea-United States Combined Forces Command from 2019 to 2020

.
He described Choi as being a defence minister who would “fulfil the military’s core responsibilities, including maintaining a firm readiness posture based on the robust South Korea-US alliance”, Yonhap reports.
The main opposition Democratic Party has called Yoon’s martial law attempt a treasonous act, and its lawmakers could lead a vote for impeachment as early as Friday.
Yoon’s own party, however, has promised to oppose efforts to remove the president, throwing the impeachment process into doubt.
The floor leader of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party said on Thursday that all their lawmakers would “unite” to defeat the opposition-led motion to impeach the president.
“All 108 lawmakers of the People Power Party will stay united to reject the president’s impeachment,” Choo Kyung-ho said at a livestreamed party meeting.
The opposition does not have enough votes in parliament to pass an impeachment bill and will require eight governing party lawmakers to vote with them for the initiative to be successful.
Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from Seoul, said the political crisis in South Korea is being followed closely on the international stage given South Korea’s economic and strategic significance.
“From the US, we’ve had messages of support from the National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and similar messages from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying that South Korea remains, he says, one of the most powerful stories of democratic resilience,” McBride said.
“And it just so happens that this week – as we’ve had all of this turmoil in South Korea – this has been the week that this military alliance has come into effect between North Korea and Russia,” he said.
“So, interestingly, while you have all of this turmoil south of the DMZ [demilitarised zone]. North of the DMZ, North Korea is watching all of these events with this new pact in place, seemingly strengthened and emboldened,” he added.
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Trump nominates Musk collaborator to head space agency NASA

Jared Isaacman, who made the first private spacewalk in September, is among latest picks by US-president elect.
Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire who made the first private spacewalk in collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has been nominated by United States President-elect Donald Trump to lead NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The nomination of Isaacman was announced on Wednesday as Trump named a slew of appointments, including his former White House adviser Peter Navarro, who served prison time this year for obstructing a congressional investigation, as his senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing.
Isaacman, 41, a self-described “space geek” who made his money as the founder of a payment processing company, is also an accomplished fighter pilot who owns a Florida company that trains air force pilots.
He travelled into space in September with a mission to test SpaceX’s new, customised spacewalking suits.
If confirmed by the US Senate, Isaacman will replace Bill Nelson, 82, a former Democratic senator and astronaut, and would likely continue to work closely with Musk because NASA plans to use SpaceX’s Starship rocket to return astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The reusable rocket, the largest ever made, is currently undergoing test flights.
The space agency also uses SpaceX to deliver supplies and astro

nauts to and from the International Space Station. At the same time, NASA is expanding its horizons beyond the moon with unmanned spacecraft  travelling to Jupiter’s moon Europa and exploring the  surface of Mars for signs of living organisms.
Although NASA is not a cabinet-level agency like the Department of Defense, its head is nominated by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate. While best known as the US government agency responsible for space exploration, NASA also conducts studies of the Earth using satellite technology as well as aeronautics research and testing new aircraft.
Isaacman said he was honoured to be nominated and would be “grateful to serve”. “Having been fortunate to see our amazing planet from space, I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history,” he said via X.
Musk congratulated Isaacman on X, describing him as a man of “high ability and integrity”.
Trump has now largely completed filling the top jobs in his administration. The nominees will go before the Senate for hearings starting in January.
Other appointments Trump made on Wednesday were Daniel Driscoll, a military veteran who was a senior adviser to Vice President-elect JD Vance, as army secretary and Adam Boehler, a lead negotiator on the Abraham Accords team, as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
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US Election 2024Democrats win final seat in US House, cutting into Republican majority

Republicans hold a 220-215 majority in House of Representatives but will have to deal with three early vacancies.
Washington, DC – Democrats have won the last race to be called in the United States House of Representatives, leaving their Republican rivals with a razor-thin majority in the chamber after the November 5 elections.
With all the votes counted early on Wednesday, Democrat Adam Gray defeated Republican incumbent John Duarte in California’s 13th Congressional District.
Gray’s victory by fewer than 200 votes came nearly a month after Election Day due to California’s protracted vote-counting process, which allows for corrections on improperly filled mail-in ballots.
The result will give Republicans a slim, five-seat majority in the House — 220 to 215 — when it reconvenes in January, which could prove to be a headache for party leaders as they seek to push through President-elect Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
The Republicans’ narrow edge in the chamber will shrink further, however, when Republicans Mike Waltz and Elise Stefanik — both tapped to serve in the incoming Trump administration — leave the House.
Former Congressman Matt Gaetz will also vacate his seat in the incoming chamber after he withdrew his nomination for attorney general amid a series of scandals.
Without those three members, a single defection would wipe out the Republican majority, so Trump’s party will need near unanimous consent in the House and almost all members present to pass legislation.
In the US system, bills have to be approved by the House and the Senate and signed by the president to become law.
Republicans won a 53-to-47 m

ajority in the Senate in the November election, giving them “trifecta” control of both houses of Congress and the White House. The new Congress will be sworn in on January 3 and Trump will be inaugurated on January 20.
But the small House majority would in theory allow a small number of legislators to exercise effective veto power over the chamber.
In the outgoing Congress – where Republicans have enjoyed a slightly larger majority – Gaetz led a successful revolt last year with a handful of fellow right-wing lawmakers to force out then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Trump and the current Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, who is expected to retain his post, can ill-afford Republican rebels in the chamber if they are to push forward with the party’s agenda.
While the president can rely on executive actions to implement policy, major domestic issues require passing legislation and Congress controls the allocation of funds for the federal government.
Meanwhile, the earliest tasks for the incoming Senate will be to confirm Trump administration nominees, including Stefanik, who has been selected to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
If Stefanik is confirmed, she would have to quit Congress, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul would be required to call a special election to fill the vacant seat within 90 days.
Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered a special election on April 1 to fill the seats of Waltz — who will serve as Trump’s national security adviser, a post that does not require Senate confirmation — and Gaetz.
All three seats are in strongly Republican districts.
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US healthcare executive fatally shot in ‘targeted’ New York attack: Police

Police say killing of Brian Thompson, CEO of major insurance firm UnitedHealthcare, ‘does not appear to be random act’.
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States, has been shot and killed in New York City in what officials describe as a “targeted” attack.
Thompson was fatally shot by an unknown gunman at about 6:40am (11:40 GMT) on Wednesday as he was walking towards the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, dressed in a suit and tie, to attend a company investor meeting.
He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
“This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters during a news conference. “It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes.”
Tisch also described the killing in a post on social media as “a brazen, targeted attack” and said police “will not rest until we apprehend the shooter”.
At the early stages in our investigation this appears to be a brazen, targeted attack — this does not appear to be a random act of violence.
The full investigative effort of the NYPD is underway, and we will not rest until we apprehend the shooter.
Right now we are asking for… https://t.co/qnllIxo1Zc
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) December 4, 2024
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She said she didn’t have details, but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
After the shooting, police tape blocked off the area on 54th Street outside the Hilton, where blue plastic gloves were strewn about and plastic cups appeared to mark the location of several bullet casings.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said police were reviewing evidence from the scene, including video. “It seems to be clearly targeted by an individual, and we will apprehend that individual,” he said.
Reporting from New York on Wednesday afternoon, Al Jazeera’s Kr

isten Saloomey said police are speaking to Thompson’s co-workers and family to try to establish a motive.
Surveillance footage showed the suspected gunman — a white male seen wearing a grey backpack — leaving on foot and then jumping on an e-bike and riding through Central Park, Saloomey said.
The video reviewed by investigators shows the shooter emerging from behind a parked car, stopping and pointing a gun at Thompson’s back, holding it with two hands before firing multiple times from several feet away.
The suspect continues shooting as Thompson stumbles forward and falls to the sidewalk. The shooter is then seen walking past Thompson and out of the frame.
“From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Police are asking the public for help, offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest in this case.
Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle.
UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group and provides care to 148 million people in the US and South America, according to the company’s website.
Thompson had been with the Minnesota-based company since 2004 and was named chief executive officer in April 2021.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
New York state Governor Kathy Hochul also called Thompson’s killing a “horrific and targeted shooting” while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said it was “a terrible loss for the business and healthcare community in Minnesota”.
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Tech wars: Why has China banned exports of rare minerals to US?

The two countries have imposed tit-for-tat export restrictions for months to hamper technological and AI development.
China has banned the export of rare but critical earth minerals used in the manufacture of important semiconductors to the United States in the latest move in an ongoing tech war between the two superpowers.
Beijing’s announcement on Tuesday came just one day after the US ramped up restrictions on the export of advanced chips to China, which affects the country’s ability to develop advanced weapons systems and artificial intelligence.
So why is a “tech war” brewing between China and the US, and why does it matter?
For months, the two countries have been involved in tit-for-tat export restrictions. The US hopes to cripple China’s military and artificial intelligence (AI) advances as well as hamper its ambitions to become a global leader in clean energy and other technologies.
The trade war is affecting global supply chains for chip and semiconductor manufacturers and pushing prices up.
US trade and diplomatic relations with China under President Joe Biden have declined to their lowest point in recent years, largely because of disputes about technology; China’s military growth; human rights record; what the US calls China’s aggressive actions in the region, such as its military drills in the South China Sea, which it lays claim to; and several other issues.
This week’s trade dispute comes before US President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office in January. He also takes a hawkish stance towards China and has promised to impose even heavier sanctions on Beijing as well as a whopping 60 percent tariff on all Chinese goods.
On Monday, the US triggered the latest round of tensions when it expanded export restrictions on chip-making equipment going to China and sanctioned scores of Chinese companies.
The package included restrictions on China-bound shipments of high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are essential for high-end applications, including AI training; 24 additional chipmaking tools and three software tools; and chipmaking equipment made in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.
The aim, officials said, was to slow China’s development of advanced AI and hamper its ability to produce semiconductors that are important for high-tech products.
Washington’s ban also added 140 companies to its “entity list” of firms banned from trade with US companies and firms from nations allied with the US. The affected firms are either Chinese-based or Chinese-owned businesses in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The Shenyang-based chip-producing firm Piotech and SiCarrier, which works closely with Huawei, a Chinese tech conglomerate, are among the newly sanctioned companies.
In a statement, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the bans were necessary for “national security”.
“Washington would keep working with allies and partners to proactively and aggressively safeguard our world-leading technologies and know-how so they aren’t used to undermine our national security,” he said.
Since 2022, the Biden administration has been trying to restrict China’s ability to buy advanced US semiconductors, chip-making equipment and other technologies. This approach, named by US officials as “small yard, high fence”, was broadened using Trump-era restrictive trade and technology policies. The last round of sanctions was in October 2023.
Such bans don’t affect only US companies. They can also apply to companies within countries that have agreed to enforce US bans relating to China. For example, the US has lobbied Japan and the Netherlands, which also produce significant amounts of advanced semiconductors, to restrict exports to China.
In September 2023, the Netherlands agreed to begin enforcing US export curbs on advanced semiconductors. Presently, US officials are also in talks with Japan to do the same although an official agreement has not been signed yet.
In response to the latest American ban on exports to China on Monday, the Netherlands said it shared the US security concerns and was studying the latest restrictions to see if it will also increase its own curbs on China in line with the

 US.
After the US announcement this week, officials in Beijing said they would protect their country’s “rights and interests” by imposing new regulations on exports of dual-use products (those that have both military and civilian uses).
In its announcement on Tuesday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said it had banned exports of key minerals like gallium, germanium and antimony to the US. These are important for manufacturing semiconductors, military equipment and for general industrial use.
The move is a broadening of restrictions already in place. In July 2023, China introduced a requirement for exporters to apply for special licences to export gallium and germanium to the US. In October 2023, Beijing also tightly regulated sales of graphite products, which are required to produce car batteries.
Super-hard materials, such as lab-grown diamonds and other synthetic materials that are used industrially, are also on China’s ban list announced this week.
New rules now also require exporters to disclose who the end users of their products are to enable Beijing to identify connections with US firms.
Chinese officials said this was necessary because the US is “abusing export controls“. They added that the continued US restrictions and bans amounted to a “malicious suppression” of China’s technological advancements.
“I want to reiterate that China firmly opposes the US overstretching the concept of national security, abuse of export control measures and illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction against Chinese companies,” Lin Jian, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday.
Chinese industry associations have also condemned Washington’s sanctions, which, they said, affect global supply chains while also inflating costs for US companies.
In a statement, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said the US’s behaviour “violates the laws of the market and the principle of fair competition, undermines the international economic and trade order, disrupts the stability of the global industrial chain, and ultimately harms the interests of all countries”.
Some of the materials in question are rare earth elements that can be mined only in small quantities but are essential for the production of a wide range of weapons systems and technological products, such as semiconductors or computer chips, electric vehicles and other electronics. Chips are critical for artificial intelligence.
Gallium, for example, is a soft, silvery metal used in the production of LED screens. It is also used in more advanced products such as automobiles, solar cells and next-generation weapons.
Antimony is used in the production of batteries as well as of military equipment, night-vision goggles and artillery shells.
Minerals like these are difficult to mine because they can be polluting and toxic. China is currently the largest global producer of gallium, producing 600 tonnes in 2022 and controlling 98 percent of gallium exports. China is also one of the world’s biggest semiconductor producers.
The US obtains about half its supply of gallium and germanium directly from China, according to the US Geological Survey, and has not produced gallium of its own in years because those minerals don’t occur in high deposits in the country. In March, a US mining company said it had discovered high-grade gallium deposits in the state of Montana.
The US also relies heavily on exports from Taiwan, which produces more than 60 percent of the world’s most advanced chips. The autonomous island is also at the centre of US-China tensions: Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, but the US backs Taiwan’s self-declared independence.
Experts said the US under Trump is likely to impose more restrictions on chips and related technologies, hoping to derail Beijing’s ambitions.
However, companies manufacturing or relying on semiconductors globally could pay the price because export restrictions are causing prices to rise. The price of antimony more than doubled this year to more than $25,000 per tonne, for example. Gallium, germanium and graphite have also become more costly.
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Taiwan reports increase Chinese incursions in its territory




Taipei [Taiwan], December 5 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that nine Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels and 2 official ships were detected operating around the island until 6 am (local time) on Thursday.
The Taiwanese MND said that six of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

In a post on X, the Taiwanese MND said, "9 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

9 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/l1hUPbIyKV

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 5, 2024


Notably, the latest Chinese military action is part of tensions between Taiwan and China, with frequent military activity by Beijing around the island.
On Wednesday, The MND said that 15 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels and one official ship were detected toperating around the island until 6 am (local time) on Wednesday.
In a post on X, it said, "15 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ships operating around Taiwan were 

detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 4 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

15 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 4 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. pic.twitter.com/A6xTv93VzR

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) December 4, 2024


Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised China's interference in the diplomatic relations of other democratic countries, calling it "regrettable" that Beijing fails to understand normal diplomatic behaviours between democratic countries and thus frequently takes "provocative actions," Taipei Times reported.
China has spoken out against Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's phone call with US Representative Nancy Pelosi during his visit to Hawaii and also expressed its disapproval of the US decision to sell USD 387 million worth of arms to Taiwan.
This announcement came just before President Lai embarked on a 7-day trip to visit Taiwan's allies in the Pacific, as per Taipei Times.
"It is regrettable that the Chinese government does not understand normal diplomatic behaviours between democratic countries, thus frequently takes provocative actions," the ministry said on Tuesday, as it urged Beijing to "be rational and have self-constraint." (ANI)

RBI may explore other liquidity tools like open market operations (OMOs) and foreign exchange (FX) swaps instead of rate cut: Report




New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may keep the current policy rates unchanged in the ongoing Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, according to a report by the Union Bank of India.


As per the report, RBI is unlikely to announce a cash reserve ratio (CRR) cut to improve liquidity. A CRR cut is viewed as a strong policy signal that might indicate inflation is under control and growth concerns are severe.

The report predicts that the first rate cut of 25 basis points (bps) might take place in February 2025, followed by another cut in April 2025.

The report also noted that instead of a rate cut the central bank may explore other liquidity tools such as open market operations (OMOs) and foreign exchange (FX) swaps to manage liquidity in the market for balancing the inflation and growth.

It said "we do expect the RBI to announce use of permanent liquidity tools apart from fine-tuning operations. Core liquidity is likely to switch into sustained deficit at least by Q4 FY25 unless FX outflows measures (totalling more than USD 25bn in last two months) reverse".



However, the repor

t also mentioned that the RBI rate cut timeline may shift if global market volatility continues after Donald Trump assumes office as US President on January 20, 2025.

The report pointed out that the MPC faces a challenging situation with recent GDP data for the second quarter of FY25 revealing a sharp slowdown in economic growth, coming in significantly below the MPC's estimates of 7 per cent.

At the same time, inflation remains above the upper limit of the RBI's target range of 4 per cent (+/-2 per cent) as of October 2024. Adding to these challenges are sharp foreign exchange losses, driven by heightened global market volatility.

The report also highlighted the growing liquidity deficit in the financial system. Core liquidity is expected to remain in deficit by the fourth quarter of FY25 unless foreign exchange outflows, which have exceeded $25 billion over the past two months, reverse.

Overall, while growth recovery is anticipated in the latter half of FY25, the RBI's immediate challenge is to balance weak growth, elevated inflation, and external volatility while ensuring adequate liquidity in the system. (ANI)


Sriharikota: ISRO prepares to launch Proba 3 mission satellites after delay




Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 5 (ANI): The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is all set to launch the PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 mission on Thursday at 4:04 p.m.
The spacecraft will be carried by the PSLV-C59 vehicle into a highly elliptical orbit as a dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited. (NSIL).

The mission launch that was scheduled for Wednesday did not take place due to an anomaly detected in the PROBA-3 spacecraft.
The city witnessed light drizzles in the morning.


The PSLV-C59 is a joint initiative between ISRO and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
Proba-3 is a technology demonstration mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). Proba-3 is ESA's and the world's first precision formation-flying mission. A pair of satellites will fly together, maintaining a fixed configuration as if they were a single large rigid structure in space, to prove innovative formation flying and rendezvous technologies.
As per the ESA, the mission will demonstrate formation flying in the context of a large-scale science experiment. The two satellites will together form an approximately 150-m long solar coronagraph to study the Sun's faint corona closer to the solar rim than has ever before been achieved.
Besides its scientific interest, the experiment will be a perfect instrument to measure the achievement of the precise positioning of the two spacecraft. It will be enabled using a wide variety of new technol

ogies.


Proba-3 will function as an orbital laboratory, demonstrating acquisition, rendezvous, proximity operations and formation flying, while validating innovative metrology sensors and control algorithms, opening up novel methods of mission control. The two satellites will adopt a fixed configuration in space, 150m apart while lined up with the Sun so that OSC blocks out the brilliant solar disk for the CSC. This will open up continuous views of the Sun's faint corona, or surrounding atmosphere, for scientific observation.
Taking to social media X, ISRO wrote in a post "PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 Mission Update:
"Countdown Commenced! Liftoff Time: 16:04 IST, 5th Dec 2024Stay tuned as PSLV-C59 prepares to deploy ESA's Proba-3 satellites into orbit"
Earlier on Wednesday, ISRO had taken to social media X to announce the postponement of the launch.
"PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 Mission Update: The launch has been rescheduled. Set your clocks as we prepare to make history:Date: 5th December 2024Time: 16:04 IST
Countdown updates and mission milestones will keep you connected as we approach T-minus zero. Stay tuned for this momentous event!
Liftoff: 5th Dec 2024, 16:04 IST, Location: SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota"
The PSLVC-59 will have four stages of launch, according to ISRO. The total mass which the launch vehicle will be lifting off is around 320 tonnes.
The PROBA-3 is an "In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission" by the European Space Agency (ESA). (ANI).


Arunachal govt, Indian Army sign MoA for maintenance of Tawang Museum




Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], December 5 (ANI): A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between the Arunachal Pradesh government and the Indian Army for the maintenance and upkeep of the Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing Museum of Valor.
The MoA was signed in the presence of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu at Tawang on Wednesday.

The MoA was officially signed between Tawang Deputy Commissioner Kangki Darang and Brigadier V S Rajput of the 190 Mountain Brigade.
This significant agreement outlines the arrangement for the management of the Museum, ensuring that it will be overseen entirely by the Indian Army.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu paid rich tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of India, under whose directives Major Bob Khathing travelled to Tawang and established administrative control over the region in 1951, which was held by the Tibetan administration.


This pivotal move not only integrated Tawang into India 

but also reflected Patel's vision of a unified and strong nation.
CM Khandu credited the contribution of Sardar Patel, Major Bob Khathing and the then Governor of Assam Daulat Ram in securing Tawang as part of India.
"If not for Sardar Patel, Major Bob Khathing and the then Governor of Assam Daulat Ram, who knows we Monpas and the Tawang region today would have been under China-controlled Tibet region!" he said.
The Chief Minister profusely thanked the Indian Army, particularly the Tawang based 190 Mountain Brigade, for allocating defence land for establishment of the museum and accepting to manage it.
He assured that whenever government's intervention is required in maintenance and management of the museum, the government will cooperate without hesitation.
Tourism Minister P D Sona, legislators Oken Tayeng and Namge Tsering, Tourism Secretary, Commanders of the 106 and 46 Brigades, ZPC Tawang, Heads of Departments and senior Army officials were also present on the occasion. (ANI)


"Nishadraj Park developed in two phases, will be inaugurated soon": Aparajita Singh, Prayagraj Regional Tourism officer




Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 5 (ANI): Aparajita Singh, Regional tourism officer of Prayagraj on Thursday said that Nishadraj Park is being developed in two phases and it will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.
Shringverpur Dham, a town linked to Lord Ram after Ayodhya, is set to become a new centre for rural, religious, and spiritual tourism in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the upcoming Mahakumbh-2025.

Regional tourism officer of Prayagraj, Aparajita Singh speaking ANI, a 52-foot-high statue of Lord Rama embracing Nishadraj has been installed.
"It is said that Lord Rama spent a night at Shringaverpur Dham during his exile. We are developing Uttar Pradesh as a religious tourism destination. Nishad Park is being developed. A 52-foot-high statue of Lord Rama embracing Nishadraj has been installed," Aparajita Singh said.


She further said that 90 per cent of the construction of the park has been completed.
"Under the first phase, a pedestal, gallery, and entrance parking have been constructed. Under the second phase, a meditation centre, caretaker room, cafeteria, children's play area, open area theatre have been constructed. 90 per cent of the construction has been completed...PM Modi will inaugurate the grand Nishadraj Park shortly," she added.


On Wednesday, the Additional District Magistrate of Prayagraj, Vivek Chaturvedi, exclusively speaking to ANI, said that around 2000 tents will be built, which 

people can book for their comfortable stay.
"Our tent city will be coming, there will be 2000 tents...people can make the booking for it. Other than that...in other sectors as well we are bringing a tent city of 400 tents," Chaturvedi said.
The ADM informed that the tents will have 5-star facilities,"people who are coming here can book the tents and avail all the facilities" he added.
As per an official release, the project is being carried out by the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Limited (UPSTDC), in collaboration with six key partners: Aagaman, Kumbh Camp India, Rishikul Kumbh Cottage, Kumbh Village, Kumbh Canvas, and Era.
These tents will be constructed to world-class standards, offering five-star hotel-like facilities. The tent city will offer accommodations in four categories: Villa, Maharaja, Swiss Cottage, and Dormitory, with prices ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 35,000 per day.
Additional charges of Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000 will apply for extra guests (excluding dormitories). This ambitious project aims to cater to the expected 45 crore visitors from 75 countries.
The tent city is being developed in line with the vision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. With an estimated 45 crore pilgrims expected to visit, these tents will be operational from January 1 to March 5, offering world-class accommodation facilities. Visitors can book accommodation via the UPSTDC website or the Mahakumbh app, the release said. (ANI)

UAE: MoFA Undersecretary attends Thailand Embassy's National Day Celebration




Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 5 (ANI/WAM): Khaled Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this evening attended a reception hosted by Sorayut Chasombat, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the UAE, on the occasion of his country's National Day.
The event, held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi, was attended by severa

l officials, members of the Arab and foreign diplomatic corps accredited to the UAE, and members of the Thai community in the country.

The Thai ambassador praised the distinguished relations between the UAE and the Kingdom of Thailand while addressing the ceremony, which featured a showcase of Thai cultural heritage and traditional Thai music. (ANI/WAM)

ENOC commemorates completion of Horizon JPUT Pipeline Connectivity project in Singapore




Dubai [UAE], December 5 (ANI/WAM): Horizon Terminals Limited (HTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), has announced the successful completion of the Horizon JPUT Pipeline Connectivity Project in Singapore, a key project undertaken by Horizon Singapore Terminals Pte Ltd (HSTPL), and Jurong Port Universal Terminal Pte Ltd (JPUT). The project marks a significant milestone in HTL's international expansion and in Singapore's oil and petroleum infrastructure development, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs for customers.
The project involved the construction of a new pipe rack connecting both terminals, equipped with a 24-inch pipeline for Fuel Oil and a 20-inch pipeline for Clean Petroleum Products. This state-of-the-art infrastructure mitigates operational risks and significantly reduces transfer times between the two terminals. The first successful pipeline transfer was completed in January 2024, offering substantial cost savings to customers of both terminals.

Built on Jurong Island in 2006, Horizon Singapore Terminals has enjoyed a strong partnership with Jurong Port Universal Terminal, which was established next door in 2007. Over the years, the two terminals have expanded their collaboration, starting with a Mutual Aid

 understanding and the construction of a firewater line in 2009. This partnership, grounded in mutual trust, naturally progressed to the current pipeline connectivity project, benefiting customers of both terminals.


Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO of ENOC and Chairman of Horizon Singapore Terminals Pte Ltd (HSTPL), emphasised the broader impact of the Horizon JPUT Pipeline Connectivity Project, stating, "The successful completion of the Horizon JPUT Pipeline marks a pivotal moment not only for Singapore's energy infrastructure but also for the region. This project strengthens our global footprint and reinforces ENOC's position as a global energy leader".
"JPUT is delighted with the successful completion of the inter-terminal pipeline connection. This new infrastructure strengthens our partnership with Horizon Singapore Terminals, expands service offerings for our customers, and enhances the collaborative ecosystem between our terminals" said Loh Wei, CEO of Jurong Port Universal Terminal.
The new pipeline reduces the reliance on short-range shipping operations, decreasing marine traffic in the port and increasing the safety of essential long-range vessel movements. Additionally, this development lowers carbon emissions, supporting more sustainable operations. (ANI/WAM)


Israeli Foreign Minister: 'May now be opportunity' to secure hostages' release




Jerusalem [Israel], December 5 (ANI/TPS): Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas at the OSCE conference in Malta that there may be an opportunity 

to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza.


"There may now be an opportunity to reach a deal to release the hostages. The Israeli government is serious about reaching that." (ANI/TPS)



Putin lauds India's leadership in providing "stable conditions" for SMEs through "Make in India"




Moscow [Russia], December 5 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded the Indian government and its leadership for its efforts in creating "stable conditions" for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), highlighting India's economic initiatives, particularly the "Make in India" initiative led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the VTB Investment Forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin drew similarities between Russia's import substitution program to India's "Make in India" initiative and expressed Russia's readiness to establish manufacturing operations in India. Putin also noted that India's leadership focused on a policy of prioritizing its interests.

"Prime Minister Modi has a similar program called Make in India. We are also ready to place our manufacturing site in India... The Prime Minister of India and the Government of India have been creating stable conditions and this is because the Indian leadership has been pursuing India comes first policy and we believe that investments in India are profitable," the Russian President said.
Putin also emphasised the relevance of Russia's import substitution program in the context of BRICS's shift for the growth of SMEs and the need for a fast dispute redressal forum for the comfortable dealing of SMEs in BRICS+ countries.
He noted the emergence of new Russian brands that are replacing W

estern brands that have exited the market and pointed out the success of local Russian manufacturers in sectors such as consumer goods, IT, high-tech, and agriculture.
"For us, it has special relevance as part of the import substitution program, we advent of new Russian brands entering our market, which are replacing the brands by Western partners who have voluntarily left our market. And our local manufacturers have been quite successful not only in consumer goods but also in IT and high tech," he said.
"In agriculture, the number of our manufacturers and producers keeps growing. In 1988, the Soviet Union imported grain for USD 35 billion, and last year, we exported grain to the tune of USD 66 billion, and this is largely the merit of our farmers and producers. And in all these sectors of the Russian Federation, including high-tech ones, there is an acute need to expand opportunities to sell and export products," Putin said.
Putin further called for enhanced collaboration among BRICS nations for the growth of SMEs and called on the member nations to assess key areas for collaboration during the upcoming summit in Brazil next year.
"I would ask colleagues of the BRICS corporation to analyse the situation on the main areas of cooperation, and we will definitely draw the attention of Brazilian colleagues who will chair BRICS next year," he added. (ANI)

Ma Ying-jeou Foundation to face penalties for "China, Taipei" remark, says Taiwan's MAC minister




Taipei [Taiwan], December 5 (ANI): The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation may face penalties for a comment made by a member of a Chinese student delegation, according to Taiwanese Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng, the Taipei Times reported on Wednesday.
During an exchange organised by the foundation, a student from China's Fudan University congratulated the "China, Taipei" team on their victory in the Premier12 baseball championship in Tokyo, the Taipei Times reported.



Lawmakers questioned Chiu during a meeting of the Internal Administration Committee about whether the comments violated regulations for Chinese visitors to Taiwan. Chiu stated that the remarks, which he described as hurtful and belittling to Taiwan, were unacceptable, as reported by the Taipei Times. He suggested the comments like

ly violated the Regulations on Permission for Entrance of People of the Mainland Area Into the Taiwan Area.
"The comments hurt the feelings of Taiwanese and belittled Taiwan are unacceptable to the people of Taiwan," Chiu said, as quoted by Taipei Times.
Additionally, the foundation may have breached its agreement with the government, which prohibits political speech or propaganda for Chinese groups visiting Taiwan, he added. Chiu stated that once the group returned to China, the council would take administrative action. The student may face stricter evaluations for future visits to Taiwan, with potential bans ranging from one to five years. The foundation could also face restrictions on inviting other groups for a period of six months to five years, depending on the severity of the case, the minister said. (ANI)


India poised to capture 10-12 pc of global MedTech market in 25 years: EY report




New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): India is set to significantly expand its presence in the global medical technology (MedTech) industry, increasing its market share from the current 1.6 to 10-12 per cent over the next 25 years, according to a report by EY India.
The report noted that this growth aligns with the rapid development of the country's MedTech sector, which is projected to reach new heights in the coming decades. The Indian medical device market, valued at approximately USD 12 billion in 2023-24, is anticipated to grow more than four-fold to USD 50 billion by 2030.

It said "the (Indian) market ranks among the top 20 countries globally, with a market share of 1.65 per cent This share is expected to rise between 10 per cent and 12 per cent within the next 25 years".
The report mentioned that India's transition from a significant importer to a potential global leader and exporter in the MedTech industry will be driven by its strategic strengths.
These include a skilled workforce, cost advantages, technological advancements, and government initiatives that encourage domestic manufacturing and innovation. Together, these factors position India to not only participate but lead the future direction of the global MedTech market.


The report added 

"India stands on the cusp of redefining its role in the international MedTech arena, not merely as a market participant but as a frontrunner steering the industry's future direction". Key drivers for this growth include the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, a growing elderly population, and an increasing focus on preventive healthcare.
Additionally, there is a shift toward digitally integrated healthcare systems, next-generation therapies, and care settings outside traditional hospitals. The expanding middle class, rising incomes, and greater penetration of healthcare insurance are also contributing factors.
The report also highlighted that India's inherent strength in digital and technological innovation is another major asset. Combined with growing infrastructure, increased medical tourism, and a strong push from the government, the MedTech industry is set for a transformative journey.
"While India is currently a significant importer of medical devices, it has the potential to emerge as a key exporter and a global MedTech industry leader" the report said.
With these developments, India stands poised to redefine its role in the global MedTech landscape, emerging as a frontrunner in driving innovation and reshaping healthcare delivery worldwide. (ANI)


TPL: Hyderabad Strikers rise to top, Yash Mumbai Eagles in second place on Day 2




Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 5 (ANI): The second day of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 6 saw another round of pulsating contests between the eight teams taking place at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai on Wednesday.
According to a release from TPL, Hyderabad Strikers moved to the top of the table after an excellent outing, while Yash Mumbai Eagles secured second place at the end of day two. Rohan Bopanna's Rajasthan Rangers sit in third place with the Chennai Smashers completing the top four.

Bengaluru SG Pipers and Bengal Wizards got the action underway on Wednesday with Gabriela Knutson taking on Kamilla Rakhimova. Bengal Wizards' Kamilla Rakhimova prevailed with a scoreline of 14-11 in the Women's Singles category.
The Men's Singles category saw Niki Poonacha and Bernabe Zapata battle it out, with the former clinching that encounter with a scoreline of 13-12.
Bengaluru SG Pipers' pairing of Gabriela Knutson and Anirudh Chandrasekar got the better of Kamilla Rakhimova and Sriram Balaji of Bengal Wizards, winning 14-11 in the Mixed Doubles category.
In the Men's Doubles category, Anirudh Chandrasekar and Bernabe Zapata Miralles defeated Niki Poonacha and Sriram Balaji with a scoreline of 15-10, helping Bengaluru SG Pipers win a closely contested match 52-48.


The second match of the day saw Punjab Patriots and Gujarat Panthers go head-to-head. Ekaterina Kazionova gave the Gujarat Panthers the perfect start, cruising to a 19-6 victory against Akanksha Nitture in the Women's Singles category. Mukund Sasikumar won the Men's Singles against Sumit Nagal with a scoreline of 15-10.
In the Mixed Doubles category, Ekaterina Kazionova and Vijay Sundar Prashanth of Gujarat Panthers won their match against Akanksha Nitture and Saketh Myneni by a scoreline of 15-10. Even though the Punjab Patriots won the Men's Doubles category with Saketh Myneni and Mukund Sasikumar overcoming Sumit Nagal and Vi

jay Sundar Prashanth by a scoreline of 15-10, the Gujarat Panthers won the match 54-46.
The third match saw Hyderabad Strikers and Chennai Smashers facing each other. Harriet Dart got the better of Conny Perrin in the Women's Singles category, winning 14-11 in a hard-fought contest. The Men's Singles contest was another nail-biter as Hugo Gaston prevailed against Benjamin Lock with a scoreline of 14-11.
Harriet Dart and Vishnu Vardhan of the Hyderabad Strikers won against Conny Perrin and Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli with a scoreline of 16-9 in the Mixed Doubles category. In the Men's Doubles category, Hugo Gaston and Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli lost 14-11 to Benjamin Lock and Vishnu Vardhan. Hyderabad Strikers came out on top in the match with a scoreline of 55-45.
Rajasthan Rangers played against the Yash Mumbai Eagles in the final match of day two. Zeynep Sonmez secured a convincing win against Cristina Dinu with a scoreline of 17-8 in the Women's Singles category. Arthur Fery got the better of Karan Singh in the Men's Singles game, winning the game 14-11.
Yash Eagles Mumbai's Zeynep Sonmez and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan won their game against Cristina Dinu and Rohan Bopanna, sealing a 15-10 victory in the Mixed Doubles category. In the Men's Doubles game, Rohan Bopanna and Arthur Fery clinched a 14-11 win against Karan Singh and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. However, it was the Yash Mumbai Eagles that triumphed in the game with a scoreline of 54-46.
After another exhilarating day of tennis action, Hyderabad Strikers are at the top of the table with 112 points. Yash Mumbai Eagles sit in second place with 109 points, followed by Rajasthan Rangers in third place with 103 points. Chennai Smashers are in fourth place with 99 points, while Bengaluru SG Pipers and Gujarat Panthers are right behind them with 98 and 97 points respectively. Bengal Wizards and Punjab Patriots are tied for seventh place with 91 points each. (ANI)


"Rahul Gandhi has been stopped as part of conspiracy": Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra




Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], December 5 (ANI): Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra on Thursday, described Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's stoppage by police at the Ghazipur border while attempting to visit violence-hit Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday as a "conspiracy."
"Rahul Gandhi has been stopped as part of a conspiracy. The NDA government has been formed with only 44% votes. That means 56% are against them. The LoP represents the entire opposition and the person representing 56% of the country's population is sitting on a constitutional post. If Rahul Gandhi is going there, then how was he stopped, why was he stopped and what is the mechanism behind this? It was a well-planned conspiracy to not let Rahul Gandhi go..," he said..

He further said that stopping Rahul Gandhi is against "Constitutional right', as he holds constitutional post.
"This is a condemnable incident...Rahul Gandhi is saying that he will go alone but he will meet the victim's family. That is his constitutional right. Rahul Gandhi is not a common citizen. He is the LoP and he has a constitutional post. There is no law to stop him...," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Leader

 of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after being stopped at the Ghazipur border in Ghaziabad on his way to violence-hit Sambhal.
The Congress MP stated that visiting Sambhal was his constitutional duty and described the restrictions placed on him as unconstitutional.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote in Hindi: "The police stopped us from going to Sambhal. As the Leader of the Opposition, it is my right and duty to go there. Yet I was stopped. I am willing to go alone, but even that was not allowed. This is against the Constitution. Why is the BJP afraid? Why is it using the police to conceal its failures? Why is it suppressing the message of truth and brotherhood?"
The Congress leader also shared a video showing his interaction with a police officer.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of a Mughal-era mosque. The clashes resulted in four fatalities and multiple injuries among police personnel and locals.
The ASI survey was prompted by a petition filed in a local court, claiming the mosque was originally built on the site of a Harihar temple. (ANI)

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi files adjournment motion in Lok Sabha over stopping Rahul Gandhi from visiting Sambhal




New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday moved an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the stopping of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi by police at the Gazipur border in Ghaziabad while he was on his way to violence-hit Sambhal.
In his notice, Gogoi stated that by preventing LoP Gandhi from visiting Sambhal, the government "disregarded" the right of opposition to hold the government responsible.

"It is a matter of grave concern that the Leader of the Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi, was prevented from visiting Sambhal yesterday to assess the ground realities of the recent regional tensions. The objective of the visit was to promote peace and harmony. This unprecedented and undemocratic move by the government is a blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of parliamentary oversight and the rights of the opposition to hold the government accountable," Gogoi said.
Gogoi further emphasised that by "denying" Rahul Gandhi from visiting the site, the government "undermined" the responsibility of LoP raise the concern of the people.


"As a representative of the people, the Leader of the Opposition has the responsibility to raise their concerns and hold the government accountable. Denying them access to crucial sites undermines their ability to fulll this duty. This act is a blatant attempt to st

ie dissent and suppress the voice of the Opposition. This incident raises serious questions about the state government's commitment to transparency and accountability," he said.
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi along with Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders, was stopped by the police at the Ghazipur border while attempting to proceed to Sambhal.
"We are trying to go to Sambhal, but the police are refusing to allow us. As Leader of the Opposition, it is my right to visit, yet they are stopping me. I am ready to go alone or even under police escort, but they have rejected that as well. They claim we can return in a few days, but this violates the rights of the Leader of the Opposition and the Constitution. We simply want to visit Sambhal, meet the people, and understand what has happened. Denying this right reflects the state of 'New India,' an India undermining the Constitution and Ambedkar's vision. We will continue to fight," Rahul Gandhi said earlier on Wednesday.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) examination of a Mughal-era mosque. The clashes resulted in four fatalities and multiple injuries among police personnel and locals.
The ASI survey was prompted by a petition filed in a local court, claiming the mosque was originally built on the site of a Harihar temple. (ANI)


"Whatever is happening in Manipur is very unfortunate": Bhaichung Bhutia urges Centre, State govts to restore peace




Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], December 5 (ANI): Former Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia has expressed serious concern about the situation in Manipur and has urged both the state and central governments to work together with local communities to restore peace.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Bhutia said, "Whatever is happening in Manipur is very unfortunate. As a northeastern, it hurts us. We only hope and pray for the peace to come over. Manipur is such a beautiful state. It has got a huge tourism potential. I hope the state and central government work together with the community and bring back peace because that is the most important thing."

Opposition members have been continuously pushing to have a discussion on the floor on the Adani issue, Sambhal violence, and the Manipur situation. The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20.


On December 1 this year, to ensure peace, stability, and security in the Jiribam district, Assam Rifles conducted extensive area domination and sanitization operations to neutralise threats, enhance vigilance, and e

nsure the safety of local communities amidst prevailing tensions in the region.
Earlier in November, the National Investigation Agency registered a case in connection with the violence in Jiribam along with two other cases, on the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"Acting swiftly on the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' directions to bring the culprits to book expeditiously, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched thorough investigations into three major cases relating to the recent spate of violence in Manipur," a statement by the NIA said.
The incident took place on November 11 when some unknown armed militants fired towards Borobekra Police Station, as well as some houses and shops located at Jakuradhor Karong, and also set ablaze the latter. The police and CRPF personnel of Borobekra PS retaliated, leading to a heavy exchange of fire. Subsequent search operations led to the recovery of two dead bodies, according to the statement.
Violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 last year following clashes during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category. (ANI)


Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle planning to stay in US forever? Here is the answer

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided to stay in the United States and have no plans to return to the United Kingdom, citing security concerns and their children's future as primary reasons.While speaking at the DealBook Summit in New York on Wednesday, Prince Harry revealed that is enjoying his life in the US and there are many activities that he can do with his children Archie and Lilibet in America which he can't do in the UK. Since summer 2020, following their departure from the UK and the Royal family, the Sussexes have established their residence in Montecito, California.Prince Harry said, "I very much enjoy living here and bringing up my kids here," as reported by The Times.He noted that he can engage in activities with Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, that "undoubtedly wouldn't be able to do in the UK."Whilst the duke addressed the summit, Meghan extended holiday

 greetings to attendees at a charitable carol concert in central London. There are several occasions where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are attending the events separately leading to the rumors of their divorce. The programme featured Meghan's written welcome, emphasising the organisation's impact on women's employment opportunities and confidence building. The event included performances by Alexandra Burke and a reading by Jennifer Saunders, the Daily Mail reported.The Sussexes' relationship with the Royal Family has remained complex since their 2020 departure. Through various media appearances, including their Netflix series and Harry's memoir "Spare", they have discussed challenges faced during their time as working royals, including Meghan's initial interactions with the Prince and Princess of Wales and her struggles with mental health whilst pregnant with Archie in 2019.

Southern China construction site collapse: Search underway for 13 missing workers

Chinese authorities initiated a search for 13 construction workers on Thursday, who disappeared after a site collapsed in Shenzhen's southern business hub.The emergency management bureau said that a portion of the Shenzhen-Jiangmen Railway construction site in Bao'an district collapsed on Wednesday night. The incident, part of an ongoing railway project connecting Shenzhen to Jiangmen in Guangdong province, has left 13 workers missing. Construction on the project began in 2022.Following the collapse, local residents were evacuated from the area, and rescue operations resumed today morning. City offi

cials temporarily closed key roads near the site to facilitate search efforts. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident. China’s state broadcaster CCTV confirmed that several major thoroughfares were closed to assist the rescue teams. Officials continue to probe the collapse, underscoring ongoing concerns about industrial safety in the country. Industrial accidents are not uncommon in China, often linked to inadequate safety measures and regulatory lapses. In a similar incident in August, eight workers lost their lives in a mining disaster in Sichuan province.

France plunges deeper into crisis after Macron’s premier ousted in no-confidence vote

Emmanuel Macron is looking for a new prime minister on Thursday after the far right joined forces with the left to push through a no-confidence motion against his government over a budget dispute.The French president needs to find a premier who can pass a 2025 budget through a deeply divided parliament. But any new leader will face the same financial squeeze that brought down Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s administration.The budget bill presented by Barnier — that sank with his government — contained €60 billion ($63 billion) in tax increases and spending cuts that aimed for a reduction in the deficit to 5% of economic output in 2025, from an estimated 6.1% this year.The French president is due to make a statement at 8pm on Thursday.Far-right leader Marine Le Pen teamed up with a left-wing coalition to topple Barnier late Wednesday, pitching the country into a prolonged period of turbulence that’s likely to further unsettle investors. With the result of the vote widely anticipated, the euro was little changed around $1.0514 after the result and French bond futures gave up some of their earlier gains. Barnier’s tenure was the shortest for a premier since France’s Fifth Republic was founded in 1958. Barnier, a seasoned conservative and the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, was appointed in September.There is little to suggest that the current stalemate will end so easily for Macron as the next premier will be subject to the same parliamentary calculus and risk of censure. Macron has the authority to appoint a new prime minister, but he had a lengthy struggle before he managed to win limited support for Barnier from a fragmented parliament. The roots of the current turmoil date back to June, when Macron dissolved parliament and called a snap vote as he sought to rebound from a crushing defeat for his party in the European elections — where Le Pen’s party won more than double the president’s party.Instead, he made Le Pen’s National Rally the largest party in parliament and its leader became the country’s most influential power broker as his centrist coalition crumbled.Following the June ballot, the lower house was split into three fiercely opposed blocs: a diminished center supporting the president, a leftist alliance and the far right led by Le Pen. That makeup won’t change as a new parliamentary election can’t be held until July at the earliest.The divisions between those groups have been exacerbated by the economic problems facing France, with the budget deficit set to exceed 6% of GDP this year and voters reluctant to accept spending cuts or higher taxes. “To those who think I’m intent on choosing a policy of disaster through a vote of no confidence, I want to tell them that the disastrous policy would be not to censure such a budget,” she told lawmakers on Wednesday. “It’s the end of this ephemeral government.” What happens next:The outgoing cabinet remains in place with limited powers and will likely rely on untested emergency legislation to collect taxes and enact crucial spending The French president is solely responsible for appointing a new premier, but there is no constitutional time limit for a decision and no obvious candidate — it took Macron nearly two months to settle on Barnier Once named, a new premier prop

oses a cabinet, appointed by the president, and then has to send a new 2025 budget bill to parliament A new legislative election can’t be held before JulyThe chaos in the European Union’s second-biggest economy has prompted bond investors to punish France’s sovereign debt relative to its peers. Barnier warned of a “storm” in financial markets if he was ousted.The outgoing administration will continue in a caretaker capacity for the time being, allowing the government to avoid a US-style shutdown. Barnier can use emergency laws to collect taxes and guarantee a minimal level of spending, but the broader impact is hard to predict.Finance Minister Antoine Armand warned Tuesday that stopgap legislation would raise taxes for millions of households and block planned spending increases for some priorities, including security and farming.Following the vote, Le Pen said that she is willing to work with another government, so long as they work with her party to draw up the budget. “This budget was toxic for the French,” she said in an interview on French television. Instead, she said, the country needs “a budget that’s acceptable to all.”Barnier became the first French prime minister to lose a no-confidence vote in more than 60 years. The only other premier to be ousted under the Fifth Republic was Georges Pompidou in 1962 and, with the backing of the powerful president, Charles de Gaulle, he was eventually reappointed. Le Pen has been ramping up the pressure on Macron to resign as a way to break the impasse and allow France to move forward. “It’s up to his conscience to decide whether he can sacrifice public action and the fate of France to his own pride,” she said during the debate. Macron has said he won’t step down until his term ends in 2027 and he can’t be forced out of his job. Le Pen is the frontrunner for the next presidential election, according to opinion polls.Possible Barnier successors:Bernard Cazeneuve, 61: A former prime minister and interior minister under Socialist President Francois Hollande. He was already considered as a possible premier this summer before Macron picked Barnier. Tapping Cazeneuve could potentially help Macron fracture the left-wing bloc. Sébastien Lecornu, 38: In 2022, he became the youngest defense minister since the French Revolution. He’s a Macron loyalist who originally came from the center-right Republicans party. The skilled politician has been a minister since Macron became president and has overseen a jump in military spending. François Bayrou, 73: The veteran centrist is the leader of the MoDem party, a key Macron ally in parliament. Currently the high commissioner for government planning, Bayrou supports proportional representation in parliamentary elections, which has also been backed by the National Rally. Jean Castex, 59: A former prime minister under Macron known for his southern French accent and his management skills. Currently the head of the RATP, the state-owned company that operates the Paris metro. And finally...Barnier, 73: Macron could re-name the outgoing prime minister. Barnier did, however, appear to rule himself out on Tuesday. “I want to serve,” he said “But what does it mean if I fall tomorrow, and the day after you find me back here, as if nothing had happened?”

US President-elect Donald Trump nominates former congressman Billy Long as IRS commissioner

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated former Missouri Republican congressman Billy Long as the head of the Internal Revenue Service, signalling the removal of the current Biden-appointed leader. Trump made this announcement via his social media platform, proposing a change at the IRS during a crucial period when the Biden administration has invested heavily in modernising the agency and enhancing tax collection procedures."I am pleased to announce that former Congressman Billy Long, of the Great State of Missouri, will be appointed to serve as the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Billy brings 32 years of experience running his own businesses in Real Estate and, as one of the premier Auctioneers in the country. He then served 12 years in Congress, because he 'felt it was important for his constituents to have a Representative who has signed the front of a check!'" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. &mdash; TrumpDailyPosts (@TrumpDailyPosts) Daniel Werfel, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022, currently leads the IRS. Werfel, who brought experience from both Democratic and Republican administrations as a former management consultant and civil servant, was meant to serve until 2027.The Republican party has consistently opposed the Biden administration's IRS strategy, particularly the allocation of approximately $80 billion in additional funding over ten years. GOP 

representatives successfully reduced this amount by $20 billion and continue to seek further reductions. The IRS faces public unpopularity, with Republicans frequently criticising it as intrusive and inefficient, New York Times reported.Budget specialists indicate that increased IRS funding helps generate government revenue through improved tax law enforcement and collection of owed taxes.Long, who previously worked as an auctioneer, did not participate in the House tax-writing committee during his congressional tenure. However, he demonstrated his auctioneering abilities in Washington, notably when Trump invited him to conduct a lighthearted auction of the Stanley Cup during the St. Louis Blues' White House visit.Trump stated on social media: "I have known Billy since 2011 - He is an extremely hard worker, and respected by all, especially by those who know him in Congress. Taxpayers and the wonderful employees of the IRS will love having Billy at the helm."Traditionally, presidents do not appoint new IRS commissioners upon taking office, and Long's appointment requires Senate confirmation. Biden waited for Charles P. Rettig's term to conclude before appointing Werfel.In a recent Tax Notes podcast, Werfel expressed: "I have a vision of my last day on the job being Nov. 12, 2027. My frame of mind on the IRS is that it's nonpartisan, is that our priorities can and should shift with new Treasury leadership."

Manhunt underway for killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after fatal shooting

A manhunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot dead on Wednesday morning, is underway. Brian Thompson, 50, was shot outside the Hilton hotel at 1335 Avenue of the Americas just after 6:45 am after arriving early for the company’s annual investor conference. A man wearing a mask approached him and fired at him repeatedly, police said as per CBS news.The shooting happened ahead of an investors conference that UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, was scheduled to host on Wednesday at the Hilton, according to a spokesperson for the subsidiary.According to the cctv footage, that is being circulated on social media platforms, the shooter appeared to be a light-skinned male, wearing a light-brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers, and a distinctive grey backpack.  Authorities said the gun appeared to malfunction, and the gunman cleared the jam before firing again and fleeing northbound into an alleyway between 54th Street and 55th Street. The shooter then continued to walk westbound on the Avenue of the 

Americas, where he got on to an electric Citi Bike and rode northbound towards Central Park, CBS news reported.Police say they recovered three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings. Authorities also recovered a cellphone.Authorities are also investigating the suspect's point of origin.Surveillance images released by the police show the suspect at a Starbucks, located two blocks from the incident, moments before the shooting. According to police statements to CBS News, they discovered unspecified "forensic evidence" at the Starbucks location. The NYPD's Crime Scene Unit is currently testing recovered items for DNA and fingerprints.At UnitedHealthcare, investigators and security personnel are examining records to establish potential motives, including any previous threats or connections to dissatisfied or terminated employees, according to a law enforcement source. The organisation has confirmed its support of the investigation. Kenny stated that police are reviewing social media content and conducting interviews with employees, family members, and Thompson's associates.

Biden administration weighs preemptive pardons for Fauci, Schiff, and other ahead of Trump return

US President Joe Biden’s senior aides in the White House are conducting a vigorous internal debate over issuing preemptive pardons to protect various public officials, including Dr Anthony Fauci from potential prosecution under a Trump administration, who is set to take over the presidential post next month, according to the Politico report. The urgency has heightened following President-elect Donald Trump's announcement of Kash Patel as his choice to lead the FBI, given Patel's public statements about pursuing Trump's critics. However, officials are cautious about issuing pardons to individuals who haven't committed crimes, as it might appear improper and validate Trump's criticisms.The discussions, led by White House counsel Ed Siskel and chief of staff Jeff Zients, encompass both current officeholders and former officials who have drawn Trump's ire. Potential candidates include Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, former Rep. Liz Cheney, and Dr Fauci. Trump has previously stated that "Cheney should go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!"&mdash; EndWokeness (@EndWokeness) As soon as the report came, Dr Fauci's odds of being pardoned by President Biden skyrocket on Polymarket. &mdash; CollinRugg (@CollinRugg) These deliberations reflect growing concerns among Democrats about potential retribution under a second Trump presidency. The recent broad pardon of Hunter Biden demonstrates the administration's worries about future prosecutions.Some Democratic lawmakers support preemptive pardons, citing the precedent of Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon. Senator Ed Markey and Representative Brendan Boyle have publicly advocated for such measures. However, others, including potential recipients like Schiff, have expressed reservations.A particular concern for Biden's team is the financial burden of legal defence that investigations could impose on officials. Some appointees are reportedly seeking higher-paying positions to prepare for pote

ntial legal expenses.The administration also faces pressure to extend clemency to ordinary citizens, particularly following Hunter Biden's pardon. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called for pardons for working-class Americans imprisoned for non-violent offences, as per Politico.The central question revolves around interpreting Trump's statements about potential retribution against Democrats and perceived Deep State opponents, considering both their seriousness and literal implications.Historical presidential pardons have sparked controversy, yet the current situation facing Biden officials appears more complex than previous cases, such as George HW Bush's pardon of Caspar Weinberger or Bill Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich. The situation intensifies as Trump's associates discuss potential tribunals against opponents.The president's decision to pardon his son has created additional complications, particularly amongst Democratic Party members already concerned about Biden's re-election campaign at age 82. The administration now faces questions about extending similar legal protection to officials who have drawn criticism from Trump and his supporters.Congressional Democrats present conflicting viewpoints. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has referenced Gerald Ford's pre-emptive pardon of Richard Nixon as a potential model, noting its implementation before any formal charges."If it's clear by January 19 that [revenge] is his intention, then I would recommend to President Biden that he provide those preemptive pardons to people, because that's really what our country is going to need next year," Markey said on WGBH last week.Representative Brendan Boyle (D-Penn.), who recently hosted Biden in his district, has advocated for comprehensive pardons. "This is no hypothetical threat," Boyle stated, continuing: "The time for cautious restraint is over. We must act with urgency to push back against these threats and prevent Trump from abusing his power."

California school shooting: Two children hospitalised, suspected gunman dead

Two children were shot after a gunman opened fire at a California elementary school on Wednesday and later killed himself, according to the local sheriff's department.The shooting occurred at Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Oroville, California. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea confirmed that his department responded to a shooting alert at approximately 1 pm (local time). The two injured students were taken to hospital with one requiring air transport. Their current medical status remains unclear."Two students sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to local hospitals for treatment," Megan McMann, a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office told Reuters, adding that she did not know their conditions.Initial i

nvestigations suggest the perpetrator had no apparent connection to the educational institution, which serves 35 students from kindergarten through 8th grade, according to ABC news citing Sheriff Honea.Following the incident, authorities arranged for students to be transported to a nearby church for reunification with their families.Taking to X, Butte County Sheriff said, "Parents are asked to respond to the church to be reunified with their children. The suspected shooter is deceased. We will provide additional information once it’s available."The incident occurred in Palermo, situated approximately 65 miles north of Sacramento. Law enforcement continues their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Who is Daniel Driscoll? Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Army

United States President-elect Donald Trump has announced Daniel P Driscoll, a veteran and venture capitalist from North Carolina, as his nominee for Secretary of the Army. The secretary of the Army is the civilian leader of the military service branch.The announcement, made on Wednesday via Truth Social, highlighted Driscoll’s diverse background in military service, investment, and political advising.&mdash; TrumpDailyPosts (@TrumpDailyPosts) "I am pleased to nominate Daniel P. Driscoll, from the Great State of North Carolina, to serve as the Secretary of the Army," Trump stated. "As a former Soldier, Investor, and Political Advisor, Dan brings a powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent", the President-elect added.Who is Daniel P Driscoll?Driscoll's career is marked by remarkab

le achievements. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in just three years, he joined the US Army, where he completed Ranger School and served as a Cavalry Scout Platoon Leader with the 10th Mountain Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon returning from combat, Driscoll earned a law degree from Yale Law School under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.In the private sector, Driscoll has worked in venture capital and private equity. Recently, he served as a senior advisor to Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump praised Driscoll as a "fearless and relentless fighter for America’s Soldiers and the America First agenda."Hailing from Boone, North Carolina, Driscoll is married to his high school sweetheart, Dr Cassie Driscoll, a plastic surgeon. The couple has two children, Daniel Jr. and Lila.

Karine Jean-Pierre reacts to 'why did you and Biden lie' about pardon: 'Because of...'

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre came under fire Monday after President Joe Biden announced pardon to his son Hunter Biden -- a move any hint of which was consistently shot down by the White House. And the press secretary, whenever asked whether Biden would pardon his son, said no. On Monday, Jean-Pierre was asked aboard Air Force One why she persistently lied about the issue to which the press secretary reacted by saying: "The president took an action because of how politically infected these cases were."“The system doesn’t get corrupted by politics for people whose name is not Biden?” a reporter asked. “You’re twisting and misrepresenting what I’m saying. I’m talking about a particular issue right now,” Jean-Pierre said.&mdash; CollinRugg (@CollinRugg) “Does the president believe now and agree with President-elect Trump that the justice system has been weaponized for political purposes and that it needs root and branch reform?” another asked.“No. Read the president’s statement. Seriously, read the president’s statement. He said he believes in the Department of Justice. He does. He says it in his statement. He also believes that war politics infected the proce

ss and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” she said.Why Joe Biden pardoned his sonIn his statement, Joe Biden said he wrestled with the decision which was made over the weekend. "I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice — and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," Biden said."No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong," Biden said in his statement. "There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough."Hunter Biden was scheduled to be sentenced on December 12 for his conviction on federal gun charges. On December 16, he was to be sentenced for a separate criminal case of tax evasion.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government has become the first administration in France since 1962 which got defeated in a no-confidence motion.

France Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government has collapsed amid no-confidence vote in the National Assembly and he has been forced to resign after three months into his term, sending the country into a political crisis. Out of 577 lawmakers, 331 voted against Barnier’s government which was treading on a tightrope. The turmoil in the country - political and economic - is not only a deep concern for the French people but the Europe as a whole since Germany and France are considered as ‘EU's "motor" in terms of ideological and political horsepower’. First Time Since 1962: French Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government has become the first administration in France since 1962 which got defeated in a no-confidence motion. And Barnier is also set to become the shortest serving prime minister of France in history. Un honneur d'avoir servi avec dignité la France et les Français. pic.twitter.com/BGe5gopVDF — Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) December 4, 2024 Barnier’s cabinet would still be in power as part of a caretaker 

government until French President Emmanuel Macron names a new leadership. What’s Next For France? Like the former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal was asked to continue as the caretaker government, when President Macron dissolved the National Assembly following his party's crushing defeat in the EU elections, PM Michel Barnier will also remain in power as a caretaker administrator. The caretaker government would not be able to vote on any new laws and will have to expedite current affairs. The French President will nominate a new prime minister and he has expressed his intentions to do it quickly. However, choosing a new PM would be complex as post the recent National Assembly elections, the lower house of parliament has become more fragmented than ever and lacks a clear majority. Who Could Be The Next Prime Minister? Few names doing rounds in the political corridors of Paris include the current Minister of Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, or the leader of the centrist Democratic Movement party François Bayrou among others.

Political crisis in France: Govt collapses amid no-confidence vote, what lies ahead?

To establish intent, Amnesty said it reviewed over 100 statements by Israeli government and military officials and others since the start of the war that “dehumanized Palestinians, called for or justified genocidal acts or other crimes against them.”

Amnesty International accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip during its war with Hamas, saying it has sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid. The human rights group released a report Thursday in the Middle East that said such actions could not be justified by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, which ignited the war, or the presence of militants in civilian areas. Amnesty said the United States and other allies of Israel could be complicit in genocide, and called on them to halt arms shipments. “Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said in the report. Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has adamantly rejected genocide allegations against it as an antisemitic “blood libel.” It is challenging such allegations at the International Court of Justice, and it has rejected the International Criminal Court's accusations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister committed war crimes in Gaza. “The deplorable and fanatical organization Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies," Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Israel accused Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate Israel, of carrying out a genocidal massacre in the attack that triggered the war, and said it is defending itself in accordance with international law. Amnesty says Palestinians face a slow, calculated death Amnesty's report adds an influential voice to a growing list of players that have accused Israel of committing genocide — which would put it in the company of some of the deadliest conflicts of the past 80 years, including Cambodia, Sudan and Rwanda. The accusations have largely come from human rights groups and allies of the Palestinians. But last month, Pope Francis called for an investigation to determine if Israeli actions amounted to genocide, and Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who has signaled readiness to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, accused it of committing genocide. Israel says it is at war with Hamas, not the people of Gaza. And key allies, including the U.S. and Germany, have also pushed back against the genocide allegations. But Amnesty accused Israel of violating the 1951 Genocide Convention through acts it says are intended to bring about the physical destruction of Gaza's Palestinian population by exposing them to “a slow, calculated death.” Amnesty said it analyzed the overall pattern of Israel's conduct in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023 and early July. It noted that there is no casualty threshold in proving the international crime of genocide, which is defined by the United Nations as acts intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. To establish intent, Amnesty said it reviewed over 100 statements by Israeli government and military officials and others since the start of the war that “dehumanized Palestinians, called for or justified genocidal acts or other crimes against them.” Israeli officials have previously said that such statements were taken out of context or referred to their stated goal of destroying Hamas, not Palestinian civilians. Israel says it goes to great lengths to protect civilians and comply with international law - including ordering civilians to evacuate areas ahead of airstrikes and ground offensives. It also says it has facilitated the deliveries of large quantities of food and humanitarian supplies - a claim that is disputed by the U.N. and aid organizations working inside Gaza. On Sunday, a former top Israeli general and defense minister accused the government of ethn

ic cleansing in northern Gaza, where the army has sealed off the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and the Jabaliya refugee camp and allowed almost no humanitarian aid to enter. Amnesty said it found that Israel “deliberately inflicted conditions of life on Palestinians in Gaza intended to lead, over time, to their destruction.” Those actions included the destruction of homes, farms, hospitals and water facilities; mass evacuation orders; and the restriction of humanitarian aid and other essential services. It also analyzed 15 airstrikes from the start of the war until April that killed at least 334 civilians, including 141 children, and wounded hundreds of other people. It said it found no evidence that any of the strikes were directed at military objectives. It said one of the strikes destroyed the Abdelal family home in the southern city of Rafah on April 20, killing three generations of Palestinians, including 16 children, while they were sleeping. An Associated Press investigation identified at least 60 families in which at least 25 members had been killed. Amnesty has previously angered Israel by joining other major rights groups in accusing it of the international crime of apartheid, saying that for decades it has systematically denied Palestinians basic rights in the territories under its control. Israel has also denied those allegations. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, lack of aid on UN Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants fight in dense, residential areas and have built tunnels and other militant infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques. It blames the lack of humanitarian aid on United Nations agencies, accusing them of not delivering hundreds of truckloads of aid that have been allowed in. The U.N. says it is often too dangerous to retrieve and deliver the aid. It blames Israel as the occupying power for the breakdown of law and order — which has enabled armed groups to steal aid convoys — while also accusing it of heavily restricting movement within the territory. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage, including children and older adults. Some 100 captives are still held inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 44,500 people, according to Gaza health officials, whose count doesn't distinguish between civilians and fighters, though they say more than half the dead are women and children. The offensive is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II, and has destroyed vast areas of the besieged coastal territory. It has displaced some 90% of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands of people have crammed into squalid tent camps with little in the way of food, water or toilets. Aid groups say the population is at risk of disease and malnutrition, especially as winter sets in. Experts have warned of famine in northern Gaza, which Israel has almost completely sealed off since launching a major military operation there in early October. Hamas militants have repeatedly regrouped there and in other areas, and the group has faced no major internal challenge to its rule. Amnesty says the US needs to press for an end to the war The United States, which has provided crucial military aid to Israel and shielded it from international criticism, has repeatedly appealed to Israel to facilitate more aid, with limited results. The Biden administration said in May that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza at times likely violated international humanitarian law but that the evidence was incomplete. Callamard urged the United States, Germany and other countries supplying arms to Israel to pressure Netanyahu to end the war. (AP)

Amnesty International says genocide being committed against Palestinians in Gaza, Israel rejects accusation

A senior military official and filings to impeach President Yoon by opposition members said Defence Minister Kim made the recommendation to Yoon for martial law.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who conducted a botched marital law enforcement in the country on Tuesday night, has accepted the resignation of Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and nominated the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Choi Byung-hyuk, as new defence minister. Kim offered his resignation on Wednesday and according to reports, he was seen as the key behind the implementation of martial law in South Korea which President Yoon had to reverse in a couple of hours, succumbing to pressure and parliament blocking it. A senior military official and filings to impeach President Yoon by opposition members said Kim made the recommendation to Yoon to declare martial law, reported Reuters. Newly appointed Defence Minister Choi was called “a person of principle who carries out his duties with dedication and adheres to regulations," by Yoon's chief of staff, Chung Jin-suk. Since Wednesday night when President Yoon rolled back the orders of declaring martial law due to a political turmoil and diplomatic fallout, the

 nomination of the new defence minister was the first official move by the president's office. The opposition led coalition in South Korea tabled a motion in the National Assembly (parliament) on Wednesday to impeach the president over the botched attempt to impose martial law, however his party has opposed the move. “All 108 lawmakers of the People Power party will stay united to reject the president’s impeachment,” senior leader of ruling People Power Party Choo Kyung-ho said. The main opposition Democratic Party called the act of enforcing martial law a treason by President Yoon and it is clear that the party will lead the bill to vote to impeach the president by Saturday. “The Yoon Suk Yeol regime’s declaration of emergency martial law caused great confusion and fear among our people,” Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won said in National Assembly. The US deputy secretary of state, Kurt Campbell, said President Yoon had “badly misjudged” the martial law decision, which took the White House by surprise.

South Korean President Yoon replaces defence minister who resigned amid martial law chaos

According to witnesses, a suspect stole a knife and liquor from a restaurant and thereafter started attacking people in a nearby 7-Eleven store.

Police in Canada’s Vancouver city have said that a suspect was shot dead by police officers in a convenience store after he allegedly stabbed two people. Vancouver police informed that the two people who were stabbed by the deceased accused have received injuries but they are not life threatening, while adding that the accused died at a hospital after officers shot him. According to witnesses, a suspect stole a knife and liquor from a restaurant and thereafter started attacking people in a nearby 7-Eleven store, as reported by Associated Press. “One of the kitchen guys came out, asked if he could help him, and the guy grabbed the knife and asked him if he wanted to die,” said Kylie Noel, who was working at the Original Joe’s restaurant at Robson and Hamilton streets in downtown Vancouver. Her co-worker immediately told her to call the police. In a post on X, the Vancouver police said, “Two people have been wounded and a suspect shot by police following a stabbing near Library Square this m

orning. The Independent Investigations Office has been notified.” As per the AP report, a video captured by a student and part-time food delivery worker, Mainul Islam showed the police entering the 7-Eleven store pointing their guns over the counter and shouting to “come over” and then firing at least 10 times. #VPDNews: Two people have been wounded and a suspect shot by police following a stabbing near Library Square this morning. The Independent Investigations Office has been notified.  pic.twitter.com/AM6CXYracg — Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) December 4, 2024 Mainul said, “And he just brought out his knife from his pocket, and he tried to stab…the guy, but he ran away, and then he went to stab that lady. Maybe he already stabbed that lady in the back, I saw blood, but she was OK.” Vancouver Police responded at 11:34 am to a 911 call from staff at a restaurant near Robson and Hamilton Street. The caller reported a man had stolen alcohol and was armed with a knife inside the restaurant.

Two people stabbed in Canada’s Vancouver, suspect shot by police

The condition of children, who were rushed to the nearby hospital, remains unknown. One of them was airlifted to the hospital. Officials didn’t reveal their gender, age or name.

In a shooting incident at a religious K-8 school in Northern California on Wednesday, two students were wounded while the shooter allegedly died from a self-inflicting gun shot, officials said. The condition of children, who were rushed to the nearby hospital, remains unknown. One of them was airlifted to the hospital. Officials didn’t reveal their gender, age or name. On Wednesday afternoon at about 1pm, the shooting occurred at Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists, a private school in Palermo. The school had less than three dozen students. Palermo, which is about 65 miles (104 km) north of Sacramento, has close to 5,500 people. The shooting in the K-8 school in Palermo is the latest among the series of school shootouts that have taken place in the United States this year, including some fatal ones in Newto

wn, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas. “My heart is breaking for everyone impacted by this tragedy. As a community, we’ll all be hugging our loved ones closer today as we pray for the victims and try to make sense of something so senseless,” said Assemblyman James Gallagher, whose area includes Palermo in a statement, reported Associated Press. Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea told reporters that the shooter appeared to have no relations with the school and the motive for the shooting remains to be known, as the investigators try to identify the deceased accused. Sheriff Honea added that 911 calls reported “an individual on campus who had fired shots at students." When the officials reached the school campus, the accused was seen lying on the ground, apparently dead from the self-inflicting injuries.

Shooting at California school leaves two students injured, gunman dead

Nepal Foreign Ministry officials said the framework agreement was signed by the acting foreign secretary and the vice chairman of China's National Development Reforms Commission, ending speculation triggered by the government's stance that it will accept only grants for projects under the BRI.

Nepal and China on Wednesday signed the execution framework for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Beijing, indicating that Nepal will soon decide on projects for implementation. The development has come when Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli is on an official visit to China. Nepal Foreign Ministry officials said the framework agreement was signed by the acting foreign secretary and the vice chairman of China's National Development Reforms Commission, ending speculation triggered by the government's stance that it will accept only grants for projects under the BRI. Last week upon returning from Chengdu, Nepal Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba had said that Nepal will accept only grants from China for BRI projects as the country is not in a position to go for loans. Details of the agreement have not yet been made public but if the Nepali Congress, the biggest coalition partner in the government, and Deuba stick by their pre-visit position, the K P Sharma Oli-led government might face a crisis once the Prime Minister re

turns Thursday. According to The Kathmandu Post, China had removed the word “grant” proposed by the Nepali side and suggested replacing it with “investment” for projects under the BRI. After reviewing the new terms and conditions, officials found a compromise and decided to include the phrasing “aid and technical assistance” to project execution in Nepal, it said. The word “aid” adds ambiguity and marks a step back from the Nepali Congress's position of clearly specifying grants. Some countries also term line of credit as aid but which are essentially loans, the paper said. The two sides had signed nine MoUs and agreements on Tuesday. Speaking at a programme held at Peking University, Oli later said that Nepal would reap benefits from the BRI. He expressed the belief that China has strongly supported Nepal's development and that the BRI project initiated under the leadership of President Xi Jinping would further deepen bilateral relations between the two countries, the Himalayan Times reported. —With PTI inputs

Nepal, China sign BRI framework, paves way for work on projects

“Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology, and exploration,” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.

US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Jared Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut and close associate of Elon Musk, as the new head of NASA. Isaacman, the CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, has previously participated in two spaceflights under his Polaris programme, using SpaceX vehicles and spacesuits for private orbital missions. If confirmed, Isaacman will oversee NASA's $25 billion budget, focusing heavily on the Artemis programme, a flagship effort to return humans to the Moon. The programme, heavily reliant on SpaceX’s Starship rocket, was originally championed during Trump’s first presidential term. “Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology, and exploration,” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform. This early appointment underscores Musk’s influence, with the SpaceX CEO reportedly engaging closely with Trump on plans for Mars exploration and ot

her initiatives to advance private space ventures. Trump recently attended the sixth test launch of SpaceX’s Starship in Texas, further highlighting the collaboration. At 41, Isaacman is expected to reinforce NASA’s increasing reliance on private companies for space access—a trend that poses challenges to traditional programmes like the Space Launch System, a costly, over-budget rocket developed by Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Isaacman will also manage NASA’s aeronautics division, which focuses on green aviation technology, alongside its space science portfolio, which has faced budget cuts and layoffs under President Joe Biden. These adjustments came as NASA prioritised the Artemis programme during Biden’s tenure. Trump’s previous NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine, a former congressman, initiated the Artemis programme and secured budget increases for the agency. Biden’s pick, former senator Bill Nelson, continued to oversee the agency during a period of financial reshuffling.

Trump appoints billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead NASA

A total of 331 MPs backed the motion tabled by the leftist NFP alliance, surpassing the 288 votes required to bring down the government.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier's minority government has lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, becoming the first administration to be ousted in such a manner since 1962 and marking the shortest-lived government of the Fifth Republic. A total of 331 MPs backed the motion tabled by the leftist NFP alliance and unexpectedly supported by Marine Le Pen’s far-right bloc, surpassing the 288 votes required to bring down the government. Barnier, a veteran conservative who has served as prime minister for barely three months, must now submit his resignation, along with that of his government, to President Emmanuel Macron. Barnier’s swift removal follows snap parliamentary elections this summer, which resulted in a hung parliament. With no party commanding a majority, the far-right’s votes became crucial for the government’

s survival. President Emmanuel Macron now faces the daunting task of appointing a new prime minister with over two years remaining in his term. The National Assembly debated the motion amid a standoff over next year’s austerity budget. Tensions flared after Barnier bypassed a parliamentary vote on a social security financing bill earlier this week. The no-confidence vote marks the first successful attempt to unseat a government since Georges Pompidou’s administration fell in 1962 under President Charles de Gaulle. Barnier’s government also holds the record for the shortest tenure in the Fifth Republic, which was established in 1958. Macron returned to Paris from a three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia just ahead of the decisive vote, shifting his focus from international diplomacy to managing the escalating domestic crisis.

France plunges into political crisis as Prime Minister Michel Barnier ​loses no-confidence vote

In her speech, Hasina, who has long had a contentious relationship with Yunus, accused the head of the Bangladesh caretaker government of being the “main perpetrator of genocide” and labelled him as “power-hungry.”

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched a scathing attack on the interim government head Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of committing “genocide” and failing to protect Hindus and other minorities in her first public speech since stepping down in August and fleeing the country. Hasina, who sought refuge in India after being ousted from office following widespread protests led by student groups, made the remarks during a virtual address to supporters of her Awami League party. The address was part of a commemoration event in New York on Sunday to observe “Bijoy Dibos” or Victory Day, marking the defeat of Pakistani forces in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War. "Today, I am being accused of genocide. In reality, Yunus has been involved in genocide in a meticulously designed manner. The masterminds - the student coordinators and Yunus - are behind this genocide," she said. She also claimed that there were plans to assassinate her and her sister Sheikh Rehana, just as their father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated in 1975. "The armed protesters were directed towards Ganabhaban. If the security guards had opened fire, many lives would have been lost. It was a matter of 25-30 minutes, and I was forced to leave. I told them [guards] not to fire, no matter what happened," she said, referring to the storming of her official residence in Dhaka on 5 August. In her speech, Hasina, who has long had a contentious relationship with Yunus, labelled the head of the Bangladesh caretaker government as “

power-hungry”. She also reiterated her previous allegations of Yunus’s involvement in corruption and money laundering concerning the operations of Grameen Bank, which he founded to launch microfinance schemes. "Hindus, Buddhists, Christians – no one has been spared. Eleven churches have been destroyed, temples and Buddhist shrines have been broken. When the Hindus protested, the Iskcon leader was arrested," she said, in an indirect reference to the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. "What is this persecution of minorities for? Why are they being ruthlessly persecuted and attacked?" she asked. "People no longer have the right to justice. I never even got the time to resign," she added while speaking in Bengali. Following the chaotic overthrow of Hasina in August, many of her supporters, including religious minorities, were targeted. Tensions have resurfaced after the arrest of Das in October. He was charged with sedition for protesting in Chittagong and allegedly raising a saffron flag above the Bangladeshi national flag, a colour associated with Hinduism. Last week, a Chittagong court denied him bail, leading to clashes that resulted in the death of a Muslim lawyer. Dozens have been arrested in connection with the violence. On Tuesday, his bail hearing was postponed to January 2 due to a lack of legal representation. Relations between India and Bangladesh have become strained since Yunus’s interim government took power. India has expressed concerns over attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus.

‘What is this persecution of minorities for?’: In 1st public address, former PM Sheikh Hasina accuses Muhammad Yunus of genocide in Bangladesh

Thompson, 50, was walking towards the New York Hilton Hotel, when a gunman opened fire from approximately 20 feet away, striking Thompson multiple times in the chest.

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning, according to a police report, New York Times reported. Thompson, 50, was walking towards the New York Hilton Hotel, dressed in a suit and tie, to attend a UnitedHealthcare conference being held in the hotel’s ballroom, when a gunman opened fire from approximately 20 feet away, striking Thompson multiple times in the chest. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronou

nced dead, the NYPD reported. According to report, the gunman had been waiting for some time before Thompson’s arrival and fled immediately after shooting him. Details surrounding the incident remain unclear, but authorities believe it was a targeted attack. No arrests have been made so far, and the investigation is ongoing, police added. Thompson, who became CEO of the company in April 2021, led the healthcare arm of UnitedHealth Group, which is ranked fifth on the Fortune 500 list.

CEO of UnitedHealthcare shot dead in Manhattan

Meta says AI had only ‘modest’ impact on global elections in 2024

The Facebook and Instagram owner says its defences were able to prevent AI-driven misinformation operations from gaining an online foothold.
Despite fears that artificial intelligence (AI) could influence the outcome of elections around the world, the United States technology giant Meta said it detected little impact across its platforms this year.
That was in part due to defensive measures designed to prevent coordinated networks of accounts, or bots, from grabbing attention on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg told reporters on Tuesday.
“I don’t think the use of generative AI was a particularly effective tool for them to evade our trip wires,” Clegg said of actors behind coordinated disinformation campaigns.
In 2024, Meta says it ran several election operations centres around the world to monitor content issues, including during elections in the US, Bangladesh, Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Most of the covert influence operations it has disrupted in recent years were carried out by actors from Russia, Iran and China, Clegg said, adding that Meta took down about 20 “covert influence operations” on its platform this year.
Russia was the number one source of those operations, with 39 networks disrupted in total since 2017, followed by Iran with 31, and China with 11.
Overall, the volume of AI-generated misinformation was low and Meta was able to quickly label or remove the content, Clegg said.
That was despite 2024 being the biggest election year ever, with some 2 billion people estimated to have gone to the polls around the world, he noted.
“People were understandably concerned about the potential impact that generative AI would have on elections during the course of this year,” Clegg told journalists.
In a statement, he said that “any such impact was modest and limited in scope”.
AI content, such as deepfake videos and audio of political candidates, was quickly exposed and failed to fool public opinion, he added.
In the month leading up to Election Day in the US, Meta said it rejected 590,000 requests to generate images of President Joe Biden, then-Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.
In an article in The Conversation, titled The apocalypse that wasn’t, Harvard academics Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders wrote: “There was AI-created misinformation and propaganda, even though it was not as catastrophic as feared.”
However, Clegg and others have warned that disinformation has moved to social media and messaging websites not owned by Meta, especially TikTok, where some studies have found evidence of fake AI-generated videos featuring

 politically related misinformation.
In a Pew survey of Americans earlier this year, nearly eight times as many respondents expected AI to be used for mostly bad purposes in the 2024 election as those who thought it would be used mostly for good.
In October, Biden rolled out new plans to harness AI for national security as the global race to innovate the technology accelerates.
Biden outlined the strategy in a first-ever AI-focused national security memorandum (NSM) on Thursday, calling for the government to stay at the forefront of “safe, secure and trustworthy” AI development.
Meta has itself been the source of public complaints on various fronts, caught between accusations of censorship and the failure to prevent online abuses.
Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch accused Meta of silencing pro-Palestine voices amid increased social media censorship since October 7.
Meta says its platforms were mostly used for positive purposes in 2024, to steer people to legitimate websites with information about candidates and how to vote.
While it said it allows people on its platforms to ask questions or raise concerns about election processes, “we do not allow claims or speculation about election-related corruption, irregularities, or bias when combined with a signal that content is threatening violence”.
Clegg said the company was still feeling the pushback from its efforts to police its platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in some content being mistakenly removed.
“We feel we probably overdid it a bit,” he said. “While we’ve been really focusing on reducing prevalence of bad content, I think we also want to redouble our efforts to improve the precision and accuracy with which we act on our rules.”
Some Republican lawmakers in the US have questioned what they say is censorship of certain viewpoints on social media. President-elect Donald Trump has been especially critical, accusing its platforms of censoring conservative viewpoints.
In an August letter to the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he regretted some content take-downs the company made in response to pressure from the Biden administration.
In Clegg’s news briefing, he said Zuckerberg hoped to help shape President-elect Donald Trump’s administration on tech policy, including AI.
Clegg said he was not privy to whether Zuckerberg and Trump discussed the tech platform’s content moderation policies when Zuckerberg was invited to Trump’s Florida resort last week.
“Mark is very keen to play an active role in the debates that any administration needs to have about maintaining America’s leadership in the technological sphere … and particularly the pivotal role that AI will play in that scenario,” he said.
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South Korea’s President Yoon says he will lift marital law

South Korea martial law: How did we get here?

Opposition and members of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own party condemn the move amid low public popularity.
South Korea descended into political turmoil after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law late on Tuesday, saying he was acting to protect the country from “threats” posed by North Korea and accused the opposition of being “antistate forces”
The military, following Yoon’s announcement, announced a series of measures, including prohibitions on all political activities and that all media will be placed under the control of the Martial Law Command.
But just hours later, the parliament, surrounded by protesters and police, voted against the decree.
Here is a timeline of events that led to the martial law announcement:
April 11: Opposition parties romp to victory in elections for the National Assembly, securing more than 60 percent of the 300-seat parliament.
May 9: President Yoon expresses regrets and apologises on behalf of his wife and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, amid accusations that she unlawfully accepted a luxury handbag in 2022.
August 27: Yoon’s government proposes a 677.4 trillion won ($483bn) budget to tackle several challenges including rising health insurance costs and pensions.
October 25: South Korea expresses “grave concern” over Russia’s bid to seal a defence pact with North Korea, which has been accused of supplying troops to Moscow for possible deployment in it

s war in Ukraine.
November 25: South Korea’s opposition leader and Democratic Party (DP) chief Lee Jae-myung is acquitted on charges that he persuaded a witness to lie in court to understate Lee’s past criminal conviction, in a rare moment of relief from broad legal trouble.
November 26: President Yoon vetoed a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into corruption allegations involving his wife, the third time he rejected the opposition-led bill.
November 29: The opposition slashes approximately 4.1 trillion won ($2.8 billion) from Yoon’s proposed budget plan, cutting the government’s reserve fund and activity budgets for Yoon’s office, the prosecution, police and the state audit agency. Yoon’s governing People Power Party condemns the move as “neutralising the functions of the prosecution, the police and the state audit agency”.
December 2: The main opposition Democratic Party submits motions in the National Assembly to impeach three top prosecutors. The conservatives call it a vendetta against their criminal investigations of Democrat leader Lee, who has been seen in opinion polls as the favourite for the next presidential election in 2027.
December 2: President Yoon’s popularity slides to 25 percent, according to pollster Realmeter.
December 3: Yoon declares emergency martial law, saying he will rebuild a free and democratic country through martial law.
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Vietnam court upholds tycoon’s death sentence for $12bn bank fraud

Truong My Lan’s life could still be spared if she pays back three-quarters of the assets she embezzled.
A Vietnamese court has rejected a real estate tycoon’s appeal, upholding the death sentence handed down for the embezzlement of $12bn.
The court in Ho Chi Minh City ruled against Truong My Lan’s appeal in the case, which has raised concerns over the impact on the country’s economy due to the huge sums involved.
The High People’s Court determined there was no basis to reduce Lan’s death sentence, local media reported. However, it also said that the sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment should she repay three-quarters of the money.
“The consequences Lan caused are unprecedented in the history of litigation and the amount of money embezzled is unprecedentedly large and unrecoverable,” the prosecution said at the appeal hearing, according to state-run online newspaper VietnamNet.
“The defendant’s actions have affected many aspects of society, the financial market, the economy.”
Lan, the chairwoman of real estate developer Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, was sentenced to death in April for her role in what was Viet

nam’s biggest financial fraud case on record.
She is convicted of orchestrating financial fraud amounting to $12bn, equalling nearly 3 percent of the country’s 2022 gross domestic product (GDP), and for illegally controlling the Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB).
Her arrest in 2022 prompted a run on SCB, one of the country’s largest private banks. About 36,000 people have been identified as victims of the fraud, which shocked the communist nation and prompted rare protests.
State media cited Lan’s lawyer as saying she had many mitigating circumstances, including “having admitted guilt, showing remorse and paying back part of the amount of money embezzled”, but prosecutors said that was insufficient.
Lan still has the right to request a review under Vietnam’s cassation or retrial procedures.
The 68-year-old is one of the most famous business executives and state officials jailed in the communist country’s lengthy anticorruption campaign known as “Blazing Furnace”, which has intensified since 2022, netting a number of business executives, government officials and members of the police and armed forces.
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A glimpse of future airpower on display at biennial China airshow

The China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai attracts 600,000 visitors and billions in sales.
A squadron of six Chinese Chengdu J-10 jets took off towards an overcast sky in front of thousands of spectators at an airfield in southern China’s coastal city of Zhuhai in mid-November.
Flying low in a close V-shaped formation, the jets circled back and as they approached a cluster of buildings near the spectators, trails of red, blue, yellow and white smoke suddenly poured from each plane, bringing a cheer from onlookers that was almost as loud as the roar from the warplanes’ engines.
Seconds later, the J-10s broke their close formation to show off a series of even more impressive acrobatic manoeuvres.
But the aerial show by the seasoned pilots was far from the only demonstration of prowess at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, better known as Airshow China or the Zhuhai Airshow, which is held biennially and named after the city in southern China where it is held.
A wide array of new equipment and aircraft available to the Chinese military – known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – was unveiled for the first time at the airshow, held from November 12 to 17. This included an updated version of the Harbin Z-20 helicopter and the long-awaited J-35A stealth fighter while the newest Russian stealth warplane, the Su-57, also took to the skies over Zhuhai in its first appearance outside Russia.
According to Chinese state media, the event attracted nearly 600,000 visitors and resulted in deals worth $38.7bn.
Aside from the business aspect, the airshow serves a clear purpose of showcasing China’s advances in aviation, said Peter Layton, defence and aviation expert at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia. “It is about demonstrating the sophistication and scale of PLA airpower,” he told Al Jazeera.
But for a better sense of China’s innovation in airpower, Layton did not look to the acrobatic feats of the J-10s or even the unveiling of the new stealthy J-35A.
“People like fast jets, loud noise and daring pilots, and the J-35 was the big news announced, but this is actually old news, having been a very long time in development,” he said.
Instead, Layton looked for advancements in aviation software and drone technology which will define the future of aerial combat.
For the next generation of fighter aircraft, military developers and researchers across the world are working on providing pilots with enhanced weapons systems and stealth capabilities that can be comprehensively integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
Experts predict the use of AI will especially boost the data processing of a fighter jet, which will greatly improve a pilot’s overview of the battlespace in which they are operating. Whoever is able to carry out the integration of AI and piloting skills most effectively will be in a strong position to dominate the skies.
They say essential in this future setup will be one or several drones operating as “loyal wingmen” that can work with fighter pilots in combat by assisting as “a sensor, a shooter, a weapons carrier and cost reducer”.
The war in Ukraine has already demonstrated the transformative effects of drones in combat zones. Thousands of them have been used not just as remotely flown bombs but also to track enemy movements and guide artillery strikes.
But no military has

 fully developed aircraft with the capability to operate jointly with drones, and the Chinese military most likely will not have a fully developed model in the skies until well into the 2030s, according to Layton.
The closest the Chinese military currently is to such an aircraft is the J-20S, which was on display in the form of a scale model at Zhuhai.
According to Chinese state media, the J-20S is a two-seater fighter jet which allows the second pilot to be in charge of collaborating between the jet and a wingman drone that would act as a sensor or a weapon launcher.
The FH-97A drone, which can carry out air defence suppression, conduct close-in reconnaissance and engage in interference tasks, is one example of a loyal wingman drone, and it was on display at the airshow in 2022.
Working in tandem with a jet and powered by AI, such capabilities could enable a wingman drone to paralyse enemy air systems and allow the fighter pilot to penetrate enemy defences.
That and other drone systems will be essential in future aerial combat, Layton said.
In Zhuhai, the Chinese military unveiled a new heavy drone, nicknamed the “swarm carrier” because of its ability to not only carry a payload of missiles and bombs but also other smaller drones as well.
According to Layton, Chinese developments in airpower today are closely linked with Beijing’s strategic competition with the United States.
“And a lot of developments are a mirror image response to American developments,” he said.
Layton pointed to the Chinese J-35, whose name is similar to the US fighter F-35, both being fifth-generation jets.
While aircraft such as the J-35 and the J-20S might be tied to competition when it comes to the US, for Taiwan they are far more concerning, according to Shu Hsiao-Huang, a research fellow at the Taiwan defence think tank INDSR.
“China is accelerating the upgrading of its air force and has many creative ideas in the development of drones, which will cause difficulties for neighbouring countries,” Shu told Al Jazeera.
Not only is Taiwan a neighbour to China, but the Chinese government regards the self-ruled island as an inseparable part of China and has promised to bring the island under its control.
While the majority of countries in the United Nations do not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state, member states do maintain favourable relations with Taipei, including the US, the United Kingdom and Australia.
The US, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, remains Taiwan’s most important partner and its largest supplier of weapons, which has resulted in strong condemnation from China.
Shu said Taiwan needs to pay attention to aerial advancements and breakthroughs achieved by the Chinese military, like those displayed at the airshow in November.
“This Zhuhai airshow was a big warning for Taiwan,” he said.
“The development of China’s fighter jets, advanced drones and other unmanned systems will pose a great challenge to Taiwan’s air defences,” he said.
To be able to keep up with China’s advancements in its air force, Taiwan will need to replace its ageing aircraft, improve ground-based air radar detection capabilities, develop new missile defences, and adopt advanced asymmetric military capabilities, according to Shu.
“But Taiwan’s progress in this regard is still very slow,” he said, adding, “Which is very worrying.”
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LIVE: Surge in Israeli attacks on Gaza City, casualties overwhelm hospital

Israeli forces attack residential buildings, shelters for displaced people and public facilities

 in Gaza City as dying and injured overwhelm hospital.
Al Jazeera Live
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US says it carried out strike against ‘imminent threat’ in Syria

The attack comes as violence in Syria intensifies, with opposition fighters advancing against government positions.
Washington, DC – The Pentagon has confirmed that the United States carried out a strike against military assets in eastern Syria after a rocket attack near one of its bases.
Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder told reporters on Tuesday that the US military struck weapons systems — including rocket launchers and a tank — that “presented a clear and imminent threat” to its forces in the area.
The US strike comes as violence escalates across the war-torn country. Over the last week, armed opposition groups carried out a blistering offensive in northwest Syria against the government forces led by President Bashar al-Assad, ushering in a new stage of the country’s long-running civil war.
The offensive has raised questions about how the US might respond and whether it could become entangled in the conflict, given its significant military presence in Syria.
Ryder said on Tuesday that the attack was in response to a rocket launch that fell “in the vicinity” of Military Support Site (MSS) Euphrates, a US base in eastern Syria.
He added that it is not clear who was operating the weapons, but Iran-backed groups and Syrian government forces are known to be in the area.
The Pentagon spokesperson stressed that the action is “not linked to any broader activities in northwest Syria by other groups”.
But on Tuesday, Damascus accused the US of providing air support for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which pushed to advance against government-controlled villages east of the Euphrates River, near the city of Deir ez-Zor.
The SDF has received US support for years under the stated aim of fighting ISIL (ISIS).
Syrian state-run Alikhbaria TV reported on Tuesday that clashes were taking place between SDF and government forces near the village of Tabiyet Jazira “with the intervention of US occupation jets that are targeting the frontlines in the are

a”.
The SDF had claimed earlier in the day that it took control of seven villages east of the Euphrates due to the “serious threat related to the imminent movement of large ISIS terrorist cells”.
“The deployment of our forces to these villages is in response to the urgent pleas and appeals of the local populace, following the increasing potential risks that ISIS will exploit the events in the west of the country,” the SDF’s Deir ez-Zor Military Council said in a statement.
But the Syrian government said the villages remain under its control.
Farther west, government troops have been battling rebels trying to advance towards the central city of Hama as the front lines of the war, which had gone mostly dormant over the past four years, see major shifts.
Rebel groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which had been confined to the northwestern Idlib province, launched their offensive last week, taking control of Aleppo and heading south towards Hama.
The country had experienced relative calm since 2020 with the government, rebel groups and SDF largely remaining within their unofficial territories.
But the opposition appears to have struck at an opportune moment when President al-Assad’s main military backers — Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah — are focusing on their own conflicts elsewhere.
The US, which calls Assad a “brutal dictator”, has denied any involvement in the rebels’ offensive, highlighting that Washington considers HTS to be a “terrorist” group.
HTS is a reiteration of al-Nusra Front, which operated as al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria early in the war.
According to the Pentagon, Washington has 900 troops in Syria and a deep alliance with the SDF, one of the major parties to the conflict.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon’s Ryder declined to answer questions about the SDF’s operations in the Deir ez-Zor area.
“Our focus has been on working with the SDF as it relates to countering ISIS, and that continues to be our focus,” he said.
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One killed in Israeli attack on Lebanon as Netanyahu says war is not over

Israeli officials threaten to expand attacks on Lebanon if the ceasefire with Hezbollah collapses.
An Israeli drone strike has killed one person in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese health authorities, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to enforce the ceasefire with Hezbollah “with an iron fist”.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health and state media said Israeli forces carried out several new drone and artillery strikes in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, putting further strain on a tenuous 6-day-old ceasefire with Hezbollah.
“An Israeli enemy drone strike on the town of Shebaa killed one person,” a Health Ministry statement said.
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) described the man who was killed as a “shepherd”.
The new attacks come as Israeli officials threatened to expand attacks on Lebanon if the ceasefire with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah collapses.
Netanyahu promised to keep striking “with an iron fist” against perceived violations of the truce.
“We are enforcing this ceasefire with an iron fist,” he said before a cabinet meeting in the northern border city of Nahariya.
“We are currently in a ceasefire, I note, a ceasefire, not the end of the war,” he added.
Earlier, his defence minister warned that if the ceasefire collapses, Israel will target not just Hezbollah but the Lebanese state – an expansion of Israel’s campaign.
“If we return to war we will act strongly, we will go deeper, and the most important thing they need to know: that there will be no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
“If until now we separated the state of Lebanon from Hezbollah … it will no longer be [like this],” he said during a visit to the northern border area.
The US- and French-brokered ceasefire, which halted more than 13 months of fighting, has been rattled by near-daily Israeli attacks.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah is supposed to withdraw its fighters, weapons and infrastructure from a broad swath of the south by the end of the initial 60-day phase, pulling them north of the Litani Ri

ver. Israeli troops are also to withdraw to their side of the border.
Lebanese officials have accused Israel of violating the ceasefire dozens of times with strikes, overflights of drones and demolitions of homes.
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Monday, according to official figures.
Hezbollah said it fired a volley of projectiles as a warning over what it said were previous Israeli ceasefire violations.
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said the hostilities on Monday were putting a strain on the truce.
“The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire did not collapse despite yesterday’s alleged violations. It faced its biggest test with the flareup in hostilities on both sides,” she said.
“The deal stands on a shaky ground. Israel is trying to create a new reality. It considers that under the terms of the ceasefire, it has the right to carry out attacks and strikes on what it considers to be threats by Hezbollah,” she added.
Despite the violations, Lebanese officials are rallying behind the ceasefire. Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally who negotiated the deal on behalf of Lebanon, spoke to officials at the White House and French presidency late on Monday to urge them to press Israel to uphold the ceasefire, two senior Lebanese political sources told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday.
Mikati, quoted by NNA, meanwhile, said that diplomatic communications had intensified since Monday to stop Israeli violations of the ceasefire. He also said a recruitment drive was under way by the Lebanese army to strengthen its presence in the south.
The US Department of State spokesperson Matt Miller said on Monday that the ceasefire was “holding” and that the US had “anticipated that there might be violations”.
A mission chaired by the US is tasked with monitoring, verifying and helping enforce the truce, but it has yet to begin work. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the committee would hold its first meeting on Thursday.
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Is the battle for Aleppo part of Syria’s war?

Opposition forces stormed into regime-held areas, shaking the status quo and bringing the war back into the spotlight.
The surprise assault on the Syrian city of Aleppo by opposition forces on Wednesday appears to have caught the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and his allies, as well as much of the world, off guard.
Currently, as the Syrian and Russian air forces pound opposition forces in northwest Syria, the brutal conflict that many had hoped had frozen since a ceasefire deal in 2020 is showing every sign of reigniting.
Yes.
Syria’s revolution of 2011 failed to topple the country’s leader, Bashar al-Assad.
He leaned on the support of his allies, Russia, Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, who joined his forces in trying to put down the uprising.
The fighting drew in both existing regional armed groups, such as ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda – who established linkages to groups in Syria –  and created new factions such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who led last week’s attack on Aleppo.
Many groups formed to join the war, fighting both the regime forces and, at times, each other as their ideologies clashed.
However, as the conflict wore on, and Russian and Iranian firepower began to tilt the conflict in the regime’s favour, the bulk of those groups were pushed to the northwestern governorate of Idlib especially after they were routed from Aleppo in 2016 after nearly four years of fighting.
While various rebel factions competed for dominance in Idlib, HTS emerged as the dominant faction.
Formed in 2017 through the merging of various groups, chiefly Jabhat al-Nusra, the group works through the “Syrian Salvation Government” (the opposition’s government) to administer much of Idlib’s governance, including its security, financial and judicial systems.
Jabhat al-Nusra, which had long been associated with al-Qaeda, officially broke ties with the group before HTS’s formation, rebranding itself as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and then HTS.
Near-apocalyptic.
The UN estimates that, between March 2011 and March 2021, Syria’s war killed 306,887 civilians.
More than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 21 million was also displaced by the fighting.
Aspects of the fighting were unsurpassed in their savagery.
The regime used chemical weapons and barrel bombs against civilian areas as it fought, along with its allies, to suppress the rebellion against it, not succeeding in fully putting it down.
In the power vacuums that formed, armed groups flourished and ISIL gained a foothold, establishing a “caliphate” around the Syrian city of Raqqa in 2014, a presence that inflicted violence on minorities and only came to an end in 2017 after the Western-supported Syrian Democratic Forces drove ISIL out.
While lack of freedoms and economic woes drove resentment of the Syrian government, it was the harsh crackdown on demonstrators that finally pushed protesters to take up arms.
In March 2011, inspired by successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, pro-dem

ocracy protests erupted in Syria.
Global warming is said to have played a role in sparking the 2011 uprising.
Severe drought plagued Syria from 2007-2010, causing as many as 1.5 million people to migrate from the countryside into cities, exacerbating poverty and social unrest.
In July 2011, defectors from the military announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a group aiming to overthrow the government, marking a slide into armed conflict.
They did.
Foreign backing and open intervention played a large role in Syria’s war.
Russia officially entered the conflict in 2015 and has continued to support al-Assad since. Iran and Iraq, as well as Lebanon-based Hezbollah also supported the regime.
Backing often separate opposition factions was a diverse array of states, including Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and the US, among others.
Israel also carried out air raids inside Syria, reportedly targeting Hezbollah and pro-government fighters and facilities.
Turkiye, which severed ties with al-Assad in 2011 and shares a long border with Syria’s north, has been the most closely involved.
Much of that border hems in the opposition-held areas and Syria’s Kurdish region, where Turkiye has long said members of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are operating.
Turkiye supported the FSA and tensions heightened after Syrian regime forces shot down a Turkish fighter jet in 2012 and border skirmishes broke out.
In 2016, Turkiye launched Operation Euphrates Shield into Syria, declaring that its aims were to push back ISIL from its borders, as well as the leading Kurdish party, the PYD (Democratic Union Party).
Several countries severed ties with al-Assad as the nature of his war against his people became apparent.
Syria was expelled from the Arab League in 2011 and many individual nations cut ties, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States.
When ISIL’s presence in Syria became known, a Global Coalition against Daesh (an Arabic term for ISIL), comprising some 87 countries, began supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces to expel ISIL from Raqqa.
He was.
Aided by an apparent lull in hostilities, as well as the devastating earthquake that ripped through the country and neighbouring Turkiye in February 2023, Syria’s normalisation appeared to be under way.
Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates began appointing ambassadors to Syria starting in 2021 while Jordan started to warm towards its neighbour after the devastating earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkiye in February 2023.
The Arab League, which suspended Syria in 2011, restored its membership in May 2023. There were even overtures made to start talks between Syria and Turkiye.
It is not clear what impact this escalation will have on al-Assad’s international overtures, especially after several countries called him out for refusing to negotiate with the opposition to resolve the long-simmering conflict.
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US imposes new sanctions on Iran’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers

The latest US sanctions are part of an effort to disrupt Iran’s use of oil revenue to finance its nuclear programme.
The United States has piled on additional sanctions against Iran targeting 35 entities and vessels that it says are part of a “shadow fleet of vessels” transporting cargoes of Iranian petroleum to foreign markets.
The sanctions are similar to those previously imposed two months ago in response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack on military sites in Israel and to its announced nuclear escalations, the US Department of the Treasury said on Tuesday in a statement.
“Iran continues to funnel revenues from its petroleum trade toward the development of its nuclear program, proliferation of its ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology, and sponsorship of its regional terrorist proxies, risking further destabilizing the region,” Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith said in a statement.
“The United States remains committed to disrupting the shadow fleet of vessels and operators that facilitate these illicit activities, using the full range of our tools and authorities,” Smith added.
Iranian oil and petrochemical

s are already under heavy US sanctions.
The Treasury Department’s statement said Iran relied on “a sprawling network of tankers and ship management firms in multiple jurisdictions to transport its petroleum to overseas customers.”
This includes “tactics such as false documentation, manipulation of vessel tracking systems, and constant changes to the names and flags of vessels.”
The latest sanctions will freeze the entities’ assets in the US and generally make it illegal for Americans to engage in financial transactions with them.
Tehran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general in Beirut.
Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said after the killing of Haniyeh that his country “stands fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against any aggression targeting its vital interests and security”.
Iran has warned that if an “energy war” were to start, the world would lose about 12 million barrels of oil daily – about 10 percent of global production.
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UN raises alarm over Syria as opposition groups press Hama offensive

Syrian state media says government troops are in fierce battles with opposition groups in Hama province.
The United Nations has expressed alarm over spiraling violence in Syria as opposition groups continue to battle pro-government forces in the central province of Hama, and fighters from a US-backed, Kurdish-led coalition battle government forces in the country’s northeast.
State news agency SANA said Syrian troops were fighting fierce battles in the central Hama province on Tuesday. Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out air attacks in the northern Hama countryside, according to state media.
The opposition groups’ military operations administration said they captured 14 central villages and towns including Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, Maardis and Suran. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that the four towns were taken.
After their rapid takeover of the city of Aleppo last week, the rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as well as Turkiye-backed opposition fighters, are pressing south towards Hama city, the country’s fourth-largest.
Last week’s assault by forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is the biggest offensive for years in a conflict which began in 2011 and whose front lines had been frozen since 2020.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “alarmed” by the escalation in violence and called for an immediate halt to the fighting.
The UN human rights office warned that the spiralling violence was deepening the suffering endured by millions.
“Our office has documented a number of extremely concerning incidents resulting in multiple civilian casualties, including a high number of women and children, stemming from attacks by both Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and by pro-government forces,” said a spokesman for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
The hostilities are also damaging health facilities, education buildings, and food markets, he added.
Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency Sanad mapped sites in Aleppo and Idlib hit by Russian and Syrian warplanes in the operation against the opposition.
These sites include medical facilities, camps housi

ng displaced people, popular markets, schools and mosques.
Meanwhile, the number of casualties from attacks by pro-government forces in Idlib from November 27 to December 2 has risen to 81 civilians, including 34 children and 12 women, according to the Syrian Civil Defence.
Another 304 people have been wounded, including 120 children and 78 women, it said.
The World Health Organization also warned that the healthcare system in Aleppo was “under immense strain”.
“Referral hospitals are overwhelmed with trauma cases, with thousands of injuries admitted in the last four days alone and doctors and nurses working around the clock to save lives, even at great personal risk to themselves and their families,” WHO’s acting representative in Syria Christina Bethke told reporters by video from Damascus.
She said that prior to the escalation, there had been 42 functioning or partially functioning hospitals in Aleppo – but not fewer than eight “continue to operate at minimal capacity”.
In what appeared to suggest the opening of a new front for al-Assad in northeastern Syria, fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an umbrella group that controls territory in Syria’s east with US support, battled with government troops near several villages across the Euphrates River from regional capital Deir Az Zor on Tuesday, both sides said.
The SDF said early on Tuesday that its Deir Az Zor Military Council had “become responsible for protecting” seven villages previously held by the Syrian army.
The Deir al-Zor Military Council comprises local Arab fighters under the SDF, an alliance mainly led by a Kurdish fighter group, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Syrian state media reported that the army and allied forces were repelling an SDF assault on the villages, the only Syrian government presence along the east bank of the Euphrates River, an area otherwise mostly held by the SDF.
The latest surge in fighting marks the most significant turn in years in Syria’s war, which began after a brutal crackdown on a popular uprising in 2011.
The violence has forced 50,000 people to flee their homes in recent days, the UN said on Monday.
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Israel continues to pound Gaza, issue new evacuation threats

Israeli military has ordered areas of Khan Younis cleared while at least 14 people were killed in strikes in northern Gaza.
Israel has continued to pound Gaza, killing dozens and issuing new evacuation threats.
The Israeli military launched strikes overnight that killed at least 14 people in the north of the enclave, according to reports on Tuesday. Meanwhile, new forced evacuation orders were issued, calling on people to leave areas in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Medics reported that eight people were killed in a series of overnight strikes in Beit Lahiya, while four others were killed in Gaza City. A further two people were killed in attacks in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps in the northern part of the Strip.
Later, the Israeli army ordered residents in the districts of Khan Younis to flee, prompting a westward exodus in the early morning hours.
“For your own safety, you must evacuate the area immediately and move to the humanitarian zone,” the army said a statement on X, citing rocket launches by Palestinian groups.
Research states that there are no “humanitarian zones” in which people can find safety, and that forced evacuation orders do not help those

 fleeing to find safety or shelter from harm.
The use of these terms by Israel is aimed at bestowing legitimacy on forced displacement and creating the illusion of adherence to humanitarian law, the Action For Humanity nongovernment organisation stated.
Palestinian and United Nations officials also say that there are no safe areas in the enclave. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been internally displaced, some as many as 10 times since the war began last year.
Palestinian groups have accused Israel’s army of trying to drive people from the northern edge of Gaza with forced evacuations and bombardments to create a buffer zone. The army denies this and says it has returned there to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping in an area it had previously cleared.
The Palestinian Civil Defence said its operations in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon have been halted for nearly four weeks due to Israeli attacks on their teams and fuel shortages.
On Tuesday, it said 88 of its members had been killed, 304 wounded, and 21 detained by Israel since the war started, while 13 of 27 vehicles in the central and southern Gaza Strip were out of operation due to fuel shortages.
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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,014

These were the key developments on the 1,014th day of the Russia-Ukraine war

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Here is the situation on Wednesday, December 4:
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Crime against humanity: Why has a court found Belgium guilty of kidnapping?

Thousands of children were forcibly taken from their families in Belgium’s African colonies because they were mixed-race.
A court has ordered Belgium to pay millions of dollars in compensation to five mixed-race women who were forcibly taken from their homes in the Belgian Congo as children, under a colonial-era practice that judges said was a “crime against humanity”.
The landmark ruling on Monday by the Brussels Court of Appeal came after years of legal battle by the aggrieved women. It sets a historic precedent for state-sanctioned abductions that saw thousands of children kidnapped from today’s Democratic Republic of the Congo because of their racial makeup.
An earlier ruling from a lower court in 2021 rejected the women’s claims.
However, the Appeals court on Monday ordered the Belgian state to “compensate the appellants for the moral damage resulting from the loss of their connection to their mothers and the damage to their identity and their connection to their original environment”.  The five women will receive 250,000 euros ($267,000) combined.
Monique Bitu Bingi (71), one of the women who brought the case in 2020, told Al Jazeera she was satisfied with the ruling.
“I am very happy that justice has finally been delivered to us,” she said. ” And I’m happy that this was termed a crime against humanity.”
Here’s what to know about the case, and why the court ruling is historic:
The five plaintiffs, including Bitu Bingi, were among an estimated 5,000 to 20,000 mixed-race children who were snatched from their mothers in the former Belgian Congo (today’s Democratic Republic of the Congo) and forcibly taken to faraway cities, or, in some cases, shipped to Belgium for adoption.
Following the violent rule of King Leopold II, which resulted in the deaths and mutilations of millions of Congolese, the Belgian state took over the occupation and continued to operate an immensely exploitative system over the colony between 1908 and 1960.
Belgium also controlled the then Ruanda-Urundi, or today’s Rwanda and Burundi, where hundreds, if not thousands of bi-racial children were also taken.
Now called Metis, a French term meaning ‘mixed’, the children were kidnapped between 1948 and 1961, in the lead-up to Congo’s independence.
Belgian colonial authorities believed that bi-racial children threatened the white supremacy narrative they had continually pushed and that they used to justify colonialism, experts say.
“They were feared because their mere existence was shaking the very foundations of this racial theory that was at the core of the colonial project,” Delphine Lauwers, an archivist and historian at the State Archives of Belgium told Al Jazeera.
Authorities systematically discriminated against the children and referred to them as “children of sin”. While white Belgian men were not legally allowed to marry African women, such interracial unions existed. Some children were also born to women as a result of rape, in situations where African housekeepers were treated as concubines.
Catholic missions were key to the abductions. From a young age, bi-racial children were snatched or coerced away from their mothers and sent to orphanages or missionaries, some in Congo or Belgium. The state justified the practice based on a colonial-era law that allowed for the confinement of bi-racial children to state or religious institutions.
Some of the Belgian fathers refused to acknowledge paternity – because they were from supposedly reputable homes – and so, in many cases, the children were declared to be orphaned or without known fathers.
Colonial authorities also changed the children’s names, first so they would not affect their father’s reputation, and also so the children would not be able to connect with their family members. It was not until 1959, when the three colonies were near attaining independence, that the kidnapping and shipping of children from the region began to abate.
In Belgium, some of the children were not accepted because of their mixed backgrounds. Some never received Belgian nationality and became stateless. Metis said they were treated as third-class citizens in Belgium for a long time. Most of those affected can still not access their birth records or find their parents.
In March 2018, the Belgian parliament passed a resolution recognising that there had been a policy of targeted segregation and forced abductions of mixed-race children in former Belgian colonies, and that redress was needed.
Lawmakers ordered the Belgian state to investigate what means of repair would be proportional for the African mothers who had had their children stolen from them, and to the bi-racial children who had been ha

rmed for life as a result.
A year later, in 2019, the then Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel apologised for the colonial practice, saying Belgium had stripped the children of their identity, stigmatised them, and split up families.
In his statement, Michel pledged that “this solemn moment will represent a further step towards awareness and recognition of this part of our national history.”
However, Michel stopped short of naming the crimes of forced abductions. Experts say that was because it would have major repercussions for the state, which would then be forced to possibly pay reparations to thousands of people.
Although rights groups pushed Belgium to take the apology a step further, the government did not budge.
In 2020, a group of five female Metis, including Bitu Bingi, sued Belgium on charges of crimes against humanity and demanded 50,000 euros ($52,550) each in compensation.
It was historic – the first such case seeking justice for Metis and forcing Belgium to address a set of atrocities linked to its brutal colonial past in Africa. The other plaintiffs are Lea Tavares Mujinga, Simone Vandenbroecke Ngalula, Noelle Verbeken and Marie Jose Loshi.
The women, who refer to themselves as sisters, also demanded that the state produce any documents identifying them, such as letters, telegrams, or registers, to trace their origins.
All are between 70 and 80 years old. They were forcibly taken to the same mission in the country’s Kasai province when they were babies, far from their separate villages. In the mission, the girls grew close and lived with other bi-racial people.
The women said they were treated as outcasts in the mission. They said they did not have enough food and had to gather sweet potato leaves for food.
When Kasai descended into tribal unrest before the Congolese independence announcement in 1960, the missionaries abandoned the girls, along with some 60 other children, and fled to Belgium.
Fighters from the Bakwa Luntu tribe were ordered by the new Congolese state to watch over them. Instead, the men sexually mutilated the girls. Eventually, the women grew up and left, emigrating to France. The trauma, they said, remained.
“When this kind of love is taken away from children, they’re going to carry that scar for the rest of their lives,” Bitu Bingi told Al Jazeera. “It’s something that cannot be healed like other scars.”
In 2021, the case proceedings began. Lawyers representing Belgium argued in hearings in a Brussels civil court that the abductions at the time were legal and that the case should have been brought up a long time ago. Too much time had passed, they claimed.
Lawyer Michele Hirsch, who represents the women, pushed back, saying the trauma was being passed on from one generation to another. “If they are fighting for this crime to be recognised, it is for their children, their grandchildren… We ask you to name the crime and to condemn the Belgian State,” Hirsch appealed to the judges.
The court, in December 2021, however, ruled that the Belgian state was not guilty of crimes against humanity and that the policy was to be seen within the context of European colonialism.
The women immediately appealed the civil court’s ruling. Subsequent hearings went on between 2022 and 2024.
In the appeal hearings, the women again testified to the abuse they had faced. “The Belgian state uprooted us, cut us off from our people. It stole our childhood, our lives, our first names, our surnames, our identities, and our human rights,” Lea Tavares Mujinga, one of the plaintiffs said in court.
Finally, on Monday, December 2, the Appeals Court delivered its ruling.
In its judgement, the court recognised that the Belgian state was responsible for abduction and systematic racial segregation, and ordered that the amount each woman requested be paid.
It is the first such ruling of its kind, and experts say it might have implications for other European states which also committed numerous crimes during colonialism, amid loud calls for reparations.
Nicolas Angelet, a second lawyer who represented the women, told Al Jazeera that the ruling could see more affected Metis seek justice in court. A preemptive out-of-court settlement for anyone affected by the discriminatory colonial-era policies could save both the state and potential plaintiffs some time, he said.
For now, the legal team is “extremely happy” with Monday’s judgement, Angelet added, but noted that the Belgian side could still appeal to the Supreme Court.
“It hasn’t ended entirely yet,” he said. “But we feel ready and confident … and we can already enforce this judgement immediately, even if they do go to court.”
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Georgia protests: What’s behind them and what’s next?

Demonstrations broke out after PM Irakli Kobakhidze postponed EU membership talks until 2028.
Georgia pro-EU demonstrations: Thousands of people protest in Tbilisi
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have clashed with riot police in Georgia over the past five nights in protests against the governing Georgian Dream party’s decision to suspend talks aimed at joining the European Union until 2028.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the populist Dream Party, announced the decision after the European Parliament rejected the results of Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections. He accused the European Parliament and “some European leaders” of “blackmail”.
Why are people protesting in the country of 3.7 million people in the South Caucasus? And what could happen next?
Protests erupted on Thursday after Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would suspend talks on accession to the EU for four years.
This announcement came just hours after the European Parliament adopted a nonbinding resolution rejecting Georgia’s parliamentary election results due to “significant irregularities”. The resolution called for new elections to be held within a year under international supervision and called for sanctions on Georgian leaders, including Kobakhidze.
On Sunday, Kobakhidze told reporters parliamentary elections would not be reheld, further intensifying protests. But it is not just voters who have taken to the streets.
“This movement now extends beyond public demonstrations,” Tinatin Akhvlediani, a research fellow in the EU Foreign Policy Unit at the Brussels-based think tank Centre for European Policy Studies, told Al Jazeera.
“Civil servants, including some from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, members of the diplomatic corps and hundreds within the education system have joined the resistance. This signals that Georgians are united in their determination not to abandon their European choice.”
Georgia applied to be part of the EU in March 2022 and became a candidate for EU membership in December 2023. The goal of joining the EU has been enshrined in Georgia’s Constitution since 2017.
According to a poll by the Washington-based nongovernmental organisation National Democratic Institute, which is funded by Western governments and US government organisations, almost 80 percent of people in Georgia said they want their country to become an EU member.
This is not the first time that public discontent with the Dream party has resulted in protests this year.
In May, parliament passed the Dream Party’s “foreign agents bill” with 84 votes among the 150 MPs.
The law requires nongovernmental and media organisations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from outside Georgia to register as bodies “pursuing the interests of a foreign power”. This sparked rioting in Tbilisi with critics arguing that the law would curb media freedom and jeopardise Georgia’s bid to join the EU. President Salome Zourabichvili, who is independent and not affiliated with any political party, called the law an “exact duplicate” of a bill passed in Russia in an interview with CNN.
Many agreed with her. Akhvlediani said: “That legislation, seen as Kremlin-inspired, was widely perceived as an attack on civil society, independent media and free speech. It exemplifies the ruling Georgian Dream party’s pattern of democratic backsliding, state capture, rigging elections and attempts to undermine Georgia’s European aspirations.”
The prime minister has been critical, describing the demonstrations as violent and alleging that they are a product of foreign interference.
“The protests in Tbilisi are not peaceful,” he said during a news conference on Monday.
“We may be dealing with foreign ‘trainers’ organising these violent groups, but this is a matter of investigation,” he added. He also claimed some of the protesters are foreign nationals.
He further claimed that the opposition is trying to create a situation similar to Ukraine’s pro-Europe demonstrations in 2014 in Maidan square. That uprising was followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The largest opposition group in Georgia is the Coalition for Change, which comprises pro-Western liberal parties.
However, at Monday’s news conference, Kobakhidze reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eventually joining the EU.
“We pledge to make every effort for Georgia’s full membership in the EU by 2030,” he said.
In footage of the protests, demonstrators can be seen waving large EU flags while facing off against a squad of riot police. The police have used tear gas and water cannon in attempts to disperse the protesters. Videos also show protesters hitting back at the riot police with fireworks

.
Prominent opposition leader Zurab Japaridze, a member of the opposition party Girchi (“More Freedom”), was among those arrested.
The Georgia chapter of the Germany-based anticorruption watchdog Transparency International issued a news release saying the protesters detained on Monday were physically assaulted by law enforcement officers.
“Officers were allegedly overheard coordinating to break detainees’ arms or legs, with instructions from their superiors to target the liver and head,” the news release said.
“Riot police reportedly stripped detainees of their shoes, forcing many to walk barefoot to medical facilities. Mobile phones were confiscated, and detainees were coerced into unlocking them.”
Zourabichvili, the pro-EU president, was elected for a six-year term in 2018. Her presidency is due to end this month. She has reacted to the government’s introduction of the “foreign agents” law and its crackdown on protesters by refusing to step down.
Zourabichvili is the last president to be elected in Georgia by popular vote.
In 2017, Georgia approved constitutional changes abolishing the direct election of the president. The next president will be elected for a five-year term by a 300-seat electoral college, which includes the members of parliament and is dominated by the Dream party.
The vote for the new president is set to take place on December 14. “On December 29, she will have to leave her residence and surrender this building to a legitimately elected president,” Kobakhidze said on Sunday.
Georgian Dream has picked far-right former football international Mikheil Kavelashvili as its candidate for the largely ceremonial post.
But the current president has refused to step down over doubts about the legitimacy of the October elections. “There is no legitimate parliament. Therefore, an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a new president,” she said in a video on Saturday.
The EU released a statement on Sunday saying the union “regrets Kobakhidze’s statement on Georgian Dream’s decision not to pursue the opening of EU accession negotiations and rejecting EU financial support until 2028”.
It added that the decision marks a shift from previous Georgian governments’ enthusiasm for joining the EU. The EU statement read: “The Georgian authorities’ course of actions and democratic backsliding led to the de facto halt of the accession process already in June this year.”
After condemning police violence against pro-Europe protesters, the statement concluded: “The EU stands with the Georgian people and their choice for a European future. The door to the EU remains open and the return of Georgia to the European values and the EU accession path is in the hands of the Georgian leadership.”
The US Department of State also released a statement on Saturday saying: “By suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin.”
The statement added: “We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression.” This referred to laws including the foreign agents bill and an anti-LGBTQ bill that was passed in September.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russia was not interfering in Georgian politics. “Everything that is happening in Georgia is its internal business,” he said.
Peskov, however, drew parallels between the current protests in Georgia and the Maidan protests in Ukraine.
He said Georgia is “moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path into the dark abyss”, adding that this would end “very badly”.
“The future is uncertain, but the protests clearly underscore mounting public dissatisfaction with the government’s blunt deviation from Georgia’s European course,” Akhvlediani said.
She added that the government’s crackdown on protests risks “further fuelling resistance and expanding the scale of demonstrations” and the international community’s response to the crackdown on the protests will be “critical”.
“Targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for election rigging and democratic backsliding, as seen in actions taken by the Baltic states, should be considered,” she said. “Such measures would demonstrate solidarity with the Georgian people and pressure the government to respect the will of its citizens.
“The EU, the US and the other Western allies of the country should also continue supporting civil society and free media, which represent the backbone of Georgian democracy.”
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