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mcw casino deposit problem Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed there was a 'Shivling' beneath the official residence of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in Lucknow, and it should be excavated. Addressing reporters in Lucknow, Yadav said, "There is a Shivling under the Chief Minister's residence in Lucknow. It should also be excavated." His remark came amid heightened political tension over recent archaeological surveys in Uttar Pradesh. Last week, a 250-foot-deep stepwell, dating back to the era of the 1857 revolt, was unearthed during a survey in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal. The stepwell was found after two bulldozers were involved in excavation at the site in the Laxman Ganj area. The discovery of the stepwell (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); came just days after the ruins of an ancient Banke Bihari temple were reportedly found in the same area. Yadav has repeatedly accused the BJP of exploiting such surveys to distract the public from pressing issues, including unemployment and the agrarian crisis. "Digging everywhere will not get us to any solution. There is a Places of Worship Act in our country, which prohibits such things," he said last week. He was referring to the law that protects the religious character of places of worship in India. Criticising the BJP’s governance, the Samajwadi Party chief asserted, "They have been in power in Delhi for 10 years and for seven years in Uttar Pradesh, and unemployment has reached a record level."Thousands of people took to the streets in Georgia on Monday for the 12th consecutive day of protests against the government's decision to shelve European Union accession talks after disputed elections. Demanding a fresh vote and a return to European integration, protesters gathered outside parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, as the political crisis that roiled the Caucasian nation showed no signs of abating. The country's pro-Western opposition and the president rejected the ruling Georgian Dream party's claimed victory in October 26 parliamentary polls and tens of thousands had demonstrated against alleged electoral fraud. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's shock decision on November 28 that EU-candidate Tbilisi would suspend accession talks triggered a fresh wave of protests, which were met with a tough police response. Critics accuse Georgian Dream of creeping authoritarianism and of steering the country back towards Russia. Police have fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse previous demonstrations and arrested more than 400 people since the second wave of unrest began. The crackdown has triggered outrage at home and mounting international condemnation. On Monday, Britain denounced the violence by Georgian authorities and announced it was halting all aid to the Tbilisi government. The "shocking scenes of violence towards protestors and journalists by the Georgian authorities are unacceptable and must stop," Britain's top diplomat David Lammy said. The United States, France and Germany are among other Western countries to have voiced indignation at the handling of the protests. Many of those detained reported physical abuse, according to the Social Justice Center NGO, which provides legal counselling to those affected. The country's rights ombudsman has accused authorities of "torture". But the government has refused to back down. Luka, 24, an NGO worker who joined the protest with a group of friends, said it was "unacceptable" for a government that "grabbed power through fraudulent elections" to halt Georgia's path towards the EU. "They have no right to take away our freedoms they have no right to dictate Georgia's foreign policy, and they have no right to be in this building," he said pointing towards parliament. Some demonstrators on Monday loudly blew horns and whistles, while others held a banner reading "Less Russia is more freedom". During the day, the city finished setting up a giant Christmas tree on the pavement outside parliament, removing photos of individuals reportedly beaten by police and protest fliers hung on the tree's metallic framework the precious day. Many demonstrators resented the installation, now fully covered in twigs and silver decorations, seeing it as an attempt from authorities to show it was business as usual in the city. "It's really disrespectful, because people are here to protest, and there's no Christmas for us," said Keso, an 18-year-old student wrapped in a EU flag. "We will win because we are here for freedom, and slaves never win," she added. Kobakhidze has labelled the protesters as "violent groups" controlled by a "liberal fascist" opposition, a term often used by the Kremlin in Russia to target its political opponents. On Monday, he praised the police, repeating claims authorities have averted an attempted revolution, and shrugged off the continuing demonstrations as unsubstantial. "Four political parties and more than ten of the wealthiest NGOs... collectively they cannot attract even 5,000 participants," he told a televised cabinet briefing. The interior ministry said five more people were held in the Black Sea city of Batumi Monday, in connection with a protest there on December 3. They included a university dean who was part of a group that attempted to hang a banner at the educational institution -- but was confronted by another lecturer, leading to a confrontation. The arrested face up to two years behind bars on charges of gang violence. Police have previously raided opposition party offices, and on Saturday dozens of unidentified masked men brutally assaulted opposition figures and journalists near the protest venue. Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of the country's bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. The party, in power for more than a decade, has advanced controversial legislation in recent years, targeting civil society and independent media and curbing LGBTQ rights. Brussels has warned that such policies are incompatible with EU membership, while domestic detractors accuse the government of copying Russia's playbook.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. "I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week. On Thursday, Hegseth plans to meet with a Democrat — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman. Fetterman confirmed the meeting to The Associated Press but did not say whether he was considering supporting Hegseth or what he planned to discuss. READ: ___ Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Stock market today: Wall Street gets back to climbing, sending Nasdaq to a record

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Oxford: Owner of Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer and Johnny Was Reports Third Quarter ResultsBelarus's authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, announced the pardon of 29 political prisoners, even as crackdowns on dissent intensify ahead of the January presidential election and while many hundreds of similar detainees remain behind bars. The Belarusian presidential administration did not disclose the names of those freed, but it said 11 women and 18 men were involved and that more than half of them had disabilities and chronic illnesses. "All of those released repented for their actions and appealed to the head of state to be pardoned," the official statement claimed. "Among them six are under 25 years old, three are pensioners, two are disabled, and 15 have chronic diseases," it said. It added that the Interior Ministry "will keep tabs on the pardoned to make sure they do not break the law again.” Some Belarusians released in previous pardons reported being harassed by government security personnel. It was not immediately clear if the list of those pardoned contained any prominent activists, many of whom are being held in reportedly cruel conditions without access to legal representation . This marks the seventh instance of political prisoner pardons in Belarus this year, bringing the total number of individuals set free to 178. Pavel Sapelka of the Vyasna human rights monitor was quoted by AP as saying, "Lukashenka is sending contradictory signals to the West, with twice as many people put in prison as have been pardoned." "Repression in Belarus is still growing," Sapelka said. The latest pardons come in the context of a harsh crackdown on dissent following the mass protests in Belarus in 2020, sparked by contested presidential election results. Lukashenka responded to the demonstrations with widespread repression, forcing at least 13,000 people into exile. Lukashenka, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is widely expected to be declared the winner in next year’s presidential election. According to human rights organizations, approximately 1,300 political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails, including politicians, journalists, human rights advocates, and civic activists. European Union leaders are set to praise accession candidate Moldova's "successful" presidential election and vow to continuing working with country, while they plan to express "serious concerns" about recent developments in Georgia amid a violent government crackdown on dissent. The leaders also plan to reaffirm their support for Kyiv and underline the "principle that no initiative regarding Ukraine be taken without Ukraine," according to a draft document seen by RFE/RL ahead of a December 19 summit. The document is an early draft and changes are still possible before the Brussels gathering occurs. "The European Council commends the authorities of the Republic of Moldova for the successful conduct of the presidential elections and of the referendum on enshrining EU accession in the constitution," the document stated, while blasting the " hybrid attempts to undermine the country's democratic institutions." Moldova's pro-Western president, Maia Sandu, on November 3 defeated Russian-friendly opponent Alexandr Stoianoglo in a runoff vote marred by accusations of Russian interference and voter fraud. At the same time, voters also passed by a narrow margin a referendum reaffirming the country's goals of closer EU integration. Conversely, the EU leaders raise concerns about the Georgian Dream-led government's violent crackdown on protesters and its decision to suspend the country's EU accession process until 2018. "The European Council strongly condemns the violence against peaceful protesters. The Georgian authorities must respect the right to freedom of assembly and of expression, and refrain from using force. All acts of violence must be investigated and those responsible held accountable," the document reads. "The European Council underlines the union's readiness to support the Georgian people's European aspirations," it added. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a controversial "foreign agent" law, which critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers. On Ukraine, the draft document stated that "the European Council reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia's war of aggression" against the country. It also reconfirmed the EU's "unwavering commitment to providing continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed. Russia must not prevail." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged both the EU and NATO to speed up the process for Kyiv to join the organizations, saying it would help ensure the country's sovereignty in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion. Britain has said it is severely restricting its contacts with the Georgia government and blasted its "shocking" crackdown on journalists and pro-Western demonstrators, reflecting earlier moves by the United States and European Union. Foreign Secretary David Lammy on December 9 said the "shocking scenes of violence toward protesters and journalists by the Georgian authorities are unacceptable and must stop." "In light of ongoing events, the U.K. will immediately suspend all program support to the Georgian government, restrict defense cooperation, and limit engagement with representatives of Georgian Dream government until there is a halt to this move away from European democratic norms and freedoms." Tensions have been high in Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party won an election on October 26 that the pro-Western opposition and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili say was rigged with the help of Moscow. Protests intensified after the Tbilisi government said it was suspending until 2028 talks with Brussels on Georgia's bid to join the European Union. Protesters gathered again late on December 9 for the 12th consecutive night of rallies in the capital, with many calling for a rerun of the October election, the release of those arrested during previous demonstrations, and the resumption of EU membership talks. The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi on December 9 urged that those "responsible for the brutal and unjustified violence -- including against protesters, members of the media, and opposition figures -- must be held to account." "Those detained for exercising their human rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression must be released immediately." The United States on December 4 urged the government to treat protesters with dignity after several days of a brutal crackdown in Tbilisi and accusation of excessive use of force and even torture by riot police. "In addition to continuing our previously announced comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation, the United States is now preparing to use the tools at our disposal, including additional sanctions," the U.S. State Department said. This summer, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was pausing more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, due to its "anti-democratic actions and false statements" that were "incompatible with membership norms in the EU and NATO." In October, the EU reiterated "its serious concern regarding the course of action in Georgia which runs contrary to the values and principles upon which the European Union is founded." Zurabishvili, a fervent critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media," comparing the crackdown to "Russian-style repression." Despite the growing protests, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests. According to surveys, a majority of Georgians support EU membership, and efforts to join the bloc are mandated in the Georgian Constitution. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens media and civil society groups by accusing them of "serving" outside powers. KYIV -- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would consider the temporary deployment of foreign military forces on Ukrainian soil until full NATO membership as a way of securing his country as part of peace settlement with Russia. Speaking on December 9 at a joint news conference in Kyiv with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Zelenskiy said Ukraine's security needed to not only include NATO membership, but ultimately European Union accession as well, to ward off future aggression by Moscow. "A contingent of military forces from one country or another could stay in Ukraine until it becomes a NATO member," he said in a sign of Kyiv's growing openness to finding a diplomatic solution to Russia's nearly three-year-long assault. The proposal echoes discussions earlier this year when French President Emmanuel Macron called for the deployment of European forces in Ukraine. While Zelenskiy recognized that consultations on the issue are ongoing, he said giving Ukraine absolute security guarantees was important. "Ukraine wants this war to end more than anyone else. No doubt, a diplomatic resolution would save more lives. We do seek it," he said. "If there is a pause while Ukraine is not in NATO, and even if we had the invitation, and we would not be in NATO, and there will be a pause, then who guarantees us any kind of security?" Zelenskiy added. Zelenskiy said in a post later on Telegram that he plans to call U.S. President Joe Biden and discuss the issue of NATO membership. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has been advocating for more substantial security commitments from its Western allies. Russia has been making incremental gains on the battlefield in recent months and now controls nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory in Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said several times that principles on which the two countries reached tentative agreement in Istanbul weeks into the full-scale war could serve as the basis for future peace talks. Putin has also said Kyiv must cede large swaths of land that Russia baselessly claims as its own but that remain under Ukrainian control. However, Moscow's resistance to NATO admitting Ukraine into the military alliance remains a significant barrier, with Russia viewing it as a direct threat to its security. Zelenskiy's appeal for NATO membership comes at a time of increasing international debate about the alliance's "open-door" policy, which allows countries to join provided they meet certain criteria. It also comes as former U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to take office next month. While the Biden administration has Trump, who will take office on January 20, has criticized the tens of billions of dollars the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. He has claimed he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Experts say it will be difficult to hammer out a peace deal quickly because there are so many aspects, including security guarantees for Ukraine and sanctions relief for Russia. In the meantime, the outgoing Biden administration has been accelerating weapons shipments to Ukraine ahead of the transfer of power. Trump held talks with Zelenskiy and Macron in Paris on December 7 to discuss the war. Zelenskiy called the trilateral talks "good and productive" and said the leaders discussed the potential for "a just peace." In his first television interview since winning the election in November, Trump told the NBC News program Meet The Press that Ukraine should "probably" prepare to receive less aid from Washington once he takes power. Meanwhile, Zelenskiy spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov said on December 9 that Kyiv was strategically preparing for a key diplomatic meeting with its European allies later this month. According to the statement, the gathering's purpose is to coordinate a unified position among Kyiv's key partners and ensure Ukraine is in a strong negotiating position for any future peace talks and on the battlefield. Nykyforov emphasized that the final list of participants was still being finalized. Still, the meeting is expected to include representatives from key European states that have supported Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's invasion. While the exact details of the meeting's agenda are not yet clear, it is expected to focus on further strengthening military aid, ensuring financial support, and coordinating strategies for both current military operations and any future diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict. In a separate development, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on December 9 that the EU Council had approved a new payment of $4.4 billion to Ukraine. This is part of a larger initiative set to bring the total financial support from the EU to Ukraine to 16 billion euros ($17 billion) for this year alone. "This financial support reveals the real determination of the EU for strengthening our economy, supporting key reforms, and bolstering the European integration pretensions of Ukraine," he said. "It is one of the important steps towards strengthening Ukraine on its way to victory." The funds are earmarked for postwar reconstruction and modernization and to aid reforms in Ukraine as it follows a path to EU accession. With reporting by Dilova Stolytsya and TrueUA A car bomb in Ukraine's Russian-occupied eastern region of Donetsk has reportedly killed the head of a prison where dozens of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces were killed in 2022. According to unconfirmed social media reports , Sergei Yevsyukov was killed and his wife seriously injured when their car exploded in the Russian-occupied town of Olenivka on December 9. The reports said Yevsyukov died on the spot while his wife was severely injured and taken to hospital in serious condition. No one has claimed responsibility for the car bombing. Yevsyukov was the warden when the prison in Olenivka made headlines in July 2022 when more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers held there were killed in a missile strike. Another 150 people were injured in the explosion. Russia accused Kyiv of killing its own soldiers in Russian captivity by striking the prison with U.S.-provided HIMARS missiles. Ukraine rejected Russia's claims, insisting Moscow was responsible for the deadly attack. UN experts conducted an investigation and subsequently rejected the Russian version of the presence of HIMARS in the attack. A July 2024 report by the UN also accused Russia of subjecting Ukrainian prisoners of war to "deplorable conditions of detention." In 2023, Ukrainian authorities charged Yevsyukov in absentia with the "mass torture of Ukrainian soldiers" held in the penitentiary. In July this year, Ukraine additionally charged Yevsyukov with failure to provide captured Ukrainian soldiers with timely medical assistance. Yevsyukov, a former Ukrainian police officer, joined Russian-backed separatist forces fighting against Ukrainian soldiers in the Donetsk region in 2014. Russian military personnel and Russian-installed officials have been targeted several times in Ukraine's Russia-occupied territories. In many cases, the attacks have been deadly. Ukrainian officials usually say "guerilla forces" are behind such attacks. Russia accuses Ukraine's secret services of masterminding and implementing the attacks. A Romanian former mercenary and bodyguard of far-right pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has been ordered to remain in custody for 24 hours after he and a group of armed associates were detained by police while heading toward Bucharest on December 8. Authorities said Horatiu Potra was ordered to be held in custody late on December 8 for violating Romania's laws on weapons and ammunition and for public incitement. His lawyers said the order did not mention Potra's links with Georgescu . "He is currently under arrest for 24 hours and the law says that before that term expires, authorities can decide to either continue to hold him in preventive custody, place him under judicial control, or simply release him," Potra's lawyer, Christiana Mondea, told the media. Vehicles carrying Potra and a group of 20 people were stopped and searched in Ilfov county north of Bucharest by police. During the search guns, machetes, axes, and knives were found, which, authorities said, could have been used to "disrupt public order and peace." At least 13 people were being questioned by law enforcement agencies. The arrest came as Georgescu and dozens of his supporters staged a protest early on December 8 in Bucharest after a runoff presidential vote scheduled for that day was scrapped by the country's Constitutional Court. Georgescu won a shock victory in the first round on November 24 amid accusations that he had been backed by a huge Russia-orchestrated online campaign using primarily the Chinese-owned TikTok social media platform. Romania's Supreme Defense Council later declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by a "state actor" which was not named. Following the council's move, the court canceled the December 8 runoff between Georgescu and pro-European center-right candidate Elena Lasconi. Romanian authorities staged raids and traffic checkpoints after Georgescu urged his supporters to show up at polling stations on December 8 in defiance of the court's ruling and demand to vote. Media reports said Potra and his companions had booked hotels in downtown Bucharest close to University Square, where anti-Georgescu protesters had gathered in previous days. Georgescu early on December 8 told his supporters in Mogosoaia, just outside the capital, "I came only with flowers and prayer." "I am not calling on anyone to do anything. It is a moment of silence," he added. Potra, a former fighter in France's Foreign Legion, is reported to have led a 900-strong contingent of Romanian military contractors who fought in the African country of Congo. He is said to have had ties to Russian mercenary group Wagner, which fought in Ukraine and was established by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in a plane crash last year after staging a short-lived revolt against Russian military leaders. Potra, who has denied having any links to Wagner, appears in a photo last year in the company of Russian Ambassador to Romania Valery Kuzmin at a ceremony at the embassy marking Russia's national day. According to Romanian media, Potra was sentenced to two years in prison with a suspended sentence in 2011 after being found guilty of founding a paramilitary group. On December 9, new information surfaced about a coordinated malign cyber campaign to influence Romania's elections. Leading Finnish software and methodologies company Check First on December 9 published a research note that says tech giant Meta allowed a network of 4,140 Facebook pages to post messages attacking Lasconi and promoting Georgescu reaching an audience of 160 million in violation of Meta's advertising policies. These attacks, with a budget ranging from $176,000 to $ 280,000, repeatedly violated Meta's advertising policies and collectively reached some 160 million people. Check First worked with Reset Tech -- an NGO engaged in programmatic work on technology and democracy -- and independent Romanian journalists Luiza Vasiliu and Victor Ilie during the research. With ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad somewhere in Russia , the new de facto rulers in Damascus have begun efforts to stabilize the situation as a wary global community awaited developments with caution. The rebels , led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist militant group, announced on December 9 that they were granting amnesty to all military personnel conscripted during Assad's rule, which began in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who had seized power in 1970. Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Ghazi al-Jalali -- who has remained at his post and vowed to cooperate with the new rulers -- said most cabinet ministers were still in their offices. Jalali met earlier with the new leaders, according to a rebel statement. "We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth," he said in comments to Sky News Arabia TV. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is set to convene for an emergency session on the situation in Syria on December 9 following the ouster of Assad, who fled to Russia with his family as rebel troops bore down on Damascus. The emergency session -- called by long-standing Assad-backer Russia -- will be held behind closed doors as world and regional powers call for stability in the civil war-wracked Middle Eastern country. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on December 9 that while President Vladimir Putin made the decision personally to grant asylum to Assad and his family, there was no obligation to give any further details "I have nothing to tell you about the whereabouts of Assad," Peskov added. The TASS news agency quoted an official at the Syrian Embassy in Moscow as saying Assad was in the Russian capital. The report has not been confirmed. Air strikes could be heard in Damascus early on December 9, according to media reports, although it was not immediately clear who conducted the strikes. Earlier, Reuters reported that Israel had conducted three air strikes on the Syrian capital on December 8. In Damascus and other Syrian cities, people took to the streets to celebrate Assad's ouster, pulling down statues, and ransacking government buildings and Assad's residence. Social-media footage showed crowds of men entering the presidential place in Damascus, with reports of looting. The HTS-led rebels said in a statement aired on state TV that Damascus was "now free of Assad," whose family had ruled the country with an iron fist since 1971. HTS has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. In recent years, the group severed ties with Al-Qaeda and sought to remake itself as a pragmatic alternative to the Syrian government. But some rights groups and Western governments say questions remain over its alleged rights abuses and ties to terrorist groups. HTS leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani has sought to reassure Shi'ite Alawites and other Syrian minorities, including Christians, that he will not discriminate against minorities. Hagop Khatcharian, an Armenian living in Damascus, told RFE/RL that the "situation is calm now." "I am always in touch with local Armenians; they are safe, and there is no issue. There hasn't been any significant trouble yet, but there is uncertainty about what the future holds," he said, adding that he remained wary of promises by the new leaders that no harm will come to minorities. In Washington, President Joe Biden said the United States "will engage with all Syrian groups" as the country transitions to a post-Assad government. "Assad should be held accountable," Biden said, but cautioned that some of the rebel groups that helped overthrow Assad "have their own grim record" of human rights abuses even though they have been "saying the right things" in recent days. He said the United States will be closely watching the activities of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which could seek to use the power vacuum to again establish rule in Syria. EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said the bloc was "not currently engaging with HTS or its leaders, full stop." He said that, despite some hopeful words from the rebel groups, the EU would reserve judgment for now. "As HTS takes on greater responsibilities, we will need to assess not just their words but also their actions," he said. The EU earlier urged a peaceful political transition in Syria, saying that "it is imperative that all stakeholders engage in an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue on all key issues." NATO chief Mark Rutte was also cautious as he called for a peaceful transition and an inclusive political process in Syria. "This is a moment of joy but also uncertainty for the people of Syria and the region. We hope for a peaceful transition of power and an inclusive Syrian-led political process," said Rutte, who blamed Assad's main backers -- Russia and Iran -- for the long crisis and civil war in the country. Several European states on December 9 announced they were suspending the granting of asylum requests from Syrians as they awaited developments. The flood of Syrian refugees during the country's 14-year civil war has been blasted by far-right politicians in Europe and used by many to bolster their support among voters. Among the countries announcing suspensions were Germany, Britain, France, Austria, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The German Interior Ministry said 974,136 people with Syrian nationality were living in the country, with 5,090 having been recognized as eligible for asylum, 321,444 granted refugee status, and 329,242 granted temporary protection. The Syrian civil war began after Assad's regime unleashed a brutal crackdown in March 2011 against peaceful demonstrators inspired by the wave of protests known as the Arab Spring that were sweeping the Middle East at the time. Beginning in 2015, Russia intervened in the civil war on Assad's side, unleashing a massive bombing campaign against the rebel groups, including Islamist militants, causing numerous civilian casualties and prompting tens of thousands to flee. The fall of the Assad regime marks a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin, which, along with Iran, has propped up his government, experts say. Biden said Russia had been weakened by the nearly three-year war in Ukraine while Iran's proxies in the region have been crushed by Israel. Besides Russia, Assad has relied on Iran and its Hezbollah proxies to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Iran's Foreign Ministry said it expects "friendly" relations with Syria to continue and it would take "appropriate approaches" toward Damascus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Assad's fall "a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah." He hailed Assad's overthrow as the fall of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil." Israel has launched a monthslong air campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States. Russia has an estimated 7,500 troops and multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin's actions in North and sub-Saharan Africa. Ruslan Suleymanov, a Russian expert on the Middle East, told RFE/RL that Moscow would "cooperate with the rebels" if they take power in Damascus and that HTS too had "claimed previously that it was ready to negotiate" with the Kremlin. "Putin wants to save his military presence in the region. In any case, to do that, he has to make concessions -- both to jihadists and to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, who supports [the rebels]," Suleymanov said. The United States said it will maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of IS in the region. The United States has about 900 soldiers in Syria. Tom Fletcher, head of the UN humanitarian aid agency, warned about the plight of the millions of Syrians displaced by nearly 14 years of civil war. Now many more are in danger, Fletcher said. "We will respond wherever, whenever, however we can, to support people in need, including reception centers -- food, water, fuel, tents, blankets," he said. Human Rights Watch (HRW), meanwhile, cautioned that the armed groups that ousted Assad should ensure humane treatment for all Syrians. "The fall of Bashar al-Assad's government offers Syrians an unprecedented opportunity to chart a new future built on justice, accountability, and respect for human rights," HRW said in a statement . Amnesty International also called the end of the Assad regime "a historic opportunity to end and redress decades of grave human rights violations" in Syria. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow , a Russian diplomat said, as rebels took control of the capital, Damascus, bringing to an end the brutal, half-century rule of the Assad family. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's ambassador in Vienna, said in a social media post late on December 8 that "Assad and his family are in Moscow" after going through what he characterized as a "difficult situation." According to Russian media reports, Assad and his family have been granted asylum by Moscow. The Biden administration could not confirm the information but said it had no reason to doubt it. Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Assad "decided to resign" after "negotiations" with a "number of participants in the armed conflict" and left office "giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power." "Russia did not participate in these negotiations," the ministry added. Russia has been a longstanding ally of Syria, providing significant military and political support to Assad's regime, especially during the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011. The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement came as the rebels said in a statement aired on state TV that Damascus is "now free of Assad," whose family ruled the country with an iron fist since 1971. Syrians across the country took to the streets to celebrate Assad's ouster, pulling down statues and ransacking government buildings. Social media footage showed crowds of men entering the presidential place in Damascus, with reports of looting. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said in a video that the government is "ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people." "We believe that Syria is for all Syrians and that it is the country of all its sons and that this country can be a normal state that builds good relations with its neighbors and the world without entering into any regional alliances and blocs," Jalali said. He was later seen leaving his home on December 8, escorted by armed men, reportedly to meet the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Sunni rebel group that led the current offensive against the Assad regime. HTS is a U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization. In recent years, the Islamist militant group severed ties with Al-Qaeda and sought to remake itself as a pragmatic alternative to the Syrian government. But concerns remain over its alleged rights abuses and ties to terrorist groups. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the HTS, has sought to reassure Shi'ite Alawites and other Syrian minorities, including Christians, that he will not discriminate against minorities. U.S. Strikes Against IS In Washington, President Joe Biden said the United States "will engage with all Syrian groups" as the country transitions to a post-Assad government. He cautioned that some of the rebel groups that helped overthrow Assad "have their own grim record" of human rights abuses even though they have been "saying the right things" in recent days. "As they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions," Biden said in a televised address from the White House on December 8. He said the United States will be closely watching the activities of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which could seek to use the power vacuum to again establish rule in Syria. Biden said the United States conducted precision strikes on IS positions in Syria earlier in the day. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the Assad regime’s refusal since 2011 to engage "in a credible political process and its reliance on the brutal support of Russia and Iran led inevitably to its own collapse." "After 14 years of conflict, the Syrian people finally have reason for hope," he added. A senior Biden administration official told reporters on background it was a "significant" strike on 75 IS targets in eastern Syria using B-52s and F-15s. "These guys want to reconstitute...and we are going to make sure that if they think they can seize advantage in this situation, that they can't," the senior official said. Setback For Russia Experts have said the fall of the Assad regime represents a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin, which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that Russia and Iran did not appear to bolster the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), which was rapidly collapsing, by rushing in additional forces. Biden said Russia has been weakened by the nearly three-year war in Ukraine while Iran's proxies in the region have been crushed by Israel. Russia has an estimated 7,500 troops and multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin's actions in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Russian RIA Novosti news agency, the leaders of the armed Syrian opposition "have guaranteed security to the Russian military bases and diplomatic establishments in Syria." RFE/RL can not confirm those reports. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he "wasn't in the business of guessing." The senior Biden administration official expressed some doubt about Russia's ability to maintain the bases. "The Russians have now announced that they have taken Assad to Moscow. So we'll see what the Syrians who have worked for decades to overthrow the yoke of the Assad regime think about that when it comes to the Russian facilities," he said. Konstantin Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament, said on December 8 that Syrians will have to cope with a full-scale war alone, but he suggested Moscow was ready to support the Syrian people in certain circumstances. The ISW said Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the naval base, "but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory." Ruslan Suleymanov, a Russian expert on the Middle East, told RFE/RL that Moscow would "cooperate with the rebels" if they take power in Damascus and that HTS too has "claimed previously that it was ready to negotiate" with the Kremlin. "Putin wants to save his military presence in the region. In any case, to do that, he has to make concessions -- both to jihadists and to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan who supports [the rebels]," Suleymanov said. The surprise offensive began on November 27 during which a coalition of rebel groups led by HTS captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's second largest. Since then, they moved on to take other major cities with Assad's forces providing little resistance. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Neighbors, World Powers React The developments in Damascus prompted Syria's neighbors to take urgent measures, with Lebanon announcing it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel said on December 8 it has deployed forces in a demilitarized buffer zone along its northern border with Syria and sent troops "other places necessary for its defense." The Israeli military said the deployment was meant to provide security for residents of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The United States said it will maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State (IS) in the region. The United States has about 900 soldiers in Syria. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro said Washington is "aware that the chaotic and dynamic circumstances on the ground in Syria could give [IS] space to find the ability to become active, to plan external operations." Speaking at a security conference in Bahrain on December 8, Shapiro said the United States is determined to work with its partners to "continue to degrade [IS] capabilities." "[We're determined] to ensure [IS's] enduring defeat, to ensure the secure detention of IS fighters and the repatriation of displaced persons," Shapiro added. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen described the latest developments as a "watershed moment in Syria's history" and urged all armed actors in the country to maintain law and order and preserve pubic institutions. Speaking in Doha on December 8, Pedersen also said he has no information on Assad's whereabouts. Tom Fletcher, head of the UN humanitarian aid agency, warned about the plight of the millions of Syrians displaced by nearly 14 years of the country’s civil war. Now many more are in danger, Fletcher said. “We will respond wherever, whenever, however we can, to support people in need, including reception centers -- food, water, fuel, tents, blankets,” he said. British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called for a "political solution" while the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was time in Syria for unity, a peaceful political transition, and for fighting to end. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow, Russian state media reported, as rebels have taken control of the Syrian capital, Damascus, bringing to an end the brutal, half-century rule of the Assad family. According to Russian media reports, Assad and his family have been granted asylum by Moscow. The Biden administration could not confirm the information but said it had no reason to doubt it. Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Assad "decided to resign" after "negotiations" with a "number of participants in the armed conflict" and left office "giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power." "Russia did not participate in these negotiations," the ministry added. Russia has been a longstanding ally of Syria, providing significant military and political support to Assad's regime, especially during the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011. The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement came as the rebels said in a statement aired on state TV that Damascus is "now free of Assad," whose family ruled the country with an iron fist since 1971. Syrians across the country took to the streets to celebrate Assad's ouster, pulling down statues and ransacking government buildings. Social media footage showed crowds of men entering the presidential place in Damascus, with reports of looting. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said in a video that the government is "ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people." "We believe that Syria is for all Syrians and that it is the country of all its sons and that this country can be a normal state that builds good relations with its neighbors and the world without entering into any regional alliances and blocs," Jalali said. He was later seen leaving his home on December 8, escorted by armed men, reportedly to meet the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Sunni rebel group that led the current offensive against the Assad regime. HTS is a U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization. In recent years, the Islamist militant group severed ties with Al-Qaeda and sought to remake itself as a pragmatic alternative to the Syrian government. But concerns remain over its alleged rights abuses and ties to terrorist groups. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the HTS, has sought to reassure Shi'ite Alawites and other Syrian minorities, including Christians, that he will not discriminate against minorities. U.S. Strikes Against IS In Washington, President Joe Biden said the United States "will engage with all Syrian groups" as the country transitions to a post-Assad government. He cautioned that some of the rebel groups that helped overthrow Assad "have their own grim record" of human rights abuses even though they have been "saying the right things" in recent days. "As they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions," Biden said in a televised address from the White House on December 8. He said the United States will be closely watching the activities of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which could seek to use the power vacuum to again establish rule in Syria. Biden said the United States conducted precision strikes on IS positions in Syria earlier in the day. A senior Biden administration official told reporters on background it was a "significant" strike on 75 IS targets in eastern Syria using B-52s and F-15s. "These guys want to reconstitute...and we are going to make sure that if they think they can seize advantage in this situation, that they can't," the senior official said. Setback For Russia Experts have said the fall of the Assad regime represents a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin, which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that Russia and Iran did not appear to bolster the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), which was rapidly collapsing, by rushing in additional forces. Biden said Russia has been weakened by the nearly three-year war in Ukraine while Iran's proxies in the region have been crushed by Israel. Russia has an estimated 7,500 troops and multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin's actions in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Russian RIA Novosti news agency, the leaders of the armed Syrian opposition "have guaranteed security to the Russian military bases and diplomatic establishments in Syria." RFE/RL can not confirm those reports. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he "wasn't in the business of guessing." The senior Biden administration official expressed some doubt about Russia's ability to maintain the bases. "The Russians have now announced that they have taken Assad to Moscow. So we'll see what the Syrians who have worked for decades to overthrow the yoke of the Assad regime think about that when it comes to the Russian facilities," he said. Konstantin Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament, said on December 8 that Syrians will have to cope with a full-scale war alone, but he suggested Moscow was ready to support the Syrian people in certain circumstances. The ISW said Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the naval base, "but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory." Ruslan Suleymanov, a Russian expert on the Middle East, told RFE/RL that Moscow would "cooperate with the rebels" if they take power in Damascus and that HTS too has "claimed previously that it was ready to negotiate" with the Kremlin. "Putin wants to save his military presence in the region. In any case, to do that, he has to make concessions -- both to jihadists and to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan who supports [the rebels]," Suleymanov said. The surprise offensive began on November 27 during which a coalition of rebel groups led by HTS captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's second largest. Since then, they moved on to take other major cities with Assad's forces providing little resistance. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Neighbors, World Powers React The developments in Damascus prompted Syria's neighbors to take urgent measures, with Lebanon announcing it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel said on December 8 it has deployed forces in a demilitarized buffer zone along its northern border with Syria and sent troops "other places necessary for its defense." The Israeli military said the deployment was meant to provide security for residents of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The United States said it will maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State (IS) in the region. The United States has about 900 soldiers in Syria. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro said Washington is "aware that the chaotic and dynamic circumstances on the ground in Syria could give [IS] space to find the ability to become active, to plan external operations." Speaking at a security conference in Bahrain on December 8, Shapiro said the United States is determined to work with its partners to "continue to degrade [IS] capabilities." "[We're determined] to ensure [IS's] enduring defeat, to ensure the secure detention of IS fighters and the repatriation of displaced persons," Shapiro added. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen described the latest developments as a "watershed moment in Syria's history" and urged all armed actors in the country to maintain law and order and preserve pubic institutions. Speaking in Doha on December 8, Pedersen also said he has no information on Assad's whereabouts. Tom Fletcher, head of the UN humanitarian aid agency, warned about the plight of the millions of Syrians displaced by nearly 14 years of the country’s civil war. Now many more are in danger, Fletcher said. “We will respond wherever, whenever, however we can, to support people in need, including reception centers -- food, water, fuel, tents, blankets,” he said. British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called for a "political solution" while the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was time in Syria for unity, a peaceful political transition, and for fighting to end. President-elect Donald Trump said Russia and Iran are in a "weakened state" and called on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine. Trump made the comments in a post on Truth Social on December 8 as Syrian rebels captured Damascus , ending the half-century rule of the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad family. The incoming U.S. president said Russia and Iran couldn't come to the support of Syrian dictator Assad because they were in a "weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success." Russia has lost about 600,000 soldiers since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Trump said, adding that Ukraine has lost about 400,000 defending its territory. "There should be an immediate cease-fire and negotiations should begin," Trump said. "I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!" The Kremlin did not immediately respond to Trump's comment. Paris Meeting Trump said in the post that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy "would like to make a deal." Trump held talks with Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on December 7 to discuss the war. Zelenskiy called the trilateral talks "good and productive" and said the leaders discussed the potential for "a just peace." Trump and Zelenskiy were among world leaders who gathered in Paris on December 7 to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. "We talked about our people, the situation on the battlefield, and a just peace for Ukraine. We all want to end this war as quickly and fairly as possible," Zelenskiy said in a December 7 post on Telegram . "President Trump, as always, is determined. We are thankful for that," he added. Macron said , "Let us continue joint efforts for peace, security." Trump , who will take office on January 20, has criticized the tens of billions of dollars the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. He has claimed he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Experts say it will be difficult to hammer out a peace deal quickly because there are so many aspects, including security guarantees for Ukraine and sanctions relief for Russia. In the meantime, the outgoing Biden administration has been accelerating weapons shipments to Ukraine ahead of the transfer of power to Trump to bolster its defenses. Washington said on December 7 that it is preparing a $988 million package of arms and equipment to Ukraine, funds taken from the remaining $2.21 billion available in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The funds will be used to buy precision missiles for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and for drones, the Pentagon said. European countries are also stepping up aid in case the Trump administration ends U.S. support for Kyiv. Zelenskiy announced on December 7 that Ukraine had received a second shipment of sophisticated F-16 fighter jets from Denmark. Copenhagen announced last year it would deliver a total of 19 aircraft to Ukraine. "The second batch of F-16s for Ukraine from Denmark is already in Ukraine. This is the leadership in protecting life that distinguishes Denmark," he wrote on Telegram . Police in Romania have detained several people as they headed toward Bucharest carrying guns, machetes, and knives to allegedly "disrupt public order and peace," authorities said on December 8. At least 13 people were being questioned by law enforcement agencies after their vehicles were stopped overnight in the Ilfov county, police sources told RFE/RL. Authorities did not release the names of those in custody but according to sources at the judiciary, among them is Horatiu Potra , leader of the contingent of Romanian private military contractors fighting in the African nation of Congo. Ilfov police said a criminal probe has been launched into the issue. According to Romanian media, Potra was sentenced to two years in prison with a suspended sentence in 2011 after being found guilty of founding a paramilitary group. State news agency Agerpres published a photo of Potra being escorted by several armed officers as he was being taken for questioning, according to the agency. The arrests came as dozens of supporters of Romania’s far-right, pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu were preparing to stage a protest in Bucharest after a runoff vote -- scheduled for December 8 -- was scrapped by the country's Constitutional Court. The rally took place without incident with Georgescu in attendance. "I came only with flowers and prayer," he told those gathered in Mogosoaia, just outside Bucharest. "I am not calling on anyone to do anything, it is a moment of silence," he added. Romania’s far-right, pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu and dozens of his supporters staged a protest at a shuttered polling station in Bucharest after an election runoff was scrapped by the country's Constitutional Court. More than 100 people gathered outside a polling station in the capital on December 8 -- the originally scheduled date of the runoff vote -- chanting "Down with dictatorship," "We want to vote," and "Thieves.” Georgescu, whose pro-Russian comments have prompted protests by thousands of mostly young Romanians in recent days, said the authorities canceled the elections because they were afraid he would win. "I'm here in the name of democracy and always will be," Georgescu told reporters outside the station in the European Union and NATO member country. Georgescu, who ran as an independent, won the first round of the election on November 24 ahead of reformist Elena Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union party, setting up the second-round runoff. However, the Constitutional Court on December 6 annuled the entire presidential election, throwing the process into upheaval even as diaspora voting in the second round had already begun at sites outside the country. The court in its published ruling cited the illegal use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as the use of "undeclared sources of funding." Georgescu had blasted the court's ruling as an "officialized coup" and an attack on democracy, while Lasconi also assailed the decision. Georgescu on December 7 urged voters to turn up at polling stations and "to wait for democracy to win through their power," according to a statement by his team. "Mr. Calin Georgescu believes that voting is an earned right. That is why he believes that Romanians have the right to be in front of the polling stations tomorrow," the statement said. The runoff had been seen as a referendum on the NATO and EU member's future course amid accusations of Russian meddling that brought thousands of Romanians onto the streets in support of the country's place in the Euro-Atlantic community. The Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision came just two days after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence that alleged Russia had organized thousands of social media accounts to promote Georgescu -- the shock first-round winner -- across platforms such as TikTok and Telegram. Georgescu had appeared as a favorite to win the runoff, but was passed by Lasconi in the latest opinion poll after the intelligence documents were released. The court, without naming Georgescu, said that one of the 13 candidates in the November 24 first round had improperly received “preferential treatment” on social media, distorting the outcome of the vote. Iohannis said he would remain in office until a new presidential election could be conducted again from the start. He is expected to appoint a prime minister to begin forming a government from the parliament that was elected on December 1. That administration will choose the date of the new election. TBILISI -- Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Georgian capital on December 7 following a violent crackdown the night before by riot police against demonstrators angered by the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. Violence broke out again late in the night, as witnesses said journalists and others were beaten by groups of men in street clothes while nearby security personnel did not attempt to intervene. Many of the protesters were calling for the release of fellow demonstrators arrested in previous rallies. Georgian police reported that 48 people had been detained the night before. In the previous night's demonstration – which started late on December 6 -- riot police began dispersing protesters gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building at about 12:30 a.m. on December 7. Special forces detained several people at Republic Square by 1:30 a.m. local time on December 7. They had mobilized earlier on Rustaveli Avenue about 600 meters away from the main center of the demonstration on Republic Square. Among those detained is Tsotne Koberidze, a member of the Tbilisi City Council from the opposition party Girchi (More Freedom), RFE/RL reported. A young woman who had been standing in front of the cordon for several minutes was also detained. Warning messages urging protesters to disperse continued as the riot police attempted to break up the protest on Rustaveli Avenue. Demonstrators moved away from the avenue but did not disperse. Tensions have been running high in Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party won an election on October 26 that the pro-Western opposition and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili say was rigged with the help of Moscow. Earlier on December 6, Zurabishvili called on Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to step down as pressure mounts on the government amid a violent crackdown on unrest. Zurabishvili made the call in an interview with Georgia's Channel One media group as the Prosecutor-General's Office announced that it had filed its first criminal charges against protesters who have taken to the streets to rally against the move. "The prime minister who has failed to settle the crisis...must be replaced," Zurabishvili said. "This is the compromise, depolarization, a way out for Georgia, stability, peace and the future, which will be unshakable, free and democratic," she added. Zurabishvili traveled to Paris on December 7 for ceremonies marking the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral, which had been restored following a devastating 2019 fire. She said on social media that she had an "in-depth discussion" there with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and French leader Emmanuel Macron, posting a video of the talks on X. Zurabishvili also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and thanked him for his support for the Caucasus nation. The announcement last week by Georgian Dream to halt talks on joining the EU until 2028 further fueled dissension, with thousands of Georgians flooding the streets around parliament in protest. The largely peaceful protesters have been met with a sometimes-brutal crackdown by security forces, leaving dozens -- including opposition members and journalists covering the events -- in need of medical attention. The Prosecutor-General's Office, however, said it charged nine individuals with organizing and participating in group violence during the protests on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. "This is a choice between autocracy and democracy -- there is no other way," Tere Heland, an adviser to the European Neighborhood Council, which provides information on current events in Georgia, told RFE/RL in an interview on December 6. Opposition leaders have also rejected accusations by Georgian Dream that the violence was the product of a conspiracy -- aided by foreign actors -- to provoke chaos. Levan Tsutskiridze, leader of the Freedom Square movement and one of the most influential members of the Strong Georgia political coalition, said the actions of government forces against peaceful protesters were "tragic." He accused the police of "mass terror, with physical violence, intimidation, and torture." The opposition has also called for fresh elections, saying that without a new vote, the restoration of democratic legitimacy is impossible. Georgia's Interior Ministry told RFE/RL on December 6 that a total of 338 individuals had been detained for administrative violations during the protests, which security forces have tried to put down with water cannons, vast amounts of tear gas, and harsh beatings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called his trilateral talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump “good and productive” and said the leaders discussed the situation on the ground in Ukraine and the potential for “a just peace.” “We talked about our people, the situation on the battlefield, and a just peace for Ukraine. We all want to end this war as quickly and fairly as possible,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram from Paris on December 7 as world leaders gathered to mark the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral. "President Trump, as always, is determined. We are thankful for that," he added. Macron said , "Let us continue joint efforts for peace, security." It was not immediately known if Trump would make public comments following the talks. Zelenskiy, looking to bolster support for his nation’s fight against the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022, arrived in the French capital at midday as more than three dozen global dignitaries gathered for the ceremonies, many of whom applauded the Ukrainian leader at the Notre Dame event. Zelenskiy arrived at the Elysee Palace for the three-way talks at 5:30 p.m. Paris time. The three men posed for photos at but made no public comments before the talks began. Zelenskiy is expected to leave Paris immediately following the ceremonies at Notre Dame, which was restored following a devastating 2019 fire, aided by some $1 billion in donations from around the globe. Trump , who will take office on January 20, has criticized the billions of dollars the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. Trump has also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. The two also have a long history, mainly through an infamous phone call. During that July 2019 call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to look into the activities in Ukraine of Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. The elder Biden went on to defeat Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The call led to accusations that Trump had conditioned the release of nearly $400 million in military aid on an investigation into the Bidens, and Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted Trump on both charges in February 2020. "We expect a good decision from today's meeting with Macron," a source within the Ukrainian delegation told the AFP news agency before the announcement of the three-way talks. AFP also reported that Elon Musk, the world's richest man and one of Trump's closest allies, is expected to attend the ceremonies. On social media, Zelenskiy earlier said that Ukraine had received a second shipment of sophisticated F-16 fighter jets from Denmark. "The second batch of F-16s for Ukraine from Denmark is already in Ukraine. This is the leadership in protecting life that distinguishes Denmark," he wrote on Telegram . "The planes provided by the Danes from the first batch are already shooting down Russian missiles and saving our people, our infrastructure. Now our air shield is additionally strengthened. If all partners were so determined, it would be possible to prevent Russian terror," he said. In November , Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark would transfer two more batches of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Six had already been transferred, with a total of 19 aircraft earmarked for delivery by Copenhagen. Separately, Washington said it is preparing a $988 million package of arms and equipment to Ukraine, funds taken from the remaining $2.21 billion available in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The funds will be used to buy ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and for drones, the Pentagon said, as the administration of President Joe Biden attempts to bolster Kyiv before he leaves office. BUCHAREST -- Romania’s far-right, pro-Russian presidential candidate defiantly told voters to turn up at polling stations for a December 8 election runoff that has been scrapped by the Constitutional Court. While Calin Georgescu attempts to fill the streets with backers, however, his actual level of support remains uncertain. Georgescu told supporters "to wait to be welcomed, to wait for democracy to win through their power," according to a statement on December 7 by his team. "Mr. Calin Georgescu believes that voting is an earned right. That is why he believes that Romanians have the right to be in front of the polling stations tomorrow," the statement said, adding that Georgescu would go to a polling station near the capital, Bucharest, early in the morning. Over recent days, thousands of mostly young Romanians have taken to the streets to protest against his pro-Russia comments. Georgescu, who ran as an independent, had won the first round of the presidential election on November 24, ahead of reformist Elena Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union party, setting up a runoff originally set for December 8. However, Romania's Constitutional Court on December 6 annulled the entire presidential election, throwing the process into upheaval even as diaspora voting had already begun at sites throughout the globe. Georgescu had blasted the court’s ruling as an “officialized coup” and an attack on democracy, while Lasconi also assailed the decision. The Constitutional Court in its published ruling cited the illegal use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as the use of “undeclared sources of funding.” The runoff had been seen as a referendum on the NATO and EU member's future course amid accusations of Russian meddling that brought thousands of Romanians onto the streets in support of the country's place in the Euro-Atlantic community. The Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision came just two days after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence that alleged Russia had organized thousands of social media accounts to promote Georgescu -- the shock first-round winner -- across platforms such as TikTok and Telegram. Georgescu had appeared as a favorite to win the runoff, but was passed by Lasconi in the latest opinion poll after the intelligence documents were released. The court, without naming Georgescu, said that one of the 13 candidates in the November 24 first round had improperly received “preferential treatment” on social media, distorting the outcome of the vote. Georgescu and Lasconi were supposed to meet in a runoff this weekend. Voting abroad had already started when the court shelved the entire election and instructed the government to set a new one. Iohannis said he would remain in office until a new presidential election could be conducted again from the start. He is expected to appoint a prime minister to begin forming a government from the parliament that was elected on December 1. That administration will choose the date of the new election. Meanwhile, Romania authorities conducted searches at three homes as part of the probe into the election irregularities. 'In the central city of Brasov, police searched three homes early on December 7 as part of a probe "in connection with the crimes of voter corruption, money laundering, and computer forgery," the local prosecutor’s office said in a statement. It added that the police action had targeted a person involved in the "illegal financing of the electoral campaign of a candidate for the presidency of Romania, through the use of sums of money," without naming Georgescu. The statement also said the investigation involved alleged violations of Romanian law prohibiting organizations and symbols of a fascist, racist or xenophobic character. In Washington, the U.S. State Department said Romanians must have confidence their elections are free of harmful external influences. "The United States reaffirms our confidence in Romania’s democratic institutions and processes, including investigations into foreign malign influence," the department said in a statement issued late on December 6. Syrian rebels led by Islamist militants have entered the central city of Homs as they close in on Damascus while the country’s main allies -- Russia and Iran -- scrambled to protect the regime of authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad and their own assets in the country. Abu Mohammad al-Golani, a leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, said late on December 7 that the insurgent fighters were "in the final moments of liberating" Homs, a city of 775,000 people. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Experts said the future of the Assad regime was hanging in the balance -- and that, if it fell, it would also represent a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. Media reports said many residents of Damascus were stocking up on supplies as thousands were attempting to leave the country through the border with Lebanon -- itself a war-torn nation in the increasingly chaotic Middle East. As fighting on the ground and rebel gains intensified, the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey held emergency talks in Doha, Qatar, on December 7 calling for an end to hostilities in the most serious challenge to Assad’s rule in years. The U.S. State Department told RFE/RL that Washington was closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Syria. A spokesperson said the United States and its partners and allies urged that civilians, including members of minority groups, be protected. The spokesperson said it was time to negotiate an end to the Syrian conflict consistent with principals established in UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The spokesperson added that the refusal of the Assad regime to engage in the process has directly led to the current situation. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War ( ISW ) said that “Assad regime forces have collapsed and Assad’s backers do not appear willing to bolster the Syrian Arab Army by rapidly deploying additional forces.” Russia has multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin’s actions in Africa. The ISW said that Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the base, “but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory.” The American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats blog said the Assad regime “faces an existential threat given the widespread collapse of regime forces and lack of sufficient external backing to bolster these forces.” It added that “Russia will face logistic challenges that will undermine its Africa operations if it loses its footprint in Syria.” Mark Katz, a professor emeritus at George Mason University who focuses on Russia and the Middle East, told RFE/RL that the Kremlin risks losing its air assets in Syria if it can’t agree with Turkey on the use of its airspace. “In one sense, the Turkish government might be happy to grant permission as the more the Russian Air Force is out of Syria, the happier Ankara will be,” he said. "Russia would also face difficulties relocating its warships because they would need Turkey's permission to get into the Black Sea. They would have to go through NATO waters," he added. Meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States “should have nothing to do” with the war in Syria, where a small contingent of U.S. forces remain deployed in some areas. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,” he wrote on the Truth Social platform. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Fast-moving developments on the ground were difficult to confirm, but media outlets quoted witnesses as well as rebel and Syrian army sources as saying militant fighters were continuing to make large gains on December 7 in their effort to topple Assad. Some reported signs of panic in Damascus, with shortages of critical supplies, although the government said Assad was at work as usual in the capital. Government forces and their Russian allies appear to have failed in their attempt to halt the rebel push toward Homs, which stands at an important intersection between the capital, Damascus, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus. Homs is 140 kilometers from the capital. Witnesses and army sources told Reuters and other news agencies that rebels had entered Homs amid reports that government forces had pulled out. Celebrations were reported in some areas of the city. Homs Province is Syria’s largest in size and borders Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan. The city is also home to one of Syria’s two state-run oil refineries. The AFP news agency quoted security sources as saying hundreds of Syrian government troops, some injured, had fled across the border into Iraq. The surprising offensive was launched last week by a coalition of rebel groups led by the Islamist HTS faction. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs toward the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of the Russian air and naval bases. Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he “wasn’t in the business of guessing.” The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Following the foreign ministers' meeting in Doha, Lavrov said -- referring to HTS rebels -- that it was "inadmissible to allow terrorist groups" to take control of Syrian territory and that Russia would oppose them with all means possible. Since the rebels seized control of Aleppo a week ago, they have moved on to capture other major cities with Assad’s forces providing little resistance. Besides capturing Aleppo in the north, Hama in the center, and Deir al-Zor in the east, rebels rose up in southern Suweida and Deraa, saying on December 6 they had taken control of the two cities and posting videos showing insurgent celebrations there. Taking Deraa and Suweida in the south could allow a concerted assault on the capital, Damascus, the seat of Assad's power, military sources said. Video posted online showed protesters in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana chanting and tearing down a statue of Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1971 until his death in 2000, when his son took power. Golani, the HTS leader, told CNN in an exclusive interview on December 5 from Syria that Assad’s government was bound to fall, propped up only by Russia and Iran. “The seeds of the regime’s defeat have always been within it,” he said. “But the truth remains, this regime is dead.” Prosecutors with a special international court in The Hague confirmed on December 6 that a new indictment has been filed against former Kosovar President Hashim Thaci and four other people for allegedly attempting to influence witness testimony in a war crimes trials. Thaci has been charged with three counts of obstruction, four counts of violating the secrecy of proceedings, and four counts of contempt of court, a statement released by prosecutors said. He was in the detention facilities of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers when served with an arrest warrant on the charges, the statement said. A separate statement issued by the Kosovo Specialists Chambers in The Hague said "the indictment charges the accused with offences related to alleged unlawful efforts to influence witness testimonies in the Thaci et al war crimes trial." The four others charged are former Justice Minister Hajredin Kuci, former Kosovar Intelligence Agency chief Bashkim Smakaj, former Malisheva Mayor Isni Kilaj, and Fadil Fazliu. Smakaj, Fazliu, and Kilaj were arrested on December 5 in Kosovo and transported to the Specialist Chambers’ detention facility in The Hague, the court said. They have been charged with attempted obstruction of official persons in carrying out official duties and of disobeying the court and are expected to make their first court appearance on the charges in the next few days, the statement said. Thaci is being tried by the court in a separate case against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is accused of coordinating "three separate groups" along with Smakaj, Kilajn, Kuci, and Fazliu to influence the testimony of prosecution witnesses in the case against him and others for war crimes. The indictment says that Thaci gave Smakaj, Kilaj, Fazliu, and Kuci confidential information about witnesses, instructions to influence their testimony, and details on how they should do so during nonprivileged visits to the detention facility that took place between April 12, 2023, and November 2, 2023. The new indictment comes a day after the Specialist Prosecutor's Office announced that it was conducting ongoing operations in Kosovo in connection with its investigations. The Specialist Chamber was established in 2015 by the Kosovo Assembly to prosecute mainly former KLA fighters for war crimes and is part of Kosovo's judicial system, but it operates with international staff and is based in The Hague. Fear of witness intimidation was one of the reasons why the court is located there. Thaci, a former KLA commander, became president of Kosovo after it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but resigned in late 2020 to face war crimes and crimes against humanity charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Thaci is widely seen as a guerilla hero in Kosovo, but prosecutors said he openly oversaw a brutal reign of violence as the ethnic Albanian KLA tried to tighten its grip on power during and after the war. The Kosovo war, which claimed some 13,000 lives, ended after a NATO bombing campaign forced Serb forces to withdraw. An attack by Russian troops on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya on the evening of December 6 killed 10 people, according to regional Governor Ivan Fedorov as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy slammed Russia for carrying out the attack. Fedorov said that another 20 people were injured, including three children. One of the injured adults, a 23-year-old man, is in extremely serious condition, he added. The impact destroyed a service station and damaged nearby houses and shops, Fedorov said on Telegram. His post included a video of smoke rising from a building and debris strewn across the street. The state emergency service said that attack caused the fire, which engulfed six cars, a garage, and the service station. The fire has been put out, the service said. A separate attack on Kryviy Rih in the southern region of Dnipropetrovsk killed two people. A three-story building was destroyed in the attack, and residential buildings and cars were damaged, the emergency service said on Telegram. Zelenskiy said the attacks showed Russia has no interest in striking a deal to end the full-scale invasion it launched in February 2022. "Thousands of such strikes carried out by Russia during this war make it absolutely clear that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin does not need real peace," Zelenskiy said on Telegram. "Only by force can we resist this. And only through force can real peace be established," he added. Zelenskiy is set to travel to Paris for a ceremony on December 7 to mark the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral after a restoration following a devastating fire in 2019, according to news reports quoting unidentified sources. A source in the Ukrainian government was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that Zelenskiy will attend the celebrations marking the restoration of the cathedral and will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. He also hopes to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to attend the ceremony. It would be their first meeting since Trump was elected president for a second non-consecutive term on November 5. Trump has repeatedly criticized U.S. military aid to Kyiv and said he would end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House but has yet to provide details. There are fears in Kyiv that Trump could try to force Ukraine to the negotiating table and accept peace terms favorable to Russia. Trump has named Keith Kellogg, a retired general who has called on Kyiv to make concessions to end the war, as his Ukraine envoy. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's outgoing administration is seeking to bolster Kyiv before leaving office on January 20. The administration announced on December 2 that it will send $725 million worth of missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines, and other weapons to Ukraine. Iran is poised to significantly increase the production rate of highly enriched uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned in a confidential report. The IAEA report said the effect of the change "would be to significantly increase the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent," according to news agencies quoting the report on December 6. This means the rate of production will jump to more than 34 kilograms of highly enriched uranium per month at its Fordow facility alone, compared to 4.7 kilograms previously, the report to the IAEA's board of governors says. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, who spoke to reporters about the report on the sidelines of an international conference in Bahrain, said the increase would represent “seven or eight times or even more," calling the development very concerning. “They were preparing, and they have all of these facilities sort of in abeyance and now they are activating that. So we are going to see,” he said, adding that it would be a “huge jump” if Iran begins increasing its enrichment. The report also said Iran must implement tougher safeguard measures such as inspections to ensure Fordow is not being "misused to produce uranium of an enrichment level higher than that declared by Iran, and that there is no diversion of declared nuclear material." Iran's decision to accelerate production of enriched uranium is in response to recent censure by the IAEA, Grossi told the AFP news agency. "This is a message. This is a clear message that they are responding to what they feel is pressure," the UN nuclear watchdog's head said. Tehran was angered by a resolution last month put forward by Britain, Germany, and France, known as the E3, and the United States that faulted Iran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. Britain, Germany, and France have adopted a tougher stance on Iran in recent months, in particular since Tehran ramped up its military support to Russia. In addition, there was little progress last week when European and Iranian officials met to determine whether they could enter serious talks on the nuclear program before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers and is now appointing hawks on Iran to his planned administration. While Iran maintains its program is peaceful, Iranian officials increasingly threaten to potentially seek a nuclear bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile. But experts war that the enrichment of uranium at 60 percent is just a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, and they say there is no justification for enriching uranium to such a high level under any civilian program. The news of Iran's decision to increase uranium enrichment came just hours after Tehran claimed it had conducted a successful space launch with its heaviest payload ever. Official media reported that the launch of the Simorgh rocket took place at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Semnan Province located about 220 kilometers east of Tehran. Western governments have expressed concern that the Tehran’s ballistic missile program is coming closer to having the ability to launch a weapon against distant foes like the United States. The Simorgh carried what Iran described as an “orbital propulsion system” and two research systems to a 400-kilometer orbit above the Earth. It also carried the Fakhr-1 satellite for Iran’s military, the first time Iran’s civilian program is known to have carried a military payload. Iran has said its space program, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Oreshnik missile systems, recently combat-tested in a strike on Ukraine, will be deployed in Belarus simultaneously with their introduction into the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN). Speaking on December 6 after a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State in Minsk, Putin said that the Oreshnik systems could be stationed in Belarus as soon as the second half of 2025. The statement opens a new phase in the military strategy and development of relations between Russia and Belarus. The decision underscores a further deepening of military integration between the two countries and underlines Russia's increasing military footprint in Eastern Europe. Russia launched an Oreshnik ballistic missile against Ukraine on November 21 in a strike targeting the city of Dnipro. Putin said at the time it was part of Moscow's response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil with U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Putin said the Oreshnik system would have highly accurate, long-range missiles that could pierce advanced missile defense systems. The specific technical details of the Oreshnik remain classified, but it is reportedly designed to increase the survivability and effectiveness of Russia's nuclear arsenal, particularly in the context of evolving global security challenges. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has been part of a broader geopolitical and military partnership, formally enshrined through the Union State agreement signed in the 1990s. Over the years, this alliance has been deepening, especially after 2014, following the annexation of Crimea and the subsequent deterioration of relations between Russia and the West, especially over Moscow's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022. For Russia, the placement of advanced missile systems in Belarus indicates its willingness to develop military capabilities close to NATO's eastern flank. Belarus's proximity to NATO member states, particularly Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, makes it a very strategic location for Russia's missile deployments. Aside from missile deployments, Russia and Belarus are performing joint military exercises and integrating their air defense systems and defense coordination strategies. In general, the coordination shows a continuously intensifying comprehensive military integration, which many analysts suggest would take the relationship one step further to a fully political-military union in the framework of the Union State. To Belarus, the alliance with Russia is an influential factor in its security strategy, particularly when tensions have risen between Belarus and the West. Belarus's authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has long relied on Russian support, both political and military, as a guarantor of his regime's stability. Five Azerbaijani journalists who are reportedly affiliated with Meydan TV, a media outlet known for harshly criticizing government policy, have been detained in Baku, their relatives said on December 6. The relatives said the journalists -- Aynur Elgunas, Aytac Tapdiq, Natiq Cavadli, Xayala Agayeva, and Ramin Cabrayilzada, known by his pen name Deko -- were taken to the Baku City Main Police Directorate. Interior Ministry officials said Cabrayilzada was detained after police obtained information about the alleged smuggling of foreign currency into the country. The Interior Ministry told the Turan news agency that further investigations are under way and that other people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the case. "Additional information will be provided," they said. The detainees have denied the charges, saying they are politically motivated and connected with their professional activity. The development comes amid a broader crackdown on media freedom in Azerbaijan. More than 20 journalists and civil society activists, including members of AbzasMedia and Toplum TV, have been arrested within the past year on suspicion of foreign currency smuggling. The timing of the detentions is symbolic ahead of International Human Rights Day on December 10. The embassies of the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland in Baku issued a joint call earlier this week to immediately release those imprisoned in connection with exercising their fundamental freedoms. They were most concerned about the continued persecution of those advocating for human rights and freedom of expression. U.S. Ambassador Mark Libby called on Baku to release "people fighting for human rights in their beautiful homeland." The detainees, according to Libby, include economist and journalist Farid Mehralizada, who was recently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. He emphasized that Azerbaijan must fulfill its international commitments to human rights by releasing those arbitrarily detained. In response, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry rejected the statements of the foreign diplomats and assertions that their arrests were related to their professional activities. The ministry went on to say that this was an attempt to devalue the independence of the Azerbaijani judiciary. Many international observers are deeply concerned about freedom of speech and respect for human rights in the country with regard to the continued targeting of journalists and activists. Russian forces bombed a key bridge and highway to try and slow a lightning advance by rebels toward the Syrian city of Homs as thousands fled the area. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs towards the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of Russian air and naval bases. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and deal losses to the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. A Syrian Army officer was quoted by Reuters as saying that Russian bombing overnight had destroyed the Rastan bridge along the key M5 highway linking Homs to Hama, another city the rebels captured a day earlier. The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim air base. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. In his first media interview in several years, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the group's leader, told CNN the goal "remains to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime, and it is our right to use all available means to achieve this goal." Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The foreign ministers of Iraq, Syria, and Iran were to meet on December 6 to discuss the situation, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the top diplomats from Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara will meet in Qatar on December 7. The state news agency TASS reported on December 6 that Russia's embassy in Syria had urged Russian nationals to leave the country due to the situation. Riot police in Georgia used water cannons late on the night of December 6 to disperse protesters gathered in Tbilisi for the ninth consecutive night to voice their opposition to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. The riot police began dispersing protesters gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building at about 12:30 a.m. on December 7. Special forces detained several people at Republic Square by 1:30 a.m. local time on December 7. They had mobilized earlier on Rustaveli Avenue about 600 meters away from the main center of the demonstration on Republic Square. Among those detained is Tsotne Koberidze, a member of the Tbilisi City Council from the opposition party Girchi (More Freedom), RFE/RL reported. A young woman who had been standing in front of the cordon for several minutes was also detained. Warning messages urging protesters to disperse continued as the riot police attempted to break up the protest on Rustaveli Avenue. Demonstrators moved away from the avenue but did not disperse. Tensions have been running high in Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party won an election on October 26 that the pro-Western opposition and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili say was rigged with the help of Moscow. Earlier on December 6, Zurabishvili called on Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to step down as pressure mounts on the government amid a violent crackdown on unrest. Zurabishvili made the call in an interview with Georgia's Channel One media group as the Prosecutor-General's Office announced that it had filed its first criminal charges against protesters who have taken to the streets to rally against the move. "The prime minister who has failed to settle the crisis...must be replaced," Zurabishvili said. "This is the compromise, depolarization, a way out for Georgia, stability, peace and the future, which will be unshakable, free and democratic," she added. The announcement last week by Georgian Dream to halt talks on joining the EU until 2028 further fueled dissension, with thousands of Georgians flooding the streets around parliament in protest. The largely peaceful protesters have been met with a sometimes brutal crackdown by security forces, leaving dozens -- including opposition members and journalists covering the events -- in need of medical attention. The Prosecutor-General's Office, however, said it charged nine individuals with organizing and participating in group violence during the protests on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. "This is a choice between autocracy and democracy -- there is no other way," Tere Heland, an adviser to the European Neighborhood Council, which provides information on current events in Georgia, told RFE/RL in an interview on December 6. Opposition leaders have also rejected accusations by Georgian Dream that the violence was the product of a conspiracy -- aided by foreign actors -- to provoke chaos. Levan Tsutskiridze, leader of the Freedom Square movement and one of the most influential members of the Strong Georgia political coalition, said the actions of government forces against peaceful protesters were "tragic." He accused the police of "mass terror, with physical violence, intimidation, and torture." The opposition has also called for fresh elections, saying that without a new vote, the restoration of democratic legitimacy is impossible. Georgia's Interior Ministry told RFE/RL on December 6 that in all, 338 individuals had been detained for administrative violations during the protests, which security forces have tried to put down with water cannons, vast amounts of tear gas, and harsh beatings. Further demonstrations are planned for December 6 and through the week, protest leaders said. The EU has said it is following the events very closely, with some officials warning that continued unrest - and allegations of police brutality - could have profound implications for Georgia's relations with the bloc. Some Western diplomats have warned of the possible suspension of visa liberalization because the government has violated the shared values underpinning Georgia's partnership with Europe. "We are all watching the deteriorating political situation with concern," Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during a session on December 5. "It is important to clearly state that there is a bipartisan consensus in the Senate and Congress on this issue regarding Georgia, and we are not going to tolerate the gross violations of human rights that are taking place in the country without action. I hope that the prime minister and the ruling party will understand this message."

Azerbaijan believes missile downed plane, Russia warns against 'hypotheses'The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern.Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined Jets

Strategists have warned of the dangers of historically high stock valuations. Yet, UBS argues lofty prices are justified and will climb higher next year. Analysts point to improved cash flows and lower discount rates. Stock market valuations are looking stretched as 2024 winds down, and it's got some market watchers on edge — but investors shouldn't fear, UBS says, as prices are justified and set to keep climbing. At 22.2x, the S&P 500's forward price-to-earnings ratio is far above its average of 16.8x over the last 30 years, and close to its 25.0x record high reached during the dot-com bubble in 1999. Strategists have warned that such stretched valuations mean stocks are due for a correction and are at risk of a painful decline in the event of even mild disruptions. Analysts at UBS, though, argued such elevated stock valuations are justified—and will climb higher next year—in a note this week titled "22x and Beyond: The Case for Higher Valuations, or How to Worry Less and Love the Market." The strategists, led by Jonathan Golub, pointed first to the tech sector's growing dominance in the S&P 500. Around 30 years ago, before the rise of the internet and long before the smartphone, tech-related companies made up just 10% of the S&P 500's market cap. Now, they account for 40%. At the same time, tech firms have grown their top lines quicker and with higher margins, with sales growth surging almost 11% and margins up 24%, compared to 6% sales growth and 13% margin growth for non-tech stocks. "The result—not surprisingly—is an upward short in valuations for the market broadly," they said in a Monday note. Meanwhile, both tech and non-tech stocks have seen improved cash flows as they become less capital-intensive, the analysts said. The greater cash flows return more to shareholders, helping stocks naturally trade at higher price-to-earnings ratios, they added. They also pointed to lower discount rates, with the current 10-year Treasury yield 40 basis points above its long-term average, while credit spreads are 220 basis points lower. Together, that makes for a 20% decrease in the cost of capital versus the historical average, which helps to explain part of the reason for such high valuations, the analysts said. Lastly, they noted that valuations rise in non-recessionary periods, meaning valuations will likely continue their upward trend next year. "With current recession risks contained, multiples are most likely to drift higher in 2025," they said. The firm's analysis comes as S&P 500's bull rally has pushed the benchmark index up 28% in 2024, as tech stocks boom and the economy remains on solid footing. The stock rally saw a fresh catalyst last month with Donald Trump 's reelection, which has fueled hopes of sustained earnings growth as a result of less regulation and lower taxes.The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern.ZURICH — Saudi Arabia was officially confirmed Wednesday by FIFA as host of the 2034 World Cup in men's soccer, giving the oil-rich kingdom its biggest prize yet for massive spending on global sports driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi bid was the only candidate and was acclaimed by the applause of more than 200 FIFA member federations. They took part remotely in an online meeting hosted in Zurich by the soccer body's president Gianni Infantino. "The vote of the congress is loud and clear," said Infantino, who had asked officials on a bank of screens to clap their hands at head level to show their support. The decision was combined with approving the only candidate to host the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host in a six-nation project, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each getting one of the 104 games. The South American connection will mark the centenary of Uruguay hosting the first World Cup in 1930. The decisions complete a mostly opaque 15-month bid process which Infantino helped steer toward Saudi Arabia without a rival candidate, without taking questions, and which human rights groups warn will put the lives of migrant workers at risk. "We look forward to hosting an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the FIFA World Cup by harnessing our strengths and capabilities to bring joy to football fans around the world," Prince Mohammed said in a statement. FIFA and Saudi officials have said hosting the 2034 tournament can accelerate change, including more freedoms and rights for women, with Infantino on Wednesday calling the World Cup a "unique catalyst for positive social change and unity." "I fully trust our hosts to address all open points in this process, and deliver a World Cup that meets the world's expectations," the FIFA president said. An international collective of rights groups said FIFA made a "reckless decision" to approve Saudi Arabia without getting public assurances, and the Football Supporters Europe group said it was "the day football truly lost its mind." A fast-track path to victory was cleared last year by FIFA accepting the three-continent hosting plan for the 2030 World Cup. It meant only soccer federations in Asia and Oceania were eligible for the 2034 contest, and FIFA gave countries less than four weeks to declare a bid. Only Saudi Arabia did. The win will kick off a decade of scrutiny on Saudi labor laws and treatment of workers mostly from South Asia needed to help build and upgrade 15 stadiums, plus hotels and transport networks ahead of the 104-game tournament. Amnesty International said awarding the tournament to Saudi Arabia represents "a moment of great danger" for human rights. "FIFA's reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk," said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International's Head of Labor Rights and Sport." One of the stadiums is planned to be 350 meters (yards) above the ground in Neom — a futuristic city that does not yet exist — and another named for the crown prince is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff near Riyadh. During the bid campaign, FIFA has accepted limited scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's human rights record that was widely criticized this year at the United Nations. Saudi and international rights groups and activists warned FIFA it has not learned the lessons of Qatar's much-criticized preparations to host the 2022 World Cup. "At every stage of this bidding process, FIFA has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham," Cockburn said. The kingdom plans to spend tens of billion of dollars on projects related to the World Cup as part of the crown prince's sweeping Vision 2030 project that aims to modernize Saudi society and economy. At its core is spending on sports by the $900 billion sovereign wealth operation, the Public Investment Fund, which he oversees. "It's amazing. The infrastructure, the stadiums, the conditions for the fans and everything. After what I see, I'm more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever," Cristiano Ronaldo said in a recorded package posted on X. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been part of Saudi Arabia's lavish spending on soccer — stunning the sport when agreeing to sign for Al Nassr in 2022 for a record-breaking salary reportedly worth up to $200 million a year. Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of "sportswashing" the kingdom's reputation. The prince, known as MBS, has built close working ties to Infantino since 2017 — aligning with the organizer of sport's most-watched event rather than directly confronting the established system as it did with the disruptive LIV Golf project. The result for Saudi Arabia and FIFA has been smooth progress toward the win Wednesday with limited pushback from soccer officials, though some from women international players. The steady flow of Saudi cash into international soccer is set to increase. FIFA created a new and higher World Cup sponsor category for state oil firm Aramco, and Saudi funding is set to underwrite the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States that is a pet project for Infantino. North American soccer body CONCACAF signed a multi-year deal with PIF, Saudi stadiums host Super Cup games for Italy and Spain, and nearly 50 FIFA member federations have signed working agreements with Saudi counterparts. Lavish spending by PIF-owned Saudi clubs in the past two years buying and paying players – including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané – put hundreds of millions of dollars into European soccer. That influence could be key in talks to agree which months to play the 2034 World Cup. The November-December slot taken by Qatar in 2022 to avoid extreme midsummer heat is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games. Still, January 2034 could be an option — and likely better for European clubs and leagues —after the International Olympic Committee said it saw few issues in clashing with the Salt Lake Winter Games opening Feb. 10, 2034. The IOC also has a major commercial deal with Saudi Arabia, to host the new Esports Olympics. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

EAM Jaishankar to embark 3-day visit to Doha, to meet Qatari PMAfter finishing third on the latest season of I'm A Celeb , Coleen Rooney might seem as though she walked the series. But now Coleen has revealed that early on in the show she had been left questioning her decision to appear on it. Coleen revealed that she had missed her family so much on the show that she had been left sobbing. She said she was reminded of Wayne and her sons, as their faces were on her pillow. Speaking to the Mirror after only barely losing to Danny Jones on the iconic show, she said: “In that first week, I did wake up one morning and I looked at the pillow and I saw on it obviously Wayne and the kids, and I had a little cry and I thought I don’t know whether I can go all this way." READ MORE: ITV I'm A Celebrity's Coleen Rooney names her two 'biggest fears' in jungle - and it wasn't trials or critters But despite a little wobble at the start, Coleen said that she "soon snapped out of it" by keeping busy with her chores, including doing the washing up. “I went off and did the washing up and collected the wood and did whatever I had to do,” she says. “I just got on with it.” Missing her family was not the only thing that Coleen said she found difficult either. She shared that she had also worried that she was not a big enough personality like some of her campmates, and too quiet. Coleen Rooney (Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock) “In the first week I just thought I can’t see me going all the way because I was just me,” she says. “We had loads of personalities in there who were great and I got on with, but they were performers and I felt like I was, at times, just sat there thinking, ‘what do I bring?’ “It wasn’t uncomfortable. They made it comfortable. It was just me sitting back and looking at that camp and thinking I was more quieter than everyone else. “But obviously people enjoyed it and wanted me to stay in there longer and see a bit more of me. I don’t know why but they did.” Coleen Rooney with her two youngest sons in the I'm A Celebrity jungle (Image: ITV) She added that she quickly realised that she had signed up for the show without properly giving it enough consideration. She says: “I think my head before I went in was just to get everything sorted for the kids and get everything done for Christmas . “I wanted to get out of here so I could just enjoy it. But then I didn’t actually think about going in. "It wasn’t until I was in there that I thought, ‘what have I signed myself up for? What am I doing in here?’” ITV I'm A Celebrity Coleen Rooney (Image: ITV) Coleen - who says she got terrible headaches after detoxing from caffeine and sugar - said the first few days were “tough before it started getting better.” But she adds: “As it got better, the weather got worse. And then that was tough.” The weather was the worst in the show’s history with the camp battered by endless storms. “There was one night where we got all got woken up in the early hours in the morning to go into the Bush Telegraph because of a storm” she says. “I was asleep in there, Alan was asleep. You think this isn’t what we thought the jungle would be.” Viewers watched with tears in their eyes as she was reunited with mum Colette, and her two boys Kit, eight, and Cass, six, in camp. Coleen was seen sobbing in her mum’s arms in what she says was a rare show of emotion. “I do snap myself out of things really quickly, and I’m not a crier, bur when my mum came in that really surprised me,” she says. “You know, when I think back to that moment, it was like someone had told me someone had died. “And I don’t think I’ve been shocked more than that in my whole life. That is the biggest shock I’ve ever had.” Saying goodbye to her mum again was tough - and it reminded her of the isolation when she was in America for Wayne’s job. “I was like ‘you’re here now, I’m not going to let you leave.’ My mum said ‘do you feel like you are in America now?’ When I was in America, I was homesick and whenever we got together, we didn’t want to leave. And the only other time she said that to me was during COVID, when we couldn’t see each other.” Seeing her `boys, she says, gave her the “urge to then battle through the next few days” to the final. After coming out of the jungle, the first thing she did was phone home, where Wayne and the elder boys Kai, 15, Klay, 11, had thrown a family party to celebrate her in the final. And she laughed as she said her two eldest had given themselves the day off school yesterday (Mon) as it was such a late night. “I spoke to Wayne as soon as he got in the car,” she says. “They all had a gathering in the house and watched it together. “Wayne and my two older ones were at home as it harder for them to come out to school. The little ones, obviously it’s easier. The (two eldest) did say they weren’t going to school tomorrow because their mum was in the final. I am not sure what the school has to say about that but obviously they haven’t gone all the way to Australia so maybe they do deserve a day off.” She said she was moved by Wayne’s reaction. “He just said how proud he was. In the letter I got in camp, he said he’s never missed me as much and I can understand that, because we’ve been apart for weeks and weeks on end, but we speak a number of times a day. We FaceTime. “So to not have that communication has been tough and not knowing or keeping up to date on the kids’ school and football. I’m so involved in all that back home that was hard.” Coleen also laughed after learning that he had been mobilising his millions of followers to try and get her to do trials. After one plea on social media, she was voted the next day to do a trial She added: “So I heard but you know what? I’m so glad he did, because I was desperate to do a trial. And at that time, I thought, What’s the point in coming here if I’m not doing any trials? After one trial, a cockroach got stuck in her ear. “I could just feel it going round, and I could see people’s faces, and they were like: ‘that’s not right’ But I didn’t panic, and they squirted the water up there and it was all ok,” she says. Viewers, as well as her campmates, were also impressed by her willingness to muck in and do chores. But Coleen says that’s part of everyday life for her and she’s always got stuck in. “I might not have camped that much but I used to clean chalets at Pontins when I was younger,” she says. “ I don’t mind getting my hands dirty, that doesn’t bother me. I’ve got four boys.”

By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two-day visit to Kuwait on the invitation of the Emir. It was a historic event inasmuch as the Indian Prime Minister was visiting the country after a long gap of 43 years; Indira Gandhi was in Kuwait in 1981. Second, during this visit, bilateral relations between the two countries were elevated to a strategic partnership. Third, the Indian Prime Minister was conferred with the highest honour of Kuwait, ‘The Order of Mubarak AL-Kabeer’. A visit by the Head of State to a country indicates the importance attached to the host country by the visiting Head. The visit by Modi was significant as it came after 43 years by his predecessor. And it’s like the Prime Minister visiting Poland after a gap of 45 years that showed the priority India attaches to Poland. The strategic heft of Warsaw grew considerably after it joined the European Union and NATO. Poland was under the ‘Soviet/Russian sphere of influence’ and it borders Ukraine and Russia. Now it assumes the Presidency of the European Union, which, of course, is a rotating position. Likewise, Kuwait holds the Chair of six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). India is negotiating an FTA Agreement with GCC. Modi impressed upon the Emir, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister of Kuwait for moving towards an early conclusion of an FTA with GCC. Notably, GCC countries hold 1/6th of India’s total trade, one third of India’s Diaspora, about 9 million Indians. A close cooperation with GCC is essential for India’s growth. Among GCC countries, Kuwait has been friendly with India, barring a downturn in ties during the Gulf War, to be more precise, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. More on that, a bit later. Kuwait remains important to India. It has 6.5 per cent of world oil reserve, sixth largest crude oil and LPG supplier to India, meeting 3.5 per cent of India’s energy needs. Indians constitute 21 per cent of Kuwait’s population and 30 per cent of its work force. Indians are the largest expat group in Kuwait. While meeting with the Indian Diaspora in Kuwait, Modi lauded their contribution in talent, technology and traditions to the growth and development of Kuwait. He called them a ‘mini Hindustan’. In addition to one-to-one meeting with the Emir and at a delegation level with the Kuwait Prime Minister, he attended the inauguration of the Arabian Gulf Club football tournament. This was part of a cultural diplomacy allowing time for informal exchange of pleasantries between Heads of States. It is a popular tournament among eight countries, Kuwait having won the trophy more than any other teams. People-to-people exchange and cultural diplomacy enrich bilateral relations. Also, an MoU was signed for 2025-28 to promote cooperation in sports between the two countries. The strategic partnership, signed during the visit, aims at enhancing bilateral relations in all possible and potential sectors. This includes defence, wherein it would translate into joint military exercises, training of defence personnel, coastal defence, maritime safety, and joined development and production of defence equipment. It will also include counter terrorism operations, sharing of intelligence and information, anti-money laundering and drug-trafficking. The cooperation will deepen in pharmaceuticals, IT, Fin-tech, infrastructure, solar energy, health, digital, innovation, and textiles etc. It was decided to gradually move the focus from fossil fuel to trading in renewable energy, wherein it will be easier to step up cooperation as Kuwait is a member of the International Solar Alliance. Prime Minister Modi appreciably noted that ‘Made in India’ products were finding their way into Kuwait including automobiles, electrics, mechanical and telecom etc. He suggested that the petrochemical sector could be another big trade bridge between both countries as it is likely to grow up to 300b USD by 2025. The leadership of both countries agreed to promote business delegations from both countries and greater institutional linkages. Kuwait could explore more opportunities for investment in India. At the same time, Modi stressed that India has the technology and skills to contribute to making of a New Kuwait. On international politics, both leadership discussed Gaza and Ukraine. Modi reiterated his commitment to finding a negotiated solution to the war. On Gaza, he reaffirmed India’s commitment two-state solution by recourse to dialogue and diplomacy. He said ‘No’ to terrorist action that provokes retaliation causing deaths and destruction. It is necessary to recall that relations between India and Kuwait go back to millennia, as evidenced by discovery of the artifacts of pottery and jewellery from the Kuwait Island of Failaka. Before the oil was found in Kuwait, trade between India and Kuwait consisted of dates and pedigreed horses. After trading on horses stopped at the end of the Second World War, Pearls and teak wood were the items traded. As Kuwait got independence in 1961, India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic contacts. In 1962, Kuwait supported India in its war with China. Ever since, the relations between both countries remained friendly. Kuwaitis concentrated in Bombay for their trade and commerce. Emir of Kuwait even had a house in Marine Drive in Mumbai. The bilateral relations plummeted by India’s pro-Iraq stance during Gulf War. New Delhi refused to condemn Iraq for invading and annexing Kuwait. India was the first country to shift her embassy from Kuwait to Basra, Iraq. It was surly bad diplomacy by New Delhi. It has often fumbled in condemning the aggression in balancing the principle of international law and national interest. It faltered in condemning Soviet occupation of Hungary in 1956, Afghanistan in 1979, Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait in 1990 and Ukraine in 2022. New Delhi gets away with such diplomatic faux pas as it has not attacked any country, nor has it incurred into territories of other countries. Talking of Kuwait, New Delhi almost repeated the mistake in Afghanistan. One statement, made during the Gulf War, indicates its confusion, “We regret that it had not been possible for Iraq and Kuwait to resolve their differences, we hope for Iraqi withdrawals (instead of calling for them)”. And in the same sentence, noted Iraqi statements in this connection. There was not a word of disapproval of Iraqi action. It is perhaps India’s policy of non-alignment in the past and strategic autonomy now that makes India tentative and vulnerable and thus New Delhi does not want to provoke enmity with anyone, even if it is an invader. The demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 had thrown another spanner into the fragile relationship. However, that is history. Prime Minister Modi’s visit and Kuwait’s highest honour to him have put those two bad patches into the dustbin of history. Let it be said and realised that India, in quest for a world role and a big power status, should stand up for international law in keeping with her tradition for peace, non-violence, and non-aggression, unless it endorses a Darwinian world and lives by the logic of survival. —INFAPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jamal Mashburn Jr. scored 18 points as Temple beat Buffalo 91-71 on Sunday. Mashburn shot 6 for 10 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Owls (8-5). Zion Stanford scored 15 points while going 4 of 9 and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Quante Berry had 15 points and shot 7 of 8 from the field and 0 for 4 from the foul line. The Bulls (5-7) were led by Tyson Dunn, who posted 11 points and four assists. Anquan Boldin Jr. added 11 points and three steals for Buffalo. Noah Batchelor also had nine points and six rebounds. Temple took the lead with 5:38 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The score was 39-29 at halftime, with Shane Dezonie racking up seven points. Temple outscored Buffalo in the second half by 10 points, with Mashburn scoring a team-high 13 points after intermission. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

The Seattle Seahawks placed leading rusher Kenneth Walker III on injured reserve due to an ankle injury and signed George Holani off the practice squad on Thursday afternoon. Walker had been ruled out earlier in the day ahead of Thursday's game against the host Chicago Bears. He returned from a two-game absence due to an ailing calf on Sunday before injuring his ankle in the Seahawks' 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Zach Charbonnet is set to shoulder the load in the backfield for the Seahawks (8-7), who have lost two in a row heading into Thursday's game against the Bears (4-11). Seattle is in a must-win situation. Even if the Seahawks can top Chicago and beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, they still might miss out on the postseason because of the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. Walker, 24, leads Seattle in carries (153) and rushing yards (573) to go along with seven rushing touchdowns. Charbonnet, 23, has a team-best eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 106 carries for 453 yards. Holani, who turned 25 on Dec. 16, has three carries for 10 yards in three games this season. He is an undrafted rookie out of Boise State. The Seahawks also ruled out tight end Brady Russell (foot) and safety K'Von Wallace (ankle) for Thursday's game. Cornerback Artie Burns was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the contest. The Bears will be without defensive backs Elijah Hicks (ankle/foot) and Tarvarius Moore (knee), running back Travis Homer (hamstring) and offensive lineman Teven Jenkins (calf). --Field Level MediaTyrann Mathieu owns up to hot mic quote from Giants-Saints game, takes heat off Malik Nabers

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As AI rapidly transforms workplaces, employees are on edge. Roughly two years after sparked widespread interest in generative AI, it's becoming clear that most workers' — and some may disappear. An published in January forecast that artificial intelligence would affect nearly 40% of jobs. But the impact of AI on employment is complex and far-reaching. Some roles may become obsolete; others may be augmented or even created by AI. Workers are simultaneously experiencing . What new skills will I need to develop? How can I stay relevant? And importantly, is my organization prepared for this AI-driven future? Whether employees can trust their organization's leaders to navigate these opportunities is a pivotal question, said Brian Solis, the head of global innovation at ServiceNow, a cloud-based automation platform, and author of the book "Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future " He said that while many executives recognize AI's promise in increasing efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, they often fail to grasp the . "Leaders talk about the new normal or the next normal, but then they natively snap back to business as usual," Solis said. "It's the leaders who explore and ask: 'What if? Who will unlock entirely new ways of working?'" Workers themselves have a responsibility to learn and grow, he added. They need to experiment with new technologies both in and outside work and challenge themselves to push beyond their comfort zones. "You need to literally rewire your brain," he said. "If you're waiting for someone to tell you what to do, you're on the wrong side of innovation." Despite the breathless headlines about about the way we work, the reality is more mundane. In a quarterly of American workers conducted in May, seven in 10 respondents said they never used AI in their jobs, and only one in 10 said they used it regularly. The survey used a random sample of 21,543 working adults. Among those who said they did use AI, the most common applications included generating ideas, consolidating information, and automating basic tasks. Still, investment in AI continues to surge. A predicted that global spending would reach $632 billion by 2028, more than double what it is now, covering AI apps, infrastructure, and related services. Companies are , said Mansour Javidan, an expert in digital transformation and the executive director of the Najafi Global Mindset Institute at Arizona State's Thunderbird School of Global Management. "There's a lot of hype driven by board expectations, and that's led to a herd mentality to move quickly," he said. "No CEO is going to look bad by investing in AI right now." Workers, meanwhile, are caught between uncertainty and anticipation. "There's a disconnect," Javidan said. "At the highest levels of the organization, there's a lot of excitement about AI. But among lower- and midlevel employees, there's a good deal of anxiety and ambiguity because there's no clear path." But "workers mustn't rely on senior executives and hope things will turn out rosy," he said. Javidan advises employees to seize development opportunities within their organizations and seek out online courses. Many top universities, including MIT and Stanford, provide free classes and workshops to help people build their skills. Grassroots and community-based learning groups, such as , can be valuable resources. "Workers need to be proactive and educate themselves," he said. Beyond formal training and coursework, getting comfortable with AI requires a fundamental mindset shift, experts say. "We were born with skills like curiosity, wonder, and imagination, but we often unlearned these in schools," Solis said. "The aim with AI should not be to generate expected answers or reinforce existing thinking but to challenge our conventions." Solis said he uses AI as a tool for perspective taking, asking it to generate responses from the personas of the and Walt Disney. This approach helps him identify blind spots, explore alternative viewpoints, and seek inspiration. "They're my personal coaches," he said. Molly Sands, the head of the teamwork lab at the software company Atlassian, which studies teamwork in the age of AI and distributed work, recommends , not just a task-completion machine. "The people who are saving the most time and seeing the biggest benefits are those who see AI as a strategic collaborator," she said. This involves engaging with AI through dynamic, iterative conversations — much like working with a team of experts, she said. A by researchers at the MIT Sloan School of Management backed this up, finding that human-AI teams showed the most promise in creative tasks like generating content and imagery and translating software code. "A lot of people use it for one or two use cases, but the growth we're going to see in the next year or two is the people who think about it more ubiquitously," Sands said. "Agents will be a key driver of this." Her team at Atlassian, for example, has developed a designed to help employees write more clearly. Essentially, she said, workers "word-vomit" into the agent with information about their audience, context, and key details. The agent then offers up a tailored draft in the worker's voice. "Our workdays are consumed by writing emails, creating slide decks, and other routine tasks," Sands said. "If AI can take on some of this load — freeing us up for creative thinking and solving meaty problems — the better off we'll be." Learning how to work with AI is imperative for most workers, but it's important to recognize that . After all, said Hakan Ozcelik, a professor of management at California State University, Sacramento, the value of human workers lies in their cognitive, behavioral, and emotional abilities. "There are all sorts of skills that AI doesn't have yet, and maybe never will," he said. "Humans are inherently social beings, constantly interacting with customers, colleagues, competitors, and their physical environment," Ozcelik said. "These interpersonal skills are invaluable assets for any organization." While AI can process information and perform repetitive functions with speed and accuracy, it lacks the soft skills necessary for effective communication and strategic decision-making. , a skills-development platform, said that while generative-AI-related job postings had risen 411% since 2023, the demand for soft skills such as leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence outpaced digital skills by 2.4 times in North America and 2.9 times in Europe. This is why Ozcelik advises employees to embark on what he calls "a process of professional soul-searching." Closely analyze your daily activities to determine your unique contributions and core competencies that cannot be outsourced, he said: "Dissect your work and look at what you offer your organization in a given day or a week." Also, identify areas where AI could offer assistance. For example, teachers may realize that while AI can handle grading for grammar and syntax, they should focus on evaluating students' ideas and nurturing creativity. Similarly, healthcare professionals can leverage AI for administrative tasks or data analysis while dedicating more quality time to patients. In an AI-driven world, the need for human skills will not change; instead, these skills will become even more vital as workers learn to collaborate effectively with technology, Ozcelik said. "It's about what you contribute and the value you bring," he said. Read the original article on

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