Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada’s new border plan with Donald Trump’s transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada’s next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump’s latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn’t clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump’s 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump’s team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada’s new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada’s plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc’s spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump’s threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau “governor” instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw “explains Canada to Americans.” The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. “In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada,” Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words “some information about Canada for Americans.” Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau’s recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump’s antics on X Thursday, calling it “casual disrespect” and “carrying the ‘joke’ too far.” “Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership,” said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland’s sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau’s leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia.

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HELOISE 1-03-25LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Broncos are 0-4 in Las Vegas, but in a matchup of teams heading in opposite directions, Denver has more at stake than trying to end a series skid. A victory over the Raiders puts the Broncos that much closer to an unexpected playoff berth, playing with a rookie quarterback and just a year after they went 8-9. The Broncos are 6-5 and coming off a 38-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons , and would be in the playoff field if the season ended entering Week 12. Not bad for a team given a win total of 5 1/2 games at BetMGM Sportsbook. “Everyone understands the significance of where we are at this point in the season,” Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. The situation is quite different for the Raiders. They are 2-8, on a six-game losing streak and decimated by injuries. Las Vegas could enter this game without its top two running backs and a reshuffled line on offense, and defensively, the Raiders could have two linemen, three cornerbacks and a safety out of action. “Just been having some bad breaks, but nobody feels sorry for us,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. "Nobody feels sorry for me. You’ve got to roll out there with 11 players, and that’s what we’re going to do come Sunday.” The Raiders are badly in a need of a franchise quarterback and are in a logjam for the top pick in next year's NFL draft. Denver showed with this year's draft how valuable landing such a QB can be to an organization. Bo Nix was selected 12th — one spot ahead of the Raiders — and he is pushing for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was this week's top AFC player and rookie after completing 28 of 33 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns in the rout of the Falcons. “I think as we’ve gone on, Coach (Sean Payton) and I have found a good rhythm of what we both like, what we can kind of put out there on the field and what we can execute," Nix said. "Then the guys have kind of adapted to it, found our roles within the offense and executed at a high level. It’s just all about slowing the game down and processing things in a manner that you can handle.” Raiders tight end Brock Bowers also could have a say in who wins the season's top offensive rookie award. He is second in the NFL with 70 catches and his 706 yards receiving is 10th among all receivers. His numbers from a historical perspective are even more impressive. Bowers, the 13th pick in this year's draft , is fourth all time among all tight ends in catches through the first 11 weeks and he and Jeremy Shockey in 2002 are the only rookies at that position to have more than one game with at least 10 receptions. “This week's a brand new week,” Bowers said. “I've always got something to prove.” Payton still isn't entirely comfortable splitting carries between running backs Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime. Asked how he determines the right balance in his rotation, Payton said, “That's the $6 million question. It’s difficult. We know kind of what we have with those three players. I think it’s always hard to feed three. "I'm used to — and it’s easy — to feed two. So we kind of do that a little bit. I thought Javonte had some really good runs (last week). Certainly the game ends and we’re like, ‘Gosh, we have to get Jaleel more touches.’ So it’s a tough, but a good problem to have.” With injuries to running backs Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quadriceps), 10-year veteran Ameer Abdullah could get the start for the Raiders this weekend. He has just 17 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown this season and started just one game his previous six seasons. “I see myself as a starter,” Abdullah said. “I think every guy in the room does. I consider myself the best back on this team just like every back does. This is my opportunity to go out there and put my best foot forward.” Patrick Surtain II had a pair of interceptions, including one he returned for 100 yards and a touchdown, in the team's first meeting this season and that fueled the Broncos' 34-18 win in Denver . Both of the passes were intended for Bowers, who caught a 57-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Surtain isn't expecting the Raiders to avoid him Sunday, however. “You don't want to go into a game thinking they're not gonna throw it your way,” Surtain said, “because it's the pros at the end of the day, everybody's ready, everybody's capable.” AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Another complaint filed with ICT against HasinaWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. After the leaders’ hastily arranged dinner Friday night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trudeau spoke of “an excellent conversation." Trump said in a Truth Social post later Saturday that they discussed “many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address.” For issues in need of such cooperation, Trump cited fentanyl and the “Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration," fair trade deals "that do not jeopardize American Workers” and the U.S. trade deficit with its ally to the north. Trump asserted that the prime minister had made “a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation” of American families from fentanyl from China reaching the United States through its neighbors. The U.S., he said, “will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic.” The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Canadian officials say they are ready to make new investments in border security. Trudeau called Trump after the Republican's social media posts about the tariffs last Monday and they agreed to meet, according to a official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss detail of the private talks. The official said other countries are calling Canadian officials to hear how about how the meeting was arranged and to ask for advice. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after speaking with Trump on the telephone, said Thursday she was confident a tariff war with Washington would be averted. At the dinner that was said to last three hours, Trump said he and Trudeau also discussed energy, trade and the Arctic. A second official cited defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast, pipelines and the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year as other issues that arose. Trudeau's office said in a statement that the leaders “shared a productive wide-ranging discussion” centering on “collaboration and strengthening our relationship,” adding, "As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans.” Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Trudeau had said before leaving from Friday that Trump was elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now was talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. The threatened tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. When Trump imposed higher tariffs as president, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government's files on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to be national intelligence director. The former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said they were "alarmed" by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions "call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus." A spokesperson for Gabbard on the Trump transition team on Thursday denounced the appeal as an "unfounded" and "partisan" attack. Among those who signed the letter were former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, former national security adviser Anthony Lake, and numerous retired ambassadors and high-ranking military officers. They wrote to current Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Republican Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday to urge the closed briefings as part of the Senate's review of Trump's top appointments. They urged that Senate committees "consider in closed sessions all information available to the U.S. government when considering Ms. Gabbard's qualifications to manage our country's intelligence agencies, and more importantly, the protection of our intelligence sources and methods." The letter singles out Gabbard's 2017 meetings in Syria with President Bashar Assad, who is supported by Russian, Iranian and Iranian-allied forces in a now 13-year war against Syrian opposition forces seeking his overthrow. The U.S., which cut relations with Assad's government and imposed sanctions over his conduct of the war, maintains about 900 troops in opposition-controlled northeast Syria, saying they are needed to block a resurgence of extremist groups. Gabbard, a Democratic member of Congress from Hawaii at the time of her Syria trip, drew heavy criticism for her meetings with a U.S. adversary and brutal leader. As the letter notes, her statements on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have aligned with Russian talking points, diverging from U.S. positions and policy. Gabbard, throughout her political career, has urged the U.S. to limit military engagement abroad other than combatting Islamic extremist groups. She has defended the Syria trip by saying it is necessary to engage with U.S. enemies. In postings on social media earlier this year, she confirmed that the U.S. had for a time placed her "on a secret terror watch list" as a "potential domestic terror threat." She blamed political retaliation. Neither she nor U.S. authorities have publicly detailed the circumstances involved. Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for Gabbard with the Trump team, called the letter sent to the Senate leaders "a perfect example" of why Trump chose Gabbard for this position. "These unfounded attacks are from the same geniuses who have blood on their hands from decades of faulty 'intelligence,'" and use classified government information as a "partisan weapon to smear and imply things about their political enemy," Henning said. A spokesperson for Thune did not immediately respond to questions about the request.

Health equity stressed to achieve SDGsClippers’ Amir Coffey finding himself in spotlight more oftenSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Leaks: From Price To Battery & Camera, Here's All You Need To KnowUS President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance. "In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues," Trump's legal team wrote, to give him "the opportunity to pursue a political resolution." Trump was fiercely opposed to TikTok during his 2017-21 first term, and tried in vain to ban the video app on national security grounds. The Republican voiced concerns -- echoed by political rivals -- that the Chinese government might tap into US TikTok users' data or manipulate what they see on the platform. US officials had also voiced alarm over the popularity of the video-sharing app with young people, alleging that its parent company is subservient to Beijing and that the app is used to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and the Chinese government. Trump called for a US company to buy TikTok, with the government sharing in the sale price, and his successor Joe Biden went one stage further -- signing a law to ban the app for the same reasons. Trump has now, however, reversed course. "Now (that) I'm thinking about it, I'm for TikTok, because you need competition," he recently told Bloomberg. "If you don't have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram -- and that's, you know, that's Zuckerberg." Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg and part of his Meta tech empire, was among the social media networks that banned Trump after attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The ban was driven by concerns that he would use the platform to promote more violence. Those bans on major social media platforms were later lifted. In the brief filed on Friday, Trump's lawyer made it clear the president-elect did not take a position on the legal merits of the current case. "President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute," John Sauer wrote in the amicus curiae -- or "friend of the court" -- brief. "Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump's incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case." ft/aha

But the City boss has vowed to stay on and lift the club back to the top even if they are sent all the way down to the National League. Guardiola ended speculation over his immediate future this week by extending his contract, which had been due to expire at the end of the season, through to the summer of 2027. That has given the club some stability at a time of great uncertainty as they fight 115 charges related to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations. City have denied all wrongdoing but their punishment if found guilty could be severe, with demotion even a possibility. Guardiola has strongly defended the club in the past and is happy to continue doing so. The Spaniard said: “I don’t enjoy it, I prefer not to be in that position, but once it’s there I love it because, when you believe in your club, and the people there – I believe what they say to me and the reasons why. “I cannot say yet because we’re awaiting the sentence in February or March – I don’t know when – but at the same time, I like it. “I read something about the situation and how you need to be relegated immediately. Seventy-five per cent of the clubs want it, because I know what they do behind the scenes and this sort of stuff. “I said when all the clubs accused us of doing something wrong, (and people asked) what happens if we are relegated, (I said) I will be here. “Next year, I don’t know the position of the Conference they are going to (put) us, (but) we are going to come up and come up and come back to the Premier League. I knew it then and I feel it now.” The immediate priority for Guardiola, who said his contract negotiations were completed in “just two hours”, is to arrest a run of four successive defeats in all competitions. Yet, ahead of their return to action against Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the champions continue to grapple with a lengthy injury list. Mateo Kovacic is their latest casualty after sustaining a knock on international duty that could keep him out for up to a month. On the positive side, defenders Nathan Ake, John Stones and Manuel Akanji could feature and Jack Grealish is also closing in on a return after a month out. Much to Guardiola’s frustration, Grealish was called up by England for their recent Nations League games, although he later withdrew. Guardiola said: “I want the best for Jack and I want the best for Jack with the national team but the doctor said to me that he was not ready to play. “I know (England) want him but they have 200 players to select from and Jack was not fit. He had to recover from many things.” Kyle Walker played for England against both Greece and the Republic of Ireland despite limited game time since suffering injury in the October international break. Guardiola said: “If he is fit I like him to play in the national team. It is not a problem, don’t misunderstand me. “Kyle has a dream to make 100 caps for the national team. Do I want to cancel this dream? Absolutely not. “But if you are not fit, if you cannot play here, you cannot play for the national team. It is quite obvious.”

NoneGeorgia turns to backup Stockton to face Notre DameTrump calls for immediate Ukraine ceasefire, Kyiv and Moscow cite conditions “I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. World is waiting!” says Trump PARIS: US President-elect Donald Trump called on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end “the madness”, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy and the Kremlin to list their conditions. Trump made his comments just hours after meeting Zelenskiy in Paris for their first face-to-face talks since Trump won last month’s U.S. election. Trump has vowed to bring about a negotiated end to the conflict, but so far has not provided details. “Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, adding that Kyiv had lost some 400,000 soldiers. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.” “I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!” Trump added, referring to Russian President Putin. Trump, in Paris for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, sat down with Zelenskiy on Saturday for about an hour, along with host President Emmanuel Macron. Trump and Zelenskiy shook hands and smiled, but it was unclear how the conversation had gone. Accounts of the talks from the French and Ukrainian sides said only that the discussions had been good and productive. Zelenskiy reacted to Trump’s message on Sunday saying peace was not just a piece of paper, but needed guarantees. “When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first and foremost talk about effective guarantees for peace. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else,” he said on X. “It (the war) cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures. A ceasefire without guarantees can be reignited at any moment, as Putin has already done before. To ensure that Ukrainians no longer suffer losses, we must guarantee the reliability of peace and not turn a blind eye to occupation.”

LOS ANGELES — Top-ranked South Carolina felt something it hasn't known in over 2 1/2 years. The sting of defeat after being thoroughly dominated in a 77-62 loss to No. 5 UCLA on Sunday. Gone was the overall 43-game winning streak. Done was the run of 33 consecutive road victories. And the No. 1 ranking it's held for 23 consecutive polls will disappear Monday. "This is what we usually do to teams," coach Dawn Staley said. "We were on the receiving end of it." South Carolina hadn't lost since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat the Gamecocks in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins (5-0) shot 47% from the floor and 3-point range, hit 11 of 14 free throws and had five players in double figures. "They actually executed our game plan to a T," Staley said. The Gamecocks (5-1) were held to 36% shooting, had just two players in double figures and neither was leading scorer Chloe Kitts, who was held to 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. They never led, got beat on the boards, 41-34, and were outscored 26-18 in the paint and 8-1 in fast break points. They only made eight trips to the free throw line. "Our kids fought," Staley said, "but we ran into a buzzsaw." South Carolina did manage to limit 6-foot-7 UCLA star Lauren Betts, who had 11 points and 14 rebounds, despite no longer having a dominant center of their own. The Bruins responded by getting the ball to others and eight of their 10 players scored. "We did an excellent job on Betts and we got killed by everyone else," Staley said. Tessa Johnson was the only other Gamecock in double figures with 14. "We needed a lot more than Tessa today," Staley said. The Gamecocks never got their offense in gear, starting the game 0 for 9 before trailing 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. They were down 43-22 at halftime. "Our shot selection is something we're dealing with on a daily basis," Staley said. The Gamecocks outscored UCLA 40-34 in the second half, but the Bruins' big early lead easily held up. "Beautiful basketball by UCLA," Staley said. "You can't help but to love up on it cause it was fluid on both sides of the ball." Given that it's only late November, the Gamecocks have plenty of time to figure things out. "We had some really good contributions from people that don't play a whole lot and we could probably give a little bit more minutes to," Staley said. "Taking a loss will help us focus on anybody that we play." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Player Misses $40,000 Win After Disney DisasterMarket focus shifts to macroeconomic indicators and FII inflows as key triggers remain absent‘Mera paani utarta dekh, mere kinare par ghar mat basaa lena. Main samandar hoon, laut kar wapas aaunga’ (Don’t settle on my banks, thinking my water has receded. I am an ocean. I will return) In 2019, after failing to form the government in Maharashtra after a split with Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis quoted this couplet on the floor of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The BJP was the single largest party then. After failed attempts to form a government, the BJP sat in Opposition for two and a half years. Uddhav Thackeray had joined hands with Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, accusing Mr. Fadnavis and Amit Shah of backstabbing him and of going back on their word. The acrimony between Mr. Fadnavis and Uddhav continues till date in Maharashtra politics. In 2022, after a split in the Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, which Uddhav blamed on Mr. Fadnavis, the BJP returned to power in Maharashtra. Some time later, the NCP split as well, with the Ajit Pawar-led faction joining the BJP-Sena combine. It was a peculiar situation where different factions of the Shiv Sena and the NCP, locked in a bitter battle over their claims to be the true party, were part of the government and the opposition at the same time. The opposition factions of both parties blamed Mr. Fadnavis and the central leadership of the BJP for their “divisive politics” and accused Mr. Fadnavis of devising the split. Today, as his couplet goes viral on the Internet due to the landslide victory of the Mahayuti alliance in which the BJP has performed impressively well with a strike rate of almost 90%, the focus is back on Mr. Fadnavis, or ‘Deva bhau’ as the BJP campaign had branded him in September, ostensibly to negate the references to caste politics, where the Maratha-dominated political landscape had chosen to pick on his Brahmin identity. Throughout the campaign during this election, his rivals contemptuously referred to Mr. Fadnavis as Annaji Pant, a controversial figure in Maratha history, who is considered a ‘traitor’ by many for conspiring against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son Chhatrapati Sambhaji, trying to get him killed. Today, Mr. Fadnavis is being seen as the sculptor of the BJP’s victory in Maharashtra. But during the Lok Sabha election earlier this year, the party had won only nine of the 28 seats it contested in the State. “I take complete responsibility for the performance of the party in Maharashtra. I request the central leadership to please free me of the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Minister. I want to dedicate myself for strengthening the party organisation,” Mr. Fadnavis said then in a press conference in Mumbai, creating a flutter at the national level. Five months later, in the Assembly election, the BJP contested 148 seats and won 132 of them. Early career In his political career which started at a very young age, he has earned several distinctions. Coming from a humble background in Nagpur, Mr. Fadnavis belonged to a family which had firm affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Jan Sangh. His father Gangadhar Fadnavis was a member of the Legislative Council, and was affiliated with the Jan Sangh. Mr. Fadnavis joined the RSS at a very young age. He started his political journey in his student days by joining the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a right wing students’ association linked with the RSS. He became the youngest Mayor of Nagpur city at the age of 27 years. He is the second youngest Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the second youngest Mayor in the history of the country, and one of the only two Chief Ministers to complete a full term of five years in the State. His supporters claim that his leadership transformed Nagpur, the karmabhoomi of both Mr. Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The Opposition, on the other side, has claimed that Mr. Fadnavis failed to develop Nagpur, and that the crime rate has increased in the city. Resurgence His current resurgence is being seen as a testimony to his grit, perseverance, resilience, strategic thinking and adaptability. His supporters say he has taken the responsibility of the party’s performance, burnt many bridges in the party’s interest, put a lot at stake for strengthening the party organisation, and devised strategies to weaken the opposition. His detractors say Mr. Fadnavis has not let any other leadership centres emerge, and that he has shown a vindictive nature. In 2019, after his claim that he will return to power (‘Mi punha yein’ poem was trolled on the social media for years thereafter), there were speculations on whether his importance within the party had diminished. After the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022, when Eknath Shinde joined hands with the BJP, many of Mr. Fadnavis’s supporters expected that his name would be announced as the Chief Minister. Instead, Mr. Fadnavis himself made the announcement that Mr. Shinde would be the Chief Minister and that though he wanted to stay out of power, he would take up the position of the Deputy Chief Minister due to the party’s directions. It was considered a step-down. “What has he not done for the party? He was the mastermind. The Sena leaders trusted him when they took this step,” a BJP leader told this correspondent at the time of the government formation in 2022, indicating that Mr. Fadnavis was ‘not rewarded despite his master stroke’. As a politician, he is extremely guarded and careful about the perception created about him. Several of his political opponents refer to him as simultaneously meritorious and insecure, someone who doesn’t take very kindly to competition. Unlike many senior politicians in Maharashtra’s political ecosystem, he isn’t known as someone who openly discusses his thoughts and plans. He is also someone who is seen to have climbed the ladder quite fast. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had thanked Nagpur for “giving the gift of Devendra Fadnavis”. In 2024, after the State Assembly victory, Mr. Modi referred to him as ‘param-mitra’ (eternal friend). Proximity to RSS Hailing from Nagpur, Mr. Fadnavis has always shared proximity with the RSS. As a karyakarta, a swayamsevak, he was involved in several campaigns of the RSS. “On all the parameters of ‘swayamsevakatva’, he completely fulfils them. From Kashmir to Ayodhya, he has participated in many campaigns. He has shown the same austerity. He is a composite and ideal politician, who has established himself on merit,” someone close to the Sangh said. “But when a political party grows, it has several considerations beyond individual aspirations. It has a plan for 25 years ahead. So one should not look at it as a preference for or against a leader. But a vision for the party. That is how larger decisions are taken. It may not have a bearing on an individual leader,” said another leader. Published - December 01, 2024 01:04 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 / Maharashtra / Bharatiya Janata Party / alliances and coalition / The Hindu Explains / The Hindu Profiles

Forget presents, turkeys and trees, all we want for Christmas is the Doctor Who Christmas special ! Luckily, Joy to the World isn't far away now and, thanks to teasers and tidbits from writer Steven Moffat and showrunner Russell T Davies, as well as the full cast list , which has now been unveiled, we can guess and speculate about what's set to happen (to make it clear - we haven't seen the episode yet, so these are all theories). The episode will follow the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and a new character named Joy (played by Nicola Coughlan ) as they encounter a hotel chain that has capitalised on time travel to sell stays throughout history. There's a Silurian, there's a dinosaur, and there's a character named after a Bond girl. What's not to love? For now, here are some theories about what could happen in the Doctor Who Christmas special this year. Set-up of a Villengard arc in season 15? What do we know so far? There's a suitcase in the Christmas special that has something to do with the corporation Villengard. Throughout Moffat's episodes in particular, Villengard has grown in importance from a casual mention to an all-out evil in the universe, so perhaps this is the beginning of Villengard being a big bad in season 15. It certainly doesn't seem outside the realms of possibility. While Joy to the World will surely have its own self-contained story, Doctor Who Christmas specials (including the Church on Ruby Road) have often set up new mysteries and arcs - most prominently, the ongoing mystery of Mrs Flood's (Anita Dobson) identity after she first appeared in last year's Christmas special. Villengard seems like an ideal way to do that. If that does happen, we'd expect Moffat to be back to write one or more episodes in season 15 since Villengard is his beast. Although he's claimed Joy to the World could be his last episode, it's always worth taking claims like this with a pinch of salt. Maybe we'll see him back sooner than we think. A Bond connection? When looking at the confirmed character list, James Bond fans might notice a recognisable name - Sylvia Trench, played by Niamh Marie Smith. Sylvia Trench was the first Bond girl to be introduced to the hit film franchise. Originally played by Eunice Gayson, Trench appeared in the first two Bond films, Dr No and From Russia with Love, alongside Sean Connery. So, could a Bond character or a version of her appear in a Doctor Who Christmas special? Or even just a tribute to her? Doctor Who has definitely paid homage to Bond before, not least with the Jodie Whittaker story Spyfall, but this could bring it to a new level. We also know that writer Moffat is a big Bond fan, and even previously devised a 007 movie idea with fellow writer Mark Gatiss. Interesting, very interesting. A new recurring character? There's certainly precedent for a Doctor Who to introduce new recurring characters at Christmas - perhaps you could even call it a tradition. From Catherine Tate's Donna Noble to Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday, Christmas is a great time to allow audiences to fall in love with a new returning character. But we're not talking about Nicola Coughlan's Joy here. We've got our eye on Jonathan Aris's character, a Silurian hotel manager who has appeared prominently in teasers and first looks. With Doctor Who's next spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, set to focus on the Sea Devils/Silurians, could we see more of him in future? Parallel and alternate universes? The synopsis of the Christmas special says that the Doctor will have to "save Christmas, everywhere, all at once", suggesting the Time Lord might have to step outside his universe to save all of humanity... everywhere. It wouldn't be the first time a Doctor has dealt with parallel universes, and if there's one thing Moffat is keen on, it's a bit of wibbly-wobbly, time-wimey madness. Oh, there's also the little clue that Disney Plus recently gave us about the show's title. In artwork unveiled by Disney Plus to coincide with Doctor Who Day, the title is instead printed as Joy to the Worlds. While fans initially assumed that the plural 'Worlds' was an error, the Disney Doctor Who social media account replied to comments to indicate that something else is afoot. Mrs Flood? No, she's not on the cast list, but that doesn't mean a surprise appearance from Mrs Flood is definitely ruled out. After she made her first appearance in The Church on Ruby Road, last year's Christmas special, and rocking a fur coat that wouldn't be out of place in an East 17 music video, could she be back to disrupt Christmas this year? Death?! This might be a bit of a mad and morbid one, but there's always room for a bit of tragedy on TV at Christmas - just look at the soaps! The more melodramatic of us Doctor Who fans have been calling out for a bit more mortal danger in recent years, and perhaps Moffat, king of breaking Whovian hearts, will be the man to do it. Never forget Kylie Minogue's incredible death scene in Voyage of the Damned, as Astrid plunged to her death to save the Doctor. Moffat has already teased that Coughlan is set to give us a "devastating" turn as Joy in Joy to the World - so perhaps we should be fearing for her life. Merry Christmas, one and all! Doctor Who: Joy to the World will air on Wednesday 25th December on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 5:10pm. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer . Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast .