panaloko.con

panaloko.con DHAKA — Squeezing rubber-covered robotic prosthetic hands, Bangladesh protesters wounded during the deadly revolution to topple autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina tested replacement arms for their lost limbs. "I'll be able to do some everyday tasks with this artificial hand," said student Hafeez Mohammad Hossain, 19, whose right hand was ripped off in gunfire on Aug. 5. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.Unretired two-time Pro Bowl LB Shaquil Barrett signs to resume career with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Flight Simulator 2024's first hotfix targets multiple crashing issues, missing cursor

Amie Just: Could the Big 12 be left out of CFP? And, is Ohio State better than Oregon?3 US senators urge Biden administration to protect immigrants before Trump takes office

NoneTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett is rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs signed the two-time Super Bowl champion on Saturday, while also announcing safety Jordan Whitehead was activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers. Barrett spent five seasons with Tampa Bay from 2019 to 2023. He led the NFL with a franchise-record 19 1-2 sacks in his first year with the Bucs, then helped the team win its second Super Bowl title the following season. In all, Barrett started 70 games with Tampa Bay, amassing 45 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He was released last winter in a salary cap move, signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, then abruptly announced his retirement on social media before the start of training camp in July. Barrett, who also won a Super Bowl during a four-season stint with the Denver Broncos, decided to unretire last month. He signed with the Bucs after clearing waivers earlier in the week. Whitehead has missed the past four games with a pectoral injury. His return comes of the heels of the Bucs placing safety Christian Izien on IR with a pectoral injury. On Saturday, the Bucs also activated rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson from IR and elevated punter Jack Browning to the active roster from the practice squad. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflHouse leaders on Sara’s claims: Desperate lies

Couchbase Announces New Employee Inducement GrantsA late-game rally derailed by a missed field goal and Cowboys stun Commanders 34-26MEMBERS of the House of Representatives on Sunday emphasized the seriousness of Vice President Sara Duterte’s statements as they demanded an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the disturbing assassination threat against President Marcos, his wife Liza and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. They said that such an act would not only be a horrifying crime but also represent a profound betrayal of trust and duty by the second highest government official. Duterte told a news conference that she had spoken to an assassin and instructed him to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were to be killed. Duterte’s controversial remarks came in response to comments urging her to “stay safe” during her visit to the House of Representatives. Duterte had gone to the House premises following the detention of her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, who had refused to answer questions regarding the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s watch as Education secretary. “The gravity of these statements cannot be overstated. A kill-order on the President is not only a heinous crime but also a betrayal of the highest order—one that shakes the very foundation of our democratic institutions,” said Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. “The Vice President, as the next in line to the Presidency, is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the Constitution, not undermining it,” Gonzales, who represents Pampanga, said. House Majority Leader Manuel Jose M. Dalipe urged authorities to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the alleged plot. “The people deserve to know the full extent of this plot, including any potential abuse of power or betrayal of public trust. The integrity of our democracy demands nothing less,” Dalipe, who represents Zamboanga City, said. “The Vice President’s role as a constitutional successor makes this case extraordinarily sensitive. It is essential that we send a clear message that no one, regardless of position, is above the law,” Dalipe said. Highlighting the potential risks to the nation, Deputy Speaker David Suarez warned of the broader implications of such an alleged plot. “This situation transcends politics—it is about the survival of our democracy, the preservation of public trust, and the safety and stability of our nation. Any individual, no matter how high their rank, must be held accountable for actions that threaten the integrity of our government,” Suarez, who represents Quezon, said. Thanks “Conspiring with an assassin to target the President is a serious crime,” he pointed out. The House leaders said their institution is prepared to work with law enforcement agencies and ensure full transparency in addressing the assassination plot against the President. Should evidence point to the Vice President’s culpability, the leader assured the public that the House would fulfill its constitutional mandate to uphold accountability and justice. “We owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that the truth comes out and that the rule of law prevails,” Gonzales said. “This is not just about justice—it is about defending the very soul of our democracy,” he stressed. Deeply concerning SENATE President Francis Escudero said over the weekend that he found Duterte’s statements “deeply concerning as “they are inappropriate for an official occupying the second highest office of the land.” Escudero gave this piece of advice: “She [Duterte] should keep in mind that as a public official, she has a duty to set an example for the personnel in the Office of the Vice President and our fellow Filipinos, especially our children.” “The Vice President and her allies must also consider how her actions have contributed to rising tensions. I call on all parties involved to de-escalate the situation to prevent further harm to the safety, health, and well-being of everyone involved.”he added. Moreover, he “urge those who are close to her—those who truly care about her as a person and as a leader—to advise her to refrain from making “these indecorous and possibly criminal statements in public. These do not benefit the Vice President, her office, or our country.” Troubling statements THE implied admission by the Vice President of having access to a hitman has sent shockwaves across the nation, raising grave concerns about the erosion of democratic principles and the potential misuse of power, House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong said. “The mere suggestion of such a capability reflects a dangerous normalization of extrajudicial means to address personal or political grievances,” said Adiong, who represents Lanao del Sur. “This is not just a matter of rhetoric—it touches the core of our democratic values and the rule of law. Public officials are expected to uphold justice, fairness, and the Constitution, not to insinuate access to violence as a means of retribution.” Adiong emphasized that this revelation demands urgent action to ensure no public official wields influence or power that operates outside the bounds of the law. “Our democracy cannot and should not tolerate even the suggestion of extrajudicial solutions to conflicts. The public deserves leaders who uphold justice, not those who imply access to violence as a solution. Alarming,” he said. ‘Heed your father’s advice’ THE Vice President should heed the advice of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who had urged her “to get out of politics” as soon as possible, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said on Sunday. “We strongly urge the Vice President to listen to her father’s counsel for her to step away from politics before it’s too late,” Libanan, a 4Ps party-list representative, said in a statement. “She is clearly unlike her father. It would appear that she makes crucial judgments and issues utterly reckless pronouncements without any preparation or thoughtful consideration,” Libanan added. “The Vice President lacks both the gumption and the grace required of a national leader,” Libanan added. Earlier this month, the former President had called on his daughter, who has had a falling out with Marcos, to get out of politics. Butch Fernandez is BusinessMirror’s senior political reporter based at the Senate. He has covered Malacañang (3 presidencies), the Office of the Vice President, the Senate, local governments and defense since 1984. Jovee Marie Dela Cruz covers the House of Representatives for the BusinessMirror . Her beat may be political by nature, but most of her stories revolve around measures affecting the country's fiscal structure, economic standing and business climate. She earned her master's degree in communication from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and obtained her political science degree from the Universidad de Manila.

The Gunners delivered the statement Champions League victory their manager had demanded to bounce back from a narrow defeat at Inter Milan last time out. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track, lifting them to seventh place with 10 points in the new-look 36-team table. It was Arsenal’s biggest away win in the Champions League since beating Inter by the same scoreline in 2003. “For sure, especially against opposition we played at their home who have not lost a game in 18 months – they have been in top form here – so to play with the level, the determination, the purpose and the fluidity we showed today, I am very pleased,” said Arteta. “The team played with so much courage, because they are so good. When I’m watching them live they are so good! They were all exceptional today. It was a big performance, a big win and we are really happy. “The performance was there a few times when we have played big teams. That’s the level that we have to be able to cope and you have to make it happen, and that creates belief.” A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners took the lead after only seven minutes when Martinelli tucked in Jurrien Timber’s cross, and Saka teed up Havertz for a tap-in to double the advantage. Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Declan Rice’s corner into the back of the net. To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Viktor Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after David Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved. A miserable night for prolific Sporting striker Gyokeres was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.

NoneDuke Energy ( NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report ) had its price objective reduced by Morgan Stanley from $122.00 to $118.00 in a research note issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 2.88% from the stock’s current price. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $110.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Mizuho raised Duke Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $116.00 to $121.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $104.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $121.69. View Our Latest Stock Report on Duke Energy Duke Energy Stock Down 0.1 % Duke Energy ( NYSE:DUK – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.06 billion. Duke Energy had a net margin of 14.31% and a return on equity of 9.34%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.94 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Duke Energy will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of Duke Energy A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of DUK. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 69.6% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in Duke Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the first quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the company’s stock. Duke Energy Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Duke Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Duke Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that Russian air defenses shot down the plane while attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference Saturday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner "repeatedly" attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace." The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that "relevant services" from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while attempting to land. There were 29 survivors. According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev's press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," though he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses. Part of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane lies on the ground Thursday near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Aliyev noted the plane had holes in its fuselage and the occupants sustained injuries "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight." He said that a team of international experts began a probe of the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny. On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. U.S. President Joe Biden, responding Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: "Apparently he did but I haven't spoken to him." Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. Yadrov said after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau. People attend a funeral Saturday for Mahammadali Eganov, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's airport of Aktau at the age of 13, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier this past week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board. In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed "physical and technical interference" and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didn't say where the interference came from or provide any further details. If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. Russia denied responsibility but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base. The grave of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport, is seen Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities. Several other airlines made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month. Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian country's flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this past week, Israel's El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

"But if history teaches anything, it teaches that simpleminded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly. It means the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom... So, in your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride – the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and labelling both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire." These fateful words were spoken over 30 years ago by the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan , to the National Association of Evangelicals. The then-White House leader urged his countrymen and the rest of the world not to distance themselves from the Western world's arms race with the Soviet Union, viewing such an approach as a betrayal in the global conflict between good and evil. Less than ten years after these words were uttered, the Soviet Union fell apart. But in all the years that have passed since then, a painful yearning for its past geopolitical "glory" has continued to be felt in the Kremlin’s corridors of power. Moscow has regularly meddled in the affairs of its neighbours, including Transnistria, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Nagorno-Karabakh. No conclusions have been drawn from any of these conflicts or the Russian Federation's role in them. For a long time, Western countries have either closed their eyes to the Kremlin's actions, or attempted to appease the aggressor by launching the infamous "reset" (an attempt by the Obama administration to improve relations between the United States and Russia in 2009-2013). The West's toothless policy encouraged Russia to go further. The Kremlin expanded its spheres of influence – intervening in African crises, trading with tyrants, going to war with Georgia, annexing Crimea, and infiltrating Syria. Receiving no proper response from the civilised world, Moscow decided to launch a full-scale war on Ukraine. But while the USSR was seen as a self-sufficient "empire" 30 years ago, its successor lacks the resources to manage a lengthy war of attrition in modern times. To keep up the necessary pace of hostilities, its allies have come directly or indirectly to its aid, creating a modern-day "Axis of Evil". In this article, Ukrainska Pravda looks at which countries are helping Russia carry out its terror against Ukraine and to what extent, and considers why the role of these collaborators should not be overlooked – because the suffering in Ukraine is enabling them to make money, test their weapons, and reap political benefits. It’s far from the weightiest or most powerful geopolitical player on the scene, but let’s begin with Russia’s nearest northern neighbour. After all, it was via Belarus that Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Despite all the talk about Moscow merely exploiting Minsk to its advantage, self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko benefits directly from the fighting in Ukraine. In 1991, Belarus inherited a dozen design engineering departments and a lot of prospective defence firms. Most of them have an inbuilt fatal flaw: they almost never manufacture an end product, instead servicing Russian factories. Instead of seeking out new markets, Lukashenko embraced a simpler approach as far back as the 2000s: he began to boost cooperation with Russia's defence sector. Unlike Ukraine, Belarus had not gone through a political "divorce" with Russia and had therefore continued to strengthen military and technical cooperation with the country. In 2013, Belarusian firms competed for state orders from the Russian army on an equal footing with Russian ones. The Kremlin cash enabled the Belarusian government to keep most of its inherited military factories afloat. Today, these companies openly market their weapons to authoritarian governments in the Global South, but their reliance on Russia remains vital. These Belarusian factories would go bankrupt without the Russian market, so it’s no surprise that they now service the Russian army. And due to the impact of Western sanctions, military procurement orders from Moscow are keeping the Belarusian economy running. Researchers don’t have accurate data on weapons sales to Russia, since trade between the two countries is conducted in roubles . However, according to claims made by Belarusian officials, before 2022, Belarus used to supply Russia with military products worth US$250-300 million per year. That figure has now increased dramatically. Belarusian industries manufacture optics, units, components, or specific systems that are integrated with Russian tanks, planes, missile systems and so on. Some companies received so many orders that they planned to expand their production area in 2022. One of the most valuable items for the Russians is chassis. For example, the MZKT plant in Minsk makes vehicles for almost all the most costly Russian weapons: Topol-M, Yars and Iskander missile systems, S-400, S-500 and RSSO Uragan-1M anti-aircraft missile systems, and so on. The MAZ plant produces chassis for S-300 anti-aircraft systems and Smerch multiple-launch missile systems, while MTZ makes tracked chassis for Tunguska and Tor anti-aircraft systems. Equally vital is the supply of thermal imaging sights and electronics from the Belarusian company Peleng. The Russians utilise these to upgrade T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and air defence systems. Without Belarusian optics, these military vehicles would be "blind". According to an investigation by BelPol, Russia ordered around 1,500 such components in 2022 alone and they have helped supply hundreds of Russian regiments with modern armoured vehicles. Peleng is now submitting commercial proposals for a far larger quantity. Integral, a Belarusian company that develops microcircuits for strategic missiles, is now establishing a new plant in Russia. Another company, Ekran, manufactures onboard equipment for Russian MiG-29, Su-27, Su-30 and Su-33 fighter jets. According to Ukraine's Defence Intelligence , the 558th Aviation Repair Plant in Baranavichy assists the Russians in maintaining their MiG-29 fighter jets. An investigation by Liga.net revealed that the company also repairs Russian military helicopters. And this is far from an exhaustive list of the military goods and services Belarus is providing. Minsk also offers Moscow some of its mothballed armoured vehicles and munitions, which have been in storage since Soviet times. The movement of trains carrying military equipment is occasionally reported by the monitoring group Belaruski Hajun , who say Belarus sent 211 armoured vehicles to Russia in October 2022. The military-technical cooperation between Russia and Belarus goes both ways. Lukashenko imports practically all of his armaments from Russia, and his northern neighbour has promised to base nuclear warheads in Belarus and supply Oreshnik missile systems. This ensures that Belarus will continue to supply weapons until either Putin's dictatorship or Lukashenko's regime comes to an end. Few countries can offer Russia not only production capacity at their defence plants, but also their own technology and experience. Iran can, and it has become a key partner for Russia. In 2022, the Russians tested Iranian-made Shahed-131/136 kamikaze drones against Ukrainians. Russia had no mass-produced drones in this particular niche at the time, so it signed an agreement to purchase this technology in order to manufacture them domestically. Full adaptation would take time, and Russia already had plans to bomb Ukraine's energy industry, so the Kremlin decided to purchase 6,000 ready-made drone kits from Iran right away. Although the Kremlin is now creating its own long-range kamikaze drones, Iranian factories continue to supply the Russian army. Moscow is particularly interested in Iran's munitions facilities and large-scale weapons depots. Tehran has Soviet-calibre artillery, so its manufacturers produce 152mm and 122mm shells, 120mm mortar bombs, and Grad multiple-launch rocket systems. Ukraine Weapons Tracker has regularly documented the Russians’ use of Iranian ammo developed between 2022 and 2023. According to The Wall Street Journal , Iran agreed last year to supply Russia with 300,000 artillery shells. Russian pro-war bloggers have confirmed that the appropriate agreements between Russia and Iran are in place. There are increasing signs that Russia and Iran will not stop there and will continue to deepen their military and technical cooperation targeting Ukraine. In May, an Iranian-made Mohajer-6 strike drone equipped with Qaem air-to-ground bombs was observed crashing in Russia's Kursk Oblast , where Ukrainian forces are carrying out operations. There have also been more and more frequent reports of Iranian-made Fath-360 ballistic missiles being delivered to Russia . So far, however, these missiles have not been deployed against Ukraine, so perhaps the deal has yet to be finalised. Russia and Iran rely heavily on one another, with both nations subject to thousands of Western sanctions. They regularly swap strategies at joint business forums and share networks to bypass these restrictions and keep their regimes going. One example of Russia and Iran working together to bypass sanctions is in civil aviation. In 2023, the Russian carrier Aeroflot, which is cut off from certified service centres due to Western restrictions, sent an Airbus A330 to Iran for repairs. There are also larger, global initiatives at play. A Bloomberg study revealed that Tehran and Moscow are investing billions of dollars in developing a network of land and sea trade routes connecting with Middle Eastern and Asian countries. These routes are said to be fully insulated from the effects of sanctions. Their shared challenges, common adversaries, and multi-billion-dollar anti-Western projects provide strong incentives for Russia and Iran to support and safeguard one another, further strengthening their military and technical cooperation. Moscow and Tehran have long been allies in supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. However, that did not help Assad stay in power , a fact that may prompt both countries to reassess their cooperation and consider strengthening their ties. Russia requires a substantial supply of ammunition to sustain its intensive military operations in Ukraine. Although there is a widespread belief that Moscow still has significant Soviet-era stockpiles, it is becoming increasingly evident that this is not entirely the case. Pyongyang has become the Kremlin's primary partner in addressing this issue. Kim Jong Un's armed forces have long maintained a strong artillery capability and thus have vast stockpiles of shells, built up over decades of preparing for war with their southern neighbour. According to Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, as of November, North Korea had supplied Russia with five million rounds of ammunition. However, it remains uncertain how useful this stockpile is since many of the shells are of dubious quality, with some having been stored in North Korean warehouses since the 1960s. Earlier, Ukrainian intelligence noted that half the rounds were non-functional, while others required restoration at Russian factories. Russian milbloggers have repeatedly complained of major problems with the powder charges. Since 2023, North Korea has primarily supplied Russia with ammunition, but it has now evolved into Moscow's most engaged ally in the war against Ukraine. As of the winter of 2024, Kim Jong Un has been sending Putin not only millions of shells, but also military equipment, missiles, and even troops. Since early 2024, Pyongyang has been supplying Russia with its KN-23 ballistic missiles, which are similar to the Russian-made Iskanders. However, some of these missiles are reportedly faulty . There have been reports throughout the year of Korean military equipment being spotted in Russia, including 170mm M1989 Koksan artillery systems, M-1991 multiple-launch rocket systems, and Bulsae-4 anti-tank combat vehicles. The real wake-up call, however, came with the arrival of North Korean military personnel in Russia. Ukrainian intelligence puts the number at over 7,000 troops. When this move by Pyongyang is viewed from a historical perspective, we are reminded that the number of times Asian armies have taken part in European wars can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Since the Mongol invasions of the 1220s-1240s, Asian nations, with few exceptions, have been reluctant to send troops to Europe. Even during World War II, Japan, despite being an active participant, did not engage directly in the European theatre of operations. The close partnership between Russia and North Korea has been made possible thanks to a strategic agreement – essentially a military alliance. Should a "threat of invasion" arise, both parties are committed to holding consultations, and in the event of an "attack", they pledge to send assistance by all available means. Clearly, such cooperation is advantageous for Kim Jong Un. In addition to providing guarantees of protection from the foe to the south, Russia may share a range of military and nuclear technologies with Pyongyang. For instance, North Korea has recently been testing kamikaze drones that bear a striking resemblance to Russian-made Lancets. To avoid the latest round of Western sanctions, the Chinese government has officially declared that it will not help Putin in the war against Ukraine. At first glance, it is indeed quite a challenge to find traces of China’s presence in the war in Ukraine, unless you count the supply of small dual-use reconnaissance drones and electronic components for them. These have, however, been documented as having been used by both Russia and Ukraine. Nevertheless, China is a lifeline for Russia, as the vast scale of its industry and economy enables the Kremlin to generate revenue from the Chinese market, mostly through Beijing's purchases of Russian natural resources that are sanctioned in Europe. In return, Russia gains access to essential materials and machinery from China for its defence industry. Contrary to numerous clickbait headlines along the lines of "China has abandoned Russia", Beijing is in fact gradually increasing its involvement in the war against Ukraine. For example, according to Bloomberg , Chinese companies are supplying Russia with images from reconnaissance satellites. Meanwhile, Reuters has reported that Russia is developing long-range drones in China. Some Chinese-made military equipment has also been spotted in the war zone in Ukraine. Militarnyi, a Ukrainian military news outlet, has reported that Russian forces are using Desertcross-1000-3 all-terrain vehicles and ZFB-05 armoured vehicles. At present, due to its extensive trade relations with Western countries, China cannot afford to openly support Russia with all means available. However, the anti-Western rhetoric common to both Xi Jinping and Putin, coupled with the potential for gaining access to Russian military technology , could promote further rapprochement between the two authoritarian regimes. Many countries assist Putin in the war because of their political proximity to or dependence on Russia. For instance, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan provide invaluable support for Russia’s ammunition production by supplying raw materials for gunpowder through Soviet-era logistics routes. Some partner states, such as Georgia, Armenia, and several Central Asian countries, are becoming key hubs for sanctions evasion and reselling vital Western-sourced equipment and spare parts to Russian factories. One striking example is Kyrgyzstan, which exported a staggering US$1.8 billion worth of goods to Russia in 2022-2023 – up from a mere US$600 million in 2020-2021. Russia also recruits mercenaries from developing countries to join the war effort or work in defence factories. Some countries, such as Nepal , take action against Russian recruiters, but others do nothing to prevent their citizens from being recruited. This is particularly true of African states that are friendly to Russia. In particular, the Ugandan and Ethiopian education ministries have been promoting Russia’s Alabuga Start programme, which recruits local people to work in the Russian city of Elabuga, where combat drones are manufactured. In Niger and Mali, which are loyal to Russia, the rate at which Africans are being recruited for the war against Ukraine has surged as local officials directly assist the Russians in finding mercenaries. Not all of the countries listed in this section can be considered fully paid-up members of the Axis of Evil, though they are certainly auxiliaries, given that their people are directly or indirectly involved in the killing of Ukrainians. *** Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s Western allies have agreed that the decision to end the war cannot be made without Ukraine. For a while, the belief that Russia, as the aggressor, must pay for the suffering it has caused Ukrainians seemed unshakable. However, with every passing year and each political cycle, democracies appear to be forgetting what they once insisted on. Meanwhile, the totalitarian states that have formed the core of the ever more apparent Axis of Evil continue to give Moscow their support. Nevertheless, the hope remains that a time will come when Russia will pay for its actions in full. Let’s hope that its allies will not be forgotten either. Bohdan Miroshnychenko, Yevhen Buderatskyi, Ukrainska Pravda Translation: Theodore Holmes and Artem Yakymyshyn Editing: Teresa PearceTransMedics to Host Investor & Analyst Day on December 10, 2024PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Fair Isaac Co. ( NYSE:FICO – Free Report ) by 15.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,901 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 381 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Fair Isaac were worth $5,638,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quent Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Fair Isaac by 11.4% during the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 234 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in Fair Isaac in the first quarter valued at about $109,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in Fair Isaac in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Fair Isaac in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in shares of Fair Isaac by 19.1% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 4,009 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $5,009,000 after purchasing an additional 644 shares in the last quarter. 85.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Fair Isaac Stock Up 0.7 % Shares of FICO stock opened at $2,355.35 on Friday. Fair Isaac Co. has a 12 month low of $1,061.96 and a 12 month high of $2,402.51. The firm has a market cap of $57.35 billion, a PE ratio of 115.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 1.35. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $2,055.62 and a 200-day moving average of $1,724.47. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Fair Isaac from $2,200.00 to $2,400.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on shares of Fair Isaac from $1,850.00 to $2,500.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $2,040.00 price objective on shares of Fair Isaac in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Fair Isaac from $2,130.00 to $2,374.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Fair Isaac from $2,150.00 to $2,350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Fair Isaac currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,964.92. Get Our Latest Analysis on FICO Insider Activity at Fair Isaac In other news, Director Joanna Rees sold 3,961 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,750.00, for a total transaction of $6,931,750.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, Director Henry Tayloe Stansbury sold 249 shares of Fair Isaac stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,338.55, for a total transaction of $582,298.95. Following the sale, the director now owns 92 shares in the company, valued at $215,146.60. This represents a 73.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 6,890 shares of company stock worth $13,780,452 in the last ninety days. 3.54% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Fair Isaac Profile ( Free Report ) Fair Isaac Corporation develops analytic, software, and digital decisioning technologies and services that enable businesses to automate, enhance, and connect decisions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Scores and Software. The Software segment provides pre-configured analytic and decision management solution designed for various business needs or processes, such as account origination, customer management, customer engagement, fraud detection, financial crimes compliance, and marketing, as well as associated professional services. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FICO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Fair Isaac Co. ( NYSE:FICO – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Fair Isaac Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fair Isaac and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

US actress Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, hostile work environment and embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation with claims of a targeted social media campaign. The legal complaint states that Baldoni, 40, hired crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, the same publicist who actor Johnny Depp is said to have hired during his high-profile defamation trial against Heard in 2022. In a statement given to NBC News, Aquaman star Heard said: “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, a lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on. “I saw this first-hand and up close. “It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.” Depp successfully sued ex-wife Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser. At the time, Heard said the jury’s verdict “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated”. Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni and the other named defendants, said Lively’s claims were “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious”, adding that the studio “made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film”. It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name, is about a woman’s pursuit of a loving and healthy relationship, with Lively playing lead character Lily Bloom and Baldoni as her love interest Ryle Kincaid amid a backdrop of domestic violence. After the legal action was filed, Hoover appeared to voice support for 37-year-old Lively, writing on her Instagram stories: “@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met. “Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. “Never change. Never wilt.” Hoover posted a link to a New York Times article titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine. Lively’s former cast members from the 2005 film The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel, also released a joint social media statement to defend their long-time friend. “As Blake’s friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation,” the statement said. “Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice.” They added: “We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment,” the statement continues. “We are inspired by our sister’s courage to stand up for herself and others.”Elisabeth Borne, only the second woman to serve as French prime minister, is making a surprise return to frontline politics as education minister less than a year after losing a job that she never wished to relinquish. An experienced technocrat known for her resilience who pushed through a controversial pensions overhaul while in office, Borne served as premier from May 2022 to January 2024. The 63-year-old engineer was the first woman to head a French government in three decades after the brief stint in office of Edith Cresson who lasted under 11 months in the early 1990s, during which time she endured rampant sexism. When Borne took power, she dedicated the moment to "all the little girls". "Follow your dreams, nothing must slow the fight for women's place in our society," she said. But her departure after just over 18 months left her denouncing the "insidious sexism" that she said still permeated French politics. At President Emmanuel Macron's request, she resigned in January and was replaced by the then 34-year-old Gabriel Attal, who became France's youngest head of government but he only lasted to the summer. Borne said after her resignation that women in politics were "constantly" compared to men. "Men in politics, they all have an interest in imposing masculine codes, it eliminates the competition," she added. She also noted that all candidates to succeed her were men. "It's as if commentators were saying to themselves, 'We've just had a woman prime minister for 20 months, that's it, we're back to normal life'," she told RTL. Even when she handed over office to Attal on January 9, Borne had made clear her resentment over sexism in French politics, saying: "I have also been able to see quite often that there is still some way to go for equality between women and men." But she added in a message to women: "Hold on, the future belongs to you." Borne had proved her loyalty to Macron during his first term in office, serving as transport, environment and finally labour minister from 2020. As premier she staunchly defended his flagship pensions reform to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. She deployed a controversial executive power to force through the legislation without a vote, despite previously saying she did not want to use it. Discreet about her private life, Borne was accused by critics of showing too little personality in office. Borne's Jewish father had been deported to Auschwitz during World War II and survived the Nazi death camp but never fully recovered. Her father took his own life when she was just 11 years old. "It's shocking for an 11-year-old girl to lose her father in these conditions," Borne told LCI. "And I think I closed up and that I avoid showing my emotions too much." "I think... this closing up, maybe, goes a little far. Yes," she acknowledged. But she expressed pride over how France had allowed her to study under a special programme for children who have lost parents. "We are a country where you can be the daughter of an immigrant, where you may have lost your father at 11, but the country reaches out to you to allow you to study," she said. "And then you are a prefect (senior local official), and then you are a minister and you are even prime minister," she added. Her father, who was reportedly named Joseph Bornstein, fled to France from Poland in 1940 and then fought in the French resistance during World War II. He was captured and deported to Auschwitz in 1944. bur-sjw/as/phz

The NBA fined Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards $75,000 on Monday for criticizing the referees of Saturday's game between Minnesota and the visiting Golden State Warriors. In a release, the league said Edwards used "inappropriate and profane language" during a postgame media session after the Timberwolves' 113-103 loss. It marks the second time in two weeks Edwards' postgame comments have cost him some cash. The 23-year-old was fined $25,000 on Dec. 9 for using profane language during an interview after Minnesota won at Golden State 107-90 three days earlier. A two-time All-Star, Edwards leads the Timberwolves (14-13) with 25.6 points per game this season to go along with 5.4 rebounds and four assists per contest. --Field Level Media( MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN - The Edom Lowlands Regional Archaeology Project (ELRAP), directed by Thomas E. Levy and Mohammad Najjar, is a deep-time investigation of society in the Faynan region of Southern Jordan, said Assistant Professor of Anthropological Archaeology Matt Howland at Wichita State University, in Wichita, Kansas. "This means that we are interested in the long- term Occupation of the region, ranging from the Neolithic period, to the region's peak occupation and copper production during the Iron Age, to the Middle Islamic period, when copper was also produced," Howland said A lot of the excavations conducted by the ELRAP were focused on the relationship between copper production and social complexity, and helped show how the mining and manufacture of copper helped a local complex society develop in the Early Iron Age in Jordan, Howland continued. The professor added that his research focuses mainly on the use of spatial and 3D technologies to investigate the ancient past and share results of this research with the public. Howland worked with Levy during his undergraduate studies at Penn State University and his PhD studies at the University of California San Diego. "I developed research projects using GIS, a technology used for digital mapping, to investigate Iron Age societies in the Southern Levant. In my Ph.D. dissertation, I investigated Iron Age trade networks based in the Faynan region of Southern Jordan, and how high-status elites in Faynan controlled the manufacture and export of copper across the entire Southern Levant and beyond," Howland said. Since the team no longer actively excavates, it is interested in sharing some of the results with the general public, especially including the people of Jordan, who have always been very hospitable hosts and partners in the project. Several years ago, the ELRAP team developed an Arabic-language StoryMap to share some of the results relating to the Iron Age archaeology and heritage of Faynan with Jordanians. "Now, our new project shares 3D models that help tell the story of the Iron Age and Middle Islamic archaeology of Faynan on the website Sketchfab. Users can explore the models on this website in Arabic according to their own interest in the history and archaeology of Faynan," Howland elaborated. "We want users, especially Arabic-speaking Jordanians, to be able to explore the 3D data we have collected in the field during years of archaeological survey and excavation in the region without having to look through English-language and pay walled journal articles," the professor added. In this work, the team found it very important to work collaboratively with Jordanians to help tell the story of the archaeology of Faynan, and, luckily, they were able to collaborate with not only co-director Najjar, but also a librarian Samya Kafafi from American Centre of Research and a Jordanian student Omar Khalil from Wichita State University. The link between Faynan and Howland goes back to 2012 when he spent two months excavating the site. Howland immediately found the Faynan region to be extremely beautiful and the Bedouin people who live there to be very hospitable and friendly. Also, the archaeology of Faynan is very exciting, and is an underappreciated cultural heritage resource. "The many amazing archaeological sites in Faynan help to tell an incredible story about the development of a local complex society that was at the centre of a flourishing trade network in the Iron Age, just like the Nabateans later on in history, the professor said. "Since my own career and research has benefitted so much from research in Faynan, I want to share some of what I have learnt with the people of Jordan, and collaborate with them to help raise awareness about their amazing cultural heritage. Digital projects in Arabic, like our current project on Sketchfab, are one small way of doing that," Howland underlined. MENAFN28122024000028011005ID1109038260 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.