game 3 nba finals
game 3 nba finals
game 3 nba finals
Georgia QB Carson Beck takes hit on throwing arm before halftime, leaving status uncertain
Governor, Stalin condole death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Lindsey Vonn competes in a pair of downhills, another step on her comeback trail at the age of 40US Ambassador Blome starts farewell activities ahead of his departure next month US embassy spox says, "Ambassador is immensely grateful for hospitality he experienced in every corner of Pakistan" US Ambassador Donald Blome signs the second US-Pakistan bilateral agreement on September 30, 2022. — APP ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome has announced his intention to depart from Pakistan inJanuary 2025, and his transition, according to the US government, comes as part of the normal US Foreign Service rotation process. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); Ambassador Blome leaves as the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to move into the White House. On his departure, Deputy Chief of Mission Natalie Baker will assume the duties of chargé d’affaires. Ambassador Blome, a career diplomat and the 31st US ambassador to Pakistan, has started his farewell activities in Islamabad. He took charge in May 2022 and became the first full-time ambassador to Pakistan after a gap of three years. The position had been vacant since August 2018. Nominated by President Joe Biden, Ambassador Blome came to Islamabad following the withdrawal of American troops in Afghanistan. He had served as a political counsellor at the US Embassy in Kabul in 2012-2013. “The ambassador is immensely grateful for the warmth and hospitality he has experienced in every corner of Pakistan throughout his tenure and will have more to say about his deep appreciation, the highlights of his time in Pakistan, and his hope for Pakistan’s future in the days and weeks ahead,” a US Embassy spokesperson told The News, confirming the comping departure of the ambassador. Ambassador Blome came to Pakistan in very challenging times when PTI leader Imran Khan had accused the US of a “regime change”. In September 2022, in an interview with The News, the ambassador had commented, “We want to see an independent, prosperous and strong Pakistan. That’s what we believe is in our interest and in the interest of the region.” When asked specifically about the “regime change” allegations, he had responded, “The United States has spoken to the Pakistan government here and in Washington. I am hopeful that we can get past this regime change accusations and get back into important work that we have to do, to work together on some issues right now facing the world and our two countries.” The US Embassy spokesperson, commenting on the time that Ambassador Blome had spent in Pakistan these past few years, said, “Under Ambassador Blome’s leadership, the US-Pakistan relationship entered a new chapter focused on shared goals and challenges – partnering with Pakistan to promote economic growth and deepen the connections between the Pakistani and American people.” Some of the issues that the ambassador focused upon were strategic investments in affordable energy, clean water, and smart agriculture. “He made economic reform and strengthening the US-Pakistan trade and investment relationship top priorities. And he worked tirelessly to expand access to quality health care and education, combat Pakistan’s severe, acute malnutrition crisis, and bring the best of American technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship to Pakistan to create jobs and uplift the Pakistani people,” added the spokesperson.
3 things you can do before the end of the year to level up your career
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Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but the party is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon's impeachment or resignation. The party's floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. “We'll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We'll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year's end.” Many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1⁄2 years in office. They say some PPP lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. The ruling party risks "further public outrage and national confusion if they don’t find a formula fast for Yoon’s departure,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. PPP chair Han Dong-hun said his party will seek Yoon’s “orderly” early exit but didn’t say when he can resign. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people packed several blocks of roads leading to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied elsewhere in Seoul, calling the impeachment attempt unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from 200 of the National Assembly's 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued an apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose it. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. The turmoil has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. “Yoon’s credibility overseas has been undermined by declaring martial law, so he won’t be able to exercise leadership in his foreign policies especially when his days are numbered,” Kim, the analyst, said. “Its government bureaucracy will need to continue business as usual for existing alliance and foreign policy initiatives as best it can because there is a lot of important work to do globally.” Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon's impeachment motion. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. On Friday, Han, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s spy agency, told lawmakers Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians including Han, Lee and Woo. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim Yong Hyun resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.
