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How Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability November 22, 2024 Medical University of South Carolina Researchers investigating ways to reduce exhaustion in cancer-fighting T-cells found that the Golgi apparatus can be used as a simple marker -- more Golgi means a more robust cell. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email The Golgi apparatus modifies, sorts and packages proteins to be sent to their final destinations, whether that's within or outside of the cell. It's a core function, but little studied in the setting of cancer immunology, especially when compared to other organelles like the mitochondria or endoplasmic reticulum. "So we were interested in looking a little bit more at the Golgi apparatus. It's obviously an important organelle. How is it being changed or what is its role in T-cells in terms of fighting cancer?" said Nathaniel Oberholtzer, an M.D./Ph.D. student who worked in the lab of Shikhar Mehrotra, Ph.D., co-leader of the Cancer Biology & Immunology Research Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and scientific director of the Center for Cellular Therapy in the MUSC College of Medicine. As it turns out, the healthy function of the Golgi apparatus has a lot to do with how well T-cells function in killing cancer cells. Understanding how a signaling axis mitigates Golgi stress, enabling it to perform properly, points to a possible new therapeutic target for researchers to pursue to strengthen T-cells. Not only that, but Oberholtzer's research shows how the Golgi could be used as a biomarker to select the strongest T-cells for immunotherapy. Oberholtzer, as first author, and Mehrotra, as senior author, along with a team of Hollings scientists published the research this month in Science Advances. T-cells, part of the immune system, can kill cancer cells. CAR-T cells are T-cells that have been modified in the lab to home in on proteins on the surface of an individual's cancer cells. CAR-T cells are custom-made for each patient. Both T-cells and CAR-T cells can become "exhausted" in the hostile tumor microenvironment. Mehrotra's lab looks at ways to boost these cells so that they can fight cancer for a longer time. "The whole tumor microenvironment is conducive for the tumor itself, but not for the other cells which are trying to get in there," Mehrotra said. Just like people, cells are constantly subjected to stress -- stress from biochemical reactions that have become unbalanced and mechanical stress from moving. Transient stress can be good. Stressing your muscles through exercise strengthens them, and transient stress on cells can prompt them to a response that ultimately strengthens them. "But if this stress stays there, which it does in the tumor microenvironment, the cells are just in continuous stress, and that will then lead to a very different phenotype and death," Mehrotra said. However, the researchers found that treating the Golgi apparatus with hydrogen sulfide created T-cells that could take more stress. "Hydrogen sulfide is a gaseous signaling molecule present in pretty much all mammalian cell types. Typically, it's a byproduct of different cellular processes, but it's actually been shown to have really important signaling roles as well," Oberholtzer said. "It can modify proteins through a process called sulfhydration, where it modifies cysteine residues and can change their activity." In this project, Oberholtzer found that this sulfhydration process, in modifying a protein called Prdx4 within the Golgi apparatus, confers protection in an oxidative setting. "When you have the stressors that the tumor microenvironment puts on T-cells, you get a disruption, or fragmentation, of the Golgi apparatus where it essentially isn't able to do its job. Hydrogen sulfide protects against that disruption," Oberholtzer said. Looking into this protective effect then led the researchers to look more closely at the Golgi apparatus by itself. "Essentially, if you just use the Golgi apparatus as a simple marker, if T-cells have a lot of Golgi versus less, the ones that have more Golgi are much more robust at killing tumor cells and controlling tumors," Oberholtzer explained. Using cell sorting technology at the Flow Cytometry & Cell Sorting Shared Resource at Hollings, the researchers sorted T-cells according to the amount of Golgi they contained. The top 30% were labeled Golgi-hi and the bottom 30% were labeled Golgi-lo. "Basically, all the cells which are expressing high Golgi have a very different phenotype. They are less exhausted, and they are much more potent in controlling tumors," Mehrotra said. This pre-clinical work suggests that sorting T-cells into Golgi-hi and Golgi-lo and reinfusing only the Golgi-hi cells into a patient would create a better chance of controlling the tumor. "Right now, we're working on doing some validation studies in the Center for Cellular Therapy to potentially be able to start a clinical trial to see if that has a translational ability as well," Oberholtzer said. More work is also needed to understand the role of Golgi stress when all of the organelles in a cell are under stress because of the tumor microenvironment. Story Source: Materials provided by Medical University of South Carolina . Original written by Leslie Cantu. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Journal Reference : Cite This Page :
Russia's state energy giant Gazprom on December 28 said it would cease gas deliveries to Moldova at the end of this year because of a dispute over debt with the small Balkan nation that is aligned with the West. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean condemned Gazprom's decision, describing it as "an oppressive tactic" through which Russia "uses energy as a political weapon" and said he would pursue international legal means to fight it. The head of Moldovagaz said that, as early as December 2022, the entire volume of gas supplied by Gazprom was intended for the Moscow-backed separatist region, Transdniester , located on the left bank of the Dniester River. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, click here . Drone attacks and fighting intensified in Ukraine and Russia on December 28, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Slovakia's prime minister of taking "orders" from the Kremlin to harm Kyiv and his own people as an energy feud heightened as well. "It appears that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin gave [Robert] Fico the orders to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people's interests," Zelenskiy wrote on social media. "Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be explained by this." The comments came after Fico on December 27 threatened to halt supplies of electricity to Ukraine if Kyiv blocks transit of Russian gas to Slovakia. Ukraine has announced it will not extend the transit contract of Russian state-owned company Gazprom after January 1 -- ceasing deliveries of gas to several European nations -- as the West looks to cut off the Kremlin's source of funding for the war. The transport deal was signed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and most European nations have since begun developing alternative sources of gas, although Fico says finding alternatives would be too costly for Slovakia. Fico, along with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, has angered the West by continuing to have close ties to Putin despite U.S. and EU sanctions. Fico visited Putin in Moscow earlier this week and has offered to host potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Zelenskiy said Slovakia accounts for nearly 20 percent of Ukraine's power imports. "Slovakia is part of the single European energy market and Fico must respect common European rules," Zelenskiy wrote. "Any arbitrary decisions in Bratislava or Moscow's orders to Fico regarding electricity cannot cut Ukraine's power supply, but they can certainly cut current Slovak authorities' ties to the European community," he added, suggesting the move would deprive Slovakia itself of some $200 million a year. Meanwhile, as Russia's full-scale invasion grinds on toward its fourth year, Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations of drone attacks in several regions as battlefield clashes intensified along the front lines, with the "hottest" fighting reported around the embattled Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. Russian air defenses destroyed 56 drones overnight, the Defense Ministry said on December 28. It said 28 drones were shot down in the Rostov region, 17 in the Voronezh region, and 11 in the Belgorod region, where local officials reportedly said two residents of a village were injured by shrapnel from a blast. The Russian claims could not be independently verified. A Russian occupation official said on Telegram that four people were wounded in what he said was a Ukrainian drone attack that hit a car in the Russian-held city of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s Kherson region early in the morning. In Mykolayiv, the Ukrainian-held capital of a region adjacent to Kherson, the military said Ukrainian defenders had neutralized all 16 drones launched by Russia on December 28. "Of the 16 UAVs launched, 15 were shot down, another one was a simulator. All 15 were shot down in the Mykolaiv region," the Ukrainian Air Force said Earlier, a Russian drone attack in the city caused fires on the roof of a five-story residential building and on the grounds of a commercial enterprise, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegra. He said that nobody was hurt, and that the military had destroyed 12 drones over the region overnight . Russia and Ukraine have used drones regularly since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. There are mounting suspicions that the crash of a Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet earlier this week near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, that killed 38 of the 67 people aboard was caused by Russian air-defense systems on alert for Ukrainian drone attacks on the Chechnya region, where the jet was due to land in Grozny before it was diverted across the Caspian Sea. Ukraine said its forces struck a "protected facility" of the Russian military in the Oryol region near the border with Ukraine. It said the target was a warehouse holding Iranian-made Shahed drones. Also on December 28, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed it had thwarted a plot to kill a high-level Russian military officer and an unnamed Russian “war blogger” who writes about the invasion. The FSB, whose claim could not be independently verified, said it had arrested a Russian man it said was acting under instructions from Ukrainian military intelligence. It said it had found a cache outside Moscow with an improvised explosive device camouflaged as a stereo speaker. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the FSB claim, which came 11 days after the general who headed Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces (RKhBZ) was killed, along with an assistant, by a bomb concealed in a scooter. A source at Ukraine's SBU security service told RFE/RL that the blast that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant was the result of a special operation by the Ukrainian agency. Germany's foreign minister described the suspected sabotage of a Baltic Sea power cable as a "wake-up call" for the West and urged the European Union to impose new sanctions targeting what is known as Russia's " shadow fleet ." Meanwhile, a media outlet focusing on shipping news and intelligence reported that the ship suspected of damaging the cable linking Finland and Estonia on December 25 was equipped with "special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity." The Eagle S "had transmitting and receiving devices installed that effectively allowed it to become a 'spy ship' for Russia," Lloyd's List reported on December 27, citing "a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago." Finland seized the Eagle S on December 26, citing suspicions that it caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable and damaged four Internet lines. Finnish investigators said the ship may have caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the sea floor. Finnish and EU officials say the Eagle S is believed to belong to a "shadow fleet" of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue for Russia's economy and its war against Ukraine. The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters. "The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment , while funding Russia's war budget," the European Commission said on December 26, suggesting the incident was part of a deliberate effort to damage "critical infrastructure" in Europe. "We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet." In comments on December 28, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged "new European sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet," which she said is "a major threat to our environment and security" that is used by Russia "to finance its war of aggression in Ukraine." "Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," Baerbock said in a statement to the Funke media group. "Crews are leaving anchors in the water, dragging them for kilometers along the seafloor for no apparent reason, and then losing them when pulling them up.” "It's more than difficult to still believe in coincidences," she said. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us." TBILISI -- Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili joined thousands of pro-West demonstrators on the streets of Tbilisi to protest the Georgian Dream-led government's moves to delay closer integration with the European Union and its perceived tilt toward Russia. The December 28 rally came at a potentially explosive time in the South Caucasus nation as Zurabishvili has vowed not to step down at the end of her term on December 29, claiming her successor -- chosen by an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream -- was "illegitimate." Zurabishvili and demonstrators, waving Georgian and EU flags, marched along the Saarbruecken Bridge in the capital, joined by members of parliament from allied countries, including Poland and Lithuania, to form a "chain of unity." The rally marked one month since the start of the recent wave of anti-government protests, which have been met with violent police action, injuries, and mass arrests by Georgian authorities. Protesters accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the EU and closer to Moscow. The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation. The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU. On December 24, Human Rights Watch called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the "brutal police violence" against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for the demonstrations. On December 27, the United States said it had slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation." "Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The action prompted anger from the Georgian Dream party, while the Georgian opposition hailed the action and called on the EU to also move against Ivanishvili and other Georgian leaders. Zurabishvili -- who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters early in the wave of rallies -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29. U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson on December 27 wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20. "I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia. Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president. His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up a potentially explosive showdown. "Next week at this time, I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. Afghanistan's Taliban-led government said Taliban forces targeted what it claimed were "centers and hideouts for malicious elements" it said were involved in a recent attack in Afghanistan, as an upsurge of cross-border fighting continues. The statement from the Taliban's Defense Ministry followed reports of deadly early morning clashes on December 28 between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards. It came days after the government said Pakistani aircraft bombed targets in Afghanistan in an attack it said killed dozens of civilians. The ministry gave few details about the strikes, which it said were launched against targets in several districts behind the "hypothetical line" -- a reference to a portion of the border with Pakistan that Afghan authorities have long disputed. Local sources told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that three people in Paktia Province were killed and two wounded by gunfire from Pakistani border guards, and that clashes also took place in the Khost province. The reports could not be independently verified. There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani government. But the head of a community in the Kurram district told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that Taliban forces fired rockets at two security posts near the border at about 6 a.m., setting off fighting that continued for several hours. The Taliban's Defense Ministry suggested the strikes on Pakistan were retaliation for what the Taliban-led government said were Pakistani air strikes that killed 46 civilians in Paktika Province, which also borders Pakistan, on December 24. Pakistan says that militants from the Islamist group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are hiding across the border in Afghanistan, and Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Afghan Taliban to take action against them. The Afghan Taliban say the TTP is in Pakistan. There has been a steady increase in TTP attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan. Authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka extended a wave of pardons ahead of a January presidential election in Belarus, ordering the release of 20 prisoners jailed on extremism charges his opponents and rights groups say were politically motivated. Lukashenka's press service suggested the pardons were issued on humanitarian grounds, saying 14 of those ordered released have chronic illnesses and 10 of them have children. It said 11 of the 20 are women. The press service claimed the prisoners had all sought pardons and expressed remorse, an assertion that could not be independently verified. It said that authorities would "monitor their behavior following their release." Since July, Lukashenka has pardoned more than 225 people whom activists consider political prisoners. Rights groups have recognized nearly 3,600 people as political prisoners since the state launched a massive crackdown when pro-democracy protests erupted after Lukashenka, in power since 1994, claimed a landslide victory in an August 2020 election that millions believe was stolen though fraud . Many of those have served out their sentences. Ahead of a January 26 election in which he is certain to be awarded a new term, Lukashenka may be seeking to signal to the West that he is easing off on the persistent clampdown that the state has imposed since the 2020 election. But the crackdown continues, with frequent arrests and trials on what activists say are politically motivated charges. At least 1,253 people whom rights groups consider political prisoners remain behind bars, and the real number is believed to be higher. Lukashenka has roped Belarus closely to Russia and has provided support for Russia's war on neighboring Ukraine, including by allowing Russian forces to invade from Belarusian territory, and he says Russian nuclear weapons have been deployed in Belarus. But over 30 years in power, he has often tried to capitalize on Belarus’ position between Russia in the east and NATO and the European Union to the west and north. Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized over the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane this week, the Kremlin said, amid growing evidence that the jet was hit by a Russian air-defense missile in the Chechnya region before it went down in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. In a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Putin said Russian air defenses were repelling an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Chechnya’s capital, Grozny, when the plane was trying to land at the airport there, a Kremlin statement said. Putin "conveyed his apologies in connection with the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace," the statement said, indicating that Putin acknowledged the plane was damaged over Chechnya but stopped short of stating a Russian missile strike was the cause. "In the conversation, it was noted that...the aircraft tried more than once to approach the Grozny airport for landing," it said, adding that “at this time, Ukrainian combat drones were attacking Grozny [and the nearby cities of] Mozdok and Vladikavkaz, and Russian air-defense systems were repelling these attacks." Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the possible violation of flight safety rules, the statement said. It said two Azerbaijani prosecutors were working with Russian law enforcement in Grozny and that Russian, Azerbaijani, and Kazakh authorities were working together at the crash site near Aqtau, Kazakhstan. The Kremlin statement is likely to further increase suspicions that a Russian missile damaged the Embraer-190 jet before it was diverted to Aktau, across the Caspian Sea from Chechnya, where it crashed near the shore after a steep descent and burst into flames. Evidence of a missile strike includes footage of damage inside the plane before the crash and images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, as well as comments from survivors who said they heard at least one explosion outside the plane over Chechnya. Azerbaijani lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL on December 27 that there is a "very strong" possibility that the plane was damaged by a Russian air-defense missile. He said that the "observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth." On the same day, White House spokesman John Kirby said U.S. experts "have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air-defense systems." Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air-defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia. The crash has disrupted air traffic in the Caucasus and beyond. An Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for the Russian spa town of Mineranlye Vody, not far from Grozny, took off from Baku on December 27 but then abruptly headed back after receiving a flight information notice that Russian airspace it was due to fly through was closed. Azerbaijan Airlines later said it is suspending flights to several Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala. Turkmenistan Airlines announced on December 28 that it was canceling all its flights between the capital, Ashgabat, and Moscow from December 30 to January 31, giving no reason for the decision. Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan on the eastern shore of the Caspian. Also on December 28, Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said that restrictions were briefly placed on the operation of the airport in the Tatarstan regional capital, Kazan, to ensure flight safety, and media reports said that all departures and arrivals had been suspended. Flights heading to Kazan from the Siberian cities of Tomsk, Surgut, and Kemerovo were redirected to an airfield in Nizhnekamsk, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the airport's press service. No specific reason was given for the measures, which Rosaviatsia said had been lifted a few hours later. Russia has closed airports at times due to alleged drone attacks, and a drone attack hit high-rise buildings in Kazan on December 21. NATO has said it would bolster its presence in the Baltic Sea after undersea power lines and Internet cables were damaged by suspected sabotage believed to be carried out by vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “ shadow fleet .” Estonia also announced on December 27 that it had begun a naval operation to guard a crucial electricity line in the Baltic Sea in coordination with allies as tensions mounted in the region. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a social media post following discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb that "NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea." Both Finland and Estonia have coastlines on the Baltic Sea. When asked for details about planned actions, NATO officials told AP that the alliance “remains vigilant and is working to provide further support, including by enhancing our military presence” in the region. "We have agreed with Estonia, and we have also communicated to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, that our wish is to have a stronger NATO presence," Stubb told a news conference. Stubb added that investigators did not want to jump to conclusions, but a day earlier he had said that "it is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian 'shadow fleet.'" The "shadow fleet" is a reference to old, uninsured oil vessels typically used to bypass Western sanctions on Russia and maintain a source of revenue. European government and the United States have accused Russia of intensifying "hybrid attacks" following reports of damage to Baltic Sea communications cables, although they have not yet directly tied Moscow to the damage. NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later. Chinese-linked ships have also been suspected of sabotaging undersea infrastructure over recent years. Sweden -- NATO's newest member, which also has a coastline on the Baltic Sea -- said its coast guard had stepped up surveillance of sea traffic and had deployed aircraft and vessels in concert with regional allies. The European Commission on December 26 said a cargo ship suspected of having deliberately damaged power and Internet cables in the Baltic Sea was part of Russia's "shadow fleet." The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters. Finnish authorities on December 26 boarded and took command of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker in the Baltic Sea as part of its investigation into the damages, saying it likely belong to the "shadow fleet." Investigators have said the damage could have been caused by the ship intentionally dragging its anchor. The Kremlin said it had no connection to the ship seized by Finland. It has regularly denied that it is involved in any of the many incidents involving Baltic Sea region infrastructure assets. The United States said it has slapped fresh sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefit of the Russian Federation." "Under Ivanishvili's leadership, Georgian Dream has advanced the interests of the Kremlin by derailing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory -- in direct contradiction to what was envisioned by the Georgian people and the Georgian Constitution," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on December 27. Blinken added that "Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream's actions have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights abuses, and curbed the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia." "We strongly condemn Georgian Dream's actions under Ivanishvili's leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures." The new measures will block transactions involving entities owned by Ivanishvili, the statement said. According to Bloomberg News, Ivanishvili's fortune is estimated at $7.5 billion, much of it coming through metals, banking, and telecom assets in Russia during the 1990s. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the U.S. action "blackmail" and said it was Ivanishvili's "reward" for protecting Georgia's national interest. However, opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity National Movement hailed the U.S. decision, according to Georgia's Interpress news agency. "I welcome this step from the United States and believe that we are quickly moving toward victory and will celebrate Georgia without Ivanishvili, who is the bringer of chaos and misery to this country," he was quoted as saying. In a previous action, the United States on December 12 said it would "prohibit visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia." That move affected some 20 people, "including individuals serving as government ministers and in parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens," it said in a statement , without naming the individuals. Georgia, once a closer U.S. ally, has angered Washington and the European Union with its perceived tilt toward Russia and its violent crackdown on dissent in the Caucasus nation. The sanctions come at a crucial time, as Georgia's fate hangs in the balance -- whether it will intensify its tilt toward Moscow, return to the pro-Europe path, or remain in an environment of unrest and uncertainty. Police in Tbilisi have clashed with pro-West protesters over the past several weeks, detaining dozens and injuring scores of people who accuse the government of the Georgian Dream party of moving the country away from the European Union and closer to Moscow. The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in October parliamentary elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation. The rallies intensified after a government decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the EU. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on December 24 called for Georgian security forces to be investigated for the “brutal police violence” against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for huge anti-government demonstrations. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili – who has spilt with the government and backed the protesters -- on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29. "Next week at this time I will be president," Zurabishvili restated on December 27. U.S. Republican House member Joe Wilson wrote on X that he welcomed the new sanctions and added that he had invited Zurabishvili -- "as the only legitimate leader in Georgia" -- to Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20 "I am in awe of her courage in the face of the assault by Ivanishvili and his friends" in China and Iran, Wilson added, without mentioning Russia. Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president. His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not step down, setting up a potentially explosive showdown. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. PODGORICA -- After a multinational back-and-forth legal battle, Montenegro on December 27 said it would extradite South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Hyeong Do Kwon -- the so-called Crypto King -- to the United States. Do Kwon is sought by both the United States and South Korea and also faces possible legal action in Singapore. Montenegrin courts have previously issued at least eight often-contradictory decisions regarding Do Kwon's fate. In September, the Montenegrin Supreme Court ruled that Do Kwon could be sent to either the United States or South Korea and that the final decision on which country would be up to Justice Minister Bojan Bozovic. On December 24, Do Kwon lost his final appeal against extradition with Montenegro's Constitutional Court. In the latest ruling, the Justice Ministry said the U.S. request had met the threshold for removal and, as a result Bozovic "issued a decision approving the extradition." The ministry said the criteria included the gravity of the criminal acts, the order of submission of the extradition requests, and the citizenship of the person in question. The former CEO and co-founder of the cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs is wanted by U.S. and South Korean authorities for his alleged role in capital market and securities fraud involving assets worth some $40 billion. Do Kwon was arrested with business partner Chang Joon in March 2023 at Podgorica airport while attempting to fly to Dubai using on allegedly forged passports. They each received a four-month prison sentence on the forged-passport charge. Chang, who was wanted only by South Korea, was extradited to that country on February 5. After serving his sentence, Do Kwon was sent to a shelter for foreigners near Podgorica, where he awaited extradition. Do Kwon in October claimed that the South Korean charges were illegitimate and "politically motivated." Despite the legal struggle, Do Kwon's trial in absentia took place in the United States, where a New York jury on April 5 found him and Terraform labs liable on civil fraud charges, agreeing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they had misled investors. Terraform Labs agreed to pay about $4.5 billion in a civil settlement with the SEC following the court's ruling. Do Kwon was ordered to pay $204 million. Following the verdict, a Terraform spokesperson said, "We continue to maintain that the SEC does not have the legal authority to bring this case at all" and that the company was weighing its options. Italy’s Foreign Ministry said journalist Cecilia Sala, who was in Iran to carry out "journalistic activities," has been detained by Tehran police authorities. The ministry said in a statement on December 27 that Sala, who has a podcast called Stories that covers life in places around the world, was detained on December 19. It gave no reason for the detention, but said in a statement that the ambassador from Italy's embassy in Tehran had paid a consular visit "to verify the conditions and state of detention of Sala." "The family was informed of the results of the consular visit. Previously, Sala had the opportunity to make two phone calls with her relatives," it said. Sala posted a podcast from Tehran on December 17 about patriarchy in the Iranian capital. Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries. Earlier this month, Reza Valizadeh , a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda, was handed a 10-year sentence by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government." Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of work. He returned to Iran in early 2024 to visit his family but was arrested on September 22. His two court sessions, held on November 20 and December 7, reportedly lacked a prosecution representative, with the judge assuming that role. Sources close to the journalist claim he fell into a "security trap" despite receiving unofficial assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal troubles upon returning to Iran. Iran is among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index. The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists. An Azerbaijani lawmaker said there is a "very strong" possibility that the crash of a passenger jet earlier this week was caused by Russian air-defense systems on alert for Ukrainian drone attacks. Speculation has mounted that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was headed from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya region, may have been hit by an air-defense missile before crossing the Caspian Sea and crashing near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 passengers and crew. Lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service in an interview on December 27 that such an explanation is most likely "closest to the truth." "This is only a possibility, but a very strong one, and the observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth," he said. "In this specific case, the incident involves Azerbaijan's airliner being damaged within the territory of the Russian Federation, with the event causing the crash occurring there. Therefore, there is no doubt that responsibility falls on the Russian Federation. If these assumptions are correct, accountability also undoubtedly rests with Russia," he added. Kazakh experts arrived on December 27 to examine the crash site and black box of the ill-fated passenger jet, as speculation -- and evidence -- mounted suggesting that a Russian air-defense missile may have inadvertently struck the craft. Even as the probe intensifies, countries with victims aboard the plane -- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan -- continue to mourn their dead and treat the injured from the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft. Since the crash, uncertainty has rocked the aviation industry throughout the Caucasus. An Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for the Russian spa town of Mineranlye Vody took off from Baku on December 27 but then abruptly headed back after receiving a flight information notice that Russian airspace it was due to fly through was closed . Azerbaijan Airlines later said it is suspending flights to several Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala. Speculation has swirled around the tragedy, with some experts pointing to holes seen in the plane's tail section as a possible sign that it could have come under fire from Russian air-defense systems engaged in thwarting Ukrainian drone attacks. White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that the United States has seen signs suggesting that the jet could have been hit by Russian air defense systems. U.S. experts "have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems," he said. Kirby added that Washington has “offered our assistance...should they need it" to the ongoing investigation being conducted by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Evidence, yet to be corroborated by authorities, includes footage from inside the plane before the crash, images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, a survivor's comments, and accounts indicating there was a suspected drone attack around the time the plane apparently tried to land in Grozny. Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air-defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia. It was not immediately clear where the black box would be examined. The process can be highly technical, and not all countries have the resources to undertake such work. Gulag Aslanli, a leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Musavat party, told RFE/RL that an international commission was needed to investigate the incident. "Russia cannot be allowed there," he said. "If the black box is going to be taken to Russia and examined there, I will look at its outcome with suspicion." Officials said it typically takes about two weeks to fully assess a black box, although various conditions can alter that time frame. Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the plane may have been shot down by a missile, Kazakh Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbaev said it was "not possible" to say what may have damaged the aircraft until the investigation is finished. "Real experts are looking at all this, and they will make their conclusions. Neither Kazakhstan, Russia, nor Azerbaijan, of course, is interested in hiding information, so it will be brought to the public," Ashimbaev said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made a similar comment, reiterating Moscow's previous stance on the deadly incident. "An investigation is under way, and until the conclusions of the investigation, we do not consider we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so," Peskov told reporters on December 27. Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Russian officials as saying the plane, commissioned in 2013, had passed a maintenance check in October and that the pilot had "vast experience" with more than 15,000 flying hours. Azerbaijan Airlines President Samir Rzayev also told reporters the plane had been fully serviced in October and that there was no sign of technical malfunction. But he said it was too early to determine a cause: "The plane has been found with a black box. After detailed research, all aspects will be clear." The airline suspended flights along the route of the crash pending completion of the investigation. Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office said that "all possible scenarios are being examined." As the first seven survivors arrived back in the country on December 26, Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning. Burials of four of those who lost their lives were conducted during the day, with additional funerals expected in the coming hours and days. Officials in Baku said the wounded arrived on a special flight arranged by Azerbaijan's Emergency Affairs Ministry and that the injured, many with severe burn wounds, were accompanied by medical professionals. Ayhan Solomon, Azerbaijan’s chief consul in Aqtau, told reporters that 26 of those killed were Azerbaijani citizens. He said 16 Azerbaijani citizens survived. “Of those, 10 to 12 are in good condition and others remain critically stable,” he added. Azerbaijan Airlines' supervisory board said on December 26 that the families of those killed will be compensated with 40,000 manats ($23,460), while those injured would receive 20,000 manats ($11,730). Along with the 42 Azerbaijani citizens, those aboard Flight J2-8243 were listed as 16 Russian nationals, six from Kazakhstan, and three Kyrgyz citizens, officials said. The survivors include nine Russian citizens, who were flown to Moscow on December 26 by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. Three of the Russian survivors were in critical condition, according to Russian health authorities. KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said “several” North Korean soldiers – badly wounded in fighting alongside Russian forces – have died after being captured by Ukrainian troops on the battlefield and he accused Moscow of having little regard for their survival. Zelenskiy, echoing earlier remarks by U.S. officials, said soldiers sent to Russia by Pyongyang are suffering major losses in fighting in Russia's Kursk region. The Ukrainian leader accused Moscow and North Korean “enforcers” of leaving the soldiers unprotected in battle and even executing fighters to prevent them from being captured alive. He did not provide evidence to back up the claims and they could not independently be verified. The North Korean military has suffered “many losses. A great deal. And we can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all,” he said in a video address on December 27. “Everything is arranged in a way that makes it impossible for us to capture the Koreans as prisoners – their own people are executing them. There are such cases. And the Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection.” He said Ukrainian soldiers had managed to take some prisoners. "But they were very seriously wounded and could not be saved.” The remarks came after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said that a North Korean fighter had died of wounds suffered before his capture by Ukrainian special operations troops in the Kursk region. "We have confirmed through an allied intelligence agency that a North Korean soldier who was captured on the 26th died a little while ago due to serious injuries," the news release said. On December 26, the Ukrainian news outlet Militarnyi said a soldier believed to be North Korean had been captured by Ukrainian Special Operations Forces in the Kursk region. A photo of a captured soldier, who is believed to have been injured, also was previously shared on Telegram. The photo has not been independently verified. Details about the soldier's condition and status are not known. Last month Pyongyang ratified a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement with Russia, cementing a deal that paved the way for its soldiers to fight on Russian soil against Ukraine. Western sources estimate that 12,000 North Korean troops are in the Kursk region, parts of which are occupied by Ukrainian forces amid ongoing pitched battles. U.S. Response White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that North Korean forces are suffering heavy casualties on the front lines, adding that some 1,000 of their troops have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region over the past week. "It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," Kirby said. Kirby said also U.S. President Joe Biden would likely approve another package of military aid for Kyiv in the coming days as he bids to bolster Ukraine’s forces before leaving office on January 20. U.S. officials later told reporters that a new package of military assistance worth $1.25 billion is scheduled to be announced on December 30. North Korean Losses Zelenskiy on December 23 said more than 3,000 troops, or about a quarter of the North Korean special forces sent to Russia, had been killed or injured, though he couched his statement by saying the data was preliminary. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported on a lower figure, saying on December 19 that about 1,100 North Korean special forces have been killed or injured in Russia since entering the fray against Ukraine. On December 15, Skhemy (Schemes), an investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, received photos from Ukrainian military sources purportedly showing the bodies of dead soldiers in Kursk, including what was said to be North Korean fighters. RFE/RL has not been able to independently verify the claims. Russia has not commented on the report. North Korean military support is coming at a critical time in the war. Russia is seeking to overpower an undermanned and under-resourced Ukrainian infantry and gain territory before its own manpower and resources become constrained. Russia has lost more than 600,000 soldiers in the nearly three-year war, the Pentagon said in early October. It has burned through so much war material that it is struggling to replace its artillery and missile needs amid sweeping Western sanctions. Now nearly two-thirds of the mortars and shells Russia launches at Ukraine come from North Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported , citing Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian Army officer. And every third ballistic missile was made in North Korea, Ukrainian officials said. The European Commission said a cargo ship suspected of having deliberately damaged power and Internet cables in the Baltic Sea is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," prompting the EU to threaten new sanctions against Moscow. "We strongly condemn any deliberate destruction of Europe’s critical infrastructure," the commission said in a statement on December 26. "The suspected vessel is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which threatens security and the environment, while funding Russia’s war budget. We will propose further measures, including sanctions, to target this fleet," the statement added. The statement added that "in response to these incidents, we are strengthening efforts to protect undersea cables, including enhanced information exchange, new detection technologies, as well as in undersea repair capabilities, and international cooperation." The remarks come after two fiber-optic cables owned by Finnish operator Elisa linking Finland and Estonia were broken on December 25. A third link between the two countries -- owned by China's Citic -- was damaged, authorities said. An Internet cable running between Finland and Germany belonging to Finnish group Cinia was also believed to have been severed, according to officials. Investigators said the damage could have been caused by the ship intentionally dragging its anchor. Finnish authorities on December 26 boarded and took command of the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S oil tanker in the Baltic Sea as part of the investigation. The Finnish customs service said the Eagle S is believed to belong to Russia's so-called “shadow fleet” of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue. The poor condition of these ships has also raised concerns about environmental disasters. Finnish President Alexander Stubb also suggested the cargo has Russian links and that his country is closely monitoring the situation. "It is necessary to be able to prevent the risks posed by ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet," Stubb wrote on X . EU foreign ministers on December 16 adopted a package of sanctions against Moscow targeting tankers transporting Russian oil as the bloc looked to curb the circumvention of previous measures aimed at hindering Kremlin's ability to wage war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte said on December 26 that the alliance is ready to help Finland and Estonia as they launch their probe into the possible "sabotage." "Spoke with [Estonian Prime Minister] Kristen Michal about reported possible sabotage of Baltic Sea cables,” he wrote on X. “NATO stands in solidarity with Allies and condemns any attacks on critical infrastructure. We are following investigations by Estonia and Finland, and we stand ready to provide further support." Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 26 that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is ready to offer a “platform” for possible peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine. Putin told the media Fico said during a recent meeting that "if there are any negotiations, [the Slovaks] would be happy to provide their country as a platform." Most terms suggested so far by Putin have been deemed unacceptable to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Fico is one of the few European leaders Putin has stayed friendly with since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prompting criticism of the Slovak leader by Zelenskiy and many Western leaders. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here . Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian is scheduled to travel to Russia on January 17, state-controlled media in Iran and Russia reported on December 26. Quoting Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali, Iran's Tasnim news agency said that “the president will visit Russia on January 17 and a cooperation agreement between the two countries will be signed during the visit." Russia and Iran both are under severe financial sanctions imposed by Western nations and have stepped up bilateral cooperation on many fronts in recent years. The West has accused Iran of providing weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine. Tehran has denied the allegations despite evidence widespread use of Iranian-made drones in the war. SARAJEVO -- Bosnia-Herzegovina’s security minister has been arrested on charges of money-laundering, abuse of office, and accepting bribes, the Balkan nation’s prosecutor’s office said. The minister, Nenad Nesic, was among seven people arrested on similar charges, the office said on December 26. The charges stem from an investigation by the Bosnian state prosecutor and the Interior Ministry of Bosnia's ethnic-Serb entity, Republika Srpska, into suspected corruption at the Roads of RS (Putevi RS) public company, where Nesic was general manager from 2016 to 2020. The company's current general manager, Milan Dakic, was also among those arrested, prosecutors said. The company did not immediately comment. Nesic, 46, has been Bosnia’s security minister since 2022. When asked by reporters about the case as he was entering an East Sarajevo police station, Nesic said only that "I continue to fight for Republika Srpska," according to Reuters. Nesic is president of the Democratic People's Alliance (DNS), which is in a coalition with Milorad Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD). Dodik, who is president of Republika Srpska, claimed on social media that this was an "unacceptable procedure" and a "persecution of cadres" from the Bosnian government. The pro-Russia Dodik is under sanctions imposed by the United States and Britain for his efforts to undermine the Dayton agreements that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war. He is currently facing trial himself on charges he failed to comply with the decisions of international High Representative Christian Schmidt. Ethnic Serb lawmakers this week said Dodik's trial was political and based on illegal decisions by the high representative. They claimed that the court was unconstitutional because it was set up by Schmidt and not by the Dayton agreement. Since the Dayton peace accords were put into effect, the country has consisted of a Bosniak-Croat federation and the mostly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska under a weak central government, where Nesic holds the security portfolio. Israel carried out large-scale air strikes on the main airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on December 26 as it steps up attacks on the Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in what Tehran called a “violation” of peace and security. Huthi rebels said three people were killed and 14 were injured or missing following the Israeli attacks on the airport and other sites in Yemen, including port facilities. "Fighter jets conducted intelligence-based strikes on military targets belonging to the Huthi terrorist regime on the western coast and inland Yemen," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. The attacks followed recent rocket launches by the Huthi fighters against the Tel Aviv area, although little damage was reported. The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli strikes on Yemen, calling them "aggressions" that it claimed were "a clear violation of international peace and security." It said they represented "an undeniable crime against the heroic and noble people of Yemen," who had "not spared any effort to support the oppressed people of Palestine." The Israeli military has said air strikes in Yemen are targeting Huthi sites that have been used to receive Iranian weapons, which are then often transported to other Tehran-linked groups in the Mideast -- mainly Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, while Hezbollah has also been deemed a terrorist group by Washington. The EU blacklists its military arm but not its political wing. The U.S. State Department designated the Huthis as a terrorist group at the start of this year. Hamas and Hezbollah have been severely weakened following massive Israeli military strikes on their respective sites in Gaza and Lebanon, and most of their leaders have been killed in Israel's military response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes would continue against the Huthi rebels, who have also targeted shipping in the Red Sea, claiming they are in solidarity of Hamas fighters in Gaza. "We are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil. We will continue until the job is done," Netanyahu said in a video statement. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus -- head of the World Health Organization who was at the Sanaa airport during the Israeli attack -- said he was safe but that "one of our plane's crew members was injured.” A Pakistani military court has sentenced 60 people to prison terms ranging between two and 10 years over violent protests that erupted after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023, the army’s media wing said on December 26. The defendants, who included a relative of Khan as well as two retired military officers, were sentenced in connection with attacks on military facilities. Twenty-five other people were sentenced on the same charges on December 21. They have the right to appeal the sentences, the military’s media wing said in a statement. Protests erupted across Pakistan in May 2023 when Khan was arrested during his court appearance on corruption charges that he and his supporters deny. Thousands of Khan’s supporters ransacked military facilities and stormed government buildings. Several people were killed, and dozens were injured in the unrest. At least 1,400 protesters, including leaders of Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party were arrested following the riots. But only 105 of those detained faced military trials. PTI condemned the sentencing, and said the court had violated the defendants’ rights. The United States expressed deep concern about the sentences, while Britain said that trying civilians in military courts "lacks transparency, independent scrutiny, and undermines the right to a fair trial.” The European Union said the sentences are "inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” Kazakh experts are due to arrive on December 27 to examine the crash site and black box of the ill-fated Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet, as speculation – and evidence – mounted suggesting that a Russian air defense missile may have inadvertently struck the craft. Even as the probe intensifies, countries with victims aboard the plane – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan -- continue to mourn their dead and treat the injured among the 67 passengers and crew who were aboard when the Embraer 190 aircraft fell from the sky on December 25. The plane went down on a scheduled flight from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya region after it was diverted and attempted an emergency landing near the city of Aqtau in western Kazakhstan, killing 38 and injuring 29, many with severe burns suffered in the flaming crash. Speculation swirled around the tragedy, with some experts pointing to holes seen in the plane’s tail section as a possible sign that it could have come under fire from Russian air defense systems engaged in thwarting Ukrainian drone attacks. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told news agencies that indications suggest a Russian antiaircraft system struck the airliner, although the official provided no details. Canada expressed concerns about reports that Russian air defenses may have caused the crash. "We call on Russia to allow for an open and transparent investigation into the incident and to accept its findings," the Canadian Global Affairs office said on X. Evidence, yet to be corroborated by authorities, includes footage from inside the plane before the crash, images of the planes hole-pocked tail section after the crash, a survivor’s comments, and accounts indicating that there was a suspected drone attack around the time the plane apparently tried to land in Grozny. Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia. It was not immediately clear where the black box would be examined. The process can be highly technical, and not all countries have the resources to undertake such work. Gulag Aslanli, a leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Musavat movement, told RFE/RL that an international commission was needed to investigate the incident. "Russia cannot be allowed there," he said. "If the black box is going to be taken to Russia and examined there, I will look at its outcome with suspicion." Talgat Lastaev, Kazakhstan's vice minister of transport, told RFE/RL that experts are scheduled to arrive at the site on December 27 to assess the next steps regarding the black box. Officials said it typically takes about two weeks to fully assess a black box, although various conditions can alter that time frame. Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the plane may have been shot down by a missile, Kazakh Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbaev said it was “not possible” to say what may have damaged the aircraft until the investigation is finished. "Real experts are looking at all this and they will make their conclusions. Neither Kazakhstan, Russia, nor Azerbaijan, of course, is interested in hiding information, it will be brought to the public," Ashimbaev said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made a similar comment, saying: "We need to await the end of the investigation.” It was “wrong” to speculate before the investigators gave their findings, Peskov added. Russia's Interfax news agency quoted officials as saying the plane, commissioned in 2013, had passed a maintenance check in October and that the pilot had "vast experience," with more than 15,000 flying hours. Azerbaijan Airlines President Samir Rzayev also told reporters the plane had been fully serviced in October and that there was no sign of technical malfunction. But he said it was too early to determine a cause: "The plane has been found with a black box. After detailed research, all aspects will be clear." The airline suspended flights along the route of the crash pending completion of the investigation. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also said it was too early to determine a cause but at one point had suggested bad weather could have contributed to the crash. The office of Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General said that "all possible scenarios are being examined." As the first seven survivors arrived back in the country on December 26, Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning. Burials of four of those who lost their lives were conducted during the day, with additional funerals expected in the coming hours and days. National flags were flown at half-mast across Azerbaijan, and signals were sounded from vehicles, ships, and trains as the nation observed a moment of silence at noon to honor the victims of the plane crash. Officials in Baku said the wounded arrived on a special flight arranged by Azerbaijan's Emergency Affairs Ministry and that the injured were accompanied by medical professionals. There was no immediate word on the condition of the injured, who were among 29 survivors from the crash, many of whom suffered severe burn wounds. Ayhan Solomon, Azerbaijan’s chief consul in Aqtau, told reporters that 26 of those killed were Azerbaijani citizens. He said initial reports indicate that 16 Azerbaijani citizens survived. “Of those, 10 to 12 are in good condition and others remain critically stable,” he added. Azerbaijan Airlines' supervisory board said on December 26 that the families of those killed will be compensated with 40,000 manats ($23,460), while those injured would receive 20,000 manats ($11,730). Along with the 42 Azerbaijani citizens, those aboard Flight J2-8243 were listed as 16 Russian nationals, six from Kazakhstan, and three Kyrgyz citizens, officials said. The survivors include nine Russian citizens, who were flown to Moscow on December 26 by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. Three of the Russian survivors were in critical condition, according to Russian health authorities. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev -- who is in charge of a special government commission to investigate the incident -- said many of those who died in the crash were not immediately identifiable due to massive burns suffered. Bozymbaev said the 29 survivors had injuries ranging from moderate to severe, with many also suffering from major burns. According to Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry, the injured included at least two children and 11 people had been placed in intensive care. The United States and European Union on December 25 condemned plans by ethnic-Serb leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina to block efforts for closer European integration for the Western Balkan nation. Lawmakers in the country’s ethnic-Serb entity, Republika Srpska, late on December 24 ordered Serb representatives in state institutions to block decision-making actions and law changes needed for the country's further integration into the EU. In response, the embassies of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, along with the EU delegation in Bosnia, in a joint statement condemned the Serb parliament's acts as "a serious threat to the country's constitutional order." "At a time when formal opening of EU accession negotiations has never been so close, a return to political blockades would have negative consequences for all citizens, a majority of whom support EU accession," the statement said. The Republika Srpska parliament announced the actions in response to the trial of regional leader Milorad Dodik, who is under U.S. and British sanctions for actions that Western governments allege are aimed at the eventual secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dodik is on trial in a long-delayed, ongoing process on charges he failed to comply with the decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia. He faces up to five years in prison and a ban on participating in politics if convicted. Ethnic Serb lawmakers said Dodik's trial was political and based on illegal decisions by international High Representative Christian Schmidt. They claimed that the court was unconstitutional because it was set up by Schmidt and not by the Dayton agreement. Since the Dayton peace accords that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War, the country has consisted of a Bosniak-Croat federation and the mostly ethnic Serb Republika Srpska under a weak central government. Dodik, who is friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has often made somewhat contradictory comments about his entity's place in Bosnia. He has denied it has ever pursued a policy of secession or disputed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia under the Dayton agreement. He has said, however, that Republika Srpska "has the right to a political fight for its status” under the Dayton accords. He has also called for the “disassociation” of Republika Srpska from Bosnia -- which Washington called “secession by another name.” PRISTINA -- A special panel in Kosovo overturned a decision by the election commission that had barred the country's largest ethnic-Serbian party from participating in upcoming elections due to its strong links with Belgrade. "The Central Election Commission (CEC) is ordered to certify the political entity Serbian List and the candidates of this political entity...for the elections for the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo to be held on February 9, 2025," the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) said on December 25. The ruling stated that the party had fulfilled all obligations required regarding the political filings and was therefore entitled to be certified. On December 23, the CEC said when it announced its decision not to certify Serbian List that its main reason was the party's nationalistic stance and close ties to Serbia. Some commission members noted that Serbian List leader Zlatan Elek has never referred to Kosovo as independent and continues to call it Serbia's autonomous province of Kosovo. The CEC also said that Serbian List has close ties with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other Serb leaders who also refuse to recognize Kosovo's independence. Serbia has close ties to Russia and has refused to join international sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, although Vucic has attempted to balance relations with the West and has continued to press Belgrade's desires to join the European Union. Elek on December 24 said he planned to appeal the order and said he was confident it would be overturned. The Serbian List -- which described the CEC decision as an attempt "to eliminate" it from the electoral process -- welcomed the latest ruling. The party said the CEC is now obliged to act on the PZAP decision but added it remains to be seen whether the commission will "continue to violate its own law and regulations and act on direct political pressure from the authorities in Pristina." The February parliamentary elections are expected to be a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose party came to power in 2021 in a landslide in the Western-backed Balkan nation. Prior to the ECAP ruling, political analyst Albert Krasniqi of the Demokraci+ NGO told RFE/RL that the CEC decision is part of the preelection campaign being conducted by Kurti’s Self-Determination party (Vetevendosje). He forecast that Serbian List would appeal the decision and predicted it would be successful in getting it reversed. “All this noise will last at most four days, and I am sure that the ECAP will reverse this decision of the CEC and will oblige the CEC to certify Serbian List,” Krasniqi said. Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade still considers Kosovo a province of Serbia and has a major influence on the ethnic Serbian minority living there.Overall, AS's predicted lineup for Real Madrid's clash against Atalanta presents a formidable and dynamic team, capable of securing a positive result in the Champions League fixture. The Mbappe vs Lukaku showdown adds an extra layer of excitement and intrigue to what promises to be an enthralling encounter between two top European clubs.
New Year is always such a overwhelming time, full of anxieties regarding what's about to come, what's about to change, what's the next thing to happen, however, it is important to hold a neutral position about what's to come, and it would be even better if one finds things to look forward to. Here are the top 10 things you can await with pleasure over the next year. Future of TikTok? Congress has overwhelmingly passed legislation for TikTok to be banned from US app stores by January 19 unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake. However, after they appealed to the Supreme Court on grounds that the ban violates First Amendment rights to free speech, the court will hear the case on January 10th. Yet, with Trump's aligned conservatives in the court and Trump himself batting for the app saying, "We got to keep this sucker around for a little while", it will be interesting to see if both US and ByteDance's concerns could be satisfied. Photo Credit: Reuters NASA announced that the stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will be coming back to Earth by March 2025, after yet another delay. The astronauts had left for the ISS on June 5th 2024, aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft as a part of a test flight, with plans to return back to Earth a week later, but technical issues in the spacecraft delayed their return. Photo Credit: Reuters Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are reuniting for an Oasis Live 2025 tour after a 15-year-long feud between them. The tour will begin on July 4th, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales, although the band has promised more dates outside the UK later in the year. This finally answers one of rock's biggest will-they-won't-they questions. In a release, they stated, "There has been no great revelatory moment that has ignited the reunion - just the gradual realisation that the time is right." Photo Credit: @Oasis on Instagram Although the release date of Grand Theft Auto VI has not been disclosed, it is expected to fall sometime in fall 2025. The game has already broken a Guinness World Record for most-viewed video game reveal with its trailer with more than 168 million views. Grand Theft Auto V, has sold over 190 million units. Photo Credit: @gta6ixofficial on Instagram The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) will convene in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, and will include the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30). but ironically, the meeting might harm the environment. A new highway, Avenida Liberdade, has been approved for the facilitation of traffic into and out of Belém, that will cut through its protected area, and disturb wildlife movement. Session of COP 28 in Dubai, where COP 30 was formalized in Brazil, in Belém Italy's capital is gearing up for a spectacular celebration as the Catholic Church's Jubilee returns in 2025. This momentous event, which occurs every 25 years, is expected to draw millions of devout pilgrims to the city. The festivities will commence on December 24, 2024, with a symbolic ceremony: the Opening of the Holy Door. One of the highlights of the Jubilee is the historic Seven Churches Pilgrimage. This revered tradition, which dates back to the 16th century, involves a 25km journey on foot through the city and surrounding countryside, visiting seven major basilicas along the way. Photo Credit: Reuters Osaka is preparing to host the World Expo in 2025, 55 years after setting a record for the best-attended Expo of the 20th century in 1970. The city is determined to surpass its previous success, and its plans are nothing short of impressive. Renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto has designed a breathtaking centerpiece for the Expo: a 20-meter-high, 2-kilometer-long Grand Ring that will encircle the entire site. Visitors will be able to walk along the ring, taking in stunning views of the Expo and Osaka Bay. With its unique blend of architecture, technology, and international collaboration, Expo 2025 is shaping up to be an unforgettable experience. Photo Credit: @expo2025japan on Instagram 2025 will be an exciting year for television shows as the most anticipated shows are returning after quite some gap. Be it comedies, mysteries or dramas, the year will be a jam-packed one. Yellowjackets (survival thriller and drama) will be returning with a Season 3 of the show. The show will premiere on February 16th, 2025. The White Lotus (dark comedy, social satire) will be returning in February 2025, and will be set in Thailand. The Handmaid's Tale (dystopian fiction), based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, will also be released in 2025 with Season 6 of the show. This will be the final season for the show. The Last Of Us (post-apocalyptic drama) is a zombie drama series based on a video game of the same name, which became HBO's most watched debut season. Stranger Things (supernatural action-drama) will wrap up its final season on Netflix. The series pays homage to Stephen King and Steven Spielberg. The fourth season was the second-most-streamed Netflix show of all time. Photo Credit: @strangerthingstv on Instagram Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, the eight movie of the franchise sees the 62 year old Tom Cruise reprise his role as Ethan Hunt. It will pick up from where 2022's Dead Reckoning Part One left off. Superman, which sees David Corenswet play the 25-year-old version of DC character, is given the title "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters". Rachel Brosnahan stars as Lois Lane in the movie. 28 Years Later, starring Cillian Murphy, is a zombie apocalypse movie bringing the undead to run. This is the first in a planned trilogy. Snow White, co-written by Greta Gerwig stars Rachel Zegler in the titular role with Gal Gadot playing the Evil Queen. Michael, Lionsgate's most anticipated movie of the year, is a biographical film chronicling the life of Michael Jackson. The movie stars the pop icon's nephew, Jaafar Jackson. Photo Credit: @28yearslatermovie on Instagram How to Sleep at Night by Elizabeth Harris; the book follows a couple who have grown apart because of their political differences. The book is about romantic and sibling love, how identities evolve over time, ambition and monogamy. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler; this is the Pulitzer prize winning author's 25th novel, which revolves around a marriage story, not something one would quite expect. Tilt by Emma Pattee, is a natural disaster adventure novel that anxieties surrounding motherhood, marriage and career. The Next Day by Melinda French Gates; a memoir in which she explores themes of life's changes, becoming a parent and recent departure from a foundation she started with her ex-husband Bill Gates. Matriarch: A Memoir by Tina Knowles; Beyonce and Solange's mother tells her story through this book, about how she raises superstar daughters and the challenges that come along the way, basically how she came to be one of the most famous moms in the world. Photo Credit: @melindafrenchgates on InstagramAs we navigate this frozen landscape, it's important to remember that winter's chill serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. Despite the harsh conditions, we adapt, we endure, and we find ways to thrive in the midst of adversity. The cold may test our resolve, but it also strengthens our resolve, teaching us the value of perseverance and fortitude in the face of life's challenges.
‘One of my heroes.’ Politicians across GA, US offer condolences after Jimmy Carter’s death
Musk’s AI startup raises further $6bn PARIS: Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk’s startup xAI said it had raised $6 billion from investors in its latest funding round, as it battles stiff competition in the artificial intelligence market. The firm, whose flagship product is the Grok chatbot, garnered support from US venture capitalists, chipmakers NVIDIA and AMD, and investment funds from Saudi Arabia and Qatar among others. Musk has repeatedly warned that AI poses a risk to human civilisation, but he is pushing hard for a bigger slice of investment in the sector and xAI already raised $6 billion in May. The company is now one of the world ́s most valuable startups with an estimated $50 billion valuation, though still dwarfed by chief competitor OpenAI’s estimated $157 billion. Despite the sky-high estimates, critics have pointed out that AI firms are burning through cash and still have no clear path to profitability. Announcing the funding on Monday, xAI said it would use the cash injection to “ship groundbreaking products that will be used by billions of people”. It would also “accelerate the research and development of future technologies enabling the company’s mission to understand the true nature of the universe”. Musk, who also acts as boss of SpaceX and Tesla and is a chief backer of US president-elect Donald Trump, wrote on his X account that “a lot of compute is needed” to power AI products. He launched the company in July 2023 shortly after he signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of powerful AI models. Musk is currently taking legal action against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, which he co-founded as a non-profit in 2015 before leaving in 2018, alleging that its conversion to a for-profit company breaks legally binding commitments.During the symposium, participants discussed various aspects of cooperation, including curriculum design, internships, and career guidance. Vocational school representatives expressed their commitment to tailor their programs to meet the needs of the industry and provide students with practical training opportunities. They also emphasized the importance of integrating industry expertise into the classroom to ensure that graduates are well-prepared for the demands of the job market.
Virajini Thennakoon’s novel ‘Camellia’ has won the Golden Book Award Sri Lanka 2024. Since it was published last year, there have been many discussions and reviews claiming that this novel is a work of magical realism. But labeling it as a magical realism work won’t do justification for this amazing novel about Sri Lanka’s underrepresented community who are earning foreign exchange for a long time. This review clarifies the work explaining how the aspects of magical realism are covered in the novel. As we know, the term ‘Magical Realism’ first used by the German critic Franz Roh to explain paintings emerged in 1920s Germany. However, to highlight how ordinary objects may appear magical, amazing, and odd when you pause and gaze at them, Roh coined the word “magischer realismus.” Later, this genre was popular among Latin American writers who tried to write against colonialism. They found a new voice in magical realism to criticise colonial oppressors. Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges identified as the first Latin American author who used magical realism. But it was Gabriel Garcia Marquez who made it popular around the world with his famous novel ‘One Hundred Years in Solitude’ which won the Nobel Prize for him. Although Virajini’s novel has many layers of socio-political issues, gender issues and many themes, this review is to identify the aspects of magical realism in the novel. Since the term magical realism came to light there were different opinions about the aspects of magical realism. But there were few common aspects among all the critics who described the aspects of magical realism. Familiar setting The first aspect is ‘Realistic Setting.’ Every magical realism novel takes place in a setting in this world that’s familiar to the reader. If we closely look at the ‘Camellia’, the setting is nothing new to the Sri Lankan reader. The setting takes place in a familiar tea estate in the era of the British Government. The characters, environment, equipment, political and social events that occurred during the time of the novel were related in history, familiar to the reader. The second aspect is ‘Magical Elements.’ From speaking objects to dead characters walking, telepathy and many supernatural powers, magical realism stories have magical elements that do not happen in the real world. But in the stories those elements are represented as normal. When reading ‘Camellia’ the reader would find many magical elements as mentioned above. For instance, Ambhiga, a character in the novel, who hangs her tea plucking casket on her back for her lifetime, would not occur in the real world. But the idea of using these magical elements was to showcase the weight on her people from the beginning would carry on for generations. If the author wanted to explain this weight it would take many pages to describe the whole thing. Magical elements can work as a metaphor. When Ambiga died, people couldn’t remove her cane basket because it was tightly bound with her like a new organ. Also, when Appan died, it was impossible to move his dead body from the store room. It was there for many days without rotting. Instead the body became more beautiful and healthier. ‘’During this time, particular changes began to happen in the Appan’s body. He was a thin, hunched back, black man, but after he died, day-to-day he left those physical features like he was resurrected with a new soul.” – Page 131 After the betrayal of Henry, Camellia didn’t change her wedding dress for six months. “After spending six months in the upstairs of Seram Bungalow, one evening when Camellia appeared in front of the school with a torn veil and holding up the dirty wedding dress, the children ran for the hills scared by her appearance.” – page 176 Magical elements artfully weave into the fabrics of mundane life in above sentences to normalise the magic. The author didn’t try to explain these incidents with full information but penned it down like a very normal incident. This can be explained as another aspect of magical realism. To normalise the magic as much as possible and reinforce that it as a part of everyday life, authors of magical realism deliberately leave the magic in their works of literature unexplained. Limited information is the third aspect of magical realism. In the novel, the author used limited information for several events that happened in ‘Moon Melt’ estate. How Anita went to sleep for seven days to Camellia’s six months in the same dress. Subtle criticism The next aspect is ‘Social or Political Critique. Magical realism is frequently used by writers to subtly criticise society, particularly politics and the ruling elite. In regions of the world, such as Latin America, that were exploited and economically oppressed by Western nations, the genre received popularity. Authors of magic realism used the genre to criticise and express their distaste for American imperialism. While reading ‘Camellia’ readers would find the critique against colonial oppressors and their local agents, social dilemma of tea plantation workers, the place of a woman in feudal society. And about relationships too. It is obvious with these examples that Virajini’s novel ‘Camellia’ is a work of magical realism. Apart from that it has socio-political themes that need to be discussed among the readership. While reading it I found one similarity between Marquez novels, ‘One hundred Years of Solitude’ and ‘Camellia’. Both novels have a hypothetical place, Marquez created ‘Macondo’ back in the 60s and Virajini created ‘Moon Melt’ in 2023. It is obvious that Virajini’s novel would pave a new way for the next generations to follow if they want to use magical realism. While trying to explain how this novel could be claimed as a magical realism work, there is not enough space to describe the language used in the book. This article would not be enough to discuss it. However, ‘Camellia’ will be an all-time novel.
One of the key principles that Huang Xiaoming lives by is the belief that those who are in a position to help others have a responsibility to do so. He once said, "As a public figure, I have the ability to influence and inspire others. It is my duty to use my platform for the greater good." This sense of duty and compassion has driven him to actively participate in numerous philanthropic activities, both in China and abroad.As the number of applications for the national car trade-in subsidy program continues to rise, it is evident that there is a strong demand for policies and measures that promote sustainable development and environmental protection. The success of the program not only highlights the willingness of consumers to embrace eco-friendly practices but also showcases the role of government-led initiatives in driving sustainable growth and innovation in the automotive sector.China's policymakers are set to take a more proactive approach to macroeconomic policies in the year ahead, aiming to tackle both short-term challenges arising from lackluster demand and structural issues, said economists. Citing the recently concluded Central Economic Work Conference, they said the country is fine-tuning its macroeconomic strategy, marking a significant shift toward a consumption-driven economy as it prepares for expansionary fiscal and monetary policies in 2025. "The deficit ratio for 2025 is likely to be the highest on record," said Xiong Yuan, chief economist at Guosheng Securities, anticipating that the government would set the projected deficit-to-GDP ratio for 2025 at 3.5-4 percent or higher in March, up from 3 percent for this year. The Chinese government started to release the annual projected deficit ratio in 2010, with the highest reading in 2020 at 3.6 percent as COVID-19 hit, according to market tracker Wind Info. Xiong said next year's quota of special local government bonds is expected to increase to more than 4.5 trillion yuan ($616.5 billion) from a record high of 3.9 trillion yuan this year, in addition to special treasury bonds of over 2 to 3 trillion yuan in 2025, up from 1 trillion yuan for 2024. Xiong's remarks came as the Central Economic Work Conference held in December pledged to implement more proactive and effective macroeconomic policies, boost domestic demand, drive the integration of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, and stabilize the real estate sector and stock markets. The nation will maintain basic equilibrium in the balance of payments and better synchronize the income growth of households and economic expansion, according to the meeting. "While promoting industrial sectors was the top task last year, expanding domestic demand is in the top spot this year," said Lu Ting, chief China economist at Nomura. Lu said that the conference called for more specific measures to support consumption, including increasing basic pension payments, raising fiscal subsidies for basic medical insurance and developing policies to boost fertility. "Overall, the conference adds support to our relatively optimistic view on fiscal policies in 2025 and our view that Beijing may stick to the 'around 5 percent' GDP growth target in 2025," he said. According to the conference, policymakers pledged to roll out more initiatives to boost consumption, including greater strides in equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs. Looking forward, Lu said policymakers might consider an increase in spending on social security for lower-income households and encouraging childbirth. "We especially expect policymakers to significantly increase payments to those rural pensioners (55 percent of total pensioners) whose average monthly pension income is only 225 yuan," he said. "They may also increase financial support for families with a second or third child. And they may also waive part of the annual 400 yuan fee on basic medical insurance for low-income individuals." As the conference reiterated a "more proactive fiscal policy", Lu said his team forecasts a total of 3.6 trillion yuan in incremental borrowing for 2025 versus 2024, or around 2.6 percent of GDP. "We expect the official deficit ratio to be raised from 3 percent this year to 4 percent next year," he said. "We expect net financing from central government special bonds to be raised to 1.5 trillion yuan from 1 trillion yuan in 2024." Regarding local government special bonds, Lu said his teams expect a small increase to 4.5 trillion yuan in 2024. Echoing the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held earlier this month, the Central Economic Work Conference statement vowed to conduct "moderately accommodative" monetary policy, switching away from a "prudent" monetary policy for the past 14 years. "The use of words 'moderately accommodative' for monetary policy is the first time since the meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in July 2010, when China was still dealing with the aftermath of the global financial crisis," Lu added. "The readout emphasizes the dual roles of aggregate and structural monetary policy instruments, leaving room for potential incremental policies from these People's Bank of China structural facilities." The Central Economic Work Conference also promises to launch policy rate cuts and reserve requirement ratio cuts in a timely manner or whenever it is deemed appropriate, maintaining sufficient liquidity, leading the growth rate of aggregate financing and monetary supply to be mostly aligned with the expected targets of economic growth and price inflation. "The focus on the policy rate and RRR cuts is consistent with our view, as we forecast two rounds of policy rate cuts in the first quarter and second quarter of 2025, respectively, and one 50-basis-point RRR cut before end-2024 and two 50-basis-points RRR cuts in 2025," Lu said. With the help of a raft of government measures aimed at stimulating domestic demand and stabilizing growth in the second half of this year, China's economy showed sustained recovery with the latest economic indicators pointing to green shoots of a steady rebound heading into 2025. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's value-added industrial output grew 5.4 percent year-on-year in November, up from a 5.3 percent rise in the previous month. "This improvement reflects the impact of a series of incremental policy measures that have bolstered market confidence and supported demand recovery," said Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International. Looking ahead, Wang believes that the demand for consumption and investment will continue to pick up amid a series of stimulus measures, driving strong growth in industrial production. "Industrial production growth will remain robust in December, likely in the range of 5 percent to 6 percent." NBS data showed that the growth of retail sales slowed to 3 percent year-on-year in November from 4.8 percent in October, while fixed-asset investment saw 3.3 percent year-on-year growth during the January-November period, down from 3.4 percent in the first 10 months. Wang said the growth rate of retail sales slowed in November, as this year's "Double 11" shopping festival presale started earlier, shifting some consumer demand from November to October. With consumption-boosting policies taking effect gradually and the gradual improvement in consumer sentiment, Wang estimated retail sales to grow around 4.5 percent year-on-year in December. "We anticipate that in 2025, policy measures to stimulate consumption will be further ramped up," he said. Among these measures, Wang said the country may fund a 600 billion yuan tradein deal for consumer goods to spark household demand, and the range of subsidized products is likely to expand to include consumer electronics, home furnishings, and other durable goods. Meanwhile, he believes fiscal support for childbirth might be piloted next year, such as one-time or monthly subsidies for families with newborns, with the support scale potentially reaching 100 billion yuan. "There may also be a nationwide issuance of consumption vouchers and subsidies in 2025, which would expand the scope of consumption stimulation from durable goods to include general merchandise and service consumption," he said. "This reflects an important shift in the current macroeconomic policy direction, where the previous countercyclical investment policies with a key emphasis on investment are now shifting toward a more balanced approach, prioritizing both consumption and investment, with an increased focus on consumption."
Three firefighters and a dozen passengers were injured in Florida on Saturday when a fire truck with its lights flashing drove around rail crossing arms and into the path of a high-speed passenger train after waiting for another train to pass, according to video of the incident and a person briefed on what happened. The crash happened at 10:45 a.m. in crowded downtown Delray Beach. In the aftermath the Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck. Its ladder was ripped off and in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel reported . The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. The person familiar with the details of the crash, who was not authorized to disclose what happened because of the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fire truck stopped at the crossing and waited for a freight train to go by before maneuvering around the lowered crossing arms. Video of the collision shows the fire truck driving around cars stopped at the crossing with its lights flashing to cross the double tracks. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the front window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Amaral said. A Brightline safety officer said the entire community is involved in ensuring railroad safety and drivers should never go around closed gates. The Federal Railroad Administration will investigate. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said in the afternoon that it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether to investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing in Melbourne along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 — giving the railroad the worst death rate in the nation. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths. Railroad safety has been a concern since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, spilling toxic chemicals that caught fire. Regulators urged the industry to improve safety and members of Congress proposed a package of reforms, but railroads have not made many major changes to their operations and the bill has stalled. Earlier this month the two operators of a Union Pacific train were killed after it collided with a semitrailer truck that was blocking a crossing in the small West Texas town of Pecos. Three other people were injured, and the local Chamber of Commerce building was damaged. ___ Associated Press writers Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, Chevel Johnson in New Orleans and Julie Walker in New York contributed. More articles from the BDN
In conclusion, the 1.2% year-on-year growth in China's import and export value in November signals resilience and stability in the country's foreign trade sector. Despite challenges and uncertainties, China's export and import performance reflects the ongoing recovery of the global economy and the gradual normalization of trade activities. As China navigates through the complex external environment, continued efforts to promote trade cooperation, enhance market access, and foster sustainable economic growth will be key to further strengthening the resilience of its foreign trade sector.
Lehigh advances to a second-round game at eighth-seeded Idaho on Dec. 7. The Mountain Hawks trailed 16-7 early in the fourth quarter after Richmond's Sean Clarke scored on a 7-yard pass from Camden Coleman. Green dashed 65 yards for a touchdown on the next play from scrimmage and Lehigh trailed 16-14 with 10 1/2 minutes remaining. The Mountain Hawks (9-3) forced a three-and-out, then Jamiel and Hayden Johnson connected on a 56-yard pass play for the go-ahead touchdown. The Spiders were stopped short of midfield on their final drive but nearly came up with a huge play when Lehigh's Quanye Veney muffed the punt at his own 14-yard line. Ignatious Williams recovered the loose ball for Lehigh to preserve the win. Johnson completed 14 of 18 passes for 199 yards. Jamiel caught 10 for 137 yards. Coleman was 24-of-37 passing for 199 yards. Zach Palmer-Smith had 107 yards rushing for Richmond (10-3). Richmond had 249 yards of total offense in the first half but managed only three short field goals by Sean O'Haire. The scoring drives were 76, 70 and 64 yards and Richmond controlled the ball for nearly 21 minutes in the first half. Lehigh took a 7-6 lead on Johnson's 7-yard TD pass to Logan Galletta, but the Spiders answered with O'Haire's third field goal for a 9-7 halftime lead. This is 13-time Patriot League champion Lehigh's first playoff appearance since 2017. Lehigh and Richmond will have a rematch in the 2025 season opener at Lehigh. It will be Richmond's debut as a member of the Patriot League. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballLenovo Official Guide: "Infinite Warmth" Keyboard Tutorial for Female GamersEgypt’s Ambassador to Mali presents credentials, underscore bilateral ties
Moreover, Dunhuang and Sanxingdui skins on Alipay serve as talismans of good fortune and blessings for many young people. In Chinese culture, both sites are associated with auspicious meanings and powerful symbolism, making them popular choices for those seeking to attract luck and positive energy into their lives.South Korea's National Assembly has recently stirred up controversy by passing a resolution calling for the swift arrest of Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor and leading conservative presidential candidate. The move has sparked intense debate and speculation about the motivations behind the decision, as well as its potential impact on the upcoming presidential election.Things are ramping up here at the RDS as the first ballots are coming through this Saturday evening. And the excitement is building too – an eager scrum of photographers have been waiting in angst all day for the arrival of a certain Dublin central constituent. But first to pip Gerry Hutch to the post with her arrival to The RDS was Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. While speaking to awaiting media, she talked about ‘breaking the two-party system’, but have things really been positive this weekend for Sinn Fein, and where does another term on the sidelines leave the party’s future? Garry Gannon discusses his red line issues and why he's keen for a seat at the table regardless of who is sitting beside him. And what about celebrity candidates? Well things have not been going well for Gráinne Seoige in the West of the country, as she looks unlikely to claim a seat. Today on this Indo Daily Election Extra, Ellen Coyne is joined by The Irish Independent’s political editor Philip Ryan, and by Election Extra royalty Finian McGrath, to discuss the latest on a hectic Saturday evening here at the RDS.
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