A major fire broke out on Dindoshi Hills, opposite Infinity IT Park in Goregaon East on Sunday at 12.14 am. The blaze had spread to around 1.5 km area of the hill and was confined to the herbs, shrubs and trees. Although the fire was extinguished at midnight itself and no injuries were reported, the environmentalists are up in arms after the incident. The land where the fire erupted falls under the eco-sensitive zone and is adjacent to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Director of NGO Vanshakti, Stalin D alleged that the fire at Dindoshi Hills was not an accident or natural but was deliberately ignited to kill the vegetation near SGNP to allow the land for commercial use in the near future. The section of the land that caught fire is private land with a wall dividing it from the forest land of SGNP. Stalin on Sunday wrote to the Maharashtra Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Mumbai suburban collector and other authorities seeking an investigation into the Dindoshi fire incident. @MahaForest @mybmc @mpcb_official @moefcc massive fire seen on Dindoshi hills . This doesn't seem to be natural or accidental. This is being done to kill the vegetation on the hills. Fire will spread to notified areas of SGNP( national park). Arrest the criminals who did this. pic.twitter.com/Rwgn3d8yjs @mybmc @MumbaiPoIice Have the Dindoshi hills been set set on fire or is it pure accident? The hills lie between Sanjay Gandhi National Park & Aarey Colony. These are the city’s green lungs. Are those in authority unaffected by the smog engulfing the city? pic.twitter.com/6pukZqLsPM Alleging that the blaze was set manually by the private developers, Stalin in his email to the authorities wrote, “The last fire at Dindoshi Hill was reported in October 2022 and we had complained about the same. Just as the forests had begun reviving, yesterday night a massive fire was set off by the persons who are in the possession of the land. M/s Ferrani Hotels, M/s DB Reality and the Nusli Wadia Trust are the entities that are responsible for complying with the inherent responsibility to protect the hill range from degradation.” Stalin said that the environmental violations on the land are well documented in the joint committee report submitted to the National Green Tribunal. He stressed that there have been incidents of tree felling and fires in the past, and FIRs have been registered against unknown persons. Speaking over the issue, an officer from the Mumbai Fire Brigade who was on the site said, “The fire had confined to the shrubs in multiple sections. It is possible that due to wind the blaze was confined to the shrubs at a distance, but the possibility of the fire ignited manually cannot be denied. As per the preliminary investigation, no person was seen on the site before the incident, however, a detailed investigation will reveal the exact cause of the fire.” The officer added that as the fire engines could not reach the spot due to uneven hilly patches, the fire was extinguished manually by beating. Demanding a detailed investigation into the incident, Stalin said, “We urge officials to undertake a detailed site inspection with environmental experts and fire investigators to ascertain the factors that have resulted in yet another fire at Dindoshi Hill.” Box- A minor fire broke out at Heera Panna Shopping Centre in Haji Ali on Sunday. The blaze had engulfed two closed shops and smoke was logged in the ground-floored shopping centre. “The fire erupted around 9.09 am and four fire engines, three jumbo tankers and an ambulance were rushed to the spot. The fire was confined to electric wirings, electric installations, clothes, wooden furniture, glass cabinets, documents, shoes, stock of perfumes, mobiles, etc. in shops no. 11 & 12 on the ground floor,” the statement by BMC said. The fire was doused at 12.52 pm and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
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NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Hasbro, Inc. HAS between February 7, 2022 and October 25, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important January 13, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Hasbro common stock during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Hasbro class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31157 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for more information. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 13, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements that represented the quality of inventory and the appropriateness of the levels of inventories carried by Hasbro and its retailers compared to customer demand. In truth, however, Hasbro had a significant buildup of inventory that it was struggling to manage and which far exceeded customer demand. As a result, defendants' statements about Hasbro's inventory, and what inventory levels reflected regarding demand, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Hasbro class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31157 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Zach Kittley finalizing agreement to take over as Florida Atlantic coach, AP source saysIndia’s first glass bridge in the sea opens at Kanyakumari’s Thiruvalluvar statue
The United States has sanctioned Gazprombank, Russia’s third-largest lender, and dozens of other financial institutions as President Joe Biden seeks to further curtail the Kremlin’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine before he leaves office in two months. Gazprombank, which plays an important role in facilitating Russian energy exports, was the only remaining large Russian lender not under U.S. sanctions. Washington and Brussels had avoided sanctioning Gazprombank amid concern over possible energy export interruptions. Along with Gazprombank, the United States also announced sanctions on more than 50 other Russian banks conducting international operations, more than 40 Russian securities registrars and 15 Russian finance officials. The United States also warned financial institutions against joining Russia’s version of the international messaging system for banks known as SWIFT. Russia is seeking to attract international banks to its messaging platform to get around U.S. financial sanctions. “Today’s action reaffirms the U.S. commitment to curtail Russia’s ability to use the international financial system to conduct its war against Ukraine and disrupts Russia’s attempts to make cross-border payments for dual-use goods and military materiel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a November 21 statement. Ukraine backers had been calling on the Biden administration for months to tighten sanctions on Russia’s banking sector, saying the Kremlin was finding ways around existing sanctions to pay for technology imports and other dual-use items. In addition to facilitating energy payments, Gazprombank had been acting as a conduit for the purchase of military goods. The Kremlin also uses Gazprombank to pay Russian soldiers and compensate families for war deaths. “I am grateful to @POTUS and his administration for today’s strong package of financial and banking sanctions targeting Russia’s economy and war chest,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a tweet . Eddie Fishman, a former State Department official and sanctions expert, called the latest announcement a “strong step” toward closing loopholes around Russia’s energy sector, which generates about half of federal budget revenues. Biden will leave office on January 20 to make way for President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to end the war in Ukraine by getting Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table, something that experts say will be harder done than said. The financial sanctions come at a critical time for Russia’s economy as Putin’s record spending on the war effort drives up inflation and interest rates. The Russian Central Bank last month raised interest rates to 21 percent, the highest in decades, and could continue to ratchet them up with no end in sight to the war. A senior North Korean general has been wounded in Russia’s Kursk region, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Western officials. More than 10,000 North Korean troops are supporting Russian forces in Kursk. Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping to recover the swath of the Kursk region that Ukraine seized in August before President Donald Trump takes office early next year. The United States this week gave Ukraine the green light to use its long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russian assets in Kursk and said North Korean troops would be fair game. It is unclear how the North Korean general was wounded, the WSJ reported . Russian President Vladimir Putin said his military fired a new intermediate-range missile into Ukraine following accusations by Kyiv that it was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In a November 21 video statement to the nation, Putin said the use of the new weapon was a response to the United States and United Kingdom giving permission to Kyiv to fire their long-range missiles into Russia. "In combat conditions, one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested," Putin said, adding that it was a hypersonic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Earlier in the day, Kyiv said Russia had fired what appeared to be an ICBM into Ukraine as part of a massive missile attack on Dnipropetrovsk, home to important military-industrial plants. ICBMs, which are designed to deliver long-distance nuclear strikes, have never been used in war before. "On the morning of November 21, 2024...Russian troops attacked the city of Dnipro (facilities and critical infrastructure) with missiles of various types. In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation," the Ukrainian Air Force said in its statement on Telegram. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram that the new Russian weapon had "all characteristics -- speed, altitude -- [of an] intercontinental ballistic missile." A U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters that Russia used a new intermediate weapon. The U.S. official said Washington had informed Kyiv in recent days that Russia might use it to strike Ukraine. The U.S. official said Putin was seeking to intimidate Ukraine but added that Moscow only had a few of the "experimental" missiles. The Russian attack comes just days after reports that Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and U.S.-made ATACMS systems to strike military targets deeper inside Russia following the long-sought approval by President Joe Biden. Military analysts said ICBM missiles can be classified as intermediate-range weapons when their payloads are increased and ranges decreased. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said the use of an ICBM would be "extremely serious." The main target of the Russian attack was the southeastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's most important industrial region, and its capital, the city of Dnipro. Ukraine's air force said that besides the ICBM, Russian aircraft also launched a hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile and seven subsonic Kh-101 cruise missiles. Ukrainian air defenses shot down six Kh-101 missiles, the air force reported. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said his region bore the brunt of the Russian attack. "Since early in the morning, the aggressor massively attacked our region," Lysak reported on Telegram, adding that preliminary information showed that an industrial facility was damaged in the regional capital, Dnipro, where two fires were started by the attack. Explosions were also reported in Kremenchuk, in the central Poltava region. Moscow's use of a large number of sophisticated missiles as opposed to the usual drone attacks appears to be in response to Ukraine's gaining approval to use some Western-donated long-range missile systems to strike deeper into Russia. On November 20, Russian military bloggers and a source cited by Reuters reported that Ukraine had fired up to 12 Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia's Kursk region, part of which has been under Ukrainian control following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian troops in August. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to confirm whether the missiles had been used. Previously, London had given permission to use the Storm Shadows, which have a 250-kilometer range, within Ukraine's territory. Earlier this week, Ukraine reportedly used ATACMS to strike a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region after Biden was reported as giving his OK. The White House has not officially confirmed the approval and Ukraine hasn't directly acknowledged the use of ATACMS on Russian targets. Russia has long warned that Ukraine's use Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike inside its territory would mark a serious escalation of the conflict. On November 21, Moscow said a new U.S. missile defence base in the Polish town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, which was opened on November 13 as part of a broader NATO missile shield, will lead to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger. "This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilising actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic alliance in the strategic sphere," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger," Zakharova said. Poland rejected the claim, saying there were no nuclear missiles at the base. "It is a base that serves the purpose of defense, not attack," Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said on November 21. At least 38 people were killed and more than 40 wounded after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying Shi'ite Muslims in northwest Pakistan as religious tension in the region rises. Three women and a child were among those killed in the November 21 attack, police told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal. The convoy of 200 cars was heading from Peshawar to Parachinar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province near the border with Afghanistan when the unknown gunmen attacked. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in the Kurram region. Police, who were escorting the cars, said the death toll could climb. There were about 700 people in the convoy, according to law enforcement. Tension in Kurram began to heat up after 17 people were killed in an attack on a convoy on October 12. There have been about a handful of deadly attacks since then. Sunnis and Shi'a live together in Kurram and have clashed violently over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace. Influential Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash is among eight people targeted by fresh British sanctions that accuse the group, which includes his wife, Lada, of large-scale, international corruption. Angolan-Russian billionaire Isabel dos Santos and Latvian politician and businessman Aivars Lembergs are also among those hit by the new sanctions announced on November 21. The British government accuses Firtash of bribing officials to secure mining licenses for his companies and profiting illegally from Ukraine's gas-transportation system. Firtash is also linked to financier Denys Horbunenko, a resident of the United Kingdom who was added to the sanctions list on November 21 for his association with Firtash. Firtash has faced legal scrutiny in Ukraine over embezzlement and money-laundering accusations involving fraudulent gas-trading schemes. The United States has been seeking his extradition from Austria on charges of bribing Indian officials. Firtash, who gained prominence in the 2000s through his joint venture RosUkrEnergo with Russian energy giant Gazprom, has denied allegations of working in Russia's interests. Dos Santos, daughter of former Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is Africa's first female billionaire. She is accused of corruption in Angola, where she allegedly exploited her political connections for personal gain. Dos Santos claims she has held Russian citizenship since birth, as she was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1973 under the former Soviet Union. Lembergs, a former populist mayor of the Latvian city of Ventspils, has been convicted in Latvia of corruption and sentenced to five years in prison. He claims the charges against him are politically motivated. The sanctions are part of a British efforts to combat international corruption and disrupt the financial networks of individuals accused of abusing their power for personal enrichment. The measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and restricting these individuals from accessing the U.K.'s financial system or entering the country. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Muhammad Deif, a military commander in the Iran-backed group Hamas, alleging they committed crimes against humanity in the ongoing Gaza war. All three are accused of committing war crimes connected to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, an EU- and U.S-designated terrorist organization that is part of Tehran's network of proxies in the Middle East, and Israel's subsequent military intervention in the Gaza Strip. Iran's backing of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-supported militant group and political party that controls much of the southern part of Israel's neighbor, Lebanon, has sparked fears that the war in the Gaza Strip will engulf the Middle East. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. The court said the warrants had been classified as "secret" to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. Israel, which claims it killed Deif in July, blasted the move as "a dark moment for the ICC." Hamas, which has never officially acknowledged Deif's death, called the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant an "important step toward justice." The ICC said it had issued the arrest warrant for Deif as the prosecutor had not been able to determine whether he was dead. His warrant shows charges of mass killings during the October 7 attack on Israel that left some 1,200 dead, as well as charges of rape and the taking of around 240 hostages in the attack. "The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both [Israeli] individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024," the ICC said in a statement . "This finding is based on the role of Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal," it said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the move against Netanyahu and Gallant "absurd" in a post on X, saying it was an attack of Israel's right to self-defense. "A dark moment for the ICC in The Hague, in which it lost all legitimacy for its existence and activity," Sa'ar said. Tehran has yet to comment publicly on the warrants. Neither the United States nor Israel have recognized the ICC's jurisdiction. A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said Washington "fundamentally rejects" the issuance of the arrest warrants and "the troubling process errors that led to this decision. Meanwhile, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a post on X that ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States." The court said Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction was not required. However, the court itself has no law enforcement levers to enforce warrants and relies on cooperation from its member states. Russian police have conducted searches at the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art in the city of Perm, as well as at the home of its current director, in connection with a case against former director Marat Gelman , REN-TV reported, citing anonymous sources. The PERMM Museum announced on social media that it would remain closed until 3 p.m. local time due to "technical reasons." Gelman, a well-known art dealer who currently lives in Montenegro, where he owns an art gallery, was placed on Russia’s federal wanted list in December 2022 under a criminal charge, though details of the accusation remain unclear. In an interview with Current Time, Gelman suggested that the charges might be in connection with him "discrediting" the Russian military, a common pretext used against critics of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Gelman has been a vocal member of the Anti-War Committee and a member of the Permanent Committee of the Free Russia Forum. He has repeatedly expressed his support for Ukraine and his opposition to Russia's war efforts. The raid in Perm is part of a broader pattern of increasing pressure on Gelman. In the past week, he was added to Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists," with a designation indicating an ongoing criminal case against him. Critics argue this move is part of a crackdown on anti-war activists and dissenting voices within and beyond Russia. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on November 21 that 11 people were arrested after being found responsible for the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in Serbia's second-largest city. The huge canopy collapsed on November 1, killing 15 people and seriously injuring another two. The accident occurred after the railway station, built in 1964, had been renovated twice in recent years by a consortium of four companies -- China Railway International and China Communications Construction, France's Egis, and Hungary's Utiber. Among those arrested are former Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic, and the ex-director of Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic. They face charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work, the prosecutor said in a statement, adding that they faced up to 12 years in prison. The arrests came after public protests that turned violent demanded the punishment of those responsible amid accusations of corruption that resulted in substandard renovation work on the railway station. In a message on X, Vesic wrote that he had not been arrested, but had "voluntarily responded to the call of the police officers" and "made himself available to police authorities." Vesic, an official from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, resigned after the accident on November 4 but said he did not accept blame for the accident. Tomislav Momirovic, who headed the Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Ministry from 2020 to 2022, submitted his resignation as trade minister on November 20. The same day, Tanaskovic resigned as head of Serbian Railway Infrastructure. Opposition politicians have voiced scepticism about the arrests and demanded that the case be handed over to organized-crime prosecutors. The office of Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has issued a statement condemning the recent extradition from Vietnam to Belarus of Vasil Verameychyk, who fought on the Ukrainian side against invading Russian troops. Verameychyk, who moved to Vietnam after he was denied permission to settle in Lithuania because of he had previously served in the Belarusian Army, was detained in Vietnam earlier this year. Despite international appeals, Vietnamese authorities proceeded with his extradition in late October 2024. Tsikhanouskaya's office described the extradition as a direct consequence of the repressive policies of the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, highlighting the regime's efforts to target opponents beyond its borders. The statement emphasizes the urgent need for stronger international mechanisms to protect human rights, not only for Belarusians fleeing repression but also for those supporting Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's ongoing invasion. It calls on the international community to adopt individualized approaches when reviewing cases for international protection, end cooperation with the Belarusian security forces, and suspend bilateral agreements on extradition and legal assistance with Belarus. Additionally, the statement advises Belarusians abroad to remain vigilant against potential actions by Lukashenka's security services. It recommends consulting resources like Pashpart.org to identify countries deemed unsafe for Belarusians at risk of persecution. Russian mathematician and political prisoner Azat Miftakhov has been placed in solitary confinement for seven days. According to a support group for Miftakhov, the decision came after he reported feeling endangered by his current cellmate. In a letter shared by the group, Miftakhov explained that instead of being transferred to another cell, he was put in solitary confinement. It remains unclear whether Miftakhov will be returned to the same cell after completing his time in solitary. His support group says that his cellmate appears to be mentally ill. Miftakhov said that the man had undergone treatment while in pretrial detention but was nonetheless sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and is now being held in a general cell without access to medical care. Miftakhov is currently serving his sentence in a prison in Dimitrovgrad in the Ulyanovsk region. In March 2023, he was sentenced to four years in prison for "justifying terrorism." The charges stemmed from comments Miftakhov allegedly made while serving a previous sentence expressing support for Mikhail Zhlobitsky, who carried out a suicide bombing in 2018 at a Federal Security Service building in Arkhangelsk. Only Zhlobitsky was killed in the bombing. Before this, Miftakhov served five years and nine months on charges of hooliganism for allegedly participating in an attack on a Moscow office of the ruling United Russia party in 2018. He and his supporters have maintained his innocence, stating that he was tortured during the investigation and coerced into signing a confession, which he retracted. In 2019, the Russian human rights organization Memorial recognized Miftakhov as a political prisoner. Vietnam has extradited a Belarusian national who fought as a volunteer in Ukraine on Kyiv's side to Minsk, Belarusian media reported on November 20. The opposition-led Coordination Council said Vasyl Verameychyk, who is a member of the council, was turned over to Belarus on November 14. Verameychyk served in the Belarusian Army for seven years but participated in the 2020 anti-government protests. After the threat of arrest, he fled to Ukraine, where he joined the fighting against Russian forcesand was wounded in April 2022. Nasha Niva news reported Verameychyk moved to Vietnam after he was denied permission to settle in Lithuania because of his former Belarusian Army service. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, click here . European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson told RFE/RL in an interview that she is “optimistic” that Romania and Bulgaria will be fully integrated into the visa-free Schengen travel zone by the end of the year. “Romania and Bulgaria are ready, the Schengen area is ready, so I can’t see any obstacles,” she said. “It’s time to lift internal border controls now.” The interview, conducted on November 19, will be published in full on November 21. In March, both countries joined the Schengen area on a partial basis , allowing visa-free travel for those arriving and departing on flights and by boat to both countries, but not by road. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Romanian Service, click here . Serbian Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic on November 20 became the second government minister to resign following the collapse of a railway station overhang in Novi Sad that killed 15 people on November 1. He didn't mention the tragedy in his resignation statement. Goran Vesic, minister of construction, transport, and infrastructure, resigned on November 5, saying he was quitting for "moral" reasons, without admitting any guilt. Protests have been held in Novi Sad and Belgrade demanding those responsible for the collapse be held to account. The railway station was built in 1964 but recently underwent a renovation. Serbian Railways insisted that work didn’t include the concrete overhang, but some experts disputed that. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here . A Ukrainian court has sentenced prominent Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov in absentia to 10 years in prison, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Mashkov was found guilty of undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity and promoting war propaganda. Additionally, the court ordered the confiscation of Mashkov’s apartment in Odesa, reportedly gifted to him by fans for his role in the TV series Liquidation, which is set in post-war Odesa. The SBU highlighted Mashkov’s participation in pro-Kremlin events, including “concert rallies” advocating aggression against Ukraine, some of which took place in Russian-occupied territories. Mashkov was a trusted ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and served as a senior member of Putin’s election campaign team this year. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here . The United States, Germany, and the Netherland -- three key Ukrainian allies -- on November 20 provided details of additional aid to Kyiv as it battles against Russia’s full-scale invasion, which passed the 1,000-day mark this week. The Dutch Defense Ministry said the Netherlands had turned over the final two of 18 promised U.S.-made F-16 fighter warplanes to a Romania training base, where Ukrainian pilots and staff are being taught to fly and maintain the jets. The Netherlands has been one of the main players in a coalition of Western partners to supply Ukraine with the sophisticated F-16s to strengthen its defenses against destructive Russian attacks on military and civilian sites. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the past hailed the delivery of the warplanes as he pressed allies to step up aid to his country’s stretched military. Separately, the U.S. Defense Department announced an additional security assistance package worth $275 million under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program. It said the package will provide Ukraine with “additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including munitions for rocket systems and artillery and anti-tank weapons.” “The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated Capability Coalitions to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression ,” it said. President Joe Biden is scrambling to provide Ukraine with assistance in the face of increased Russian military activity ahead of the return to the White House on January 20 of Donald Trump, who has expressed opposition to the massive aid packages of the current administration. The U.S. statement said the Biden administration has provided Ukraine with $61.3 billion in security assistance, including $60.7 billion since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Germany government said it had sent a package of military aid to Ukraine, including armored vehicles, artillery, and drones. Four Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers and seven M109 howitzers were included, along with 41,000 rounds of 155-mm artillery shells. The German government noted that its military assistance is delivered in two different manners -- through federal government funds that are used to finance deliveries of military hardware from industry and, separately, from deliveries taken out of current armed forces stocks. Berlin is the second-largest foreign supplier of military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, behind only the United States. Germany in total has provided 28 billion euros ($29.5 billion) to Kyiv. Meanwhile, multiple media reports have stated the United States has given Ukraine permission to launch long-range ATACMS cruise missiles deeper inside Russia, while unconfirmed reports on November 20 said Kyiv had fired British-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time. Kyiv, Washington, and London have not denied the reports but also have not officially confirmed them. Permission for such strikes had been denied in the past by Western allies amid fears of provoking a wider war. Following the ATACMS and Storm Shadow reports, Ukraine has criticized Germany for refusing to provide its down long-range weapons, the Taurus cruise missile. An Almaty court has found RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, known locally as Radio Azattyq , guilty of disseminating false information, and the court imposed a fine of 184,000 tenges ($371), it said on November 20. The case originated from a complaint filed on November 13 by Shymkent resident Alisher Turabaev. Turabaev alleged that a Kazakh-language video published on Radio Azattyq’s portal on September 13 falsely stated that a prosecutor had requested an eight-year prison sentence for journalist Daniyar Adilbekov on September 12. Turabaev pointed out that court proceedings did not reach this stage until October 16, making the prosecutor’s request impossible at the time. Radio Azattyq acknowledged the error was due to a translation mistake when adapting content from a Russian-language publication. The original Russian report stated that Adilbekov faced "up to eight years in prison" for charges of defamation based on a Telegram post. However, during translation into Kazakh, the phrase was inaccurately rendered as stating that the prosecutor had already "requested eight years." Radio Azattyq expressed readiness to correct the mistake. This marks the second time Radio Azattyq has been fined under Article 456-2 of Kazakhstan’s Administrative Offenses Code. In October 2023, Turabaev successfully filed another complaint against Radio Azattyq, alleging the phrase "Russian-led CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization)” on its Russian-language site was false information. The court fined Radio Azattyq 103,500 tenge ($220) in that case. Details of Turabaev's motives in filing the accusations are unknown. Some people have speculated that he has taken the action on the orders of the authorities. The Dissemination of False Information article was added to Kazakhstan’s Administrative Offenses Code in September 2023 and has been widely criticized by human rights organizations as a tool to restrict freedom of speech. The law does not require proof of intent to spread falsehoods, nor does it provide opportunities for corrections or warnings. It also does not require the existence of a victim. Critics have likened the law to Russia’s legislation against "fake news," warning it is being used to silence journalists, activists, and bloggers. Radio Azattyq’s challenges extend beyond legal battles. On January 3, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry denied or refused to renew accreditation for 36 of its employees, citing violations of the Dissemination of False Information law. This dispute was later resolved through mediation. The growing use of Article 456-2 to penalize media and activists has raised concerns about press freedom and the shrinking space for dissent in Kazakhstan. Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, has pardoned an additional 32 political prisoners, according to reports from the pro-government Pul Pervogo Telegram channel, although an estimated 1,300 opposition activists remain behind bars in the country. The identities of those pardoned were not disclosed, but the report said they had all been convicted of extremism, a charge widely used against political activists. The report further identified the pardoned individuals as 24 men and eight women, with nine of them above the age of 50. The pardons released the individuals from serving their full sentences but did not remove their criminal records. Their behavior will continue to be monitored by the Interior Ministry after their release, the report said. This marks the sixth instance of political prisoner pardons in Belarus this year, bringing the total number of individuals set free to 178. Earlier this month , 31 political prisoners were pardoned. In July, the government pardoned 18 people, including Ryhor Kastusyou , the former leader of the opposition Belarusian Popular Front party who had been serving a 10-year sentence and is reportedly in poor health. Additional pardons followed in August (30 individuals), early September (30), and mid-September (37). In mid-November, prominent opposition figure Maryya Kalesnikava , who is serving an 11-year sentence on charges of conspiring to seize power, met with her father for the first time in 21 months. A month earlier, Lukashenka had suggested he might consider pardoning Kalesnikava if she submitted a formal request. However, it remains unclear whether she has accepted the offer. Kalesnikava has previously refused to request a pardon, maintaining her innocence and rejecting the legitimacy of the charges against her. The latest pardons come in the context of a harsh crackdown on dissent following the mass protests in Belarus in 2020, sparked by contested presidential election results. Lukashenka responded to the demonstrations with widespread repression, forcing at least 13,000 people into exile. According to human rights organizations, approximately 1,300 political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails, including politicians, journalists, human rights advocates, and civic activists. Belarus has scheduled its next presidential election for January 2025, with Lukashenka widely expected to be declared the winner. PRISTINA -- European soccer's governing body ordered Kosovo to forfeit its November 15 Nations League match in Bucharest that was abandoned after Kosovar players left the field complaining of "racist" abuse. UEFA on November 20 ruled Kosovo was responsible for the match not being completed. It fined the Kosovo soccer federation 6,000 euros ($6,300). The Romanian federation was also punished for the behavior of Romanian fans. It was ordered to play its first World Cup qualifying home game next year in an empty stadium and was fined 128,000 euros ($136,000) for a variety of offenses, including what UEFA called "the racist and/or discriminatory behavior” of its supporters and "provocative political messages not fit for a sports event." The federation was also fined for its supporters' throwing objects, lighting fireworks, and causing disturbances during national anthems, among other issues, UEFA said . Kosovo’s soccer federation said the fines against the Romanian federation was confirmation of the "validity" of the Kosovo national team's decision to abandon the match. "This decision fully justifies our actions, and we are proud that our national team correctly assessed the situation when it decided to leave the field in protest against these racist chants, provocative political messages, and other discriminatory behaviors," it said of the ruling, which officially meant a 3-0 victory for Romania. It added, however, that it disagreed with the decision that Kosovo should lose points in the league table, indicating it will appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. DigiSport in Romania reported that the Romanian Soccer Federation will await further details from UEFA before deciding on its next actions. The GSP sports site, meanwhile, quoted Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu as welcoming the ruling granting his team the victory, but he said he was stunned by the fines. "Us? Fined? Such a large amount? It's absurd," he was quoted as saying. Kosovo national team manager Bajram Shala had said the decision to abandon the match was made by the Kosovar federation, coach Franco Foda, and the players after "racist calls" against their country. The captain of the Kosovo team, Amir Rrahmani, said Romanian fans chanted, "Serbia, Serbia," and "Kosovo is Serbia," and that he had informed Danish referee Morten Krogh "at least three times" that his team would leave the field. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has been recognized by more than 100 countries, but not Romania and other four EU states -- Spain, Cyprus, Greece, and Slovakia. After Kosovar players departed, the Romanian team remained on the pitch for about an hour before the referee decided to abandon the game after the Kosovo's team refused to return. DigiSport quoted Romanian team captain Nicolae Stanciu as expressing puzzlement that his team continues to play Kosovo, even though the Romanian state does not recognize its independence. "If we as a state do not recognize [Kosovo] and considering what happened in past matches, why do we continue to play against them?" The Danish Defense Command said it is "present" in the area near the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which is anchored off the coast of Denmark and suspected of being involved in recent damage to fiber-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea. Suspicions have been growing in Western capitals that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables was likely the result of deliberate actions. The Chinese ship, reportedly captained by a Russian naval officer, was sailing from the Russian port of Ust-Luga. It is suspected of having traveled over the area in the Baltic Sea where the cables connecting Sweden and Lithuania are located. European governments and Washington have not tied Moscow directly to the damage, but they have accused Russia of orchestrating "hybrid attacks" on Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance and support for Ukraine's military as it tries to repel invading Russian forces. Some analysts say the ship may have damaged the cables when dragging its anchor. "The Danish Defense can confirm that we are present in the area near the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3. The Danish Defense currently has no further comments," the Danish Defense Command said in a post on X on November 20. Ukraine's allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the 1,000-day mark this week amid devastating losses on both sides. Authorities in states bordering the Baltic Sea are investigating the cutting of the cables -- the second connects Finland to Germany -- following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years. A year ago, Finland said it couldn't exclude that a "state actor" was responsible for damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea. The pipeline was damaged by an anchor dropped from the deck of the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear. The ship was not detained and sailed away. Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia. Chinese officials have not commented on the situation surrounding the Yi Peng 3. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on November 20 that its officers had detained a German citizen on suspicion of involvement in a March explosion that damaged a gas pipeline at a distribution center in Kaliningrad, the capital of Russia's western exclave of the same name. According to the FSB, Nikolaj Gajduk was detained after investigators found 0.5 liters of an unspecified "explosive substance" in his car while he was entering Kaliningrad from Poland. The statement also said that Gajduk had planned to conduct "sabotage acts" at energy facilities in the region, adding that the plan had been "masterminded" by a Ukrainian citizen residing in Germany. Gajduk was charged with terrorism and smuggling explosive substances. The Agentstvo Telegram channel said that Gajduk is a 57-year-old native of Ukraine. German authorities are yet to comment on the situation. T o read the original report by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here . Iranian authorities are using executions as "a tool of fear," particularly directed at ethnic minorities, dissidents, and foreign nationals, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 20. The rights watchdog highlighted a recent surge in capital punishment sentences against these groups, noting that the verdicts are handed down amid rampant violations of due process. According to Iran Human Rights group, in the first 10 months of this year, at least 651 people were executed in Iran -- 166 people in October alone. HRW noted the case of Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi, sentenced to death by Iran’s revolutionary court in Tehran on November 10 on the charge of “armed rebellion against the state." Moradi, a member of the Free Women’s Society of Eastern Kurdistan, was arrested in the city of Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province in August last year and kept for five months in solitary confinement in the infamous Evin prison where she was tortured. Her family has not been allowed to visit her since May, the group said. Moradi was not allowed to defend herself, and the judge did not permit her lawyers to present a defense, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported. “Iranian authorities use the death penalty as a tool of fear, particularly targeting ethnic minorities and political dissidents after unfair trials,” said HRW's Nahid Naghshbandi. “This brutal tactic aims to suppress any opposition to an autocratic government through intimidation,” she said. Five other Kurdish men were sentenced to death in recent weeks on charges of “espionage for Israel," HRW said. Four Arab prisoners from Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, are at risk of imminent execution, after being sentenced to death by a revolutionary court with two other individuals for their alleged involvement in the killings of two Basij members, a law enforcement officer, and a soldier. The four -- Ali Majdam, Moein Khonafri, Mohammadreza Moghadam, and Adnan Gheibshavi (Musavi) -- were arrested in 2017 and 2018, according to human rights groups. Afghan citizens in Iran have been targeted, in particular, by death sentences, HRW noted, adding that according to human rights groups, at least 49 Afghan nationals have been executed in Iran this year, 13 in the past month alone. “Iran’s revolutionary courts are a tool of systematic repression that violate citizens’ fundamental rights and hand out death sentences indiscriminately, leaving legal protections meaningless,” Naghshbandi said. “The international community should categorically condemn this alarming trend and pressure Iranian authorities to halt these executions,” she added. Mai Sato, the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, has also voiced concern about the "alarming" increase in the number of executions. "In August 2024 alone, at least 93 people were executed, with nearly half in relation to drug offences," Sato said on November 1. At least 11 members of Pakistan's security forces were killed and at least four others were wounded in a car-bombing and shooting attack, the country's military said in a statement. The attack occurred late on November 19 in Bannu, a district in the restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the statement said. Residents told RFE/RL that the sound of gunfire could be heard until late at night. A splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying that 23 members of the Pakistani security forces had been killed, a toll that could not be independently verified. The attack occurred as Pakistan's political and military leadership was meeting in Islamabad to discuss ways to tackle the current surge in militant violence. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here . TBILISI -- Hundreds of Georgian police have forced demonstrators for a second night in a row out of the area near Tbilisi State University where they were protesting the results of last month's parliamentary elections and calling for a repeat of the vote. Unlike the previous day , there were no clashes early on November 20 as protesters retreated from the advancing police forces and left the university area, moving to the nearby Melikishvili Avenue in downtown Tbilisi. The protest leaders then announced that they were temporarily suspending their action in order to come up with a new plan. "We have to somehow replan and think about something different, not the same as what we have been doing here," Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change movement, told the demonstrators. On November 19, Georgian police violently dispersed the days-long protest at the university, detaining at least 16 people and taking down the tents where demonstrators had taken shelter from the cold during the night. The Interior Ministry told RFE/RL that the 16 people detained were held for alleged disobedience to the lawful demands of the police and petty hooliganism. Three of them were released on their own recognizance. Tbilisi has been rocked by protests since the elections, with opposition leaders demanding a repeat of parliamentary elections amid claims of widespread fraud and Russian influence during the October 26 polls that were won by the Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012. The latest protests broke out after Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 validated the results of last month's disputed elections, despite accusations of widespread fraud and Russian interference. According to the official results, Georgian Dream won 53.93 percent of the vote against 37.79 percent garnered by an opposition alliance. The office of pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili -- who backs the protesters and has refused to recognize the October 26 vote -- said she filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court on November 19, "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional,” although she acknowledged little hope of success. "This is not because I believe in the Constitutional Court -- we all know that no institution in this country is independent any longer and we have received evidence of this repeatedly. Georgia's pro-European opposition has boycotted the new parliament, renouncing its mandates from the October 26 vote, alleging widespread fraud and Russian interference. EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the elections and perceived irregularities. Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures have stalled that effort. On November 20, the EU Delegation to Georgia issued a statement voicing support for young people who are fighting to protect the country's European values . "Here in Georgia, youth is safeguarding their rights, freedoms and the country's EU future. We stand firmly by them and stress the need to respect their fundamental right to freedom of expression and assembly," the EU Delegation said in a message on X on the occasion of "World Children's Day." The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy. Dilmurod Ergashev, a Tajik opposition activist who was deported from Germany despite significant concerns about the risk of his detention and torture upon returning to Tajikistan, has been jailed for two months, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 20, calling on Berlin to press for his release. An administrative court in Germany ordered Ergashev's deportation on October 28. The 40-year-old is a prominent member of Group 24, an opposition movement that is banned in Tajikistan, and part of the Reforms and Development of Tajikistan movement established by exiled dissidents. His activism has included participating in demonstrations in Berlin, notably during a protest against Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's visit to Germany in September 2023. "Germany should urgently press Tajikistani authorities to release Ergashev or make clear the legal grounds and evidence justifying his detention and ensure that his due process rights are fully respected," HRW said in a statement . "This includes access to appropriate and quality medical care and ensuring that he is not mistreated. Ergashev was deported after a German court dismissed concerns, that he and human rights groups had raised, that he would be detained on arrival in Tajikistan," it said. Ergashev has been in Germany since February 2011 and first applied for asylum on political grounds that same year. Despite several applications, his asylum requests have been consistently rejected. According to his lawyer, German immigration authorities have expressed doubts about the sincerity of Ergashev's commitment to opposition causes. On November 6, The Insider investigative group reported that Ergashev had attempted to commit suicide before being deported from Germany to Tajikistan, citing self-exiled Tajik opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoev. Germany has faced criticism for similar actions in the past. In 2023, two Tajik dissidents, Abdullohi Shamsiddin and Bilol Qurbonaliev, were deported to Tajikistan, where they were immediately detained and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms on dubious charges related to attempts to overthrow the constitutional order. Reports indicate that Shamsiddin has faced mistreatment while incarcerated. The Tajik government is known for its systematic persecution of opposition members, especially those affiliated with banned groups like Group 24. A recent report by HRW highlighted Tajikistan as a country of major concern regarding transnational repression, noting that the government actively targets critics abroad on charges of extremism and terrorism, leading to severe penalties and mistreatment upon forced return. Given Ergashev's documented activism and participation in protests, he is seen as a clear target for persecution by the Tajik authorities. KYIV -- The White House said it will provide Ukraine with antipersonnel mines to help it fend off Russia’s battlefield advances , despite widespread opposition to such weapons by international rights groups and following heavy usage of similar devices by Russia. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was quoted on November 20 by news agencies as saying during a visit to Laos that the decision to provide the controversial mines was made because of a change in Russian tactics. "They don't lead with their mechanized forces anymore," he said "They lead with dismounted forces who are able to close and do things to kind of pave the way for mechanized forces." Ukraine has a need "for things that can help slow down that effort on the part of the Russians," he added. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Russia had used at least 13 types of antipersonnel mines in Ukraine since February 2022. "Russia has used anti-personnel land mines widely in Ukraine...causing hundreds of casualties and contaminating vast tracts of agricultural land," it said. Rights and humanitarian groups have long criticized the use of antipersonnel mines, saying they pose a danger to civilians. In a statement following the U.S. announcement, HRW said the "decision to transfer antipersonnel land mines risks civilian lives and sets back international efforts to eradicate these indiscriminate weapons.” More than 160 countries have agreed to ban the use of antipersonnel mines, although the United States and Russia are not signatories to the convention . Ukraine ratified the convention in December 2005. When asked in the past about possible use of such mines, Ukraine said it could not comment on the types of weapons utilized during the current armed conflict "before the end of the war and the restoration of our sovereignty and territorial integrity." Antipersonnel mines are hidden in the ground and are designed to detonate when enemy troops walk on or near them. Some reports have said the mines being provided by Washington are "nonpersisent," meaning that after a set period of time they no longer are operational and are rendered harmless. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the decision on the mines, calling them "very important" weapons in the effort to blunt Russian assaults and saying the move would "totally strengthen" Ukraine's frontline troops. Meanwhile, U.S. officials said Washington's embassy in Kyiv will likely resume normal operations on November 21 after having closed earlier on November 20 when it received "specific information" about "a potential significant air strike." Late in the day, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing that "I can't go into the details of the threat, but we're always keeping a close eye on it. “The embassy is expected to return to normal operations tomorrow," he added. In closing, the embassy urged employees and U.S. citizens in the Ukrainian capital to take immediate shelter if an air-raid alert was announced. "Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," it said in a statement, without giving any details about the possible strike. The embassies of Italy, Greece, and Spain said they had also shut their operations following the unusual U.S. warning. Spain later said it reopened its facility after a temporarily closing. The Ukrainian military suggested the information the U.S. Embassy was referring to was "fake." "Messengers and social networks...are spreading a message about the threat of a 'particularly massive' missile and bomb attack on Ukrainian cities today." "This message is a fake. It contains grammatical errors typical of Russian information and psychological operations,” it added. It urged residents not to ignore air-raid sirens but also "not to succumb to panic." An air-raid alert was issued for several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv, early on November 20 due to the imminence of Russian drone strikes. The U.S. warning came one day after Moscow said Ukraine had used U.S.-made long-range missile systems to strike a weapons depot in Russia's Bryansk region following U.S. President Joe Biden's reported authorization of their use. The White House has not officially confirmed the decision. In another move by the current U.S. administration aimed at aiding Ukraine, Biden has informed Congress that he intends to cancel $4.65 billion in loans to Ukraine, a State Department spokesman said. Zelenskiy did not confirm or deny the use of ATACMS in the attack on Bryansk, saying during a news conference that "Ukraine has long-range capabilities.... We now have a long 'Neptune' (Ukrainian-made cruise missiles) and not just one. And now we have ATACMS. And we will use all of this." On November 20, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said a Russian military command post had been "successfully struck" in the town of Gubkin in Russia's Belgorod region, some 168 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. It did not say what kind of missiles had been used in the attack. Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported the Ukrainian military had also fired a British-supplied Storm Shadow into Russia for the first time, citing an unnamed Western official. Separately, the Ukrainian Air Force said Russian troops attacked Ukraine early on November 20 with 122 drones, 56 of which were shot down over 14 regions -- Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskiy, Sumy, Mykolayiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Kharkiv. The mayor of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, said the death toll after a Russian strike on the city on November 18 had risen to 11.
PM looks to ‘brighter future’ at Christmas and ‘wishes for peace in Middle East’King and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100
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Hitachi Rail partners with Invest Ontario to develop next generation of urban rail signalling technology in Toronto C$100m investment to create cutting-edge Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) product for urban rail operators in Canada and globally R&D program to integrate AI and 5G tech in new SelTracTM solution, creating 100 new high skilled jobs and growing Canadian employees to 1,200+ TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hitachi Rail is proud to partner with Invest Ontario as part of a more than C$100 million investment to upgrade its world-leading Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology. Hitachi Rail aims to develop a new generation of its CBTC technology, SelTracTM (G9), which will integrate artificial intelligence (AI), 5G communications, edge and cloud computing. The next generation system will offer transit operators worldwide lower costs, minimized carbon footprint and enhanced passenger experience. The investment includes the expansion of Hitachi Rail’s workforce in Toronto, Ontario, creating 100 new jobs and retaining 1,000 highly skilled positions in its York Mills office, including R&D and engineering roles. “The over $100 million investment in the next generation of our world-leading SelTracTM technology is hugely exciting – and we are grateful to the Government of Ontario and Invest Ontario for their support,” said Ziad Rizk, Managing Director, Urban Rail Signalling, Hitachi Rail . “By integrating AI, 5G, edge and cloud computing, our system will allow urban rail transportation operators around the globe to improve passenger journeys and operate more efficiently. This Ontario-invented technology is a Canadian success story that is creating jobs and boosting economic growth.” CBTC is a modern urban signalling system that uses wireless communication between trains and infrastructure to operate urban transit and subway systems more efficiently and safely than conventional signalling. SelTracTM, invented in Ontario, is the world’s first moving block CBTC signalling system, currently operating in more than 100 lines in 40 major cities around the world including the O-Train in Ottawa. Ontario, home to one of the largest tech clusters in North America, is renowned for its strength in AI, automation and connectivity technologies. The province’s expertise in smart mobility, combined with Hitachi Rail’s global competence centre, makes Ontario the natural place to develop next-generation digital solutions for urban rail and metros. “As one of the largest and most sought-after tech hubs in North America, Ontario is driving the development of next-generation technologies that will strengthen economic growth across key sectors, including automation and transportation,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade . “Through Invest Ontario, we are proud to support Hitachi Rail’s expansion in Toronto and thank them for choosing our province as the ideal place for their continued growth and success.” The company’s York Mills office in Toronto serves as its engineering centre of excellence, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including labs, testing areas, and simulation environments. This expansion adds to Hitachi Rail’s growing presence in Canada that includes around 1,200 employees across the country, who are delivering and maintaining major transit projects in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa. Toronto is home to the company’s international urban transit signalling technology business, as well as large program teams based downtown and Mississauga that are delivering major new transit infrastructure, like the Ontario Line and Hurontario. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is investing $70 billion in the largest transit expansion in North America, connecting millions more Ontarians to reliable and affordable public transit. Today's announcement means Hitachi Rail will be helping even more workers gain the critical expertise needed to deliver Ontario's generational projects,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation . “Hitachi Rail’s investment is a testament to Ontario’s strengths in future technologies that are transforming industries from manufacturing to transportation. We are excited to support the company in advancing a made-in-Ontario technology that keeps cities around the world on the move,” said Jennifer Block, Interim CEO of Invest Ontario . In support of this investment, Ontario is providing $4.5 million in funding through the Invest Ontario Fund . Contact: Adam Love, Hitachi Rail on +1 (437) 234 4024, adam.love@hitachirail.com Notes to the editors: Hitachi Rail invented moving block CBTC technology in 1974 in Toronto with the support of the Ontario government. Since then, it has evolved into the world's leading technology for urban rail and transit systems. The investment in G9 coincides with the 50 th anniversary of the invention of the original technology. We have deployed CBTC technology in Ottawa, Montreal, London, Hong Kong, Doha, New York, Chile, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE in the past 10 years. About Hitachi Rail Hitachi Rail is committed to driving the sustainable mobility transition and has a clear focus on partnering with customers to rethink mobility. Its mission is to help every passenger, customer and community enjoy the benefits of more connected, seamless and sustainable transport. With revenues of over €7bn and 24,000 employees across more than 50 countries, Hitachi Rail is a trusted partner to the world's best transport organisations. The company's reach is global, but the business is local - with success built on developing local talent and investing in people and communities. Its international capabilities and expertise span every part of the urban, mainline and freight rail ecosystems – from high quality manufacturing and maintenance of rolling stock to secure digital signalling, smart operations and payment systems. Hitachi Rail, famous for Japan's iconic high speed bullet train, draws on the digital and AI expertise of Hitachi Group companies to accelerate innovation and develop new technologies. Hitachi Group is present in 140 countries with over 270,000 employees and global revenues of €54.55bn / ¥8,564 bn. For more information, visit hitachirail.com . A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b33bb2d6-81f0-4e40-9dd0-f3e21c70080e
Dimopoulos shines in double OT and Northern Illinois beats Fresno State 28-20 in Idaho Potato Bowl
Bjork is 'absolutely' confident that Day will return next year at Ohio StateMoment of silence for former President Jimmy Carter held before the Falcons-Commanders gameNoneSANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Two people were rescued when a California pier under construction partially collapsed and fell into the ocean Monday as the state’s central coast was pounded by heavy surf from a major storm expected to bring hurricane-force winds to the seas off the Pacific Northwest, authorities said. Residents were warned to stay away from low-lying areas near the beaches around the Santa Cruz Wharf, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco, as the storm rapidly gained strength. “You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water,” the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office said on the social platform X. Lifeguards rescued two people from the water and a third person was able to swim to safety, officials with Santa Cruz Fire Department said. No one had serious injuries, Mayor Fred Keeley said. The mayor said the section of the wharf that collapsed had been damaged over time. The structure was in the middle of a $4 million renovation following destructive storms last winter. Tony Elliot, the head of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that about 150 feet (45 meters) of the end of the wharf fell into the water around 12:45 p.m. It was immediately evacuated and will remain closed indefinitely. Some of the wharf’s pilings are still in the ocean and remain “serious, serious hazards” to boats, the mayor said. Each piling weighs hundreds of pounds and is being pushed by powerful waves. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s has been briefed and the state’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local officials, his office said. Forecasters warned that storm swells will continue to increase throughout the day. “We are anticipating that what is coming toward us is more serious than what was there this morning,” the mayor said. Ocean swells along California’s central coast could reach 60 feet (18 meters) as the Pacific storm gains strength through Monday, the weather service said. “A rapidly developing storm will bring hurricane force winds to the areas well offshore of the Pacific Northwest tonight,” the weather service’s Ocean Prediction Center said on X. Winds off Oregon and Washington could peak near 80 mph (130 kph) and seas will build over 30 feet (9.1 meters), forecasters said. The end of the pier that broke off had been shut down during renovations. The portion, which included public restrooms and the closed Dolphin restaurant, floated about half a mile (0.8 kilometers) down the coast and wedged itself at the bottom of the San Lorenzo River. Those who fell into the water were two engineers and a project manager who were inspecting the end of the wharf, officials said. No members of the public were in the area. Building inspectors were now looking at the rest of the Santa Cruz Wharf’s structural integrity. Monday’s collapse came about a year after the Seacliff State Beach pier just down the coast was battered beyond repair by a heavy winter storm. ___ Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Martha Mendoza And Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press
FREMONT, Calif. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lam Research Corp. (Nasdaq: LRCX). Today, the U.S. government announced additional measures to further restrict semiconductor technology exports to China . Our initial assessment is that the effect of the announced measures on Lam's business will be broadly consistent with our prior expectations. As a result, at this time we have no plans to update Lam's financial guidance for the December 2024 quarter as stated in our earnings press release on October 23, 2024 . About Lam Research Lam Research Corporation is a global supplier of innovative wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry. Lam's equipment and services allow customers to build smaller and better performing devices. In fact, today, nearly every advanced chip is built with Lam technology. We combine superior systems engineering, technology leadership, and a strong values-based culture, with an unwavering commitment to our customers. Lam Research (Nasdaq: LRCX) is a FORTUNE 500® company headquartered in Fremont, Calif. , with operations around the globe. Learn more at www.lamresearch.com . (LRCX) Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Statements made in this press release that are not of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to but are not limited to the effect of U.S. government restrictions on semiconductor technology exports to China , the effect of such measures on Lam's business, and our outlook and guidance for future financial results. Some factors that may affect these forward-looking statements include: trade regulations, export controls, trade disputes, and other geopolitical tensions may inhibit our ability to sell our products; our understanding of newly announced trade restrictions and their impact on our business may change over time; business, political and/or regulatory conditions in the consumer electronics industry, the semiconductor industry and the overall economy may deteriorate or change; the actions of our customers and competitors may be inconsistent with our expectations; supply chain cost increases and other inflationary pressures have impacted and may continue to impact our profitability; supply chain disruptions or manufacturing capacity constraints may limit our ability to manufacture and sell our products; and natural and human-caused disasters, disease outbreaks, war, terrorism, political or governmental unrest or instability, or other events beyond our control may impact our operations and revenue in affected areas; as well as the other risks and uncertainties that are described in the documents filed or furnished by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including specifically the Risk Factors described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 29, 2024 . These uncertainties and changes could materially affect the forward-looking statements and cause actual results to vary from expectations in a material way. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information or statements made in this press release. Company Contacts: Ram Ganesh Investor Relations (510) 572-1615 Email: investor.relations@lamresearch.com Source: Lam Research Corporation### View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lam-research-corporation-comments-on-newly-announced-export-regulations-302320046.html SOURCE Lam Research Corporation Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. You can also control your newsletter options via your user dashboard by signing in.President-elect Donald Trump is preparing a sweeping plan to reshape the Department of Justice (DOJ) and direct the department to investigate claims that the 2020 election was rigged against him when he assumes office in January . What Happened: According to a report, Trump plans to dismiss Special Counsel Jack Smith and other DOJ employees who investigated allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election, despite the lack of evidence supporting such claims. The proposed changes come as Trump continues to challenge the legitimacy of President Joe Biden 's victory. Trump's plans, aimed at targeting investigations into unfounded voter fraud claims, reports The Washington Post. Smith, who has been leading federal investigations into Trump's alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents, could see his tenure cut short under a second Trump administration. According to the report, Smith has already announced that he would resign from the department before Trump begins his second term, ending the election interference and classified documents cases against the president-elect. Trump's legal troubles include multiple indictments, with some stemming from Smith's probes. Also Read: Here’s How Trump’s Policies Might Shape The Market’s Future "President Trump campaigned on firing rogue bureaucrats who have engaged in the illegal weaponization of our American justice system, and the American people can expect he will deliver on that promise," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. The former president's proposed DOJ overhaul also involves investigating claims of election fraud that have been repeatedly debunked by courts and bipartisan officials. Why It Matters: Legal experts warn that using the DOJ to pursue baseless allegations risks undermining the department's credibility and its independence. Critics argue such actions could set a dangerous precedent by politicizing federal investigations to serve partisan interests. Trump has made challenging the 2020 election results a central theme of his campaign. His rhetoric continues to resonate with supporters, while drawing criticism from opponents and legal scholars. Read Next Trump Aims To Make US ‘Crypto Capital Of The Planet': ‘We'll Get It Done' This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Image: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
And single people are more likely to use mobility tools compared to those who are married, according to researchers from University College London (UCL) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Researchers looked at information from a group of more than 12,000 adults in England aged 50 to 89 who were tracked over a 13-year period. At the start of the study, 8,225 adults had no mobility difficulty and did not use mobility assistive products (MAPs). Some 2,480 were deemed to have “unmet need” and 1,375 were using mobility aids. During the follow-up period, there were 2,313 “transitions” where people went from having no mobility issues to needing some help with getting around. And 1,274 people started to use mobility aids. Compared with men, women were 49% more likely to transition from not needing mobility aids to needing to use them, according to the study which has been published in The Lancet Public Health. But were 21% less likely to go on to use mobility aids when they needed them. The authors said their study showed “barriers to access” for women. For both men and women, with every year that passed during the study period the need for mobility aids increased. People who were older, less educated, less wealthy or reported being disabled were more likely to “transition from no need to unmet need, and from unmet need to use”, the authors said, with this indicating a “higher prevalence of mobility limitations and MAP need overall among these groups”. They added: “Finally, marital or partnership status was not associated with transitioning to unmet need; however, single people were more likely to transition from unmet need to use compared with married or partnered people.” Jamie Danemayer, first author of the study from UCL Computer Science and UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub, said: “Our analysis suggests that there is a clear gender gap in access to mobility aids. “Though our data didn’t ascertain the reason why participants weren’t using mobility aids, other research tells us that women are often more likely than men to face obstacles such as cost barriers as a result of well-documented income disparities between genders. “Many mobility aids are designed for men rather than women, which we think may be a factor. “Using mobility aids can also make a disability visible, which can impact the safety and stigma experienced by women, in particular. “There’s a critical need for further research to identify and break down the barriers preventing women from accessing mobility aids that would improve their quality of life.” Professor Cathy Holloway, also from UCL, added: “Not having access to mobility aids when a person needs one can have a big impact on their independence, well-being and quality of life. “Our analysis suggests that women, in particular, regardless of other factors such as education and employment status, are not getting the support that they need.” Professor Shereen Hussein, senior author of the study and lead of the social care group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The research provides compelling evidence of gender disparities in accessing assistive technology, suggesting that cost, design bias, and social stigma are likely to disproportionally affect women. “This underscores the need for inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches in the design, production and inclusivity of assistive technologies.”From Astro Bot to Prince of Persia: 15 best video games of 2024
MF3d Broadcom Inc. ( NASDAQ: AVGO ) shares jumped after hours on Thursday after the company reported fiscal fourth quarter and full-year earnings . I was yet again impressed by the company's results as it turned in another impressive Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of AVGO either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.ROSEN, A LEADING LAW FIRM, Encourages Hasbro, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – HAS
NEW YORK (AP) — There's no place like home for the holidays. And that may not necessarily be a good thing. In the wake of the very contentious and divisive 2024 presidential election, the upcoming celebration of Thanksgiving and the ramp-up of the winter holiday season could be a boon for some — a respite from the events of the larger world in the gathering of family and loved ones. Hours and even days spent with people who have played the largest roles in our lives. Another chapter in a lifetime of memories. That's one scenario. For others, that same period — particularly because of the polarizing presidential campaign — is something to dread. There is the likelihood of disagreements, harsh words, hurt feelings and raised voices looming large. Those who make a study of people and their relationships to each other in an increasingly complex 21st-century say there are choices that those with potentially fraught personal situations can make — things to do and things to avoid — that could help them and their families get through this time with a minimum of open conflict and a chance at getting to the point of the holidays in the first place. For those who feel strongly about the election's outcome, and know that the people they would be spending the holiday feel just as strongly in the other direction, take the time to honestly assess if you're ready to spend time together in THIS moment, barely a few weeks after Election Day — and a time when feelings are still running high. The answer might be that you're not, and it might be better to take a temporary break, says Justin Jones-Fosu, author of “I Respectfully Disagree: How to Have Difficult Conversations in a Divided World.” “You have to assess your own readiness,” he says, “Each person is going be very different in this.” He emphasizes that it's not about taking a permanent step back. “Right now is that moment that we’re talking about because it’s still so fresh. Christmas may be different.” Keep focused on why why you decided to go in the first place, Jones-Fosu says. Maybe it’s because there’s a relative there you don’t get to see often, or a loved one is getting up in age, or your kids want to see their cousins. Keeping that reason in mind could help you get through the time. If you decide getting together is the way to go, but you know politics is still a dicey subject, set a goal of making the holiday a politics-free zone and stick with it, says Karl Pillemer, a professor at Cornell University whose work includes research on family estrangement. “Will a political conversation change anyone’s mind?" he says. “If there is no possibility of changing anyone’s mind, then create a demilitarized zone and don’t talk about it.” Let’s be honest. Sometimes, despite best efforts and intentions to keep the holiday gathering politics- and drama-free, there’s someone who’s got something to say and is going to say it. In that case, avoid getting drawn into it, says Tracy Hutchinson, a professor in the graduate clinical mental health counseling program at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “Not to take the hook is one of the most important things, and it is challenging,” she says. After all, you don’t have to go to every argument you’re invited to. If you risk getting caught up in the moment, consider engaging in what Pillemer calls “forward mapping.” This involves thinking medium and long term rather than just about right now — strategy rather than tactics. Maybe imagine yourself six months from now looking back on the dinner and thinking about the memories you'd want to have. “Think about how you would like to remember this holiday,” he says. “Do you want to remember it with your brother and sister-in-law storming out and going home because you’ve had a two-hour argument?” Things getting intense? Defuse the situation. Walk away. And it doesn't have to be in a huff. Sometimes a calm and collected time out is just what you — and the family — might need. Says Hutchinson: “If they do start to do something like that, you could say, `I’ve got to make this phone call. I’ve got to go to the bathroom. I’m going to take a walk around the block.'"Nvidia shares decline 3.5%, hit 3-week low as rotation into cyclicals continue
Bill Oxford Listen here or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify Jonathan Faison shares his approach to investing in biotech, the 'riskiest' sector (1:35). Recent lows and seeing through the volatility (4:10). Sector winners (9:20). Do sector ETFs make sense? (21:00) Updates on Sutro Biopharma and Voyager Therapeutics (24:15). Learn more about Jonathan's ROTY Biotech Community Transcript Rena Sherbill: Jonathan Faison, welcome to Investing Experts. Welcome to the Podcast. It's great to have you on the show. Jonathan Faison : Hey, thanks. Happy to be here, Rena. RS : It's nice to have you on talking biotech , a sector we sometimes talk about, but not enough, especially for those invested in the sector, I bet feeling that way. You run an investing group on Seeking Alpha called ROTY Biotech Community . I'm interested how you would articulate for our listeners how you approach the biotech part of things and how you approach the sector. JF : So it's notorious that biotech is probably the riskiest sector in the market. So we have the highest upside potential in terms of when you get the story right, when a company's drug gets to market and is sold, lots of buyouts occur. So that's part of the appeal is waking up and seeing one of your holdings bought out by a larger pharmaceutical company. But on the converse side, there's a lot of stories out there that are zero or hero. And what I mean by that is if the company reports negative clinical results, especially if that's their only asset, they can lose 90% or more of their value in one day. So in my 20s, I did a lot more catalyst trading, which was focusing on these specific readouts. Very thankful for how that worked out, the highs and the lows. It was successful in the early days of ROTY. We started the biotech service in 2018. And around 2021 to ‘22 when the biotech bear market started, I realized, it's adapt or die, especially in this type of market and realized that looking at multi-year clinical and commercial momentum was more the direction I wanted to go in. So that's what we focus on now is stories, these situations where its heads win big when things go well over a multi-year timeframe. For example, where is the pipeline going? Where is the product launch going 2025 to 2026, for example? And on the downside, trying to capture downside as much as possible, derisking via multiple drug candidates, shots on goal, cash position, proof of concept data sets, et cetera. So we're trying to find those situations where the risk reward profile is very asymmetric. Not all of them will work out, but the idea being if you have a high batting average, more of them will work out than not. And looking back over the past year or two, you'll be happy where your portfolio has gone. So that's it in a nutshell. RS : I want to pick at the specific names a little bit, but I'm curious, given that we're coming off of lows that we haven't seen in a few years out of the biotech sector and speaking to that volatility and low lows, how do you encourage investors to see through it? Is it just that? Is it picking out the winners in the industry? Is it picking out the ones that are going to see it through the best possible chance - or at least have the best possible chance to do so? Is that the way to see through the volatility? JF : Before I say see through the volatility , one thing I like to say is we're pretty transparent with winners and losers. And so if this call had taken place, I guess it was like two weeks ago, or a week ago, even the ( XBI ) was at new 52-week highs around 104. So if this call had happened then I would have been more, I don't want to say cheerleading, but the portfolio was up 43% for the year. And at highs, you're feeling pretty good about yourself, much like any investor. And then over the last week, it's been nothing but red in the XBI. So it's fallen from 104 below all major moving averages, the 20, the 15, the 200-day. And so the 43% year-to-date gain has fallen to 25%. So it's never fun to see that type of erosion giving gains back to the market. But yeah, exactly what you said, I tend to focus more on individual companies, individual stories, where the pipeline and the commercial momentum is going over the next year to two, for example, three to five-year timeframe. So when you do that, you're able to take advantage of weakness, volatility, prioritize which setups are looking the strongest or the most undervalued. A lot of these commercial setups, for example, I'll look at them when they're valued at an enterprise value of one times peak sales. So if the company, for example , their drug candidate is approved, much like, let's say, SpringWorks Therapeutics ( SWTX ), Ogsiveo, if it's a $1 billion peak sales potential and at one point the enterprise value is trading at or below that that sets you up. It doesn't mean you're going to win, but you're setting yourself up in a high probability scenario, where over the next couple of years there's a lot higher probability it works out than it doesn't assuming your due diligence is correct. So trying to find more of those setups in our sweet spot where they're priced cheaply relative to peak sales, generally approved drugs or late stage. Personally, my track record in preclinical to early stage clinical is mediocre at best. So I tend to focus on late stage and commercial. RS : Is it your opinion that the decline recently in biotech has to do with more of the macro picture and who's in government ? Do you subscribe to that idea? JF : To be honest, I leave that to smarter minds. There's definitely the political and regulatory uncertainty who are we going to be put in charge of the FDA , health services, et cetera. There's also the inflation worries where you're starting to see that come back up again. So one of my biggest messages to people is simply, yes, there's opportunity here, but also don't be a hero. Some people will go all in on either specific stock picks or their exposure to biotech or another sector for that matter. And so don't being a hero means, I mean, keeping your exposure to a level that you can sleep well at night. So some of the guys in our chat, if they are, for example, retirees, maybe they have 5% of their portfolio in biotech. So if it does really well, that gives the portfolio a boost. And if it's a rough period, they have their other lower risk areas of their investments to help balance that out. So for me, I, for example, mentioned the one-to-one rule for myself personally, which is for every new dollars I'm depositing to my investment accounts, every $1 in biotech is balanced out with my low-risk bucket, whether that's dividend indexed funds, et cetera. So those are ways to help manage your emotion and make sure you have a system in place and get rid of that gambler mentality. RS : What guides you as you're looking for these opportunities? Are there specific metrics that you're paying attention to? What are the benchmarks that you're looking for along the way? JF : Sure. It's more each day, I'm regularly scanning the charts, whether it's gainers or losers, I'm checking the news. And most of the time, it'll turn up dry, when we can even have dry periods of a month or two where I have no new ideas. And maybe that's something that sets ROTY apart in terms of, I know the industry is about publishing more material, but I only publish when I have something worth saying. I don't want to waste people's time. So when we're looking at opportunities, it's more – I'll listen to more calls. Like recently we had the Jefferies and the Stifel healthcare conference. And if you listen to a story where it sounds like the thesis is firing on all cylinders, it's especially compelling, then that's something to dig deeper. And then you compare that to, like we said, valuation of 1 to 1.5x peak sales versus the enterprise value. That's just a sweet spot for me personally. Like I'm again, trying to find these situations where there's high upside potential, but your risk is capped as much as possible. It doesn't mean I won't have my binary losers. Landmines happen in biotech, but at least you're trying to reduce that as much as possible. RS : So who are the names that you're looking at right now? Who has you the most excited as you're looking across the sector? JF : I'm glad you mentioned that. A recent winner that we still own 8% of the portfolio in, I've taken partial profits twice on the way up, but it's still firing on all cylinders, is Tarsus Pharmaceuticals ( TARS ). Tarsus, they have their lead drug, XDEMVY, which is for a very non-sexy indication of Demodex blepharitis, which are basically the mites on your eyelids. So there are a few off-label treatments there. People thought the XDEMVY would not do well in launch. We got in when the early metrics were positive. So that was a fun run from $15 to say $40, mid-40s currently. And one would think, oh, that's actually, all the upside has been had, but it's actually, let's see, $1.8 billion market cap. So around $1.5 billion or so enterprise value. And so what's interesting is that's still only 1x to 1.5x peak sales. So that's one of those stories where thesis is firing on all cylinders, all the launch metrics are set to accelerate into 2025. So the remaining position just holding patiently. As far as one that is maybe more applicable to investors wanting to get in on the early stage, it would be SpringWorks Therapeutics ( SWTX ). That's currently my number one holding around 13% of the portfolio. And what's fun there is Ogsiveo is getting launched. It's about one year into launch for the indication of desmoid tumors, these slow-growing tumors that cause pain, they cause – they impact the range of motion for these patients. There's been nothing approved. So in the past, it would be doctors in watch and wait mode to see when they had to intervene. There would be chemo, treatment with TKIs, nothing particularly good. And Ogsiveo got approved, the long-term open label data shows patients on drug for up to four years, at least three. So you'll have that stacking effect over time as it gets launched. The ICD-10 claims codes just came out over 10,000 unique claims in under a year. So as management noted in their Q3 call, the denominator, the addressable market is larger than they had anticipated. Over 90% of doctors are saying, they will use the drug again. 90% say they will use it in frontline. Ogsiveo already has 70% market share of any new prescription for desmoid tumors. They're only 10% penetrated already at $200 million to $250 million annualized run rate. And so it's just a very interesting story still. Let me pull that up on the valuation. But what's interesting is even though it's rebounded from the high-20s, it's still only at $37 a share. I'm trying to remember the cash position on hand, but even if it's around maybe $2.3 billion or so enterprise value, that's versus a $1 billion estimated peak sales and that's conservative for Ogsiveo, I think personally it's closer to $1.5 billion and they have Mirdametinib for NF1-PN indication, which should be approved. It has a priority review with a PDUFA date in February of next year. So next year, the company has three launches planned: European Union launch for Ogsiveo, U.S. launch for Mirdametinib, and the ex-U.S. launch for Mirdametinib in the second half of next year. So Blueprint Medicines ( BPMC ) was a winner for us earlier this year that has sold. And it was a similar situation where valuation stays low at first because it's cloudy, you don't know how the launch metrics are going to look out of the gate. And as they get more clarity, patients stacking, staying on treatment longer, that's when the market tends to reward these stories. It tends to be skeptical, prove it to me mode. And so Q3 call for SpringWorks Therapeutics strengthened the thesis for me for the reasons I mentioned before. And so it's still very early stages for people. I've stated before buying it below $40, it's at 37, if you're looking at the 2025 to 2026 timeframe. So those are examples of stories we look for where a thesis is firing on all cylinders. And it's funny, I keep getting questions from investors like, okay, now that the Q3 call has come out, what's your updated trade plan? And I've stated that my goal is to be boringly predictable, boringly profitable. And so here too, I just hold patiently as long as the valuation is reasonable and the story is going in the right direction, so I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here. RS : Would you say the risks there are in the unknown? Like waiting for more data to come out? JF : For Ogsiveo, I'd say there's less data risk because we already have open label extension data. For Mirdametinib, it is a PDUFA date in February with priority review, but with the FDA, anything is possible. So even if I put that, let's say, 80% or 90% chance of being approved, there's still that 10% chance, there's something manufacturing-related or what have you. So regulatory uncertainty is always possible. For Mirdametinib, they're going up against AstraZeneca ( AZN ) which is a much larger company as you can imagine, big pharma. AstraZeneca's drug, Koselugo, is only approved in the pediatric indication for children, which is just one quarter of the NF1-PN market, and they are going to get approved in adult. But after SpringWorks who has the lead there, SpringWorks, their drug looks to have the edge on efficacy also lower incidence of Grade 3 events. With Koselugo, they're already losing half of their patients within a year due to tolerability issues among others. So there's definitely the opportunity for switch, but you're definitely right. It's always whenever a small company is going up against big pharma , that is a cause for concern. That is a risk factor because one has a lot better infrastructure and unlimited resources versus a small company. RS : I'm curious, and you don't have to have an opinion on this because it's not your area of focus, but psychedelics are a part of the market that we've covered before on the podcast and we cover on the Cannabis Investing Podcast . And speaking to the point of like unknowns and waiting for pipelines to develop and the unknowability of the FDA and where their decisions may or may not fall and haven't fallen when it comes to psychedelics, any thoughts about how investors should be thinking about either that part of the market or the more unknown or less developed kind of columns within the biotech sector? JF : That's definitely not an area that I've been looking in recently, just because most of the ones that are interesting to me are early stage, so I have to wait. There's that thing I like to say, there's a lot of companies that are in the science project phase, and that's where they're throwing a drug candidates against the wall in preclinical Phase 1 and seeing where it sticks. And so with psychedelics, there's definitely some really good data out there, mushrooms, et cetera, but you had to have to see that replicated in either Phase 2, Phase 3 placebo-controlled studies. Also, like you said, the unknowns there as far as the scheduling, what class, what type of restrictions are going to be on the label, et cetera, that's a little bit outside my wheelhouse. So if something looks like a coin flip to me, that's not enough, I have to have as many factors in my favor as possible. But that said, definitely for investors who are interested in those high risk, high reward plays, it can make sense. I'm just not a fan of lottery tickets personally. That reminds me of Leap Therapeutics, ( LPTX ), which a lot of guys in our chat like. And what's interesting is they have a buy-in from Pfizer ( PFE ) who owns part of the company. They have a readout in colorectal cancer middle of next year. They also have a preclinical drug candidate targeting GDF-15, which could be used for cachexia in cancer. And so it has a very minuscule enterprise value. And if you're right, that could be five-bagger, 10-bagger, et cetera. But I have questions on the intellectual property of their lead candidate, et cetera. So it's just as with psychedelics, as with other areas, if there's too many unknowns, those will stay on my radar, but they're not investable for me personally, just because I need as much derisking and downside cushion as possible to make me feel comfortable. RS : Why focus specifically on biotech? I'm curious. JF : That's a great question. When I started investing in 2008, tried many different strategies, different sectors, whether it was tech, real estate, you name it, dividend, metals and mining. Biotech from, I think, a reason a lot of us are in it is because of intellectual curiosity too. You're always reading about the latest studies, treatments being involved in some way for advancing and bettering the care for these patients, whether it's curing patients, whether it's extending lives or making them better. Each of us has personal stories in our families too, whether it's somebody we've known who's had cancer or Alzheimer's or Parkinson, you name it. I also had a fire lit under me. I think this sector, for many people we feel as outsiders, if it's not our background in the medical arena, that it's only for specialists. And to be fair, it is in a way. But that's not to say that people on main street, the rest of us can't have success there. When I started writing articles on Seeking Alpha, one thing I really appreciated was the comments. I was just sharing my ideas. I never expected anything bigger to come up from it much less having an investment service. But what I really enjoyed was the comments. Many of them were brutal. They were from whether doctors or other people in specific spaces I was discussing. And when I said, hey, here's the investment opportunity, they would respond in the comments actually, no, here's how I prescribe it in my practice, or here are some aspects of the bear thesis that you're overlooking. And so that kind of lit a fire under me to learn more. And also I had quite a few mistakes that should have been account ending along the way, whether it was binary blow ups or I didn't have much in the way of risk management, for example, my maximum portfolio weighting rule currently is to make sure I combat that gambling mentality. So for commercial stage biotech, the maximum I can own no matter how much I love the company is 10% of the portfolio. And for clinical stage, it's 5%. And so rules like that, everything I learned along the way is hopefully to help other investors not go through everything I did, accelerate their learning curve. And that's what I love about our chat is we have over 500 investors, some of them are veterans, been doing this 20-plus years, others are newbies, but we're all sharing what we're learning together and helping each other out. That can be good during the hot streaks, people to keep us level headed. And when things are pretty rough, and you're just trying to hang in there, like the current downturn in biotech, it's nice to have other people speak into your portfolio, life, tell you what you can do better, where to improve. And so investing is not meant to be a solo sport, in my opinion. RS : Yeah, I like that you have community built into the name. One of my favorite things of Seeking Alpha, and you spoke to this just now, is the level of commenting on the site. It furthers the conversation and deepens the conversation. And community, it's often talked about in a very trite way, but if done correctly, when done correctly, avails us all to exponential growth and awareness. So kudos for highlighting that part of things. I'm curious what you think of ETFs in the space and who those make sense for, and do they make sense for certain investors? JF : Oh, without a doubt, they make sense for investors. Just like Warren Buffett said, a lot of people would be better off in index funds, putting their money away and not having to think about it, so they can focus on their daily lives, the things that are important to them. My father, for example, he invests a lot in cash value life insurance. And so some people would make fun of him because, oh, it's only a 5% return a year. And maybe one year his friends do really well on Apple ( AAPL ) and they're kind of laughing your 5% doesn't look so well. But when the market is down 40%, that 5% return is looking pretty nice. And so same thing applies to biotech ETFs. If a person wants, let's say, 3% of their overall portfolio in biotech and they don't want to pick the winners and have to decide which ones are going to be winners, losers, it can make sense to find the ETF that's right for you, have that exposure, and not have to think about it. So 100% agree. Another way to do that, which some people do in chat, is they will have only a handful of biotechs. So they'll own mainly ETFs or dividend indexed funds or other funds of other sorts, and they'll only own maybe three to five biotech stocks. So definitely should be a number that you can follow easily that should not affect your life that you should have to be staring at a screen the entire time. For me personally, my sweet spot is around 15 stocks, 15 companies that I can follow relatively closely. For other people that might be three to five And for others, it definitely makes sense to save yourself the hassle and the headache because it's definitely takes effort to find the winners. For us, I feel that it's worth it when we do well. But if you're not willing to put in that effort, definitely makes sense to do indexed funds and that way you don't have to put in that time and effort that maybe is better used elsewhere. So definitely we should tell that as it is. RS : Anything specific to note about the various ETFs or anything you would highlight or make note of there? JF : Nothing off the top of my head, but you do look at the top 10 holdings and see if you agree with those for the most part, because those are the higher percentages of the portfolio. Also, what's the maximum weighting they allow for each holding, so you know how exposed you are to individual company risk. And then lastly, of course, compare the prices, the annual cost of each one. And that applies not only to ETFs, but I would also argue investment services, charting tools that investors use, including ROTY Biotech Community. You have to look at the price of the service and determine if that adds enough value for you because every investor, whether they have, let's say, a $10,000 portfolio, 50, 100, a million, whatever it is, one of the very few things we can control as investors is keeping our costs down. So I try to own only services, whether charting or news feeds, et cetera, that add the most value for me, give me the biggest bang for my buck. Otherwise it's a paralysis by analysis, you're reading too much. So that applies to my service and any other tools that people use. RS: I'm curious the last couple of stocks that you wrote about on Seeking Alpha on the free side. I'm curious if you have any updates to give on Sutro Biopharma ( STRO ) or Voyager Therapeutics ( VYGR ). Any thoughts there? JF : Not really. Let me pull those up. But Sutro was one, the ADC, antibody-drug conjugate space. It has been pretty lucrative. Last year, we owned ImmunoGen, which was a full-size position in the portfolio and got bought out by AbbVie ( ABBV ). So I've been wanting to try to find more players in that space. Sutro, I wanted to reevaluate because it was trading at negative enterprise value below the value of its cash. The problem for me was the ovarian cancer space was too crowded. There's something like eight to 10 new therapies in late-stage development. ImmunoGen is already approved in the folate receptor alpha ADC, and it has a next-generation one for the lower expressors. So I'm really struggling to see the white space or open space for Sutro. So their next-generation candidates in the pipeline look interesting, but were too early stage for me. Voyager Therapeutics likewise, as we talked about, was at that science project phase of development. There's some interesting gene therapy programs. They are licensing out their vectors to big pharma. So both of those are situations where, hey, if it works out, that could be a big gainer. But they're not for me either because of being too early stage, I don't see clear paths to market as of yet. Sutro's lead program, Luvelta could be an example of a program that could be high probability of clinically successful meaning they have a positive Phase 3 readout and it gets approved. But just because a drug gets approved doesn't mean it's going to be successful commercially. Some of these readouts, I'm usually, I'll put it this way, my number one priority is trades for the portfolio. And I only trade two to four days per month. When I'm not trading, I'm writing down rough drafts of thesis of each investment idea. I have a playbook on my phone, which is where I order by priority which companies I would move dollars into a new position when they free up. And when there are no trades on radar, those dry periods is when I'm able to write full sized company articles like Sutro, like Voyager. And even if they're not up to investment quality for us, they're not currently candidates, I think it helps us to sharpen ourselves as investors to do that deeper due diligence, digging through the quarterly filings, the annual filings, listening to presentations, something we should be doing for all names. I wish I had the time to publish more of these articles. And hopefully in the future, I will during those dry periods, but they definitely come second to trades. RS : You mentioned some of your data sources. Do you have any favored ones or you feel like too many people overlook them as sources of data? JF : I mean, the Seeking Alpha healthcare news is one – is a freebie. When in doubt, I always tell people start with the free resources first, see if that satisfies your need, whether it's charts, whether it's news, et cetera. And then from there, if you feel like you need more, if you want premium articles, et cetera, that's when you work your way up. So for me, I also use The Fly on The Wall. That's a premium news source. I've been using that four-plus years. So I got grandfathered in it early on. So for me, again, the way I don't get that paralysis by analysis is I'll check it pre-market just to see whether it's new data or quarterly reports, or et cetera, something that sticks out to me and I'll check it post-market just for the same reason anybody's reported new news, new data, et cetera. But those kind of scans really don't take that long, let's say, 15 minutes, and either something jumps out to you for further due diligence where it doesn't. So same thing goes for charting tools. Whether you're looking at on a day where the biotech sector is really red, let's say, it's down 2%. I'll often look at the gainers, for example, and see which companies are holding water or showing stability even in this tough environment. And if there's something, a chart that looks particularly constructive, whether they're showing strength in the face of weakness or at least showing stability, then I'll quickly look through their corporate presentation or the most recent quarterly report. If it looks compelling, then dig deeper into the recent webcasts, investment presentations, et cetera. So, each company pretty quickly, you can tell within 10 or 15 minutes, if there's something there that merits that deeper type of due diligence, and you want to only do the deeper due diligence where it's merited. And even there, most will not work out or meet your investment criteria, but those that do make it worth it. So that's why it's really important to know what you're looking for and to have a clear idea of whether something meets your selection criteria or not. Otherwise, it's kind of like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I'll be mulling over an idea, trying to make it fit my criteria, accelerating clinical and commercial momentum over the next few years, having a strong balance sheet, having a management team that continually executes, that under promises and over delivers, et cetera. But if you don't find that, you shouldn't force it. Forced trades are where I make those unforced errors, those mistakes that could be avoided. And the way you can avoid that is only trade when you have a crystal clear rationale for why you are buying a new position or adding to an existing one, if that makes sense. RS : Yeah, definitely. I think a good rule of thumb across life is don't force things. It's almost never a good idea. JF : Well said, well said. RS : Anything that we left out of this conversation? Anything else that you feel is worthy of investors' attention at this point, be it stocks or things to pay attention to, or things not to pay attention to? JF : I guess I'd reemphasize, and I don't want this to come across as a marketing pitch, but the importance of having a community, whether you find a few other traders and investors on X or Twitter, however, you call it these days, there's a great community there. If you can tune out the bad actors and focus on ones that resonate with you, or whether like ROTY Biotech Community, whatever it is. I learned everything the hard way. And also, I had a lot of mistakes that could have easily been avoided if I had veterans, had other people to help accelerate my learning curve. So, however you find that, it's important to not do it on your own, both to accelerate your learning curve and to help keep you humble during the high periods and to help keep you going during these tough times like the ( XBI ) currently, like the sector currently. So that's something I would reemphasize. The last thing I would say is when I built the service, when I started, I was an investor in 2008. I tried a lot of premium services and there were different things I liked, I didn't like, et cetera. So we built chat that way to kind of like asking myself, what would I like if I were somebody starting out? So we have main chat. We have commentary for me, which is basically like a channel where it's a direct conversation, letting people read what's going on in my mind, what I'm looking at, et cetera. We have a real-time trades channel, which I really like because of its actionability, where traders and investors are sharing what stocks they're buying in real-time and why. We have a top five holdings channel, where people are sharing their top five holdings in their portfolio and again why they own them. We even have a non-biotech channel covering other sectors, including crypto et cetera, technicals and indicators of people sharing charts and what they're looking at. So again, the whole idea of being learning from others, sharing your ideas together, we all have something to contribute with whether you're just entering for the first time or you've been doing this for a couple of decades. But again, going back to the main point, whether here or on X, Twitter, et cetera, surround yourself with a good community and that will greatly increase your probability of being long-term profitable. RS : Yeah, good stuff, Jonathan. Appreciate this conversation. Looking forward to another one soon, I hope. For those looking for more community or more insight into the community, it's ROTY Biotech Community on Seeking Alpha. It's Jonathan Faison on Seeking Alpha for those who want some free articles before paying for stuff. Appreciate this conversation, Jonathan, and also special Black Friday 20% off sale, as long as we're plugging away. Let's plug it right. Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.EJ Farmer scores 16 as Youngstown State defeats Detroit Mercy 73-64
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