jili369 casino login register
Miss America Madison Marsh’s journey from pageant to pilotA week after winning $6.1 billion from U.S., Micron posts record revenues
FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys indicated Thursday that All-Pro wide receiver Cee Dee Lamb will be shut down for the team’s final-two regular season games, according to reporting by Adam Sheftner of ESPN. Lamb sustained a shoulder injury (AC joint sprain) in a Nov. 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons, and with the Cowboys having been eliminated from post season play, club officials decided to give Lamb a head start in the recovery process. Team officials said that Lamb is not expected to need surgery. Lamb is among the NFL’s most productive pass catchers. He has 101 catches for 1,194 yards and has hauled in six touchdowns this season. The Cowboys will end their season by visiting Philadelphia Sunday and hosting Washington next weekend (time to be announced). The Philadelphia game will get commence at 12:00 p.m.As the end of the year approaches, now’s the time to start preparing for filing your 2024 tax return in 2025. When it comes to tax strategies, generally Dec. 31 is the deadline to make changes that might lower your tax bill. One major exception is the deadline for contributing to a : You have until April 15, 2025, to make a contribution to a Roth or traditional IRA for tax year 2024. If you qualify for , then a contribution to your traditional IRA can reduce your taxable income for 2024. Here are tips and strategies to prepare now for the 2025 tax-filing deadline. If you had significant changes in your life in 2024 — maybe you got married or divorced, started your own business, or had to claim unemployment benefits — your taxes may be more complicated. As a result, you might need to hire a certified public accountant (CPA), enrolled agent (EA) or other tax professional to prepare and file your taxes. If you decide to hire someone, it’s best to start planning for that sooner rather than later. Waiting until the calendar flips to April could cost you. The average fee for a professional to prepare and file a simple Form 1040 tax return, with no itemized deductions, is about $220, according to a survey by the National Society of Accountants in 2020-2021, the most recent data available. But that amount rises quickly for more complex returns, and varies depending on where you live. For example, a Form 1040 with itemized deductions costs an average of $432 in states on the Pacific Coast, compared with $285 in New England. No matter where you live, prices usually rise as the tax deadline approaches, so it’s smart to start searching for a tax pro soon. If you’re uncomfortable doing your taxes on your own and can’t afford a CPA, enrolled agent or other tax pro, or to , there are free options to consider. The IRS currently offers three ways to prepare your taxes for free: •With the IRS Free File program, the IRS partners with for-profit tax-software companies that offer free tax-prep software to eligible taxpayers so they can file their federal tax returns for free. Some taxpayers may also qualify for a free state tax filing, depending on the software provider. In January, the IRS will announce the income limit to qualify for the program for the 2025 tax season (for filing 2024 tax returns). For the 2024 tax season (2023 tax returns), taxpayers’ adjusted gross income (AGI) couldn’t exceed $79,000. •The IRS also offers its Direct File program, a free tool that allows you to file your federal income tax return directly with the IRS at no cost. The program supports simple tax returns and is available only in certain states. Check to see if you qualify here. •Another free-filing option is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. IRS-certified volunteers offer free basic tax preparation in person to people who earn less than $67,000 a year, are disabled or whose English is limited. The IRS has an online location tool for hundreds of free tax preparation sites in the U.S. (the locator tool is updated from February through April). Some VITA sites also offer online tax-prep assistance. Now is a good time to create an IRS If you want to see your Form 1040 from last year, or you’re missing a prior year Form W-2 or mortgage interest statement, you can find your documents using this free tax tool. Another benefit of creating an IRS online account is that it allows you to quickly obtain your prior year’s tax information without sitting on the phone for hours with an IRS representative, says Carl Johnson, a certified public accountant in New Orleans. An IRS online account also lets you view your account balance and payment history for each year. You can also create a payment plan to settle your federal income tax debt within minutes. If you’re 73 years old and have enjoyed watching your 401(k) or IRA grow tax-free without touching it, remember that the IRS is going to want its share each year. That means you’ll have to make withdrawals — and pay income tax. If you turned 73 in 2024, plan to take your at the latest by April 1, 2025. Read this for more information. The amount of your RMDs is based on your age and the year-end values of your retirement accounts. A has two big tax advantages over a : Qualified withdrawals are not considered income for federal (and usually state) tax purposes, and you don’t have to take distributions from a Roth every year once you reach age 73. may save you money in the long run. Just know that when you convert an IRA to a Roth, it’s considered taxable income, which will raise your tax bill for that year. Generally, it’s best to convert to a Roth IRA when you’re in a low-income year. As tax season approaches, many people start receiving phone calls, emails and texts from entities claiming to be the IRS. Be wary, and understand that these are scams. Typically, the IRS will mail you a notice before using any other method of communication to notify you concerning issues with your tax return. The IRS won’t reach out via social media or text messaging. Relatedly, the IRS warns taxpayers to be careful when choosing a tax preparer. Taking time to vet your tax preparer is crucial to protect yourself from tax scams and fraud. Before hiring a tax professional, search that person’s name in the to avoid dishonest “professionals.” “Taxpayers should check the tax professional’s credentials,” Johnson says. Tax pros without credentials “may take questionable positions without any degree of scrutiny or fear of losing their access to the profession,” Johnson says. Taxpayers who and owe a tax bill, or who file but don’t on time, risk severe penalties. The IRS can even seize assets if necessary. Respond quickly if the IRS has been sending you letters because it found an error on your return or claims you owe back taxes. Typically, the IRS will send you a notice if you have a balance due, changes were made to your tax return, or the agency needs additional information. “If you ignore a collection letter from the IRS, you may face wage garnishments, liens, bank levies, and other adverse action. And in some cases, the amount due may increase for failure to respond,” Johnson says. Keep in mind the IRS does offer and other payment plans. Make copies of your correspondence and use only the U.S. Postal Service, the postmark from which is your proof of timeliness when responding. But whatever you do, don’t ignore the IRS because this may cause more issues in the future.
The industrials sector has posted a relatively lackluster performance compared to benchmark U.S. indices this year so far. While the S&P 500 Industrials (Sector) gained just over 19% year-to-date, the S&P 500 rose over 27% during the period. Interestingly, the top three stocks from the industrials space that witnessed the maximum gain in users in a year have posted negative returns year-to-date (YTD). Here’s a look at the three tickers that managed to gain retail user attention: 1. Richtech Robotics Inc (RR) : Shares of the firm that provides collaborative robotic solutions specializing in the service industry, including the hospitality and healthcare sectors, drew the most retail watchers on Stocktwits in the industrials space in the last year, rising over 2,781% over a year. The firm was in the news recently after it expanded its agreement with Ghost Kitchens to manage 20 additional Walmart-located restaurants. The stock witnessed the best of its times in the last one month, having risen over 357% during the period. Despite the optimism, the shares are down over 53% YTD. One Stocktwits user believes the shares are attractive given the low valuation. 2. Vast Renewables (VSTE) : The renewable energy company headquartered in Australia that has developed CSP systems to generate, store and dispatch carbon free, utility-scale electricity and industrial heat, became the second ranked ticker, with watchlist count rising a whopping 2,154% over a year’s time. The year saw the firm secure up to $30m of funding from ARENA, expand its presence in the U.S. market, and progress toward final investment decision on its utility-scale CSP reference project in Port Augusta, South Australia. However, the stock has lost over 69% YTD. One Stocktwits user believes the current levels are attractive. 3. Volato Group Inc (SOAR) : The ticker saw watchlist count increase by over 627% in a year’s time but this stood in stark contrast with the stock’s performance. Volato shares have lost over 93% of their market cap since the beginning of the year. But the company is confident about its potential and said it remains on track to deliver positive net income in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, driven by strategic initiatives that have already improved financial performance. It recently managed to resolve an issue related to non-compliance with the NYSE American rules after receiving a warning letter under Section 1009(a) of the NYSE American Company Guide describing the firm’s failure to comply with sections 301 and 713. Retail sentiment on the stock trended in the ‘bullish’ territory (63/100) versus ‘bearish’ a year ago. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Brussels for a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte and several European leaders to discuss war strategy amid concerns that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could pull U.S. support for Kyiv after he returns to the White House next month. The evening meeting on December 18 comes as European leaders seek to develop their own plans if Trump, who has pledged to bring a swift end to the conflict, pulls support or forces Kyiv to make concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a cease-fire. European leaders have insisted that only Ukraine should decide when it is ready to negotiate with Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters ahead of the meeting that the priority is to secure the "sovereignty of Ukraine and that it will not be forced to submit to a dictated peace." He added that discussing boots on the ground -- raised recently during a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk -- would be premature. Rutte said Kyiv's allies should focus on ramping up arms supplies to ensure that Ukraine is in a position of strength. "The business at hand is to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to prevent Putin from winning and for Ukraine to prevail," Rutte said at a press conference before the meeting. He declined to discuss how a potential cease-fire would work and instead urged Ukraine's supporters to "focus on the business at hand." The Brussels meeting will discuss "how to urgently strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield, politically and geopolitically," Zelenskiy said on X as he arrived for the meeting. Europe needs a "strong, united position to ensure lasting peace." Zelenskiy is expected to again plead for more air-defense systems to try to help stave off Russian barrages against Ukraine's power grid. Organized by Rutte, the meeting involves officials from Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the European Union's main institutions. France and Britain were to be represented by their foreign ministers. Among the potential topics are possible security guarantees offered to Ukraine in the event of a cease-fire and how a cease-fire could be monitored, with one option being an international peacekeeping force. NATO members have rebuffed Kyiv's calls for an invitation to join the alliance right away, sparking speculation that sending peacekeepers could be an alternative. Rutte also said he wants to discuss military aid, especially air defense, with Zelenskiy, saying Ukraine needs 19 extra air-defense systems to protect the country's energy infrastructure from Russian bombardment. Earlier on December 18, Rutte announced that a new NATO command in the German city of Wiesbaden has taken up its work to coordinate Western military aid for Ukraine. "The NATO command in Wiesbaden for security assistance and training for Ukraine is now up and running," Rutte told reporters at NATO's headquarters in Brussels. Dubbed NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), the command takes over coordination of the aid from the United States in a move widely seen as aiming to safeguard the support mechanism against Trump. NSATU is set to have around 700 personnel, including troops stationed at NATO's military headquarters in Belgium and at logistics hubs in Poland and Romania. Russia has condemned increases in Western military aid to Ukraine as risking a wider war. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said to "not be afraid" after Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev called NATO a "legitimate military target" in an angry response to a newspaper editorial that defended the December 17 assassination in Moscow of a high-ranking Russian general by Ukrainian security services. Reacting to an editorial in the London-based Times newspaper that called the December 17 killing of a high-ranking Russian officer "a legitimate act of defense by a threatened nation," Medvedev, the former president who has become known for his increasingly anti-Western rants even though he has a limited role in the political system, said Moscow should apply the same logic in its outlook. Medvedev accused NATO and officials from countries allied with Ukraine in its battle to repel invading Russian troops of being participants in the conflict, making them "legitimate military targets." Asked about a response, Kallas told RFE/RL on December 18 that "Russia is always threatening. And it is meant to scare us, so what we see is the threats we have heard before." "I think the only response we can have is not to be afraid," she said, speaking in Brussels before a meeting of EU leaders to discuss the war. The U.S. State Department told RFE/RL that Medvedev's comments amounted to more irresponsible rhetoric from the Kremlin and reiterated that the United States and NATO do not seek a military conflict with Russia. "The Kremlin's aggression against Ukraine is the most significant and direct threat to Europe's security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. It is the Kremlin that started this war, and Putin could end it today," the State Department's press office said in a statement e-mailed to RFE/RL. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Medvedev's comments were "simply the latest in a stream of desperate rhetoric" to come out of Russian President Vladimir Putin's government. "Unlike in Russia, a free press is a cornerstone of our democracy and we take any threats made by Russia incredibly seriously," the spokesman added. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also hit out at Medvedev's comments, describing them as a "gangster threat" that "smacks of desperation." "Our newspapers represent the best of British values: freedom, democracy and independent thinking," he said. "I stand with The Times." In its article, The Times said the assassination was "a discriminate strike against an aggressor" and that it underlines the need for Western governments to give Ukraine "all support it needs to fight a just war of self-defense." "All officials of NATO countries involved in decisions about military assistance to Ukraine and those participating in hybrid or conventional warfare against Russia are now considered legitimate military targets for the Russian state and all Russian patriots," Medvedev wrote in response. When asked about Medvedev's comments, NATO's press office responded by email saying: "We will get back to you if we have something to say.” Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces (RKhBZ) and his assistant were killed by a bomb concealed in a scooter outside the entrance of a Moscow building early on December 17. Kirillov is one of a number of Russian officers and pro-war figures to be killed in Russia and in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. His death came a week after a senior official from a Russian company that develops cruise missiles used by Moscow in the war was reportedly shot dead just outside the capital. Medvedev's rhetoric draws from the Kremlin's long-term narrative of blaming Western "forces" for anti-Russian actions worldwide and acts of sabotage and "terrorism" on Russian territory. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing on December 17 that the United States was neither involved in Kirillov's killing nor aware of it in advance. Russian investigators termed the killing a "terrorist" attack and immediately attributed it to Ukrainian intelligence. On December 18, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had detained a suspect -- a 29-year-old unnamed Uzbek national -- in the case. Medvedev also threatened retribution against journalists from The Times, ominously warning that the newspaper could be included in those "legitimate military targets," adding that "in London, many things happen...be careful." That warning appears to be a thinly veiled reference to the radiation poisoning of former FSB officer and Kremlin critic Aleksandr Litvinenko in London in 2006, and the attempted assassination of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in the British city of Salisbury with a deadly nerve agent in 2018. Russia accused Kyiv of "terrorism" after authorities said they had detained an Uzbek citizen who confessed to planting an explosive device that killed a high-ranking Russian officer on the instruction of Ukrainian intelligence. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces (RKhBZ), and his assistant were killed by a bomb concealed in a scooter outside the entrance of a Moscow building early on December 17. The speed of the arrest of the unnamed suspect led some analysts to question whether the 29-year-old Central Asian was a scapegoat, while unconfirmed reports swirled that police were ratcheting up raids on migrants. "The special services have a clear interest in showing their superiors the result of their work, that a successful investigation has taken place, and so on. It's not the first time we've seen this. It's hard to judge right now how accurate this [arrest] is," political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told Current Time. While no individual or group officially claimed responsibility for the killing, a source at Ukraine's SBU security service told RFE/RL that the blast was the result of a special operation by the SBU. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on December 18 that the unnamed suspect had been recruited and trained by Ukraine's special services and promised money to carry out the attack. The FSB said the suspect, on instructions from Ukraine, "arrived in Moscow, received a high-power homemade explosive device, and placed it on an electric scooter, which he parked near the entrance to the house of Kirillov." The Kremlin has not commented on the FSB statement, which said the suspect activated the bomb when Kirillov and his assistant were coming out of the building. The accused man had been given $100,000 for the murder as well as residency in a European country, the statement said, adding that the suspect faces life in prison for his alleged crime. "The Ukrainian special services officers involved in organizing the terrorist attack will be found and will receive the punishment they deserve," the FSB said. The FSB did not present any evidence along with its statement, and some analysts questioned the speed of the response. One woman from Kyrgyzstan told RFE/RL in Moscow that she expects a backlash for migrants from Central Asia. "The situation is difficult," the woman said. "I think the position of Central Asian migrants will only worsen after this event. Street inspections will likely intensify." The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was afraid to reveal her identity, recalled that events after the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in March there were many raids and deportations of Central Asians from Russia and it's possible this could happen again, she said. Russian investigators said the assault in which 144 people were killed was carried out by four men, all Tajik nationals. The Kyrgyz woman who spoke with RFE/RL said that she believes Uzbeks in Russia will continue to have a difficult time. "Migration laws in Russia are already being tightened. Things will get worse for them regardless," she said, noting that new laws will come into effect on January 1 and "everything will become even harder." Kirillov, 54, is the highest-level Russian military officer to be killed in an apparent assassination since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. His death came a day after the SBU reported that Ukrainian prosecutors had filed a charge against him, accusing him of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops during the war started by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The SBU has said Russian forces have used chemical weapons almost 5,000 times during the war in Ukraine under Kirillov's leadership. The claim could not be independently verified. The RKhBZ are special forces who operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical, and biological contamination. Kirillov is one of a number of Russian officers and pro-war figures to be killed in Russia and in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. His death came a week after a senior official from a Russian company that develops cruise missiles used by Moscow in the war was reportedly shot dead just outside the capital. Viktor Yahun, the former deputy head of the SBU, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in an interview that with some 20 million people in Russia having Ukrainian origins, "you can find a percentage who are ready to sincerely work for Ukraine. That's why there are so many agents over there." Kirillov was seen in footage that was central to an RFE/RL Russian Service investigation that revealed details about a restricted facility outside Moscow. The site is linked to a U.S. assertion that Russia maintains an offensive biological weapons program in violation of the UN Biological Weapons Convention. Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now a senior Russian security official, told a meeting shown on state TV that NATO and Ukraine's Western allies were behind the attack because of their support for Kyiv throughout Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor. "These individuals can and should be considered a legitimate military target," he said. NATO officials have not commented publicly on Medvedev's remarks, but Kaja Kallas, the top EU diplomat, told reporters in Brussels that "Russia is always threatening." "And it is meant to scare us, so what we see is the threats we have heard before, so I think the only response we can have is not to be afraid,” she added. Security analyst Yuri Fedorov told Current Time he expects that Russia "will certainly try to retaliate, so it is very possible that there will be attempts by the Russian agents to kill high Ukrainian military and/or security services officers." "The attacks on Russian generals could have a political and psychological effect, but they cannot seriously impede Russia’s military effort: people like General Kirillov are not the irreplaceable figures who cannot be substituted." Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili challenged the European Union to do more to support pro-EU protesters and press the ruling Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party to hold new elections following its unilateral decision to postpone negotiations with the 27-member bloc. Protesters , who have seen their street protests met with heavy handed police tactics, have also called for fresh elections in almost daily rallies following allegations of electoral fraud during the October parliamentary poll whose results the opposition has refused to recognize amid accusations that Georgian Dream rigged the vote to cling to power. In power since 2012, Georgian Dream was founded by Russia-friendly billionaire and ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Pro-European Zurabishvili, who has sided with the protesters, told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg on December 18, that the elections must be repeated since they were marred by fraud, violence, and Russian influence. “Europe needs to find the leverage to act. If Europe cannot exert leverage on a country of 3.7 million, how can it expect to compete with the giants of the 21st century?” she said, while also accusing Georgian Dream of spending the equivalent of some $214 million in what she called "black money" to sway the election in its favor. "Intimidation, the use of administrative resources, Russian-style propaganda...In addition, 'black money' was used in large quantities. There were no police during the elections. I personally witnessed violence in various districts and tried to contact the minister of internal affairs, but I could not get through," Zurabishvili added. Georgia received EU candidate status in December last year but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law. Critics say the legislation threatens media outlets and civil society groups and mirrors a similar Russian law used by the Kremlin to stifle political opponents and civil society. After the ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory in an election on October 26, protests restarted and intensified after the government said it was suspending talks with Brussels on Tbilisi's bid to join the EU, Georgia’s biggest donor, biggest economic market, and home to the South Caucasus country’s biggest diaspora until 2028. EU foreign ministers on December 16 agreed to slap visa restrictions on some Georgian officials, but Moscow-friendly Hungary and Slovakia blocked a proposed package of sanctions against leading Georgian officials for the violent crackdown on protesters. “If we are honest, Europe so far has not fully lived (up) to the moment. Europe has, so far, met the challenge halfway,” she said. “Where Georgians have been fighting day and night, Europeans have been slow to wake up and slow to react.” Zurabishvili is due to be replaced by a Georgian Dream-friendly ex-soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili, who was appointed as Georgia’s new president by parliament last week. Meanwhile, Council of Europe chief Alain Berset arrived in Georgia on a four-day visit on December 18. Berset said in a statement that his visit aims to verify whether the conditions for continued cooperation between the continental human rights watchdog and the Georgian government are still being met after riot police used excessive violence against peaceful protesters. Security forces have cracked down on demonstrators for more than three weeks, detaining dozens and injuring scores of people who accuse the government of moving Georgia away from the EU and closer to Russia. "As a member state of the Council of Europe since 1999, Georgia is bound to respect its fundamental commitments: democracy, the protection of human rights, and the rule of law," Berset said in a statement released ahead of the visit. "In the current tense and worrying context, the Council of Europe calls on all parties to avoid any escalation of tensions. It urges the authorities to refrain from the disproportionate use of force and to respect fundamental freedoms, in particular freedom of expression and assembly," Berset said, adding, "These principles are essential to guarantee the country's stability and to meet the expectations of the Georgian people." During his visit to Georgia, Berset is set to meet with representatives of the government, the opposition, and civil society organizations. Russia's Rosatom is selling its stakes in uranium deposits in Kazakhstan to Chinese-owned companies as the Central Asian nation looks to avoid any international sanctions against Russian-linked assets and a sign of China's growing influence in the region. Kazatomprom, the world's largest producer of uranium, said Uranium One Group -- a unit of Rosatom -- had sold its 49.98 percent stake in the Zarechnoye mine in the Turkistan region to Astana Mining Company, which is owned by China's State Nuclear Uranium Resources Development Company. Kazatomprom maintains its 49.99 percent stake in the venture. Kazatomprom chief Meirzhan Yussupov told The Financial Times in September that sanctions imposed on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine made it difficult to sell uranium to Western buyers. The U.S. State Department condemned the 10-year sentence handed down by Iranian authorities against Reza Valizadeh , a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda. "We strongly condemn this sentencing and call for his immediate release and the release of all political prisoners in Iran," a spokesperson told Radio Farda on December 17. "The Iranian government has repeatedly suppressed press freedom through threats, intimidation, detentions, forced confessions, and the use of violence against journalists in Iran," the spokesperson added. According to court documents sent to the journalist's lawyer on December 10 and subsequently reviewed by RFE/RL, Valizadeh was sentenced by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government." In addition to the prison term, Valizadeh was banned for two years from living in Tehran and adjacent provinces, from leaving the country, and from joining political or social organizations following the completion of his sentence. Valizadeh resigned from Radio Farda in November 2022 after a decade of work. He returned to Iran in early 2024 to visit his family but was arrested on September 22. His two court sessions, held on November 20 and December 7, reportedly lacked a prosecution representative, with the judge assuming that role. Sources close to the journalist claim he fell into a "security trap" despite receiving unofficial assurances from Iranian security officials that he would not face legal troubles upon returning to Iran. The State Department earlier condemned Valizadeh's detention, calling it "unjust" and inconsistent with international legal standards. Press freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, urged Iranian authorities to release Valizadeh immediately. RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus also called for Valizadeh to be released, saying the charges against him, his conviction, and sentence were unjust. "Time and again, the Iranian regime has attempted to spread its malign influence around the world, trampling on human rights at every opportunity," Capus said in a statement. "Clearly, this regime feels threatened by the forces of freedom, including independent journalism." Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries. In September 2023, Iran released five Americans jailed in Iran in a prisoner swap. Valizadeh is the first U.S. citizen known to have been arrested since that deal. Iran is also among the most repressive countries in terms of freedom of the press. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 176th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index. The Paris-based media watchdog says Iran is now also one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it disrupted what it described as the "biggest network" of Russian spies operating within the country who were allegedly collecting intelligence on ally-donated F-16 fighter jets, among other military targets. The December 17 announcement underlines what Ukraine describes as Russia's constant spying efforts as it continues to repel Russia's ongoing invasion launched in February 2022. The SBU claimed its military counterintelligence division neutralized the alleged spy network working for Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) across five Ukrainian regions. In a coordinated operation, the SBU identified 12 Russian agents and informants, including former Ukrainian soldiers who deserted their positions and were later allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence while on the run from law enforcement. The group operated across Ukraine's key regions -- Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolayiv, and Odesa -- under the leadership of a GRU-appointed handler based in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the SBU said. The group's leader allegedly used forged documents, including fake credentials, to conceal his identity. According to the SBU, the agents were tasked with high-value intelligence missions crucial to the Russian military strategy. These included pinpointing the locations of Ukrainian air-defense systems and secret military airfields where F-16 fighter jets might be stationed and locating Ukrainian companies involved in the production of electronic warfare systems used to counter Russian drones. The SBU reported that the network's operators often used personal contacts, including Ukrainian soldiers in the frontline area, to unwittingly extract sensitive information from them. The focus on F-16 fighter jets underscores Russia's strategic concerns, the agency noted, as Ukraine's acquisition of these Western-supplied jets represents a potential major impact in the nearly 3-year-old conflict. The advanced aircraft bolster Ukraine's air capabilities, posing a significant threat to Russian operations. For Moscow, gaining intelligence on their potential deployment locations is critical to preemptively countering their use. The SBU has officially indicted the prominent members of the spy network with state treason and the unauthorized disclosure of military information about the movement and location of Ukrainian forces. Other participants in the operation may face further charges from law enforcement officials. The suspects face prison terms of up to eight years if convicted. Russian lawmakers have approved a bill that restricts how so-called foreign agents can access their income inside the country as the government continues to clamp down on political opponents amid the war in Ukraine. The State Duma, Russia's lower chamber of parliament, approved in its second and third readings a bill targeting "foreign agents," a controversial designation that stigmatizes those who receive it with a Soviet-era connotation and restricts their ability to exercise free speech. The bill limits a so-called foreign agent's access to various forms of income sourced domestically, including proceeds from property sales, royalties for creative work, or investment returns by requiring all proceeds be placed in special blocked bank accounts. Such funds would become available only in the event of the individual's foreign agent status being officially lifted -- a development critics say is all but impossible. Human rights groups and international observers have denounced the legislation as another move in Russia's authoritarian squeeze. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, justified the move, however, describing it as a way to defend national interests. "Those who betray our country will not enrich themselves at the expense of its citizens. Funds earned in Russia must not be used against it," Volodin stated on Telegram. The law passed unanimously in the State Duma and now goes to the Federation Council, parliament's upper house, before going to President Vladimir Putin for a signature -- both of which are seen as a formality. The designation of foreign agent carries Soviet-era overtones of espionage and betrayal and has become the hallmark of the Kremlin's efforts to muzzle dissent. First introduced in 2012, the term has been applied to NGOs, independent journalists, opposition politicians, activists, and cultural figures accused of receiving foreign funding or engaging in activities perceived as politically hostile. The number of so-called foreign agents has increased to about 500 and includes prominent cultural and creative figures, most of whom had to flee Russia and are currently staying abroad. The new law significantly enhances controls from which the already highly restricted designees have to suffer, including among other demands such requirements as compulsory disclaimers on everything they say or write publicly and even file activity and detailed financial reports regularly. Later, other amendments banned advertisement collaborations with alleged foreign agents and significantly stiffened penalties, sending some to trials for noncompliance with the law. The new legislation represents a new phase in the campaign by the Kremlin to choke off the voices of its opponents. Royalties and earnings from intellectual property became an essential lifeline for musicians, authors, and artists whom the government placed on the list. Critics say the new measures will economically paralyze people whose work or public statements challenge government narratives. The move could also exacerbate the cultural brain drain in Russia since the beginning of its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. KYIV -- Moscow's forces, bolstered by North Korean troops , have intensified their offensive against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, as Kyiv's outnumbered soldiers attempted to resist the onslaught there and elsewhere on December 17. "For the third day, the enemy has been conducting intensive offensive operations on the territory of the Kursk region, actively using units of the North Korean Army," said General Oleksandr Syrskiy, Ukraine's top military commander, in an address broadcast online. Pyongyang’s decision to send troops to Russia appears to have come at a high cost so far. Ukrainian and U.S. officials on December 16 said North Korean troops have been fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk and that some have been killed or injured. On December 17, a senior U.S. military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told news agencies that North Korean forces have suffered "several hundred" casualties in the Kursk fighting -- from lower-level troops to those "very near to the top." "These are not battle-hardened troops. They haven't been in combat before," the official added. RFE/RL has not been able to independently verify the claims. Russia has not commented on the reports. Syrskiy said the situation all along the front line "remains difficult" after Russian troops had seized "the strategic initiative" in recent weeks. He said Russian forces were continuing their drive to capture the strategic Donetsk city of Pokrovsk , which appears to be mostly deserted by civilians. Local military commanders in the region said defense forces were "holding back the onslaught," although the overall situation in the Donetsk city -- with a prewar population of about 65,000 -- appeared perilous, according to many Ukrainian officials. Over recent months, Russia has pressed its manpower advantage to push back against Ukraine's shock incursion into its Kursk region in August and to gain territory in eastern Ukraine, prompting Ukrainian officials to increase pleas to Western partners for additional military aid. Elsewhere, Ukraine's SBU security service said it had uncovered a "large-scale network" of agents working for Russian military intelligence that had attempted to collect information on Ukraine's supply of Western-supplied F-16 warplanes, which are based at secret sites throughout the country. "As a result of the special operation, 12 Russian agents and their informants were exposed. Some of them are deserters who voluntarily left the units of the armed forces of Ukraine, and when they were hiding from justice, they were recruited by the Russian special service," the security office said. On the political front, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Lviv, vowing his support for Ukraine's NATO membership hopes, while Zelenskiy urged Western allies to "urgently strengthen Ukraine" with additional aid. On December 16, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump told a news conference that Zelenskiy and Russia's Vladimir Putin must be prepared to "make a deal" to end the "horrible" war in Ukraine. "He should be prepared to make a deal, that’s all," Trump said of Zelenskiy during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Putin must also "make a deal," Trump then added. "Got to be a deal. Too many people being killed," he said. Trump, who takes office on January 20, said he would speak with Zelenskiy and Putin on ways to end the war, but he did not answer directly when asked if Ukraine would be forced to cede territory to Russia. President Joe Biden's administration has attempted to speed deliveries of aid to Kyiv ahead of the return to the White House of Trump, who has criticized the amount of assistance Biden has provided to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Meanwhile, in Tallinn, Estonia, leaders of the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) on December 17 vowed continued support for Ukraine. "We reiterate that Ukraine’s victory is vital to all our security and the preservation of rules-based international order," a joint statement read . "We call on all third countries, including [North Korea], Belarus, Iran, and China, which are directly or indirectly enabling Russia’s aggression, to cease offering the support Moscow requires to prolong the war and the suffering of the Ukrainian people." The statement is signed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The European Union has launched an investigation into the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok over accusations that it was used by Russia to influence the result of Romania's first round of presidential elections won by a far-right Moscow-friendly candidate. Largely unknown independent Calin Georgescu scored a shock victory in the first round of balloting in a November 24 election with some 23 percent of the vote. He had been due to face pro-European center-right Elena Lasconi in a December 8 runoff. However, following Romania's National Security Council's declassification of documents allegedly pointing to a "state actor" that wasn't named but appeared to be Russia, the EU and NATO member's Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the vote and ordered a complete rerun that would take place in the next few months. Incumbent Klaus Iohannis's term has been extended accordingly, although his second five-year term expired in mid-December. "Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections by using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to tackle such risks," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on December 17. "This decision to open an investigation takes into account information received from declassified intelligence reports by the Romanian authorities, as well as third-party reports," she added. The statement said the commission will continue to gather evidence, "for example by sending additional requests for information, conducting monitoring actions, interviews, inspections, and requesting access to algorithms." Von der Leyen's announcement comes after the EU, issued a retention order to TikTok on December 5, ordering the platform to freeze and preserve data related to "actual or foreseeable systemic risks" concerning national elections in the 27-member bloc from November 24 to March next year. TikTok will now have to provide data and documents retained under the December 5 order, von der Leyen said. The EU move comes after a group of senior U.S. senators issued a statement condemning alleged Russian influence in the Romanian elections. “Vladimir Putin’s assault on Romania’s elections is yet another example of the hybrid war he is waging on our European allies and partners,” U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (Republican-Nevada), Ben Cardin (Democrat-Maryland), Jim Risch (Republican-Idaho), and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat-New Hampshire) said in a statement . “As a strong NATO ally, we support Romania as it fights for the integrity of its elections. We condemn Putin’s manipulation of Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-controlled TikTok to undermine Romania’s democratic process," the senators said. "The United States stands in support of Romania as it urgently moves to hold certifiably free and fair presidential elections," the statement said. A Moscow court on December 17 fined lawyer Yeva Levenberg of the OVD-Info rights group for speaking to RFE/RL's Russian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda. The court ordered Levenberg to pay 10,000 rubles ($96) after finding her guilty of cooperating with an "undesirable" organization. The charge stemmed from Levenberg's comments to RFE/RL regarding politically motivated charges of extremism faced by Russian activists. RFE/RL's Russian Service was labeled " undesirable " in February. Individuals found guilty of collaborating with "undesirable" organizations may face up to 15,000 rubles of fines and up to four years in prison if convicted of repeated cooperation with organizations labeled "undesirable" by Russian authorities. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here . Dozens of kilometers of Black Sea coastline in Russia's Krasnodar region have been covered in heavy fuel oil, local authorities and residents reported on December 17, after two oil tankers were heavily damaged during a storm in the Kerch Strait. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said cleanup crews were being dispatched to the area as high winds helped spread large amounts of spilled oil along the coastline, raising concerns of an impending environmental disaster in the Black Sea. Social media photos and video showed wildlife covered in dark liquid, the result of the December 15 incident involving two Volgoneft tankers that were carrying thousands of tons of mazut -- low-quality heavy fuel oil. The vessels reportedly ran aground in the ecologically sensitive waters off Ukraine's Moscow-annexed Crimean coastline. One of the tankers reportedly capsized and split into two during a severe storm. Waves as high as 3-4 meters, considered dangerous for such vessels, are believed to have caused the accident. Reports of environmental degradation are mounting as more and more oil spreads across the sea and onto shores that are summer havens for families. Local residents painted a dire picture of the shoreline, noting oil-covered birds that cannot fly and stray dogs covered in fuel oil roaming the shore. They also noted the strong scent of oil in the air with many residents complaining of nausea and skin and eye irritations. Almost 300 people, including volunteers and heavy equipment, are working to minimize the consequences of the accident, officials said. Two municipalities have organized operational headquarters for cleaning. Environmentalists, however, warn that the spill's size may already be too big to handle. The chairman of the region's maritime trade unions, Leonid Glushak, told the Kedr website that the overwhelming majority of the fuel oil has already seeped into the sea, exacerbating the eco-catastrophe. According to Glushak, Volgoneft tankers, intended for river voyages, are inadequate for open sea water such as the Kerch Strait. Moscow has been using a so-called shadow fleet of tankers -- a group of old, uninsured oil vessels -- to bypass Western sanctions imposed over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The poor condition of these ships has raised concerns about environmental disasters . Authorities have started criminal investigations into the accident, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned could be repeated in other areas of Europe. "Our sea is facing yet another environmental disaster caused by Russia. But there are even larger and more dangerous Russian tankers operating in your seas. Stopping this fleet is not just about cutting off Russia’s war funding -- it’s about protecting nature," he said in a post on X on December 17. Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. A high-ranking officer in charge of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces (RKhBZ) has been killed in an explosion in Moscow that sources told RFE/RL was carried out by Ukrainian intelligence operatives. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed by a bomb concealed in a scooter outside the entrance of a Moscow building early on December 17, Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement . Kirillov, 54, is the highest-level Russian military officer to be killed in an apparent assassination since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While no individual or group officially claimed responsibility for the killing, a source at Ukraine's SBU security service told RFE/RL that the blast was the result of a special operation by the SBU. The Kremlin blamed the attack on Kyiv and criticied Ukraine's Western allies for what it called a lack of reaction to the killing. "The terrorist attack in Moscow was a continuation and development of the spiral of approval by the West of the war crimes of the militants of the Kyiv regime," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing that the United States was not involved in the killing or aware of it in advance. But he added that Kirillov "was a general who was involved in a number of atrocities. He was involved in the use of chemical weapons against the Ukrainian military." The SBU has said Russian forces used chemical weapons almost 5,000 times during the war in Ukraine under Kirillov’s leadership. The claim could not be independently verified, but Kyiv has reportedly been behind a campaign of targeted assassinations of Russian officials and military officers involved in the invasion of Ukraine. The incident occurred a day after the SBU reported that Ukrainian prosecutors filed a charge against Kirillov, accusing him of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops during the war started by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Kirillov is one of a number of Russian officers and pro-war figures to be killed in Russia and in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. His death came a week after a senior official from a Russian company that develops cruise missiles used by Moscow in the war was reportedly shot dead just outside the capital. Kirillov figured in footage that was central to an RFE/RL Russian Service investigation which revealed details about a restricted facility outside Moscow that figures in the U.S. assertion that Russia maintains an offensive biological weapons program in violation of the UN Biological Weapons Convention. The investigation focused on Russian state media footage that showed then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspecting the facility, which was known for its role in the Soviet Union's biological weapons program and has undergone a major expansion. Kirillov led Shoigu on his tour of the inspection of the facility, the 48th Central Scientific Research Institute. The investigative committee said the explosion occurred outside an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt, an avenue in the Russian capital which starts some 7 kilometers southeast of the Kremlin. Pictures posted on the Russian Telegram channel Astra showed what appeared to be two bodies lying in the snow outside the damaged door of an apartment building. After analyzing images of a car parked near the apartment building, Astra reported that the vehicle was Kirillov's. The RKhBZ are special forces who operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical, and biological contamination. According to his official biography, Kirillov participated in the creation and adoption of the TOS-2 "Tosochka" heavy flamethrower system by the Russian Army, as well as in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirillov and the RKhBZ were placed on Britain, Canada, and New Zealand's sanctions list in October for using riot control agents and numerous reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield. Kirillov and his forces were "responsible for helping deploy these barbaric weapons," Britain said at the time. The Kremlin has called the accusations "baseless." Kirillov, who according to Russian state news agency TASS was a graduate of Kostroma Higher Military Command School of Chemical Defense, had been appointed to head the RKhBZ in April 2017. He previously served in the Directorate of the Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said a deal allowing transit of Russian gas through his country wouldn't be extended into 2025, but he said he's ready to discuss other methods of providing supplies to Western Europe. "If the European Commission officially approaches Ukraine about transit of any gas other than Russian, we'll naturally discuss it and are ready to reach an appropriate agreement," Shmyhal said on Telegram . "Ukraine's agreement with Russia on gas transit comes to an end on January 1, 2025, and won't be extended." When Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU was largely dependent on Russia for gas but has since sought alternative supplies. Shmyhal previously said no extension was planned, but some countries, including Slovakia, had expressed hopes for additional time. Ukraine has said discussions have taken place on the possibility of shipping gas from Azerbaijan to Europe through Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here . Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he only left the country in the late hours of December 8 after a Russian air base allegedly came under attack by rebel forces and officials in Moscow ordered "an immediate evacuation." In what appear to be Assad's first public comments since the fall of his regime in war-torn Syria, a post on the Syrian presidency Telegram social media page on December 16 said the departure from the Hmeimim air base "was neither planned, nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles." Russia had intervened in the 14-year civil war between government forces and rebels to help keep Assad in power. But the strongman leader fled Syria as the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey -- overran government forces in a blitz offensive. Assad's whereabouts were unknown for a brief period before officials in Moscow said on December 9 that he had been granted political asylum in Russia by President Vladimir Putin after more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by his family. In the post, Assad said he "never considered stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party." Reuters reported last week that Assad's departure from the country took even relatives and senior officials by surprise. The HTS has since moved quickly to establish an interim government, and its leader, Riad al-Asaad, has said he is confident the factions that helped topple Assad will unite as one force. HTS and the transitional government have insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on December 16 that Russia and another of Syria's staunch allies, Iran, shouldn't have influence over the country's future. "Many foreign ministers emphasized that it should be a condition for the new leadership to eliminate Russian influence [in Syria]," Kallas told reporters at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, adding the bloc would raise the issue of Russia's military bases in the country. The future of Russia's bases -- the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the Tartus naval facility -- have been thrown into question with the fall of Assad. Reuters quoted Syrian military and security sources in contact with the Russians as saying that Moscow was pulling back its forces from the front lines and withdrawing some heavy equipment from the country. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (HUR) said on December 15 that Russian military personnel still in Syria are experiencing a lack of food and drinking water as an evacuation of troops and equipment continues . It added that Russian personnel are experiencing these problems at the bases in Tartus and Hmeimim and on ships anchored offshore in the Mediterranean Sea. Hungary and Slovakia – both with populist, pro-Russian leaders -- on December 16 blocked a proposed package of European Union sanctions against leading Georgian officials for that government's violent crackdown on pro-West protesters over recent weeks. EU foreign ministers , who are planning for a December 19 Brussels summit, moved forward, however, on a plan to suspend visa liberalization for diplomatic passport holders of the South Caucasus nation. The expected moves on December 16 by Hungary and Slovakia prevent the implementation a series of measures against Georgian officials that would have included visa bans and asset freezes. The move would have required unanimous support by the 27-member bloc. However, the suspension of visa-liberalization procedures for Georgian diplomatic passport holders requires only a majority vote, meaning 55 percent of member states comprising 65 percent of total EU population. The European Commission has begun planning for the suspension, and the proposal could be sent to member states this week. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakian premier Robert Fico have been a thorn in the side of fellow EU leaders seeking to punish Georgia for its violent crackdowns on dissent and its increasingly pro-Russia policies. Both have opposed sanctions on the Kremlin for its war against Russia and have expressed support for the Georgian Dream-led government in Tbilisi. The EU has never sanctioned Georgian politicians, but earlier this year it froze more than 100 million euro ($105.1 million) of EU funds going to Georgia and halted EU accession talks with Tbilisi. Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had set a list of Georgian leaders to sanction following a violent crackdown on protesters angered by the ruling Georgian Dream party's decision to delay the Caucasus country's negotiations to join the EU. "We have proposed the list for sanctions for these people who are...using really force and violence against the opposition," Kallas said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "But everybody needs to agree to the list, and we are not there yet." "All the developments that we are seeing right now in Georgia are not going in the right direction where the candidate countries should be," Kallas told reporters. Western leaders have been alarmed at what they say are increasingly violent measures against protesters and a growing pro-Russia tilt within the Georgian Dream-led government. The United States earlier this month imposed more visa restrictions on Georgian officials for "undermining democracy" and on December 16 indicated that further measures are imminent. "We have been greatly concerned about the state of Georgian democracy, the actions that Georgia Dream has taken to undermine [Georgian] democracy," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. "We have other sanctions that we are preparing to unfold in the coming weeks," he added. Protesters have also called for fresh elections following allegations of electoral fraud during the October parliamentary poll whose results the opposition has refused to recognize, claiming Georgian Dream rigged the vote to cling to power. In power since 2012, Georgian Dream, the party founded by Russia-friendly billionaire and ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been accused by critics of becoming increasingly more authoritarian. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with the protesters, has said the elections were manipulated with the help of Russia. Serbian authorities have been using sophisticated digital surveillance technology to access mobile phones used by journalists and activists, Amnesty International said on December 16. In a new report titled A Digital Prison, Amnesty detailed how Serbian officials have been using a locally developed spyware system called NoviSpy and technology developed by the Israeli firm Cellebrite to "unlawfully" target reporters and members of civil society. "Amnesty International uncovered forensic evidence showing how Serbian authorities used Cellebrite products to enable NoviSpy spyware infections of activists' phones," the report said . The report includes testimonies from a journalist and an activist who alleged that the authorities, including the police the Security Intelligence Agency, installed spyware on their devices while in custody and during an interview. "Our investigation reveals how Serbian authorities have deployed surveillance technology and digital repression tactics as instruments of wider state control and repression directed against civil society," said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for Europe. "It also highlights how Cellebrite mobile forensic products -- used widely by police and intelligence services worldwide -- can pose an enormous risk to those advocating for human rights, the environment, and freedom of speech when used outside of strict legal control and oversight." Amnesty said NoviSpy can steal sensitive personal data and turn on a phone's microphone and camera remotely. Celleberite tools unlock a target's phone to allow infection by spyware and enable the extraction of data. In response to Amnesty, Cellebrite said its products "are licensed strictly for lawful use, require a warrant or consent to help law enforcement agencies with legally sanctioned investigations after a crime has taken place." "Over the past years, state repression and a hostile environment for free speech advocates in Serbia [have] escalated with each wave of anti-government protests. The authorities have engaged in sustained smear campaigns against NGOs, media, and journalists and have also subjected those involved in peaceful protest to arrests and judicial harassment," the report said. European Union foreign ministers have adopted a 15th package of sanctions against Russia targeting tankers transporting Russian oil as the bloc looks to curb the circumvention of previous measures aimed at hindering Moscow's ability to wage war against Ukraine. "This package of sanctions is part of our response to weaken Russia’s war machine and those who are enabling this war, also including Chinese companies," Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, said in a statement on December 16. "It shows the unity of EU member states in our continued support to Ukraine. Our immediate priority is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position. We will stand by the Ukrainian people on all fronts: humanitarian, economic, political, diplomatic and military. There can be no doubt that Ukraine will win," she added. The European Council said it agreed on a significant package of measures against 54 individuals and 30 entities "responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine." It sanctioned the military unit responsible for the striking of the Okhmadyt children's hospital in Kyiv, senior managers in leading companies in Russia's energy sector, individuals responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children, and two "senior" North Korean officials. Moscow's so-called shadow fleet of tankers is a group of old, uninsured oil vessels used to bypass Western sanctions and maintain a source of revenue. The poor condition of these ships has raised concerns about environmental disasters . Separately, 12 Western nations announced measures on December 16 designed "to disrupt and deter Russia’s shadow fleet vessels." “Russia uses its shadow fleet to circumvent sanctions and mitigate their impact on Russia. The 12 countries agreed to disrupt and deter Russia’s shadow fleet to prevent illegal operations and increase Russia’s costs of its war against Ukraine,” a statement said . Five of the nations – Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland, and Estonia -- have ordered their maritime authorities to request relevant proof of insurance from suspected “shadow” vessels as they pass through bodies of water under their jurisdiction, the statement added. The statement was issued by the government of Estonia, where leaders of the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) were scheduled to meet on December 17. A draft of a statement of conclusions being prepared for an EU summit later this week and seen by RFE/RL said that efforts "to further limit Russia's ability to wage war must continue." The draft, which is still subject to revision, adds that the European Council "strongly condemns" Iran and North Korea for helping to sustain Russia's "war of aggression against Ukraine." The bloc said growing military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran and the deployment of North Koreans to the battlefront have "serious consequences for international peace and security" and called on both countries to stop helping Russia. The EU will continue aiding Ukraine financially to stave off the Russian invasion, with plans to disburse a total of 18.1 billion euros ($19 billion) to Kyiv in 2025 starting in January. On developments in Syria, the bloc welcomed the fall of the "criminal regime" of Bashar al-Assad and called for an "inclusive and Syrian-led political process" to install a government that protects the rights of minorities. It added that the bloc's foreign policy chief would be asked to "prepare options for measures to support Syria." On the Gaza War, it called for "an immediate cease-fire" and the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the EU and the United States. It also reiterated its stance on a two-state solution to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establish "just and lasting peace." The EU summit will take place in Brussels on December 19. Environmentalists are warning of a potential disaster posed by two Russian oil tankers that ran aground in the ecologically sensitive waters off Ukraine's Moscow-annexed Crimean coastline as local media reported thousands of tons of low-grade fuel has spilled into a major Black Sea shipping lane. The incidents, which occurred on December 15, left one sailor dead and forced the evacuation of 26 crew members from the vessels Volgoneft-239 and Volgoneft-212. Officials have said crew error during stormy conditions was to blame and that there was no evidence of any links to Russia's war on Ukraine. Both tankers were laden with large cargoes of fuel oil. The Volgoneft-212 is said to have been carrying more than 4,000 tons of the heavy pollutant, leaving the potential for one of the largest environmental disasters ever in the Kerch Strait, which is a key shipping lane. Russian state news agencies on December 16 quoted sources as saying some 3,700 tons of mazut, a low-quality heavy fuel oil, had spilled into the water. Social media video verified by RFE/RL showed one of the tankers splitting in half. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, had leaked from the vessels. "Any oil or petrochemical spill in these waters has the potential to be serious. It is likely to be driven by prevailing wind and currents...and in the current weather conditions is likely to be extremely difficult to contain. If it is driven ashore, then it will cause fouling of the shoreline, which will be extremely difficult to clean up," Dr. Paul Johnston, head of Greenpeace Research Laboratories in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. "In consideration of likely significant impacts, the efforts, after saving the crew, should be to prevent or minimize further spillage as feasible. If the ships sink, then there is potential for releases of oil and petrochemicals over longer periods." The vessels were were about 7 kilometers from the shore in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, when they issued distress signals. In 2007, the strait, which links the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea, saw the Volgoneft-139 tanker split in half during a storm while anchored nearby, spilling more than 1,000 tons of oil. Greenpeace called on the Russian authorities "to take all efforts to mitigate or reduce environmental impact of the oil spill, and withdraw the navy ships, and stop militarization of the region, returning Crimea under rightful control of Ukraine." Isaac Levi, a London-based expert on Russian energy sanctions at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said that, although the scale of the situation caused by the two tankers' sinking remains unknown, "the environmental impact is very likely to be astronomical." The cost of cleanup could be upwards of $112 million if the two tankers spilled all their oil products, and $64 million if only the one that broke apart did so, Levi said in a phone interview with RFE/RL. "It’s a very old tanker, and it does show some degree of negligence to set sail in those conditions, putting the environment at risk, as well as the crew members," he said of the vessel that broke apart. "It looks like a classic case of negligence or too high risk taken on to sail in stormy conditions." Russia uses "shadow tankers" -- vessels that are not Western-owned or Western-insured, to skirt sanctions that prohibit it from selling oil and oil products at rates that exceed a set price cap, which varies for crude and different kinds of oil products. "Shadow tankers that transport Russian oil often undertake dangerous practices that enable Russia to increase its oil export earnings used to fund its war in Ukraine at the expense of maritime ecosystems," Levi said, "as well as putting crews of the vessels at risk and taxpayers in countries that could end up footing the bill for a cleanup if the tanker has insufficient insurance coverage." "It’s warning that these tankers are old, have poor insurance...and frequently engage in dangerous practices such as ship-to-ship transfers and turning off the AIS transponders" that show their location, putting the maritime ecosystem at risk, he added. According to the Telegram channel Krymsky Veter, the vessel that broke up, Vologneft-212, had not had its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder on since December 3. The system provides positioning, identification and other information about the ship to other ships and to coastal authorities. Evidence indicates the other tanker, Vologoneft-239, had not turned its AIS transponder on since December 11. Andriy Klymenko, project director at the Kyiv-based Institute of Strategic Black Sea Studies, wrote on Facebook that the vessels are "not seagoing vessels" but are river vessels that are permitted to travel in coastal waters. According to Klymenko, neither of the tankers was authorized to sail in seas where waves are higher than 2.5 meters, while he said the waves in the Kerch Strait were reaching 3.5 meters on December 15. Russia's government said in a post on Telegram that Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered a working group be set up to coordinate cleanup, while Natural Resources and Environment Minister Aleksandr Kozlov arrived at the site on December 16 along with other officials to assess the situation. Ukrainian intelligence said at least 30 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia have been killed or wounded in the western Russian region of Kursk, the first time Kyiv has given such a detailed report on North Korean losses since Pyongyang sent troops to help Moscow. The remarks were partially backed up by the Pentagon, with a spokesman on December 16 saying Washington has indications that North Korean troops have fought alongside Russian forces in Kursk and that some have been killed or injured, without speculating on numbers. "We do assess that North Korean soldiers have engaged in combat in Kursk...we do have indications that they have suffered casualties, both killed and wounded," Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told reporters in Washington. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian military (HUR) said in a statement on December 16 that North Korean units had suffered "significant losses" near the villages of Martynovka, Plekhovo, and Vorozhba. On December 15, Skhemy (Schemes), an investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, received photos from Ukrainian military sources purportedly showing the bodies of dead soldiers in Kursk, including what was said to be North Korean fighters. RFE/RL has not been able to independently verify the claim. Russia has not commented on the report. Separately, the United States and nine other Western allies on December 16 issued a statement condemning “in the strongest possible terms” the increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Direct North Korean “support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine marks a dangerous expansion of the conflict, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security,” it said. The statement was signed by the U.S. secretary of state along with the foreign ministers of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand, as well as the high representative of the European Union. Washington on December 16 also hit Russia and North Korea with new sanctions that the Treasury Department said targeted Pyongyang's financial activities and military support for the Kremlin, echoing similar moves made by the EU earlier in the day. The sanctions target North Korean banks, generals, and others, along with Russian oil shipping companies. “Since October, [North Korea] has supplied Russia with more than 11,000 troops -- which are now training for deployment against Ukraine -- and sent significant quantities of missiles and ammunition to the Russian military to replenish its dwindling stockpiles,” the Treasury said. Ukrainian troops began their incursion into the Kursk region in August and still control some areas. Russia began deploying thousands of North Korean troops in the region in October. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on December 14 that Moscow had started involving more North Korean troops in an effort to push back Ukrainian forces in Kursk. With estimates by some analysts saying Russian casualties exceed 600,000 and President Vladimir Putin looking to avoid a politically unpopular second mass mobilization, reports suggest more than 11,000 North Korean soldiers are in southwestern Russia. Meanwhile, an informed source at Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service that Kyiv used drones last week to target and destroy a Russian ammunition depot in the village of Markyne in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Russia launched 49 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine in the early hours of December 16, Kyiv said. It added that 27 were shot down but it lost track of 19. Three remained in Ukrainian air space. The Ukrainian military said none of the drones made impact and there were no reports of damages or casualties. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on December 16 that both Zelenskiy and Putin must be prepared to “make a deal” to end the “horrible” war in Ukraine. “He should be prepared to make a deal, that’s all,” Trump said of Zelenskiy during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Putin must also "make a deal," Trump then added. “Got to be a deal. Too many people being killed,” he said. Trump, who takes office on January 20, said he would speak with Zelenskiy and Putin on ways to end the war, but he did not answer directly when asked if Ukraine would be forced to cede territory to Russia. Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov submitted his resignation on December 16 amid an unfolding scandal surrounding the detention of senior officials from the State Tax Service. The resignation ended Japarov's three-year tenure, which, despite notable reforms, has been overshadowed by controversy and increasing scrutiny. The administration of President Sadyr Japarov, no relation to the prime minister, officially confirmed the move, saying it came as he is due to "transition to another position." It did not elaborate. Akylbek Japarov, who is active on social media, hasn't said anything about the circumstances surrounding his resignation, which was termed a "rotation" by the deputy chairman of the cabinet in charge of social policy, Edil Baisalov. Until the appointment of a new prime minister, First Deputy Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev will serve as interim head of the cabinet. Japarov's resignation came amid an unprecedented corruption scandal within the State Tax Service, angry public protests, and lawmakers' calls for Japarov's responsibility and resignation. While authorities have not confirmed his resignation is related to the scandal, the timing raises many questions. Several times, Japarov publicly said he knew about the political pressure but was confident in his position, saying he would serve as long as the president trusted him. Akylbek Japarov's three years -- substantial in a country where few prime ministers serve even two years -- were marked by vital reforms. Before Japarov, Apas Jumagulov was the only politician in Kyrgyzstan who served longer, holding the post for over four years in the 1990s. Japarov's tenure as head of the government saw extensive tax reforms in Kyrgyzstan aimed at taming the shadow economy. If official reports are accurate, the measures brought a significant part of the previously unregulated economic activities into the country's formal system, increasing state revenues. The changes, however, have also been met with criticism, while some business leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with some of the new regulations. His time in office also has been tainted by complaints from businesses and accusations of corruption within state institutions, which have yet to be proven. Iran closed government offices and shifted school classes online on December 16 due to freezing temperatures and a severe gas shortage. Northern provinces have experienced temperatures plunging to -20°C (-4°F) in recent days, accompanied by widespread gas supply disruptions. President Masud Pezeshkian called on citizens last week to lower their thermostats by 2 degrees Celsius to conserve energy. Other government officials have made similar pleas online. Despite sitting on the world’s second-largest proven gas reserves, Iran’s aging infrastructure has struggled to meet increasing demand during winter. To read the full story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here . Four men suspected of planning terrorist attacks have been arrested in western North Macedonia, Interior Minister Pance Toskovski said on December 15. Toshkovski said the arrests were made during raids on several locations in the towns of Struga and Gostivar. The four men are suspected of planning to organize events that could jeopardize the security of North Macedonia and other countries, Toskovski told reporters. He added that they were suspected of being “part of terrorist organizations [and] have been under surveillance for a long time.” Those arrested are linked to religious extremist groups, he said, but did not specify what groups they were part of or what actions they planned. “We have reasonable suspicion that they are connected to groups supporting certain extremist and religious organizations,” he said. According to Toskovski, the goal of the four-member terrorist cell was to "indoctrinate and co-opt other individuals in the Balkans who could act accordingly toward the realization of their plans." He added that the National Security Agency (ANB) of North Macedonia and the services of friendly foreign countries also participated in the antiterrorist operation. The action was carried out in cooperation with partner international organizations, the minister said. All four men are citizens of North Macedonia and were expected to face an investigating magistrate on December 15. The suspects face up to eight years in prison if convicted of planned terrorism charges. Russian military personnel still in Syria are experiencing a lack of food and drinking water as an evacuation of troops and equipment continues , according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (GUR). The Russian personnel are experiencing the problems at military bases in Tartus and Hmeimim and on ships anchored offshore in the Mediterranean Sea, the press service of the GUR said in a statement on Telegram on December 15. The GUR also said that the remaining Russian service members were waiting for military transport planes involved in the evacuation that were supposed to deliver food. The statement said Russia continues to withdraw its contingent from remote areas of Syria. "At the same time, on some routes, the Russians are accompanied by armed groups opposing the Assad regime," the GUR said. The statement added there are rumors circulating among Russian soldiers that Moscow has agreed to maintain its presence at the two bases, where the number of military personnel is up to 3,000. RFE/RL was unable to verify the information from open sources. Russian authorities have not commented on this information. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Telegram that it had evacuated part of its diplomatic staff from Syria on December 15. It said the withdrawal was carried out by a special flight of the Russian Air Force from the Hmeimim air base. Russian transport planes have departed the Hmeimim air base in recent days as part of the evacuation following the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The longtime ruler was overthrown last week following a lightning offensive led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Assad fled to Russia, which was his regime's main backer. Satellite images taken on December 13 by the space technology company Maxar appeared to show Russia preparing for the withdrawal of military equipment from the Hmeimim air base. The images showed what appear to be at least two Antonov An-124 cargo planes on the tarmac with their nose cones open. Russia also has sent several landing ships and civilian vessels to Syria, according to open-source information. In Damascus, HTS has appointed an interim government, and its leader, Riad al-Asaad, told AFP on December 15 that he is confident the factions that helped topple Assad will unite as one force. HTS and the transitional government have insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with spoke with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy about the situation in Syria, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on December 15. Blinken and Lammy discussed the situation "and the principles endorsed by the United States and countries in the region that should be upheld during the transition process and formation of a new government," Miller said in a statement . Blinken on December 14 attended an emergency meeting in Jordan of foreign ministers from the Arab League, Turkey, and top officials from the European Union and United Nations. He said afterward the United States had made "direct contact" with the HTS and other parties. He declined to discuss details of the contacts but said it was important for the United States to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period. Blinken said a joint statement had been agreed at the meeting in Jordan that sets out the principles that other countries want to see in Syria's political transition, including inclusivity and respect for minorities and women and ensuring that terrorist groups do not take hold in the country.Luke Richardson was fired as coach of the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, the NHL club announced, after the team stumbled to the league's worst record so far this season. Swede Anders Sorensen, coach of the Blackhawks' top developmental club, was named interim coach for the NHL squad. Richardson, a 55-year-old Canadian, went 57-118 with 15 overtime losses in three seasons with Chicago. The Blackhawks are 8-16 with two overtime losses this season for a league-low 18 points after going 19-54-9 last season, second-worst in the NHL, and 26-49-7 in 2022-23, third-worst in the league. "Today I made the difficult decision to move on from Luke as our head coach," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. "As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary." More from this section The Blackhawks are on a four-game losing streak and 3-9-1 in their past 13 starts with 2.42 goals a game this season, second worst in the NHL. They have reached the Stanley Cup playoffs only once over the past seven seasons. "I fully support Kyle's decision in making this change as he continues to do what is needed to move our team forward," Blackhawks chairman and chief executive Danny Wirtz said. "I have the utmost confidence in him and the rest of our hockey operations team as they begin their search for the next head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks." Richardson became the third NHL coach fired this season after Boston dumped Jim Montgomery last month. He was hired five days later by St. Louis after the Blues fired Drew Bannister. js/bb
QRDI Council hosts training of Mumaken programme
A pilot in which companies mapped their waste flows via the geoFluxus Waste Profile Platform has taken the circular economy in the Rotterdam port area to a higher level. The project, sponsored by the Port of Rotterdam Authority, has helped companies optimise their waste processing. Waste flows from companies are often not processed in the most high-quality manner. For example, they end up in the waste incinerator, while they could be recycled. To make waste processing more sustainable, the TU Delft startup geoFluxus developed the ‘Waste Profile Platform’. Four companies with large residual flows and waste processing parties in the Rotterdam port area participated in a pilot using this tool. Through the Waste Profile Platform, companies gain insight into their waste flows based on data from the National Waste Notification Bureau (LMA), without having to supply data themselves. The platform identifies opportunities for improving the processing of waste flows that are currently still processed at a low quality. The system compares different processing methods based on three key factors: cost savings, sustainability and CO2 emissions. These are valuable insights for companies looking to achieve their circular goals and to optimise their processing costs. These new digital technologies will also largely determine the success of the port of the future. The use of data plays a major role in achieving full circularity by 2050. Waste processing company A&M Recycling was one of the participants in the pilot. Barend Ubbink, sustainable consultant, is enthusiastic about the possibilities of the platform. ‘For companies dealing with waste flows that require reporting and want to become more sustainable, this is an excellent tool that provides immediate insight into potential improvements. The platform becomes even more powerful when companies add their own data. This will provide a complete picture of all waste flows, including those going abroad or to processors not subject to reporting requirements.’ Source: Port of RotterdamNoneBy Funto Omojola, NerdWallet Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a “state of credit card report” for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. OK, but let’s start with bonus rewards From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it’s not just about the rewards. Instant credit access Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. Convenience and safety As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Related Articles Business | Event promoters, hotels and lodging sites soon will have to disclose extra fees up front Business | Should you donate your points and miles to charity? Business | Skip the holiday debt by planning before you spend Business | 5 ways to tell if you’re on track for retirement — and 5 things to do if you need to catch up, according to experts Business | The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don’t use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders’ status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted “token” that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn’t require you to have your physical cards present, there’s less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse. More From NerdWallet Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com. The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet .
White scores 19 in North Dakota State's 98-62 win over Western MichiganWVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute receives $25K from the Bowles Rice Foundation
AP News Summary at 5:30 p.m. ESTLast week when Power Corp. revealed it had marked up the valuation of its controlling stake in , reported that Power’s Q3 financial results indicated the Toronto FinTech giant was engaged in a third-party secondary transaction expected to close during the fourth quarter. At the time, Wealthsimple declined to share further details. Today, reported that this deal saw existing, San Francisco-based Wealthsimple investor Iconiq Capital purchase about $100 million in stock from the challenger bank’s current and former employees. Iconiq is a family office that caters to , including Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, and Chamath Palihapitiya. A Wealthsimple spokesperson told BetaKit that current and former employees were the only selling shareholders in this transaction, but declined to confirm Iconiq’s involvement or the size of the deal. They did confirm, however, that the financing valued Wealthsimple at $5 billion, which makes it one of Canada’s most valuable private tech companies once again, alongside a group that includes fellow late-stage Canadian tech firm Clio, a British Columbia-based legaltech that recently conducted of its own. “Our employees are the driving force behind Wealthsimple’s success,” Wealthsimple vice-president of people operations Diana McLachlan told BetaKit. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to sell some of the equity they’ve earned and gain additional financial flexibility. Our 10-year track record of success is due to the dedication of our employees and the trust we’ve earned from millions of Canadians.” Iconiq appears to have increased its stake in the Canadian FinTech company shortly after one of its high-profile clients referred to Canada as “no longer a compelling place to invest” in a (formerly Twitter) responding to a comment from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Canada’s competitiveness with the United States as an investment environment. “Here is the harsh truth as someone who allocates capital in different parts of the world: Canada is no longer a compelling place to invest,” Social Capital founder and CEO Chamath Palihapitiya wrote. “Hasn’t been for a few years now. As a result, the economic prosperity of Canada will continue to shrink. This is despite an incredibly young, bright, capable and technical workforce that is second to none.” Founded in 2014, Wealthsimple started as a robo-advisor but has since steadily expanded its investment capabilities and moved into other areas of money management, including , , , and . This marks Wealthsimple’s first secondary since 2021, when it announced a funding round that included Iconiq, consisted of $250 million in primary and $500 million in secondary capital to Power and its affiliates, and came at a $5-billion valuation. With Power’s latest markup and this secondary deal, Wealthsimple has regained on paper when Power and its affiliates slashed their valuations of the company during the downturn. Today, the 10-year-old company is profitable with three million users and $58 billion in total assets under administration. Wealthsimple co-founders, CPO Brett Huneycutt and CEO Michael Katchen, The BetaKit Podcast to discuss the company’s journey, its growth of late, and how they plan to build “the largest Canadian financial institution.”
jili369 casino
Israel prosecutors indict prime minister’s aid for leaking information to German newspaperEl presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, sube al escenario para pronunciar un discurso en los FOX Nation Patriot Awards, el 5 de diciembre de 2024, en Greenvale, Nueva York. (AP Foto/Heather Khalifa) FILE – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) FILE – Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at First Horizon Coliseum, Nov. 2, 2024, in Greensboro, NC. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) FILE – Mehmet Oz visits the AW Driving School & License Testing Center in Allentown, Pa., Sept. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) FILE – Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) El presidente electo de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, sube al escenario para pronunciar un discurso en los FOX Nation Patriot Awards, el 5 de diciembre de 2024, en Greenvale, Nueva York. (AP Foto/Heather Khalifa) By CHRISTINE FERNANDO CHICAGO (AP) — As Donald Trump’s Cabinet begins to take shape, those on both sides of the abortion debate are watching closely for clues about how his picks might affect reproductive rights policy in the president-elect’s second term . Trump’s cabinet picks offer a preview of how his administration could handle abortion after he repeatedly flip-flopped on the issue on the campaign trail. He attempted to distance himself from anti-abortion allies by deferring to states on abortion policy, even while boasting about nominating three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood for half a century. In an NBC News interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he doesn’t plan to restrict medication abortion but also seemed to leave the door open, saying “things change.” “Things do change, but I don’t think it’s going to change at all,” he said. The early lineup of his new administration , including nominations to lead health agencies, the Justice Department and event the Department of Veterans Affairs, has garnered mixed — but generally positive — reactions from anti-abortion groups. Abortion law experts said Trump’s decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump’s administration. “It almost seems to suggest that President Trump might be focusing his administration in other directions,” said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Karen Stone, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund , said while many of the nominees have “extensive records against reproductive health care,” some do not. She cautioned against making assumptions based on Trump’s initial cabinet selections. Still, many abortion rights groups are wary, in part because many of the nominees hold strong anti-abortion views even if they do not have direct ties to anti-abortion activists. They’re concerned that an administration filled with top-level officials who are personally opposed to abortion could take steps to restrict access to the procedure and funding. After Trump’s ambiguity about abortion during his campaign, “there’s still a lot we don’t know about what policy is going to look like,” said Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. That approach may be revealed as the staffs within key departments are announced. Trump announced he would nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which anti-abortion forces have long targeted as central to curtailing abortion rights nationwide. Yet Kennedy shifted on the issue during his own presidential campaign. In campaign videos, Kennedy said he supports abortion access until viability , which doctors say is sometime after 21 weeks, although there is no defined timeframe. But he also said “every abortion is a tragedy” and argued for a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a stance he quickly walked back. The head of Health and Human Services oversees Title X funding for a host of family planning services and has sweeping authority over agencies that directly affect abortion access, including the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The role is especially vital amid legal battles over a federal law known as EMTALA, which President Joe Biden’s administration has argued requires emergency abortion access nationwide, and FDA approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, called Kennedy an “unfit, unqualified extremist who cannot be trusted to protect the health, safety and reproductive freedom of American families.” His potential nomination also has caused waves in the anti-abortion movement. Former Vice President Mike Pence , a staunch abortion opponent, urged the Senate to reject Kennedy’s nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the group had its own concerns about Kennedy. “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary,” she said. Fox News correspondent Marty Makary is Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, which plays a critical role in access to medication abortion and contraception. Abortion rights groups have accused him of sharing misinformation about abortion on air. Russell Vought , a staunch anti-abortion conservative, has been nominated for director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought was a key architect of Project 2025 , a right-wing blueprint for running the federal government. Among other actions to limit reproductive rights, it calls for eliminating access to medication abortion nationwide, cutting Medicaid funding for abortion and restricting access to contraceptive care, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUD’s. Despite distancing himself from the conservative manifesto on the campaign trail, Trump is stocking his administration with people who played central roles in developing Project 2025. Trump acknowledged that drafters of the report would be part of his incoming administration during the Sunday interview with NBC News, saying “Many of those things I happen to agree with.” “These cabinet appointments all confirm that Project 2025 was in fact the blueprint all along, and the alarm we saw about it was warranted,” said Amy Williams Navarro, director of government relations for Reproductive Freedom for All. Dr. Mehmet Oz , Trump’s choice to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a former television talk show host who has been accused of hawking dubious medical treatments and products. He voiced contradictory abortion views during his failed Senate run in 2022. Oz has described himself as “strongly pro-life, praised the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade , claimed “life starts at conception” and referred to abortion as “murder.” But he also has echoed Trump’s states-rights approach, arguing the federal government should not be involved in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” he said during a Senate debate two years ago. An array of reproductive rights groups opposed his Senate run. As CMS administrator, Oz would be in a key position to determine Medicaid coverage for family planning services and investigate potential EMTALA violations. Related Articles National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president National Politics | Val McCullough: Small gestures can bring about significant changes National Politics | With Trump on the way, advocates look to states to pick up medical debt fight As Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi defended abortion restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period. Now she’s Trump’s choice for attorney general . Her nomination is being celebrated by abortion opponents but denounced by abortion rights groups concerned she may revive the Comstock Act , an anti-vice law passed by Congress in 1873 that, among other things, bans mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion. An anti-abortion and anti-vaccine former Florida congressman, David Weldon, has been chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects and monitors abortion data across the country. Former Republican congressman Doug Collins is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid a political battle over abortion access and funding for troops and veterans. Collins voted consistently to restrict funding and access to abortion and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “This is a team that the pro-life movement can work with,” said Kristin Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion organization Students for Life.
93 jili com