Bengaluru: Sustainability is no longer a choice, but a necessity as the world grapples with consequences of climate change and resource depletion. Bengaluru, known for its innovation and vibrant community spirit, is leading the way in embracing sustainable practices . From startups promoting circular economies and eco-conscious technologies to architects conserving heritage and artists embracing sustainable materials, a few firms in the city are setting an example for urban resilience and environmental responsibility. Eco Dhaga collected around 6,800 kilograms of post-consumer textiles recently. The used or discarded clothes were recycled and turned into funky table mats and coasters. "It also enabled us to reduce landfill waste," said Sanjana Swaroop, founder of Eco Dhaga. Sanjana was talking about circular economy and what her organisation has been doing in the space at a panel discussion on sustainable designs, moderated by MXR co-founder Madan Mohan Rao at M Cube Spaces here on Saturday. "Fashion industry is one of the largest polluters. We are trying to create awareness on what you can do to improve the environment with your closet itself," said Sanjana. Some startups like Reusall are coming up with a software solutions for resuablity. "We are creating an intuitive app and an impact dashboard where you can track your footprint and habits you have been following," said Shravan Boska, founder of the startup based in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Masons Ink focuses on three verticles — sustainable construction , heritage conservation and social architecture. Sridevi Changali, co-founder and principal architect, Masons Ink, believes that it is important to extend the life of buildings to achieve the goal of sustainability. "Buildings that were built 100 or 200 years ago are still standing pretty wonderfully today," she said, adding, one can learn a lot from them. According to her, there's definitely been a tangible increase in the number of inquiries on sustainable construction practices. "There are many takers for mud houses nowadays. Whether it's a trend or whether it's here to stay, we'll see in the next 10 years," she said. Sustainability is the buzzword in art too. Priyanka Thaker, founder of House of Beserk, an art studio, has been conscious of how they package and send their installations. "We are also trying to work with materials like terracotta that come from the earth," said Priyanka.
K N Pandita Indian media has reported that the Defence Ministry has moved an anti-drone missile system close to the Bangladesh border when, from the other side, Turkey-made deadly Bayraktar TB2 drones are lined up. These drones bought by Bangladesh earlier this year, have enhanced its ability to conduct surveillance and light strike operations. According to Defence Technology of Bangladesh (DTB), 6 of the 12 drones ordered have been operationalized. Tension is rising among the Islamists in Bangladesh. Hindu minority concentration areas have become the targets for bloodshed, rape and arson. Massive anti-India and anti-Hindu rallies are brought out in which Islamist firebrands demand not only the capture of Kolkata in a matter of few hours but also lay their claim to Assam, Bihar and West Bengal. The Indian Defence Ministry is reported to have deployed about 7-8 thousand troops along the border to counter any mischief by Bangladesh warmongers. Some irritable and sensitive groups on our side are reacting stoutly to the hate campaign of the radical regime in Bangladesh. This is a process of angry and emotional expression of pent-up hatred and xenophobia which will not help any side. Bengali Muslims, like all Muslims in the sub-continent, are a portion of humanity with a split personality. Before the advent of Islam in around 640 CE, today’s Islamic communities were part of great civilizations like the Aryan, Zoroastrian, Mazdayen, Zionist, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and other faiths and their denominations. These had split into sub-groups adding some new complexion to the faith and eschewing others. They surrendered or were made to surrender to Islamic universalism. Genetic conversion all over this vast swath of Asian land somehow remained elusive. It raises its head intermittently at some of the vulnerable spots and destinations, firstly due to a split personality and secondly under local compulsions. Bangladesh, like Pakistan or Iran, is in the throes of fierce inter-factional feuds, be it the Sunni-Shia divide, divide along the four schools of Islamic Sufism, divide along ideological allegiances in which conservatism is pitted against modernity or where Islamic sharia is pitted against Westminster-like democracy. In Bangladesh, the explosion of ideological bombshell after it had been simmering for years, the Jama’at-i-Islami radicals made the unarmed, peaceful and docile Hindu minority as sitting ducks to be shot at and their civilisational symbols to be destroyed. There is ditto replication of what was undertaken in Kashmir in 1989 – 90. The reaction of Bangladeshi Hindus discernible in a nearly one crore strong multitude cannot create an impression nor invite reaction by the world community because they are fighting an authority which is determined to shed any and everyman’s blood who opposes theocratic supremacy. What is happening in Bangladesh is another glaring example of war by proxy. It is Washington chastising India through a proxy. It is to disallow India the freedom of policy framing and action shown by a strongly nationalist leader. The blow has come because India looks to her interests and not to the interests of the White House or 10 Downing Street. Those places are adept at moving their hand behind the curtain. But now things are different. Even their Indian proxies have not been able to make an impression. While China is mute and watching what is happening inside its southern neighbour, Pakistan has jumped into the fray. It has, for the first time in forty years, sent a ship with war material to Yunus’ regime. The ship will not have to pass through the normal inspection or submission of maritime documentation. The two countries have done away with visa mechanisms for exchange travelling, and Islamabad is happy Bangladesh withdrew its diplomatic staff from Kolkata and New Delhi. Once arch-enemies have now become “iron friends.” For the two, India is the enemy and Hinduism is the anti-missile shield that has to be broken. To the zealots in Dhaka and Islamabad, the path of destruction of the “Hindu State” lies in first eliminating the RSS and BJP-led Government in New Delhi. Fortunate for them and unfortunate for the Indian nation, the proxies are home-bred and fiercely dedicated to their initial “tukde tukde aspiration.” The Democrat caucus had taken their Bangladeshi proxy under its wings many years ago. However, the time for activating the proxy came to a head for two reasons. One was India not distancing from Russia and the second was Sheikh Hasina, the exiled Prime Minister refusing the “white man” air base as a foothold in St Martin Island. The American deep state is carefully watching the course of events and will not turn down its vigil from how India reacts to their perfidy. In all probability, Pakistan has silently agreed to provide the dirty bomb to Bangladesh along with a delivery system. She will not take this initiative because there is no first-strike treaty with India. But Bangladesh’s rogue regime is not bound by any treaty, any law, any political and diplomatic propriety or any human consideration. It is not only Bangladesh that aspires to borrow nuclear strike capability. Iran is also pursuing the same course. Both Bangladesh and Iran remind Islamabad that Pakistan has always claimed that she has an Islamic bomb. When will she make use of it if not now against India, a fast-rising economic and military power in Asia? Turkey plays the second fiddle to them. Curiously China is tight-lipped so far lending some credence to the Sino-American nexus to scuttle India’s aspirations of becoming the top Asian power. If the devious scheming succeeds India is dragged to call its land forces for redeployment on the Bangladesh border, it will mean the beginning of the end.
College football transfer portal opens as Oklahoma's Arnold, other top players look for a moveNew Parramatta light rail finally opensNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints quarterback Derek Carr was willing to risk his health to improve New Orleans’ chances of playing meaningful football in mid-December. Now the Saints, who’ve remained mathematically alive in the playoff race by winning three of four, might have to play without Carr again — and it didn’t go well the last time. Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi declined on Monday to rule out Carr for any of New Orleans’ final four games because of his . Both injuries occurred when he tried to leap for a first down and crashed hard to the turf during the fourth quarter of on Sunday. “We’re not going to rule him out just yet,” Rizzi said. “We have to see in the next day or two what the healing process is like and see if he can function. “The good news it’s not his throwing hand,” Rizzi said. “The bad news is we’re obviously dealing with an injury here that we have to kind of play it by ear.” Rizzi noted that Carr must clear the concussion protocol first. After that, he said, the Saints can see how well Carr can operate with his hand injury. “It’s been done before,” Rizzi said when asked about the prospect of an NFL QB playing with an injured non-throwing hand. “It appears at moment that it’s non-surgical, which is a big aspect of it. ... That’s why we’re going to discuss the options.” Last season, Los Angeles Chargers QB . Buffalo Bills QB . If Carr can’t play, his replacement will be either second-year pro Jake Haener or rookie Spencer Rattler. Rattler started three games earlier this season when Carr had an oblique injury — all losses by New Orleans, which was in the midst of a seven-game skid. “We’ve just got to surround whomever it is and pick him up and get him rolling with the rest of us,” guard Lucas Patrick said. “It’s just another step of adversity in this long season that we’ve had.” What’s working New Orleans’ interior defensive line is coming off one of its better games. Defensive tackles Bryan Bresee and Khalen Saunders accounted for both New Orleans’ sacks in New York. The Saints also held the Giants to 112 yards rushing — a lower opponent rushing total than in seven other games this season. What needs help The Saints’ 92 yards rushing offensively was their fourth-lowest total all season and the lowest in any of their victories. Stock up Running back Kendre Miller’s future is looking a bit brighter now. He has played in just three games this season because of hamstring injuries and his lack of readiness was criticized by since-fired coach Dennis Allen earlier this season. Miller also has yet to rush for more than 36 yards in a game. But against the Giants, he earned praise for the speed, strength and elusiveness he was able to show on a couple of clutch runs, including an 8-yard run for his first and only touchdown this season. Patrick said Miller deserved credit on his scoring run for staying upright and continuing to push forward — with the help of some teammates — after he was met at the 5-yard line by a Giants defender. Patrick said if Miller didn’t give the extra effort and stay on his feet, his teammates would not have had the chance to help push him across the goal line. “Kendre’s definitely a bright, young runner and he’s exciting to block for,” Patrick said. Stock down Blake Grupe was 0 for 2 on field goal attempts, although both were from beyond 50 yards and one was blocked. Those were Grupe’s first two failures from beyond 50 yards this season. Injuries In addition to Carr, reserve linebacker D’Marco Jackson left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Key number 0 — The number of games the Saints have won when Carr does not play. They’ve gone 5-5 in his starts this season. Next steps The Saints are back home Sunday against Washington in what could be ex-New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s first game with the Commanders. The game also marks the return to Louisiana of quarterback Jayden Daniels, who won the Heisman Troply last year at LSU. ___ AP NFL:
Santa Claus is coming to Humboldt
( ) stock scored a price-target hike on Thursday from an analyst who is increasingly bullish on prospects for the company's language learning app. Needham analyst Ryan MacDonald reiterated his buy rating on Duolingo stock and upped his price target to 385 from 370 after visiting with the company. In afternoon trades on the , Duolingo stock advanced more than 1.5% to 338.46. Duolingo shares have pulled back since hitting a record high of 378.48 on Dec. 5. Duolingo is entering its next phase of growth, which includes the use of generative artificial intelligence chatbots to teach languages, MacDonald said in a client note. "While GenAI has thus far been viewed as a disruptor to the education ecosystem, Duolingo is starting to harness the technology for a monetizable use case that we believe will be a powerful tool in expanding their reach to a large set of English language learners that have historically shown low free-to-paid conversion," he said. Duolingo Stock Is On Two IBD Lists The total addressable market is huge. MacDonald estimates there are about 1.5 billion people worldwide who are actively learning to speak English. Duolingo's generative AI-powered subscription service is called Duolingo Max. "Duolingo Max (is) only scratching the surface of opening up new opportunities for learners and monetization," MacDonald said. In the , Duolingo had 37.2 million total daily active users, up 54% year over year. Duolingo offers instruction in more than 40 different languages on its freemium service. Popular languages to learn through Duolingo include English, Spanish, French and Japanese. Its free service is supported by advertising while its paid subscription service is ad-free. Duolingo stock is on two IBD stock lists: and .No. 25 Army 29, UTSA 24
NEW YORK – With the end of 2024 around the corner, you might be reflecting on financial goals for 2025. Whether you're saving to move out of your parents' house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated, said Courtney Alev, consumer advocate for Credit Karma. Recommended Videos “Entering a new year doesn’t erase all our financial challenges from the prior year," Alev said. “But it can really help to bring a fresh-start mentality to how you’re managing your finances.” If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they're attainable for your lifestyle. Here are some tips from experts: Change your relationship with money Think about how you currently deal with finances — what's good, what's bad, and what can improve. “Let this be the year you change your relationship with money,” said Ashley Lapato, personal finance educator for YNAB, a budgeting app. If you feel like money is a chore, that there's shame surrounding the topic of money, or like you were born being “bad at money,” it's time to change that mentality, Lapato said. To adjust your approach, Lapato recommends viewing money goals as an opportunity to imagine your desired lifestyle in the future. She recommends asking questions like, “What do my 30s look like? What do my 40s look like?” and using money as a means to get there. Liz Young Thomas, head of SoFi Investment Strategy, added that it’s key you forgive yourself for past mistakes in order to move into the new year with motivation. Know your “why” When setting your financial resolutions for 2025, it's important to establish the “why” of each, said Matt Watson, CEO of Origin, a financial tracking app. “If you can attach the financial goal to a bigger life goal, it’s much more motivating and more likely you’ll continue on that path,” Watson said. Whether you're saving to buy a house, pay off credit card debt or take a summer vacation, being clear about the goal can keep you motivated. Watson also recommends using a tool to help you keep track of your finances, such as an app, spreadsheet, or website. Budget, budget, budget “After three years of inflation, your pay increases are likely still playing catch up to your monthly expenses, leaving you wondering where all the money is going," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. "Make that monthly budget for 2025 and resolve to track your spending against it throughout the year." McBride said that you may need to make adjustments during the year as certain expenses increase, which would require cutting back in other areas. “Calibrate your spending with your income, and any month you spend less than budgeted, transfer the difference into your savings account, ideally a high-yield savings account,” he said. Pay down outstanding debt “Interest rates aren’t likely to come down very fast, so you’re still going to have to put in the hard work of paying down debt, especially high-cost credit card debt, and do so with urgency,” McBride said. Start by taking stock of how much debt you have now relative to the beginning of the year. Hopefully you’ve made steady progress on paying it down, but, if you’ve gone in the other direction, McBride encourages making a game plan. That includes looking into 0% balance transfer offers. Take control of your credit card interest rate “You have more power over credit card interest rates than you think you do," said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “Wielding that power is one of the best moves you can make in 2025.” A 0% balance transfer credit card is “a good weapon” in the fight against high card APRs, or annual percentage rates, he said. A low-interest personal loan is an option as well. You may simply be able to pick up the phone and ask for a lower interest rate. LendingTree found that a majority of people who did that in 2024 were successful, and the average reduction was more than 6 points. Set realistic, practical goals When planning for your financial resolutions, it’s important to consider how you’re going to make your goals sustainable for your lifestyle, said Credit Karma's Alev. “It really is a marathon, not a sprint,” Alev said. Alev recommends setting realistic, practical goals to make it easier to stick with them. For example, instead of planning to save thousands of dollars by the end of the year, start by saving $20 a paycheck. Even when your plans are achievable, there are times you'll get derailed. Maybe it’s an unexpected medical bill or an extraordinary life event. When these situations happen, Alev recommends trying not to feel defeated and working to get back on track without feeling guilty. Don't ‘flamingo' or bury your head in the sand “You can't manage what you can't see, so set a New Year’s resolution to check your credit score monthly in 2025," said Rikard Bandebo, chief economist at VantageScore. “Be sure to pay more than the minimum on your credit accounts, as that's one of the best ways to boost your credit score.” Bandebo also advises student loan borrowers to make all payments on time, as servicers will begin to report late payments starting in January, and missed payments will affect borrowers' credit scores. Automate savings, where possible Automated changes, like increasing workplace 401(k) plan contributions, setting up direct deposits from paychecks into dedicated savings accounts, and arranging for monthly transfers into an IRA and/or 529 college savings accounts all add up quickly, McBride said. Slow down Your financial goals can encompass more than just managing your money better — they can also be about keeping your money safe from scams . A golden rule to protect yourself from scams is to “slow down,” said Johan Gerber, executive vice president of security solutions at Mastercard. “You have to slow down and talk to other people if you’re not sure (whether or not) it’s scam,” said Gerber, who recommends building an accountability system with family to keep yourself and your loved ones secure. Scammers use urgency to make people fall for their tricks, so taking your time to make any financial decision can keep you from losing money. Focus on financial wellness Your financial goals don’t always have to be rooted in a dollar amount — they can also be about well-being. Finances are deeply connected with our mental health, and, to take care of our money, we also need to take care of ourselves. “I think that now more than any other year, your financial wellness should be a resolution," said Alejandra Rojas, personal finance expert and founder of The Money Mindset Hub, a mentoring platform for women entrepreneurs. "Your mental health with money should be a resolution.” To focus on your financial wellness, you can set one or two goals focusing on your relationship with money. For example, you could find ways to address and resolve financial trauma, or you could set a goal to talk more openly with loved ones about money, Rojas said. —— The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
Bula Three stories make the front page of The Fiji Times for Friday, December 20. FIJI is likely to introduce a law banning Fijians under 17 years from accessing certain so[1]cial media platforms in the next 12 month! PUBLIC trust in the Fiji Po[1]lice Force is closely inter[1]twined with the media, says the Police Reset document which encourages the use of technology to humanise law enforcement officers. ACTING Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew has confirmed an ongoing investigation into allegations of profes[1]sional misconduct, intimidation, and harassment against Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FI[1]CAC) Commissioner Barbara Malimali. Letters to the editor We have two pages of people’s opinions, on Pages 8 and 9. International Follow us for the best and most. Comprehensive coverage of international news. We connect you to some of the world’s best news agencies. We package International news for you, bringing you interesting news, and pictures. Synopsis It is difficult having to live with cancer! It’s tough when a loved one is suffering. As we reflect on the festive season, and the joy and festivities that’s expected this month, we take time to acknowledge companies and individuals who have come out in support of a good cause. We are reminded about how fragile life is and the importance of family support. We are reminded as well about the importance of early detection, and how this should fit into the greater scheme of things in our lives, especially when it comes to cancer, or specifically childhood cancer! Discovering you have a child with cancer can be a parent’s most traumatic experience. Many parents and guardians are lost. They feel uncertain and there is insecurity and a sense of fear. They sometimes are left to stare at a blankwall. This is where organisations such as Walk On Walk Strong (WOWS) Kids Fiji come in. They provide assistance and support for such families, and continue to be a reassuring presence out there in the public domain. Then there are the many supporters and donors who work behind the scenes. They make things happen for WOWS and for affected children. As we count down the days to Christmas Day, we are reminded again about the importance of early detection. That’s where the difference could lie between prolonging life, a cure, and getting very sick. Then there is the support base and reassurance. Our challenge continues to be on creating awareness about symptoms and what should be done when they develop. So it was encouraging to see organisations like BSP Financial Group Limited coming out in full force to support over 25 children battling cancer and their families, with a Christmas treat in collaboration with WOWS Kids Fiji (WOWS) recently. At the day’s event last week, BSP also presented a $20,000 donation to WOWS, reaffirming its commitment to supporting the foundation’s vital work in providing care and resources to families navigating the challenges of childhood cancer. Speaking at the event, WOWS Kids Fiji board member, Dr Mahmood Khalid highlighted the importance of holistic care in battling childhood cancer. “Cancer in children is curable, but it requires commitment and persistence. It is not just about medical treatment; it’s about support — from families, NGOs, and the community,” Dr Khalid said. He noted that the care children with cancer receive in Fiji is on par with treatment in Australia and New Zealand. We say living with cancer is an incredibly challenging journey for everyone concerned. Families need support and reassurance. They need to be motivated to be there for their loved ones. As we reflect on the joys of the festive season, let us commit ourselves to encouraging a culture of support and awareness for childhood cancer. Let’s celebrate the resilience of families, and the dedication and commitment of organisations like WOWS Kids Fiji and the generous spirit of donors. They all can make a difference for our children! Sometimes we just need to be reminded about the reality on the ground around us!
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Damari Monsanto's 22 points helped UTSA defeat Southwestern Adventist 117-58 on Thursday. Monsanto added six rebounds for the Roadrunners (6-5). Sky Wicks scored 20 points while shooting 8 for 12, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc and added eight rebounds and three steals. Amir "Primo" Spears shot 5 of 10 from the field, including 1 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 6 from the line to finish with 16 points. Domonique Wilkins and Orlando Gooden each scored 19 points for Southwestern Adventist. Jason Garcia had 13 points, four assists and two steals. Monsanto led his team in scoring with 16 points in the first half to help put them up 61-24 at the break. UTSA extended its lead to 87-38 during the second half, fueled by a 13-3 scoring run. Wicks scored a team-high 10 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia. RELATED STORY | Russia says Ukraine fired 6 US-made missiles at the Bryansk region, days after Biden policy shift Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. “This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern," Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The U.S. was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said. The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British missiles in strikes Tuesday and Wednesday on southern Russia, Putin said. Those strikes caused a fire at an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region and killed and wounded some security services personnel in the Kursk region, he said. RELATED STORY | Biden authorizes Ukraine's use of US-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia “In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in kind,” the Russian president said, adding that Western leaders who are hatching plans to use their forces against Moscow should “seriously think about this.” Putin said the Oreshnik fired Thursday struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety — something Moscow hasn’t done before previous aerial attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially said Russia hadn’t warned the U.S. about the coming launch of the new missile, noting that it wasn't obligated to do so. But he later changed tack and said Moscow did issue a warning 30 minutes before the launch. Putin's announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the use of the missile was an "obvious and serious escalation in the scale and brutality of this war, a cynical violation of the UN Charter.” He also said there had been “no strong global reaction” to the use of the missile, which he said could threaten other countries. “Putin is very sensitive to this. He is testing you, dear partners,” Zelenskyy wrote. “If there is no tough response to Russia’s actions, it means they see that such actions are possible.” The attack comes during a week of escalating tensions, as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the Dnipro attack was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said hours before Putin's address. “And how afraid he is.” Russia was sending a message by attacking Ukraine with an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of releasing multiple warheads at extremely high speeds, even if they are less accurate than cruise missiles or short-range ballistic missiles, said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “Why might you use it therefore?” Savill said. "Signaling — signaling to the Ukrainians. We’ve got stuff that outrages you. But really signaling to the West ‘We’re happy to enter into a competition around intermediate range ballistic missiles. P.S.: These could be nuclear tipped. Do you really want to take that risk?’” Military experts say that modern ICBMs and IRBMs are extremely difficult to intercept, although Ukraine has previously claimed to have stopped some other weapons that Russia described as “unstoppable,” including the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile. David Albright, of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, said he was “skeptical” of Putin’s claim, adding that Russian technology sometimes “falls short.” He suggested Putin was “taunting the West to try to shoot it down ... like a braggart boasting, taunting his enemy.” Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use the U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an angry response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Russia’s formal lowering of the threshold for nuclear weapons use did not prompt any changes in U.S. doctrine. She pushed back on concerns that the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike deeper inside Russia might escalate the war. ′′They’re the ones who are escalating this,” she said of the Kremlin — in part because of a flood of North Korean troops sent to the region. More than 1,000 days into war, Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. Analysts and observers say the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords.
Smart Home Healthcare Market to See Rapid Expansion Over the Next Decade 2024-2032