The volatile tribal district of Kurram witnessed another scene of carnage, death and destruction on 21 November 2024. On this fateful day, a convoy of about 200 vehicles was travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar when at about 1:20 PM, gunmen jumped out of their vehicles and poured deadly gunfire on the travelling vehicles on the road, to extinguish the lives of 40 innocent residents of Parachinar including women and children. The attacked convoy consisted of mostly Shia Muslim members of the community. According to local sources, this attack was in retaliation for a 12 October attack that had left 15 people dead, including two women and a child. No group has so far claimed responsibility, but it is very likely that the banned TTP is behind this atrocity, because it has been quite active in this region in the recent past. State security agencies are either responsible for criminal negligence or have made no efforts to curb the acts of violence in this sensitive area. Since July this year, over 80 people have been killed while travelling by road and the people of the region have protested, demanding peace and security. But the state agencies have so far failed miserably to provide relief to the people of the area. The government now must make it priority number one to secure this region, or else this scourge will most likely spill over and then sectarian outfits could exploit the situation to create tensions across the country Quite oblivious of the plight of these communities, today the federal government and the provincial authorities of KP province are embroiled in a bitter dispute because of the 24th November protest day announced by the PTI. Due to their infighting, both the federal and provincial authorities are least bothered about the security conditions in Kurram or other parts of KP. Government sources tend to express their indignation and condemnation of the acts of terrorism, and promises are made to deal with the terrorists with an iron hand and bring them to justice. But in practice, the poor residents of the areas are left to their own devices when bloodthirsty militants rule the roost. Kurram district is extremely sensitive because of the sectarian divide and its proximity to Afghanistan along with the presence of obscurantist militants of the TTP. So far the government has not been able to control militancy or to settle tribal disputes that explode into tribal vendettas. The government now must make it priority number one to secure this region, or else this scourge will most likely spill over to other areas of the province and then sectarian outfits could exploit the situation to create tensions across the length and breadth of the country. Elements responsible for the latest atrocity must be tracked down and punished and our state agencies must come up with practical plans for the security and safety of the people of Kurram or this violence could engulf the entire country. PBC Condemns Horrific Attack In Lower Kurram, Calls For Immediate Action The resurgence of violence has escalated since the TTP ended a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to intensify its attacks. The group's activity has added another layer of insecurity in a region already plagued by sectarian and tribal conflicts. The latest atrocity in Kurram is a stark reminder that the country is now at war with itself. Our brave soldiers are losing lives every day, and the enemy is not across the border but within the national boundaries. The hurried departure of the US forces from Afghanistan resulted in the Taliban control of Afghanistan and the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was the only world leader who openly welcomed the Taliban regime in Kabul and rejoiced at their victory declaring “The Taliban have broken the shackles of slavery.” Subsequently the then PTI-led federal government decided to release about 5,000 terrorists and militants of the TTP who had been languishing n Pakistani jails, and allowed them to settle down in the areas of their choice. An outdated and wrong concept of ‘strategic depth’ seems to be guiding our policy planners even today. The attitude and behaviour of the Talban regime in Kabul should be a lesson to scrap the old policies of seeking such ‘strategic depth’ and start with a clean slate regarding our policy towards the Afghan Taliban. The province of KP in the direct line of fire, and facing the brunt of the attacks by the militant forces of obscurantism and sectarianism. Far from the miscalculations of policy-makers, our soldiers on the ground are facing this danger with great courage and determination and almost everyday lives are being lost. So, far the total loss of lives at the hands of the militant forces of the Taliban has been more than the total loss of lives suffered in all the wars with the country’s traditional arch-nemesis India. It is now time to take the war to the enemy, hit them in their safe sanctuaries and nip the evil in the bud – before further damage is done to our state institutions and social fabric. According to the army chief, the army is now paying a price in blood because of the incompetence of political forces. This unfortunate state of affairs since 2021 has not been settled. Beginner’s Guide To Writing About Old Buildings In fact, the blame rests not just on the security establishment and federal governments. The provincial government of KP leaves much to be desired. The Chief Minister of the volatile province is neck deep in promoting the party agenda while criminally neglecting his role as an administrator of the province that is under threat by a bloody insurgency. When he devotes all his time to planning agitations against the federal authorities instead of fighting and curbing militancy and terrorism in his own province, the Chief Minister also becomes guilty of gross neglect.
Down 20% in a year, is the BP share price simply too cheap to ignore? The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK. When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in. You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool's Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources , and more. Learn More . The BP (LSE: BP.) share price has had a rocky ride in the past five years. That's not surprising after a pandemic crash, war and conflict,... Alan Oscroft
Syrian rebels advance close to Hama city, piling pressure on Assad and his alliesAmazon Prime Members Can Get Two Free E-Books in December
Source: Running back-returner Javon Leake staying put with Edmonton ElksNotable quotes by Jimmy Carter
The Winnipeg Police Service is seeking a budget boost to hire 72 additional officers as it argues a surge in emergency calls warrants more resources. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * The Winnipeg Police Service is seeking a budget boost to hire 72 additional officers as it argues a surge in emergency calls warrants more resources. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? The Winnipeg Police Service is seeking a budget boost to hire 72 additional officers as it argues a surge in emergency calls warrants more resources. “We made it known that we need police officers on the street. The city has (grown)... We have the same amount of cars (for) the last 20 years, 25 years. We need more cars out there,” said Art Stannard, interim chief, on Friday. In the summer, the service reached a record backlog of around 440 calls in its service queue, said Stannard. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Acting WPS chief Art Stannard said he’d like 72 new hires in addition to officers the province previously promised to fund. While colder weather has been paired with lower seasonal demand since then, the need for more officers remains, he said. Stannard said he’d like 72 new hires in addition to officers the province previously promised to fund. “This is just for responding to calls in the city of Winnipeg,” he said. The interim chief said he suspects the staffing request won’t be fully granted, due to the city’s budget constraints. However, he hopes at least some new hires will be funded when the city releases its preliminary budget on Wednesday. Winnipeg Police Board chairman Markus Chambers said he’d also like to see more police officers added to the city’s complement to reflect Winnipeg’s growth. “We need to right-size the department to ensure that we’re responding adequately and effectively to calls for service,” said Chambers. Mayor Scott Gillingham expressed concern about the number of police in Winnipeg per capita. Gillingham’s office noted that figure dropped to 16.8 per 10,000 residents in 2023, from 20.3 per 10,000 in 2014. “Consistently, I have been saying that we’re seeing an increase in our population, there’s increased pressure on our services and the delivery of services, and right now we’re not seeing the increase in revenues related to the growth as well. So, the budget will come out Wednesday and I’ll look forward to it then,” said Gillingham, following Friday’s Winnipeg Police Board meeting. The mayor refused to confirm whether he will seek a property tax hike greater than the 3.5 per cent annual increase he campaigned on in 2022. However, Gillingham noted his mayoral campaign also included a plan to secure a new funding deal from the province. “We need more revenue to continue to deliver the services the citizens of Winnipeg require, as our population continues to grow and the calls for services, especially emergency services, continue to climb. So, we have not yet got that new funding model from the province of Manitoba, so we need to raise more revenue,” said Gillingham. The mayor has not publicly asked for an exact form of growth revenue, but has suggested the province could provide the city a portion of PST revenue. On Friday, Premier Wab Kinew stressed his government has been generous with the city, noting it committed $10 million toward an upcoming $20-million repair of pipes involved with a major Fort Garry sewage spill. It will also provide $16.8 million more to municipalities next year, when a One Manitoba Growth Revenue Fund and operating grant increases are combined. The premier said millions more will be provided to support firefighting, policing and recreation. “If you add everything together, I feel confident in saying that no one has done more for the City of Winnipeg than our team has in terms of the municipal-provincial relationship,” said Kinew. The premier added he has a “great relationship” with Winnipeg’s mayor but stressed the province has financially “done our part.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Gillingham could not be reached for an interview following the premier’s comments. In a written statement, he acknowledged the provincial support to date. “We appreciate that this government has been open to conversation and has provided some additional support following years of municipal funding freezes, rapid population growth, inflation, and the challenges of a pandemic. Next week’s budget will show how we’re making the most of the resources available from all levels of government — and where more help is still required,” the statement said. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the before joining the in early 2020. . Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the before joining the in early 2020. . Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement
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Political unrest undermines South Korea's currency, stock marketArticle content A photograph of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of killing a health care executive in New York City on Dec. 4, is strikingly reminiscent of one of the most famous images of a would-be assassin from the 19th century. After his capture in late April of 1865, Lewis Powell was photographed aboard the USS Saugus, where he was held before trial on charges of conspiracy and attempted murder for his participation in the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln and top members of his government. Recommended Videos The Powell photograph was taken by the Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner, who posed the 21-year-old man against what appears to be the pitted metal cover of the ship’s gun turret. Like an image of Mangione made shortly after his capture, the Gardner photograph shows a handsome young man against a bland, almost abstract background, staring directly at the viewer with half-open but alert eyes. Gardner’s portrait is famous today, in part, because it was key to a 1980 book about photography, “Camera Lucida,” written by the brilliant French critic Roland Barthes. For Barthes, the image of a man who engages the camera with a keen sense of intelligence, yet who would be executed only a few months later, encapsulated one of the central mysteries of photography: It can sustain the living presence of something that has passed or died. “He is dead, and he is going to die ...” he wrote. But Barthes was also captivated by Powell’s good looks, as many people on social media are clearly drawn to Mangione’s chiseled features, despite the accusation that he killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Images of a shirtless and muscular Mangione have flooded social media, along with memes that pose him as a saint with a halo or a potential martyr protectively embraced by Jesus (“It’s okay they called me guilty too,” reads one poorly punctuated caption). A Free Luigi movement presents him as a folk hero, images of his hooded face before capture have apparently been tattooed on arms or legs, and on TikTok and other sites he’s been given the epithet of a superhero or cinema vigilante: “The Adjuster.” Praise for him seems to cross partisan lines and is worrisome to the insurance industry, which suddenly seems to be widely loathed in the United States despite polls that paint a more complicated picture. “My empathy is out of network,” another phrase circulating on social media, suggests that many people are struggling to hold in their heads two ideas at the same time: That killing is wrong and yet our health care system, and especially the insurance industry that generates enormous profits, is arguably broken and at times feels cruel. Memes are a good way to think one thought vehemently, but less efficient at thinking two thoughts simultaneously. Behind many of the images celebrating or excusing the crime Mangione is accused of committing are two ideas that Barthes might have called “mythologies,” spoken or unspoken thoughts that arise within a capitalist society that feel powerfully true yet often elude rational analysis or criticism. In the case of the Mangione images, these seem to be: “He doesn’t look like a killer” and “Somebody should do something about this,” with “this” being the state of the private health care industry. The notion that Mangione doesn’t look like a killer should be easily dismissed, if we give even rudimentary consideration to how class and race influence popular conceptions of criminality. Mangione is White, comes from a privileged background and went to a private school. But it would be a ridiculous syllogism – racist, classist and just plain ignorant – to conclude, “therefore he can’t be a criminal.” “Somebody should do something about this” is deeply problematic, too, but in different ways. Who is the somebody, and what is the something? “Somebody” could be politicians, or voters, or health-care executives, who might be chastened by public anger into diverting more of their profits into actual health care and the well-being of the American people. “Something” could be reform or regulation, which voters seem to have rejected in the last election. Or it could be the institution of a single-payer, public system, that doesn’t divert billions of dollars of profit to private shareholders and insurance executives. But voters seemed to have rejected that, too, on several occasions. The vagueness of the “Somebody should do something” idea is the problem. One of the most disturbing memes circulating shows the moment that Thompson is shot, a grainy image of a figure in a dark, hooded jacket with a backpack points a gun at the back of man in a suit a few feet away, both casting shadows on the momentarily empty sidewalk. Underneath, the word “Hope” appears in sans serif type, just as it did in the famous 2008 Shepard Fairey poster promoting the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. This meme celebrates the violence itself, the something, with no reference to the someone, or anything else that might put it in context. Rationally, pragmatically, morally, there’s no justifying homicide. And it may be that our insurance rates only go up given the industry’s investment in more security, costs which could be born by the consumer. If violence becomes the routine remedy for consumer dissatisfaction or political dysfunction, the cost to society is inestimably high and unsustainable. This image is profoundly disturbing because it seems to collapse two more things into one: We know killing is wrong and yet no one will acknowledge and address the rage, the hurt, the death, that comes from harnessing health care to a capitalist system that insists on the highest possible return on shareholder investment. It wasn’t a crime, it was self-defense; it isn’t terrorism, it’s revolution. Have we reached that point? I’m staring at a 2023 letter from my insurance provider blandly addressed to “Dear Appellant.” It tells me that despite my being told, and reassured twice, that I would only be responsible out of pocket for $800 for a procedure that costs $5,000, they would in fact reimburse only a few hundred dollars of the cost. I fought it, I spent hours on the phone, wrote multiple letters, sent emails, demanded they refer back to their own records, reference numbers and promises, and yet I lost. I’m looking at the woman’s signature at the bottom of the letter and all the rage I felt then, amplified by the rage I feel at airlines, banks, shrinkflation and the company that made my lemon of a car, comes flooding back. How does Alicia live with herself, writing these terrible letters, doing this cruel work in service of oligarchs, day after day? I was lucky, the procedure worked, the cost didn’t bankrupt me – and the anger abated. But what if it hadn’t worked, what if the problem and the pain persisted? What if the costs were unsustainable and I lost my home, my car, my retirement trying to stay above water? The iconography of political violence depends on who wins the argument, who writes the history and who paints the picture. The biblical David is invariably depicted as a beautiful young man, a beauty that helps reassure us of the morality of his single-handed slaying of Goliath. Artemisia Gentileschi’s early 17th century depiction of Judith slaying Holofernes – which probably channeled the rage and hurt she felt after having been raped – depicts the heroine as a beautiful, powerful woman. People making memes of Mangione may not be thinking of these particular examples, but they are clearly aware of how history determines memory, how it can redefine a savage attack as righteous vengeance, and lone acts of violence as collective self-defense. I find myself profoundly disconcerted by these images, and I waver in what I feel, arguing in my head with both his defenders (that they are paving the path to social ruin) and his critics (that they profoundly underestimate and recklessly discount the quantum of rage at the insurance industry). One way to keep both of these thoughts balanced in the mind is to look back on the history of violence and iconography, and insert a negative into both of the mythologies circulating in these memes: If somebody doesn’t do something about this problem, then he won’t look like a killer.
DK Metcalf happy to block as Seahawks ride hot streak into clash with Packers
2025 Porsche Macan reviewIs this the time Nebraska gets past Wisconsin? The teams have played three straight one-score games, each won by the Badgers. GAME PREDICTIONS Which Husker senior, playing their final game inside Memorial Stadium, goes out with a bang? Amie Just, columnist: Ty Robinson. Luke Mullin, reporter: Robinson spends the whole game in the Wisconsin backfield, finishing with two sacks and even more quarterback pressures. Nate Head, editor: Let's say Isaac Gifford, the Lincoln native, comes down with his first interception of the season. Who leads the way in Nebraska's ever-changing running back rotation this week? Just: Emmett Johnson. Mullin: It's another week of Johnson leading the way, though Dante Dowdell takes over inside the red zone. People are also reading... Head: Johnson has had two games with at least 10 carries this season. He gets his third Saturday. Close finishes have followed Nebraska lately. At what point in the game will the final result be known? Just: The final buzzer. Mullin: It'll be a one-score game to the end, but a stop from the Nebraska defense with two minutes left seals the win. Head: Late. Wisconsin scores a go-ahead touchdown with four minutes left in the game, and Nebraska's ensuing drive ends in a turnover. Call your shot- which young Husker does Dana Holgorsen plug and play into the offense? Just: Keelan Smith. Mullin: Freshman wide receiver Quinn Clark gets his shot and records a catch too. Head: Clark seems like the obvious choice so I'll mix it up: Carter Nelson. OVER/UNDERS Dante Dowdell rushing yards — 46.5 yards Just: Under. Mullin: Under. Head: Under. Dylan Raiola passing TDs — 1.5 Just: Under. Mullin: Over. Head: Under. Jahmal Banks receiving yards — 32.5 Just: Under. Mullin: Over. Head: Over. Tawee Walker rushing yards — 72.5 Just: Over. Mullin: Over. Head: Over. Braedyn Locke passing yards — 187.5 Just: Under. Mullin: Under. Head: Under. Subscribe for the best Husker news & commentary Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
NoneJoly touts ‘private’ diplomacy as Mexico criticizes Canada’s culture, trade
The real cost of selectors persisting with Mitch Marsh for the fifth Test(The Center Square) – Billionaire and advisor to President-elect Donald Trump Elon Musk was denied by a judge this week a $56 billion compensation package for his work as CEO of Tesla, the successful electric automaker that pioneered EV technology in the U.S. The package had been approved by more than 70% of Tesla's board of directors. A Tesla shareholder who owned just nine shares of stock in the company sued to block the 2018 compensation agreement. In addition to blocking the package this week, the judge in the case, Delaware Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, awarded the plaintiff's attorneys $345 million, which Reuters reported is “one of the largest fee awards ever in securities litigation.” The Associated Press reported that “the fee award amounts to almost exactly half the current record $688 million in legal fees awarded in 2008 in litigation stemming from the collapse of Enron.” The ruling was widely criticized as government overreach into the private sector. Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of ARKinvest, called the ruling a "mockery." "Adding judicial insult to injury, Delaware Judge McCormick has ordered #Tesla shareholders to pay the plaintiff’s lawyers $345 million! The plaintiff owned 9 shares of $TSLA," Wood wrote on X. "McCormick is making a mockery of the sense of fairness essential to our American judicial system." Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman wrote: "This decision and the payola for lawyers is absurd. We are going to see a migration of Corporate America from Delaware." The unique compensation package was high risk, high reward. If Musk hit all of his target goals to make the company hugely successful, as he did, then he would be awarded the compensation package. If he did not hit those marks, he would receive zero dollars. Musk and Tesla vowed to appeal. McCormick first voided the pay agreement in January, saying it was unfair and that the Tesla board did not negotiate well enough with Musk. In response, a supermajority of more than 70% of Tesla shareholders voted to approve the payment package for Musk earlier this year, but again McCormick sided this week against Musk and Tesla shareholders. Musk called the ruling a form of “lawfare.” “Shareholders should control company votes, not judges,” Musk wrote on X. Many other Tesla shareholders blasted the decision and the attorney fee decision. "The lawyers, judges, and attorneys did not create net-positive shareholder value from this clownery," Alex Guichet, who said he is a Tesla employee, wrote on X. "They do not deserve a single dollar. We employees did. We supported the shareholder vote with our own yes votes too. This is wrong on so many levels." Shareholder Jeremy Goldman wrote: "The majority of the owners of the company have made their desires known and it's just crazy that a single judge can basically say haha, no. I don't really care what you want. Also pay a few hundred million for the privilege of being ignored." The plaintiff's attorneys praised the ruling. “We are pleased with Chancellor McCormick’s ruling, which declined Tesla’s invitation to inject continued uncertainty into Court proceedings and thank the Chancellor and her staff for their extraordinary hard work in overseeing this complex case,” attorneys from Bernstein, Litowitz, Berger & Grossmann, the firm representing Musk’s opponents, said in a statement. A November 2024 study published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform found tort costs amounted to $529 billion in 2022, or 2.1 percent of U.S. GDP. The study found that excessive tort costs hurt the economy. "In addition to having a substantial aggregate cost on the economy, a large portion of the total tort-related expenditures go toward litigating and defending claims and lawsuits rather than compensating claimants,” authors of the study wrote.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday. Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown.
Police in Georgia on Saturday fired water cannons to disperse pro-EU protesters rallying for a ninth consecutive day against the prime minister's decision to shelve talks on joining the European Union. The Caucasus nation has been engulfed in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party declared that it had won a disputed October 26 election. The party's critics have accused it of creeping authoritarianism and of steering the country back towards Russia. Thousands of defiant pro-EU protesters in Georgia began to rally Friday eve after the prime minister claimed victory in a "battle" against the opposition. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets since the election to protest against alleged electoral fraud. Fresh rallies took place across the country after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced last week that Georgia would not hold talks on European Union membership until 2028. Police have fired tear gas and water cannon against pro-EU protests in Tbilisi and hundreds of arrests have been made, triggering outrage at home and mounting international condemnation. France, Germany and Poland condemned what they called the government's "disproportionate" use of force against protesters and opposition leaders in a joint statement Friday. Shortly after midnight on Saturday, riot police in full gear moved in with water cannons to disperse the rally outside the parliament building, making arrests as the crowd retreated a few metres (yards), an AFP reporter witnessed. Earlier on Friday evening, several thousand people blocked the street outside parliament, with some blowing whistles and others setting off firecrackers. The crowd was smaller than on previous nights and the mood quieter, but protesters rejected claims the movement was dying out. "People will continue the protest," said one demonstrator, 23-year-old Giorgi, wearing a Georgian flag and a back scarf pulled over his nose. "They're patient, I will be here for the rest of my life if it is necessary to save my country." Separate protests were held outside Georgia's Public Broadcaster -- accused of being a government propaganda tool -- as well as the education ministry and the country's tourism administration offices. Shalva Alaverdashvili, founder of the Georgian hotels' federation, told AFP that the "unexpected and unacceptable" suspension of EU accession talks has severely hit the country's tourism industry, which accounts for seven percent of the country's GDP. Thousands have also staged anti-government rallies in the second city of Batumi on the Black Sea coast. On Friday evening, a court in Tbilisi put a 19-year-old youth activist in pre-trial detention. Zviad Tsetskhladze had been arrested during the protests on charges of "organising, leading, and participating in group violence". Tsetskhladze told the judge: "Democracy in Georgia is no more. The rule of law has been crushed. "Our actions are a form of resistance, aimed at preserving the rule of law, defending democracy, and protecting the rights of every individual." Earlier Friday Prime Minister Kobakhidze praised his security forces for "successfully neutralising the protesters' capacity for violence". "We have won an important battle against liberal fascism in our country," he told a news conference, using language reminiscent of how the Kremlin in Russia targets its political opponents. "But the fight is not over. Liberal fascism in Georgia must be defeated entirely," Kobakhidze said, repeating an earlier threat to "complete the process of neutralising the radical opposition". With both sides ruling out a compromise, there appeared to be no clear route out of the crisis. The leader of the opposition Lelo party, Mamuka Khazaradze, said the ruling party "no longer has the strength or resources to stand against the people." The government "has resorted to arresting young activists and political opponents out of fear of relentless public protests and growing civil disobedience by public servants," he told AFP. The interior ministry said police had detained three more individuals Friday for "participating in group violence", punishable by up to nine years' jail. Masked officers have raided several opposition party offices and arrested opposition leaders earlier this week, while around 300 people have been detained at rallies. On Friday Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition Akhali party, was sentenced to 12 days in prison. Alexandre Elisashvili, leader of the Strong Georgia opposition group, was remanded in custody for two months of pretrial detention. More trouble is expected after December 14, when Georgian Dream lawmakers elect a loyalist to succeed pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili. She has vowed not to step down until the parliamentary polls are re-run. Local media has also reported protests across the country, including in the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Rustavi and Telavi. Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of Tbilisi's bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Several ambassadors, a deputy foreign minister, and other officials have resigned over the suspension of EU talks. Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, has advanced controversial legislation in recent years, targeting civil society and independent media and curbing LGBTQ rights. Brussels warned such policies were incompatible with EU membership, while domestic critics accuse the government of copying Russia's playbook. Georgia's own rights ombudsman has accused the police of "torture" against those arrested. ub-im/sbkStream ‘Dateline: The Smoking Gun’ new episode on Nov. 21 for free
The Top 7 Mistakes to Avoid If You Want to Grow on InstagramIf you were still gaming on Windows 7 or 8 in 2024, almost two years after Microsoft itself abandoned its own children , it's definitely time for an upgrade: Steam's most recent client update is the first to not work on the old OSes, more than 11 months after Valve announced it would stop supporting them . "This version of the Steam client will no longer run on Windows 7 or Windows 8," reads the accompanying documentation of the November 5 Steam client update . "Users on these OS versions will not automatically update to this new version of the Steam client." Really, the news is less that you can no longer download the latest version of Steam on Windows 7 and 8, but that it took this long to happen after Valve announced the end of support for them back in January. "We expect the Steam client and games on these older operating systems to continue running for some time without updates after January 1st, 2024," Valve wrote on the Steam support website at the time, "but we are unable to guarantee continued functionality after that date." According to Valve, the embedded version of Google Chrome required for core functions of the Steam client was the impetus for the move—it just doesn't support older versions of Windows anymore. As of October's Steam hardware survey , only .28% of users were still on Windows 7, while there were no reported users at all on Windows 8. Not only is that one final damning indictment of the awkward, touchscreen-centric Windows 8 before it's gone for good, that Windows 7 figure is actually kind of confounding—that's higher than the percentage of Windows 7 and 8 users combined in the December 2023 Steam Hardware survey PCG senior editor Wes Fenlon cited at the beginning of the year! If you're still gaming on Windows 7 in 2024, especially if you installed Steam in just the past year, please drop me a line. You are fascinating. If you're still gaming on Windows 8 and just skipped the survey, it's about time you upgraded that college laptop—you've more than gotten your money's worth. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.ARLINGTON, Va. , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) approved an increase of 2% in the Company's quarterly common stock dividend, from $0.1725 per share to $0.17595 per share, beginning in the first quarter of 2025. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Top trending stories from the past week. News, Sports, and more throughout the week. The week's obituaries, delivered to your inbox.