joybet88 login Shillong: The PA Sangma International Medical College and Hospital (PIMC), situated at 9th Mile, Khanapara, Ri Bhoi district has been empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ( AB-PMJAY ). The hospital facilities under this scheme have been operational since Dec 13, 2024. A letter from the National Health Authority, Govt of India, confirmed that after going through all the steps for hospital empanelment, PIMC has been deemed eligible for inclusion under AB PM-JAY. "As part of the implementation process, a team from the State Health Agency Meghalaya conducted a comprehensive training programme at PIMC, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM). This programme focussed on utilising the Beneficiary Identification System (BIS), Transaction Management System (TMS), medical documentation, claims and adjudication, and grievance management under the AB PM-JAY. Doctors, nurses and technical staff from PIMC actively participated in the training session to ensure seamless delivery of the scheme's benefits to beneficiaries," a PIMC statement said Saturday. Following the training, an MoU was signed between PA Sangma International Medical College and Hospital under the state nodal agency-Meghalaya, and Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd. This collaboration is pivotal for the effective implementation of the AB PM-JAY and the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) in the state, the statement underscored. Mehjabeen Rahman, principal secretary of USTM, said, "PIMC has been authorised to register Meghalaya's residents under the MHIS-PM JAY Scheme, enabling them to access extensive healthcare benefits provided by the state and Centre. Notably, Meghalaya stands out as the only state in India where patients can avail of OPD services worth up to Rs 30,000 for free under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme". The statement said this empanelment marks a significant step towards enhancing healthcare access and affordability for the people of Meghalaya. "The PIMC is committed to ensuring that the benefits of this landmark initiative reach every eligible individual in the state," the PIMC statement emphasized. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Guggenheim Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock

DUBAI , UAE , Dec. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei debuts the all-new HUAWEI nova 13 Series during the Dubai HUAWEI Flagship Product Launch on December 12 . Pioneering the new Dynamic Plaid Texture Design, multi-focal portrait capabilities, AI-driven innovations, HUAWEI nova 13 Series ushers in a fresh wave of trends while embodying the creative spirit of the younger generation. HUAWEI nova 13 Series The HUAWEI nova 13 Series introduces a bold leap in design through the interplay of plaid patterns. Staying true to its fashion-forward, minimalist aesthetic, the HUAWEI nova 13 Series brings plaid from clothing and accessories into the world of handheld design, crafting a play of light and shadow. Featuring nano-level precision in the Dynamic Plaid Texture Design, it combines bold, tech-inspired sophistication with a modern touch. The pattern's shading shifts subtly with viewing angles, adding a dynamic visual appeal. 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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on December 14 that Moscow has started involving more North Korean troops in its efforts to drive Ukrainian forces out of Russia's Kursk region. "Today there are already preliminary data that the Russians have begun using soldiers from North Korea in the assaults -- a noticeable number," Zelenskiy said. "The Russians include them in consolidated units and use them in operations in the Kursk region. For now, it is only there." Zelenskiy’s comments came after the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian military (HUR) issued a statement saying that North Korean troops probably will begin assaulting Ukrainian military positions in the Kursk region in the near future. The HUR said it was "likely" that Russia will soon involve North Korean soldiers in direct assault operations, noting that in recent days the troops "received additional food supplies." The North Korean units on December 13 were put on alert and ordered to wait for further instructions, the HUR said. Some of the troops have been covertly transferred to the front line by civilian trucks that outwardly resemble water-delivery vehicles, the statement said. It was not possible to verify the information, and the Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on it. 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. The General Staff of the Ukrainian military said on December 14 that 45 clashes had taken place since the beginning of the day in the Kursk region, and 26 of them were still ongoing. "In addition, the enemy carried out seven air strikes, dropping 10 guided bombs and carrying out 212 artillery attacks on Russian settlements and the positions of our defenders," the General Staff said in its daily summary. The summary added that the most tense situations on the battlefield were taking place in areas near Pokrovsk, Kurakhivsk, and Vremivsk. The Russian military "improved the tactical position" in the Pokrovsk direction, the press service of the Khortytsia Military District reported . Russian forces also tried to improve their tactical position in the Blahodatne area, but were not successful, suffered losses, and withdrew. Ukrainian forces mounted their own attacks on facilities that supply petroleum products to the Russian Army, the General Staff said. An attack on a Russian oil depot in Orel overnight on December 13 started a "powerful fire," according to a statement from the General Staff, which described the depot as one of the largest oil terminals in the suburbs of Orel. Reports of explosions in Orel appeared earlier on Russian Telegram channels. The city was reportedly hit by drone strikes, and some of the channels reported an attack on a local oil depot. Photos published by the General Staff and on Russian Telegram news channels showed plumes of smoke engulfing the oil terminal. Local authorities and Russian state media did not comment on the reports. Russia's Orel region borders the Kursk and Bryansk regions. In the border region of Belgorod, Ukrainian drone strikes killed a 9-year-old boy and set fire to a major oil terminal there, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. The boy died when a drone struck his family's home outside Belgorod, Gladkov said, adding that his mother and 7-month-old sister were hospitalized. He posted photos of what he said was the aftermath of the attack, showing a house with gaping holes in its roof and front wall flanked by mounds of rubble. Orel Governor Andrei Klychkov confirmed on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone strike set fire to a fuel depot. He said later that the blaze had been contained and that there were no casualties. A Russian cargo plane took off early on December 14 from the Hmeimim air base in western Syria and was reportedly destined for Libya as Moscow continued its departure from its key regional ally. Citing a Syrian official who monitors the base, Reuters reported that several more Russian transport planes were expected to depart from the base in the coming days as part of an evacuation following the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. 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. The source cited by Reuters did not specify the make or model of the aircraft that departed on December 14. Reuters further reported that on the morning of December 14 an Il-76 cargo plane was seen at the base, while helicopters were flying within the perimeter of facility that was essential to Russia’s strategy of providing air support for Assad’s forces and allies in the Syrian civil war. Russia's intervention in the war in 2015 had helped keep Assad in power, but the strongman leader fled Syria last week 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. Russia helped Assad leave the country as the rebel forces approached Damascus and granted him asylum. RFE/RL determined earlier this week based on satellite images that a Russian Il-76 had landed in Libya at the Al-Jufra air base on December 10. There is no information regarding where the plane came from or where it subsequently went. It is unknown if the Il-76 was the same plane reported by Reuters as being at the Hmeimim air base. Previous analysis of satellite imagery by RFE/RL revealed that Russia's largest cargo aircraft, the An-124, had been spotted at the base, along with Il-76s, an An-32, and an An-72. Russian military personnel are stationed at the Al-Jufra air base in Libya. A number of Western media outlets have reported that Russia has been withdrawing military forces and assets from Syria in the face of Assad's fall, which experts say was a "slap in the face" to Russia. Moscow leveraged its image as a key supporter of Assad capable of keeping him in power to expand its influence throughout the Middle East and beyond as a counterweight to the West. Now, Assad's fall and the Russian departure threatens Moscow's influence not only in Syria but across the region. Earlier reports suggested that Russia was negotiating with the new authorities in charge in Damascus to maintain its bases in Syria. Aside from Hmeimim, Russia operates a naval base in Tartus, its only warm-water naval base outside the former Soviet Union. The foreign ministers of the Arab League and Turkey met in Jordan on December 14 to discuss how to assist Syria's transition after the fall of Assad's government. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference after the meeting that 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 communique had been agreed at the meeting that sets out the principles that other countries want to see in Syria's political transition, including inclusivity and respect for minorities. An Iranian court has sentenced Reza Valizadeh , a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and former journalist for RFE/RL's Radio Farda, to 10 years in prison on charges of "collaborating with a hostile government." According to court documents sent to the journalist’s lawyer on December 10 and subsequently reviewed by RFE/RL, Valizadeh was sentenced by Judge Iman Afshari of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, Branch 26. In addition to the prison term, Valizadeh was banned for two years following the completion of his sentence from living in Tehran and adjacent provinces, from leaving the country, and from joining political or social organizations. 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 U.S. 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. Valizadeh remains in Tehran’s Evin prison under severe restrictions, with limited access to legal representation and family. 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. TBILISI -- The Georgian capital is bracing for another large opposition protest, and possible police violence, after an electoral college dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party appointed far-right politician and former soccer star Mikheil Kavelashvili as president. Kavelashvili was declared by Georgia's Central Election Commission as the winner of a contentious indirect election on December 14 after receiving 224 votes out of 225 delegates in attendance. There are a total of 300 delegates in Georgia's electoral college, but opposition members did not attend the vote. The vote came as demonstrators gathered in central Tbilisi outside the parliament building to continue protests over parliamentary elections held on October 26 that the country's current president and opposition have refused to accept and say was rigged . Areas near Georgia's parliament building were cordoned off and traffic halted ahead of the electoral-college vote as opposition protesters gathered for another round of demonstrations amid a heavy police presence. The 53-year-old Kavelashvili, the only candidate for the largely ceremonial post, is known for his vehement anti-Western diatribes and opposition to LGBT rights. Kavelashvili is now set to replace President Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with pro-EU protesters who have taken to the streets across the country in large demonstrations every day for more than two weeks. Zurabishvili, who has been a thorn in the ruling party's side and has criticized Georgian Dream for its increasingly authoritarian stance, has said she will refuse to leave office after her successor is inaugurated on December 29. "What will happen in parliament tomorrow is a parody -- it will be an event entirely devoid of legitimacy, unconstitutional, and illegitimate," Zurabishvili told a press conference on December 13. She has previously said the elections were manipulated with the help of Russia. "We are witnesses and victims of a Russian special operation, a modern form of hybrid war against the Georgian people," the 72-year-old declared after parliamentary elections in October. Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers in the Caucasus country have refused to recognize the result of the parliamentary elections, claiming Georgian Dream rigged the vote to cling to power, and are boycotting parliament. The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in the elections and intensified after its decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the European Union. The authorities have responded violently to the large demonstrations, arresting hundreds of people over the past two weeks and closely watching participants with Chinese-made surveillance cameras with facial-recognition capabilities. Another rally took place in Tbilisi on December 13 and more unrest is expected on December 14. Protesters gathered early on December 14 near the Philharmonic Hall and began marching toward the parliament building less than 2 kilometers away. Traffic on central Rustaveli Avenue, which links the two sites, was halted and police were mobilized near the parliament building and the nearby Freedom Square. As the electoral college commenced its indirect vote in the parliament building, Zurabishvili made a brief appearance on Rustaveli Avenue but told gathered journalists only that "I've said everything, I am going to work now." Gathered protesters chanted "Salome! Salome!" and displayed their diplomas in keeping with calls for them to "show your diploma to Kavelashvili," who reportedly does not have higher education. Protesters also mockingly held up "red cards" against the former soccer star in a nod to penalties handed out for infractions in the sport. RFE/RL journalists at the scene reported that new crowd-control barriers were set up in front of the parliament building and extended in into Rustaveli Avenue. The government plans to light a Christmas tree in the area later in the evening, when protests usually hit their peak. The recent violence against the opposition and journalists has drawn condemnation from the United States and the European Union. The U.S. State Department on December 12 imposed more visa restrictions on Georgian officials for "undermining democracy" in the country. The move will affect about 20 individuals serving in government positions, the department said in a statement without naming them. "We are committed to seeing that senior officials responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy will be subject to visa restrictions," the statement said. The U.S. statement reiterated that Washington "strongly condemns the Georgian Dream party’s ongoing, brutal, and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures." President Emmanuel Macron on December 12 reiterated France's backing for Georgia's EU aspirations and voiced solidarity with protesters. "I would like to reiterate our full support for Georgia's European path and for the defenders of democracy," Macron said at a press briefing with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw. He also expressed concern over "the repression of young people, the disturbing statements of the head of government and, in essence, the betrayal of the European path so quickly after the elections." In power since 2012, Georgian Dream was founded by Russian-friendly billionaire and ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Earlier this year, Georgian Dream pushed through a so-called "foreign agent" law modeled on a similar Russian piece of legislation used by the Kremlin to stifle political opposition and repress critics. Russia appears to be continuing to withdraw military equipment from its Hmeimim air base in Syria, according to satellite images taken on December 13 by the space technology company Maxar. The images show what appear to be at least two Antonov AN-124s cargo planes on the tarmac with their nose cones open. Maxar said the two heavy transport aircraft were prepared to load equipment, while a nearby Ka-52 attack helicopter was being dismantled and likely prepared for transport. It added that parts of an S-400 air defense unit were similarly being prepared to depart from the air base. Russia has an estimated 7,500 troops and multiple military sites in Syria, including at Hmeimim along with the strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which have been used to support the Kremlin's actions in North and sub-Saharan Africa. Satellite imagery published earlier this week showed that Russian naval ships left the base at Tartus following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad last weekend by rebels led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist militant group. Imagery showed at least three vessels -- including two guided missile frigates – located about 13 kilometers off the coast. The Tartus naval base, Russia's only Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub, "remains largely unchanged since our December 10 imagery coverage with two frigates continuing to be observed offshore of Tartus," Maxar said on December 13. The Kremlin has said its focus since Assad's fall was to ensure the security of its military bases in Syria and of its diplomatic missions. According to open-source intelligence (OSINT), there are more and more signs that Moscow is removing at least some of its equipment. A drone video of the Hmeimim air base published on December 12 showed people with suitcases preparing to board a plane. A 91N6E radar system was also visible in the video and appeared ready to be transported by military aircraft. The system is used in the operation of S-300 and S-400 missile systems. The missile systems themselves appeared to be still in their usual place at the air base, but their launchers appeared not to be in combat-readiness mode. In all satellite images taken before the fall of Assad's regime, the S-300 and S-400 were in a state of full combat readiness. Also on December 13, a correspondent for The Times published a video on X purporting to show Russian equipment arriving at the Hmeimim air base and an analyst with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said with Russian ships on the way and increased air traffic at the Hmeimim, the Russian troop withdrawal is gaining momentum. "Whether it will be partial or complete remains to be seen," Dara Massicot, a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the U.S. think tank, said on X. The husband of prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been detained by security forces, according to their daughter. Mehraveh Khandan said on Instagram that her father, Reza Khandan, was arrested on December 13 at her home in Tehran. The circumstances of Khandan's arrest and the charges against him were not known. Mohammad Moghimi, a lawyer, said on X that the reason for the arrest was likely related to a six-year prison sentence in a case in which he represented Reza Khandan and activist Farhad Meysami. The sentence against Reza Khandan was handed down in February 2019 by Tehran's Revolutionary Court. Meysami also faced a similar sentence in the case. Reza Khandan had been charged with "assembly and collusion against national security," "propaganda against the state," and "spreading and promoting unveiling in society." The sentence against Reza Khandan also banned him from membership in political parties and groups, leaving the country, and using the Internet and other media and press activities. Sotoudeh, a vocal advocate for numerous activists, has been arrested several times since 2010. Her detention has included periods of solitary confinement, highlighting the challenges faced by human rights defenders in Iran. Sotoudeh was arrested last year during the funeral of 17-year-old Armita Garavand, who died of injuries suffered in an alleged confrontation with Iran's morality police in the Tehran subway over a violation of Iran’s compulsory head scarf law. Reza Khandan said at the time of his wife's arrest in October 2023 that she started a hunger and medication strike after she was severely beaten when she was taken into custody. Sotoudeh was released about two weeks later. A Romanian appeals court has ruled to fully release a former mercenary and chief bodyguard of far-right pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu. Horatiu Potra was detained on December 8 for violating the law on weapons and ammunition and for public incitement after he and a group of armed associates were detained by police while heading toward Bucharest, where Georgescu and dozens of his supporters were gathering. Georgescu was protesting a decision by the Constitutional Court to cancel a runoff presidential vote scheduled for December 8 following claims that his shock first-round victory had been aided by a Moscow-orchestrated influence campaign using Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. Police officers who stopped Potra and about 20 of his associates found guns, machetes, axes, and knives in their cars that, officials said, could have been used to "disrupt public order and peace." Media reports said Potra and his companions had booked hotels in downtown Bucharest close to University Square, where anti-Georgescu protesters had gathered in previous days. Prosecutors had asked judges to hold Potra in preventive custody but a court in the southern city of Ploiesti on December 8 only ordered him placed under judiciary control for 60 days -- a measure that provided for him to show up at a police station on a regular basis for the duration of the investigation into the accusations. One of his associates, Andrei Florin Filip, 22, was also placed under judiciary control. On December 13, an appeals court in Ploiești canceled the judiciary control for both men following appeals filed by their lawyers. The ruling is definitive and cannot be appealed. Romania's Supreme Defense Council declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by a "state actor" which was not named, prompting the Constitutional Court to cancel the runoff between Georgescu and pro-European center-right candidate Elena Lasconi. A former fighter in France's Foreign Legion, Potra is reported to have led a 900-strong contingent of Romanian military contractors who fought in the African country of Congo. He is said to have had ties to the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which fought in Ukraine and was established by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin who died in a plane crash last year after staging a short-lived revolt against Russia's military leadership. Potra, who has denied having any links to Wagner, appears in a photo last year in the company of Russian Ambassador to Romania Valery Kuzmin at a ceremony at the embassy marking Russia's national day. Searches of Potra's residence turned up some 2 million euros ($2.1 million) inside safes as well as weapons and about 15 kilograms of gold bars worth an estimated $1.27 million. Former RFE/RL correspondent Ihar Karney, currently serving a three-year prison sentence for "cooperating" with the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), has been handed an additional eight-month term for "disobedience" inside the prison where he is incarcerated . Karney, who has written extensively on the history and local history of Belarus and is also known as a travel blogger, was sentenced on December 13, two days after his trial began. It was not clear how he disobeyed authorities, a charge that the United Nations in October said is often laid for "the pettiest misbehavior." In March, Karney, 56, was sentenced to three years on a charge of taking part in an "extremist" group because of his association with the BAJ, an advocacy and press trade group. The BAJ was forced to begin operating from exile after it was deemed an "extremist" group by the government in February 2023 as part of a brutal crackdown on dissent and civil society following mass unrest over a 2020 presidential election that the opposition and Western governments say was rigged to keep Alyaksandr Lukashenka in power. A new wave of journalist detentions has been seen in the country in recent weeks as Lukashenka seeks a seventh term in office in a January election. Karney's sentencing comes a day after Belarusian authorities arrested seven journalists from the independent regional news outlet Intex-Press, located in the western city of Baranavichy. Among the seven was Uladzimir Yanukevich, the media outlet's founder. Meanwhile, another independent journalist, Volha Radzivonava, was sentenced to four years in prison for authoring critical reports about Lukashenka. “This marks the arrest of the largest group of journalists from one media outlet in a year, signaling an escalation of repression,” BAJ leader Andrey Bastunets said. “It looks like the authorities have decided to arrest all journalists they suspect of being disloyal ahead of January's presidential vote.” In its latest report on journalists killed, detained, held hostage, and missing, the watchdog Reporters Without Borders said Belarus ranked fourth in the world in terms of the number of journalists it currently holds, 40, including RFE/RL journalists Andrey Kuznechyk and Ihar Losik. In an October 31 report , UN experts said that, despite some recent amnesties and presidential pardons, many individuals convicted "without fair trial for the legitimate exercise of their civil and political rights remain in detention." “The situation of some inmates belonging to the political opposition, of human rights defenders and political activists, many of whom have been convicted on extremism and terrorism-related charges, is extremely alarming,” the experts said. “According to allegations received, such inmates are subjected to various forms of ill-treatment, including denial of medical care and the prolonged incommunicado detentions, which in some cases could amount to enforced disappearances.” The Belarusian human rights community has recognized Karney as a political prisoner. Since July, Karney is reported to have been living in an isolation cell, where he is banned from almost all contact with the outside world. Russia has launched massive air strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities using dozens of cruise missiles and drones in a move that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called an "act of terror." Western and southwestern Ukraine appeared to have borne the brunt of the attack. Critical infrastructure facilities were hit in the Transcarpathian region of Ivano-Frankivsk, regional Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk reported. Onyshchuk said the attack on the region was the largest since the start of the war. The western region of Ternopil reported "negative consequences" of the Russian strikes, without giving details. In the Lviv region, also in the west of the country, Russia attacked energy facilities, regional Governor Maksym Kozytskiy said on Telegram. Multiple explosions were reported in the southern city of Odesa, while regional authorities in Kyiv said air defense systems were operating on December 13. Explosions were also reported in the Cherkasy, Khmelnytskiy, and Kharkiv regions. Zelenskiy said the attack showed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, "won't be stopped by empty talk." Zelenskiy said that, according to preliminary reports, 93 missiles were launched, including at least one North Korean missile, 81 of which were shot down. In addition some 200 drones were also launched in the attack, he said . Ukraine's national power-grid operator, Ukrenerho, reported earlier that the strikes forced restrictions on electricity consumption throughout the country. Zelenskiy said late on December 13 that Russia attempted to overload Ukraine's air defenses during the massive attack. "This time, they deliberately waited for freezing weather to strike, aiming to make life even harder for people," he said , adding that every missile was directed at energy infrastructure. Zelenskiy in an earlier post on X accused Putin of terrorizing millions of people. "He is neither limited in long-range capabilities nor in acquiring the necessary components to produce missiles. Oil gives Putin enough money to believe in his impunity. A strong reaction is needed from the world: a massive attack must be met with a massive reaction. This is the only way terror can be stopped." Zelenskiy made the comments amid reports that he will attend a meeting with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, as well as NATO and the European Union in Brussels on December 18 to discuss support for his country. The meeting will be hosted by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and will take place the same the day that leaders were due to meet for an EU-Western Balkans summit. Russia has been ratcheting up its attacks across Ukraine, while making slow but steady gains in the east in recent weeks. The intensification of fighting comes as both sides look to strengthen their positions amid signs of a potential cease-fire and peace talks in the coming months. "Putin won’t be stopped by empty talk -- strength is what is needed to bring peace. Strength that is not afraid of its ability to confront and stop evil," Zelenskiy said. Russia's Defense Ministry said in a message on Telegram that the attacks were in retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on an airfield in southwestern Russia that used long-range, U.S.-supplied missiles. "On December 11, 2024, a missile attack was launched from the territory of Ukraine by six American-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles at a military airfield near the city of Taganrog," the ministry said. "In response to the use of American long-range weapons," Russia launched "a massive strike with high-precision long-range air- and sea-based weapons and drones on critical facilities of the fuel and energy infrastructure of Ukraine," the statement said, adding that "all objectives had been fulfilled." Rutte said on December 12 that the Russian leader wants to "wipe Ukraine off the map" and could come after other parts of Europe next. Putin "is trying to crush our freedom and way of life," Rutte said, adding it is "time to shift to a wartime mindset." "How many more wake-up calls do we need? We should be profoundly concerned. I know I am," he said. "Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation. With Ukraine, and with us." The scale of the damage of the December 13 attacks was not immediately known. "Once again, the energy sector throughout Ukraine has come under massive attack. Energy professionals are taking all necessary measures to minimize the negative consequences for the country's energy system," Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. Echoing Zelenskiy's words, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on Kyiv's allies to rapidly provide more air defense systems to counter the Russian attacks. "Russia aims to deprive us of energy. Instead, we must deprive it of the means of terror. I reiterate my call for the urgent delivery of 20 NASAMS, HAWK, or IRIS-T air defense systems," Sybiha wrote . A similar large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure took place on November 28, causing serious damage and energy shortages. Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure since the start of the war, stepping up attacks especially at the onset of the cold season, causing maximum difficulties and lengthy power cuts for Ukrainians for the third winter in a row. According to Ukraine's Energy Ministry, Russia has launched more than 1,000 strikes on energy infrastructure facilities since October 2022. Ukraine's energy grid has already been subjected to 11 Russian attacks this year. In 2024 alone, 9 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity has been lost due to strikes, the ministry said. It is estimated that 1 GW is enough to power a medium-sized city. The United States has imposed more visa restrictions on Georgian officials for "undermining democracy" amid ongoing popular protests against a move by the ruling Georgian Dream party to delay the Caucasus country's negotiations to join the European Union. 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. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with the protesters, has said the elections were manipulated with the help of Russia. Authorities have responded violently to the latest wave of protests, arresting hundreds of people over the past two weeks. In response, the U.S. State Department said on December 12 that it will "prohibit visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia." The move will affect some 20 individuals, "including individuals serving as government ministers and in Parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens," it said in a statement , without naming the individuals. "We are committed to seeing that senior officials responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy will be subject to visa restrictions," the statement said. Since the start of the protests at the end of November, violence against the opposition and journalists has escalated, drawing condemnation from the United States and the European Union. On December 4, Georgian security forces conducted raids on the offices of several opposition parties, protest leaders, and rights activists. The U.S. statement reiterated that Washington "strongly condemns the Georgian Dream party’s ongoing, brutal, and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures." In power since 2012, Georgian Dream, the power founded by Russia-friendly billionaire and ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been accused by critics of becoming increasingly more authoritarian. Earlier this year, Georgian Dream pushed through parliament, which it controlled, a so-called foreign-agent law modeled on a similar Russian piece of legislation used by the Kremlin to stifle political opposition and repress critics. "Georgian Dream has turned away from Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future, which the Georgian people overwhelmingly desire and the Georgian constitution envisions," the U.S. statement said. Separately, President Emmanuel Macron on December 12 reiterated France's backing for Georgia's EU aspirations and voiced solidarity with protesters. "I would like to reiterate our full support for Georgia's European path and for the defenders of democracy," Macron said at a press briefing with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw. "I would also like to express my deep concern about the repression of young people, the disturbing statements of the head of government and, in essence, the betrayal of the European path so quickly after the elections," Macron said. On December 11, Macron held an hourlong phone call with Ivanishvili. The Elysee Palace later said that Macron “demanded the release of all illegally detained people and respect for freedom of expression and assembly." A senior official from a Russian company that develops cruise missiles used by Moscow in its war with Ukraine has reportedly been shot and killed just outside the capital. Ukrainian media reported on December 12 that Mikhail Shatsky, a deputy chief designer at the Mars Design Bureau -- which develops and manufactures onboard guidance systems for the Russian military and aerospace industries -- was shot dead two days earlier near the town of Kotelniki in the Moscow region. Police have not commented on the news, but reports on social media and local news outlets, which have not been independently verified, identified Shatsky as the victim. News outlets in Ukraine reported Shatsky was involved in the modernization of the Kh-59 and Kh-69 missiles, as well as helping in the development of develop unmanned aerial vehicles. All of those weapons have been used by Russia to strike at targets in Ukraine. The reports came three days after a car bomb killed Sergei Yevsyukov, who led a prison in Russian-occupied Olenivka in the Donetsk region during the time that more than 50 Ukrainian POWs were killed in a controversial explosion in July 2022. While no one has taken credit for either incident, Russian military personnel and Russian-installed officials have been targeted several times in Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. In many cases, the attacks have been deadly. Ukrainian officials usually say "guerilla forces" are behind such attacks. Russia accuses Ukraine's secret services of masterminding and implementing the attacks. Noted Russian journalist and staunch Kremlin critic Aleksandr Nevzorov first reported Shatsky's death on Telegram, publishing photos of what he said was Shatsky's body. The independent investigative outlet IStories geolocated the images to a site near Shatsky's home, but the claims remain unverified. WASHINGTON -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has criticized the Biden administration for giving Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with powerful U.S. missiles, claiming it is intensifying the war. "I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done," Trump said in an interview with Time magazine published on December 12. After more than a year of hesitation, the Biden administration last month finally gave Ukraine the green light to strike military assets inside Russia with U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS). The powerful, precision missiles can strike targets as far away as 300 kilometers. The Biden administration justified the decision saying Russia had escalated the conflict by deploying about 11,000 North Korean troops to the front. John Kirby, U.S. national-security spokesman, declined to respond to Trump's comments regarding ATACMS, saying only that President Joe Biden will continue to support Ukraine until his term ends next month. Kirby announced a new military package for Ukraine without stating its size. Just days after Ukraine fired its first ATACMS into Russia, the Kremlin responded by striking Ukraine with a new, intermediate ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The use of the intermediate missile was meant to serve as a message to the West, the Kremlin said. Trump did not say whether he would unilaterally withdraw Ukraine's permission to use ATACMS inside Russia upon entering the White House on January 20 or use it as a bargaining chip with the Kremlin. Trump has said he could end the nearly three-year war between Russia and Ukraine in "24 hours," raising concern he could force Kyiv to cede land currently occupied by Moscow's forces. The United States is Ukraine's largest supplier of weapons, giving Washington significant influence over peace negotiations. When asked if he would throw Ukraine under the bus to get a peace deal, Trump said, “The only way you're going to reach an agreement is not to abandon." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has demanded Western security commitments to his country be part of any negotiated settlement. Zelenskiy -- and most Ukrainians -- want NATO membership, saying only that will prevent Russia from invading their country again. Trump was not asked about NATO membership for Ukraine but has been critical of the U.S.-led military organization in the past, saying it is a drain on U.S. finances. The United States accounts for about 60 percent of NATO military spending. During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on December 7 in Paris, Trump said he did not back NATO membership for Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported. However, Trump did say he wanted European peacekeeping forces to monitor the cease-fire, the paper reported. The United States would support the effort but not with U.S. troops, he told the two leaders, the Wall Street Journal reported. Separately, in a speech on December 12, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on European members of NATO to step up spending, warning the threat emanating from Moscow will not dissipate anytime soon. "Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us," Rutte said in a speech in Brussels. "We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset, and turbocharge our defense production and defense spending." Russian forces continue to creep closer to the strategic eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk amid a surge in diplomacy to end Europe's biggest war in decades. According to the Deep State online war-mapping platform, Russian troops on December 12 were as close as 3 kilometers from the southern part of Pokrovsk, a key logistical junction for Ukraine as well as home to the country's only domestic coking-coal supplier. "Unconventional decisions must be made to enhance the resilience of our defense and ensure more effective destruction of the occupiers," General Oleksandr Syrskiy, Ukraine's top commander, wrote in a post on Facebook. "The battles are exceptionally fierce. The Russians are throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through our defenses." For months the area has seen some of the fiercest battles in Russia's 33-month-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who visited the front lines in the Zaporizhzhya region on December 12, has called for reinforcements amid signs of Ukrainian positions being overwhelmed by Russia's advantage in manpower. Speaking to RFE/RL , Serhiy Filimonov, the commander of the 108th battalion Da Vinci Wolves, warned the main reason for losses as Russia heads in the direction of Pokrovsk was "unrealistic tasks" for troops in the region given the current numbers. The intensification of fighting on the battlefield comes as both sides look to strengthen their positions amid signs of a potential ceasefire and peace talks in the coming months. Flurry Of Diplomacy Foreign ministers from France, Germany, and Poland met in Berlin on December 12 to discusses aid to Ukraine while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country has been a staunch supporter of neighboring Ukraine, hosted French President Emmanuel Macron for talks in Warsaw about postwar steps. Leaders from across Europe are looking to show U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, that they are willing to assume their share of the burden to end the almost three-year war in Ukraine. Trump has claimed he could end the war in 24 hours, raising concern he could force Ukraine to concede territory to Russia among other concessions, endangering EU security. In a so-called Berlin Declaration, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as well as the EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, outlined their continued support for Kyiv. "We are committed to providing Ukraine with ironclad security guarantees, including reliable long-term provision of military and financial support," the declaration said. The meeting in Berlin was organized by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. "Convinced that peace in Ukraine and security in Europe are inseparable, we are determined to stand united with our European and transatlantic partners to think and act big on European security," the declaration added. Baerbock and Kallas did not answer questions about the participation of German or European soldiers in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. Following his meeting with Macron, Tusk said Poland has no plans to send troops to Ukraine. A Polish media outlet reported on the eve of the meeting that Tusk and Macron would discuss the possibility of sending a 40,000-strong peacekeeping force to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported on December 12 that Trump told Macron and Zelenskiy during a meeting in Paris last weekend that he wants Europe to shoulder the burden of peace in Ukraine, including supplying the peacekeepers. Trump told the leaders he would offer support for the Europe-led cease-fire effort but would not put U.S. troops in Ukraine. Nor does he support Ukraine in NATO, he told them, the paper reported. Zelenskiy has repeatedly called for strong security guarantees, including NATO membership, saying Russia would otherwise not be deterred from invading again. Tusk and Macron, who met before the EU ministers gathered, reiterated that any peace deal in Ukraine must include the Ukrainians. "We will work with France on a solution that will, above all, protect Europe and Ukraine," Tusk said. The Polish prime minister said two days earlier that peace talks could start "in the winter," as Warsaw prepares to assume the European Union's rotating presidency on January 1. EU justice and interior ministers have agreed on Romania and Bulgaria's fully joining Europe's Schengen visa-free travel area from January 1. The decision, announced on December 12 by the European Council, comes nearly 18 years after the two southeast European countries became members of the bloc and 15 years since they fulfilled the technical criteria for entering the Schengen Area. "It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania," said Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the move in a message on X. "Fully in Schengen -- where you belong," von der Leyen wrote. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola congratulated the two countries, saying they had "worked hard and long" to achieve membership. "It’s done. It’s decided. It’s deserved. Romania & Bulgaria will fully join Schengen on 1 January 2025," Metsola wrote on X. "A stronger Schengen signifies a safer & more united Europe." Romanian President Klaus Iohannis hailed the decision, which he said "had been expected for too long" by Romanians and Bulgarians. "I have good news today," Iohannis said in a video message on December 12. "We can finally enjoy a well-deserved right obtained in a legitimate way," Iohannis said. He also took a swipe at Romania's Moscow-friendly far-right parties that had made substantial gains in the December 1 parliamentary polls, saying that "those who blame the European Union for their discontent do not want the best for Romania." Romanian Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu told journalists that for the first six months, random checks would still be performed based on risk assessment. The agreement also foresees the joint deployment of border guards to the Bulgarian-Turkish border. The move comes after Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner earlier this week announced that Vienna was finally dropping its opposition to the two countries' joining the 29-member zone, which encompasses more than 450 million people and covers 4,6 million square kilometers. Romania and Bulgaria were partially admitted into Schengen on March 31, when air and sea border controls were dropped, but Vienna continued its veto on the two countries' being allowed to scrap land-border checks over fears that more illegal migrants could reach Austria. Karner said on December 9 that Vienna's decision to lift its veto was based on a significant drop of migrant arrivals in Austria via Bulgaria and Romania. Romania and Bulgaria's fully joining Schengen comes after Croatia became the most recent member in January 2023. Despite Bucharest and Sofia's meeting the technical criteria for membership since 2010, their admission into Schengen was opposed constantly by Austria and the Netherlands, but the latter eventually dropped its veto, leaving only Vienna in opposition. Both Romania and Bulgaria constantly argued that the decision to keep them on the outside was purely political. Eliminating border controls is expected to further boost the two countries' economies as trucks won't have to wait for days in kilometers-long lines at the border, which substantially increased the cost of transported goods. The measure has also long been anticipated by the diasporas of both countries, whose members have been spending long hours at the border during the summer and winter holiday seasons. With Romania and Bulgaria's full accession, 25 of the 27 EU countries will be full Schengen members. Two EU countries -- Cyprus and Ireland are not members. Non-EU members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland have also joined the free-travel agreement, which was initially signed in June 1985 in the small Luxembourg village of Schengen by five countries -- Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In recent years, several countries, including Germany, reintroduced random border checks with neighboring EU countries intended to fight illegal migration and people smuggling. French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will discuss the deployment of a postwar peacekeeping force in Ukraine when the two meet in Warsaw on December 12, according to two media outlets, the latest sign of a surge in diplomacy to end Europe's biggest war in decades. Polish outlet Rzeczpospolita, citing unidentified sources, reported that the two EU leaders are considering a 40,000-strong peacekeeping force that would be made up of troops from various countries. Donald Trump's victory in the November 5 U.S. presidential election has set about a flurry of diplomacy in Europe to find an acceptable compromise on ending the war in Ukraine before he takes office on January 20. Trump has claimed he could end the war in 24-hours, raising concern he could force Ukraine to concede territory to Russia among other concessions, endangering EU national security. The United States plays a big role as it is Ukraine's largest supplier of military aid. Trump has threatened to curtail it if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy refuses to negotiate in good faith. Tusk, a vocal supporter of Kyiv, said on December 10 that peace talks could start "in the winter," as Warsaw prepares to assume the European Union's rotating presidency on January 1. Zelenskiy has demanded concrete Western security guarantees be part of any peace deal, arguing that Russia could invade again once it has rebuilt its forces. The United States and Britain gave Ukraine vague security assurances in 1994 to persuade it to give up its nuclear weapons. However, neither nation came to Ukraine's defense when Russia invaded for the first time in 2014. A 40,000-strong Western peacekeeping force would serve as a meaningful security guarantee while Ukraine waits to join NATO. Diplomacy Overdrive Diplomacy to end the nearly three-year Russian invasion has been in overdrive this month with Trump, Macron and Zelenskiy meeting in Paris on December 7 to discuss peace options. Trump then met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been the loudest critic of Western support for Ukraine and the main spoiler of a united EU voice against the Kremlin. Zelenskiy and Orban, took jabs at each other on social media on December 11 over negotiations and peace. In a tweet , Orban said he had an hourlong phone call with Putin about the conditions for a cease-fire and peace talks with Ukraine. Zelenskiy shot back, accusing Orban of putting self-promotion over European unity. "Unity in Europe has always been key to achieving [success]. There can be no discussions about the war that Russia wages against Ukraine without Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in a reply to Orban's tweet. The Hungarian leader punched back, calling it "sad" that Zelenskiy allegedly rejected a Christmas cease-fire and large-scale prisoner exchange. Orban appeared to be referring to Zelenskiy's recent decree officially prohibiting Ukraine from engaging in peace talks with Russia. Significant differences remain among Western diplomats over what a deal would look like, including whether to allow Russia to temporarily occupy Ukrainian territory, end sanctions on Russia, and offer Ukraine security guarantees. Fighting Rages Both Ukraine and Russia have been seeking to strengthen their negotiating position ahead of Trump's return to the White House in January. Russia has stepped up its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure at the onset of winter to cause maximum discomfort, as outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces struggle to halt a grinding but steady Russian offensive in the east. Russian troops destroyed or captured several Ukrainian positions near the eastern city of Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian military said on December 11. The city is a key logistics hub and its fall would be a heavy blow to Ukraine. Separately, at least eight Ukrainians were killed when a Russian missile struck a clinic in the southern city of Zaporizhzhya. At least 22 others, including a child, were injured. Rescue operations were still under way. Zaporizhzhya has been regularly targeted by Russian missile and drone strikes. On December 6, 10 people were killed in a strike on the city. Zelenskiy yesterday called on Kyiv's allies to provide 10-12 more Patriot air defense systems that he said are needed to fully protect Ukraine's skies. The United States has demanded that the government of Azerbaijan immediately release a group of detained human rights activists, journalists, and civil society figures being held in what is seen as an "escalating crackdown" on civil society and press freedom in Azerbaijan. The U.S. State Department on December 11 said it was " deeply concerned" over the detentions of individuals, including Rufat Safarov, Sevinc Vaqifqizi, Azer Qasimli, Farid Mehralizada, Baxtiyar Haciyev, Qubad Ibadoglu, and several associates of the independent outlet Meydan TV. "We urge the Government of Azerbaijan to release those unjustly detained for their advocacy on behalf of human rights, cease its crackdown on civil society, respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, and fulfill the commitments it made when it joined the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the statement. The timing of the detentions has already drawn significant criticism from governments and rights groups abroad. Two of the detainees -- Safarov and Vaqifqizi -- were to receive awards in Washington, D.C., this week for their work advancing human rights and fighting corruption. Safarov, a co-founder of Defense Line, one of Azerbaijan's leading civil society organizations, has actively promoted documenting politically motivated arrests, corruption in government structures, and digging up evidence of torture. He was arrested on December 3, just days before he was set to travel to the United States to receive the Secretary of State's Human Rights Defender Award. His detention is widely seen as a deliberate move by the Azerbaijani authorities to silence one of the few remaining full-time human rights defenders in the country. Vaqifqizi, editor in chief of Abzas Media, has played a critical role in uncovering corruption and government mismanagement in Azerbaijan. Her team has reported on illegal tender awards to companies linked to government officials and exposed the large-scale embezzlement of public funds. Vaqifqizi was detained in November 2023. On December 9, she was awarded the Secretary of State's 2024 Anti-Corruption Champions Award in absentia. Detentions such as those of Safarov, Vaqifqizi, and many others are part of a broader trend of repression in Azerbaijan. The government has increased pressure on activists, journalists, and independent organizations alike, leading to a significant decline in civil liberties. Human rights organizations estimate that at least 300 political prisoners are currently being held in Azerbaijani jails, underscoring ongoing criticism of President Ilham Aliyev's administration. Since taking power following the death of his predecessor and father, Heydar Aliyev, in 2003, Ilham Aliyev has faced accusations of suppressing dissent by detaining journalists, opposition figures, and civil society activists. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the powerful billionaire behind the ruling Georgian Dream party, to express his urgent concerns over the deteriorating state of democracy in the country. The December 11 call was initiated by Macron and comes amid a violent crackdown on protesters following disputed elections in October that Georgian Dream won. In a statement published by his office, Macron condemned law enforcement for the use of excessive force against nonviolent protesters and journalists in general. He called for the immediate release of those arrested without grounds, respect for freedom of expression and demonstration, and inclusive dialogue. Macron has repeatedly expressed concerns about Georgian Dream's drift away from European values and toward authoritarianism. The most recent wave of protests was sparked by allegations of electoral fraud during the October 2024 parliamentary elections. The opposition has refused to recognize the result, claiming Georgian Dream rigged the vote to cling to power. The protests escalated after law enforcement resorted to excessive force in dispersing peaceful rallies, sparking outrage both domestically and internationally. Georgian Dream confirmed the conversation with the French leader, saying that Ivanishvili told Macron that Georgia was a "legal state" and that most detainees were held on administrative charges and would be released soon. Ivanishvili claimed that any arrests on criminal charges were "based on a high standard of evidence" and that "police actions were in line with European standards." Georgian Dream also added that investigations into alleged police misconduct were under way. Paris Meeting A day earlier, Macron hosted Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in Paris during celebrations for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. Zurabishvili, who has been estranged from the Georgian Dream and Ivanishvili, joined the opposition in rejecting the election results. During her trip to France, she also met with other western leaders, including U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Macron appears to be spearheading a Western attempt to find a resolution that aligns with EU values, experts said. Bidzina Ivanishvili, who holds dual citizenship in Georgia and France, is a significant figure in Georgian politics despite his official retirement from active political leadership. His vast wealth and political connections have allowed him to maintain influence, and his role in the ruling Georgian Dream party is crucial. Romania's four pro-Western parties have agreed on forming a parliamentary majority to prevent far-right groups from joining the government amid political turmoil prompted by revelations about Russia's malign influence that led to the annulment of the first round of presidential elections won by a Moscow-friendly outsider. The four parties that together won the most votes in parliamentary elections on December 1 -- the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD), center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), reformist Save Romania Union (USR), and the ethnic Hungarian UDMR -- reached an agreement late on December 10 in Bucharest. "Today, the pro-European parties PSD, PNL, USR, and UDMR plus the Parliamentary Group of National Minorities express their firm commitment to form a pro-European majority in the Romanian parliament, a pro-European government, and possibly backing a joint pro-European candidate in the presidential elections," the four parties said in a joint statement published late on December 10. The agreement comes after the four parties last week threw their support behind USR presidential candidate Elena Lasconi ahead of a December 8 scheduled runoff against the pro-Russian independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who had won a shock victory in the first round on November 24. However, Romania's Constitutional Court on December 6 canceled the results of the first round and ordered a rerun of the presidential polls after the EU and NATO member's Supreme Defense Council declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by an unnamed "state actor" with the help of China-owned TikTok social media platform. Lasconi on December 11 said the agreement was reached because "Romania is going through a very difficult" period. The PSD and the PNL, the two parties that have dominated Romania's politics since the fall of communism, formed an unlikely left-right alliance in 2021. The alliance became increasingly unpopular while also eroding both parties' support among voters, and allowed the shock rise of pro-Russian, far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which finished a close second in parliamentary elections with more than 18 percent to PSD's 23 percent. Adding to the current instability, no presidential polls are likely until sometime early next year while it remains unclear if parties would have to propose new candidates or if Georgescu will be allowed to run again. Khalil Haqqani, the refugee minister in Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration, has been killed in an explosion in the capital, Kabul, two sources from inside the government told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on December 11. The sources said the blast, which occurred inside the ministry's compound, killed others as well, though no details were given. Haqqani, the uncle of the Taliban's acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the first senior cabinet member to be killed in an explosion since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as international forces withdrew from the war-torn country. The United States designated Khalil Haqqani as a global terrorist on February 9, 2011 and had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in his first public comments since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted , accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the rebel uprising that toppled the regime over the weekend. Khamenei on December 11 also implicitly blamed Turkey for the lightning push of Syrian rebels who reached Damascus from their strongholds in the northwest with little resistance. "It should not be doubted that what happened in Syria was the product of a joint American and Zionist plot," he said. "Yes, a neighboring government of Syria plays, played, and is playing a clear role...but the main conspirator, mastermind, and command center are in America and the Zionist regime," Khamenei added. The U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey -- ousted Assad on December 8, less than two weeks after launching their offensive. Syria under Assad served as a crucial part of a land corridor connecting Iran to the Levant, which was considered the logistical backbone of the so-called axis of resistance -- Iran's loose network of regional proxies and allies. Iran spent billions of dollars and sent military advisers to Syria to ensure Assad remained in power when civil war broke out in 2011. Russia -- where the ousted Syrian leader has been granted political asylum -- also backed Assad, while Turkey has supported rebel groups who aimed to topple the regime. A Khamenei adviser once described Syria as the "golden ring" in the chain connecting Iran to its Lebanese partner, Hezbollah. With the ring broken and Hezbollah's capabilities degraded after a devastating war with Israel, experts say the axis has become severely weak. Khamenei said only "ignorant and uninformed analysts" would assess that the axis has become weak and vowed that its reach "will expand across the region more than before." Reza Alijani, an Iranian political analyst based in France, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Khamenei's comments were more "trash talk" than anything else. "The axis may not have been defeated, but it has suffered a serious blow and the Islamic republics arms in the region have been deal major hits," he said. Alijani argued that factions within the Islamic republic's core support base may be starting to question Khamenei's policies and vision after the recent setbacks, which he said is a cause for concern among the clerical establishment's top brass. TBILISI -- Pro-Europe protesters rallied on the streets of Tbilisi for the 13th consecutive night, while European Union foreign ministers warned the Georgian Dream-led government of consequences for its "democratic backslide" and "repressive" tactics against demonstrators . Some 4,000 protesters, many waving EU and Georgian flags, gathered outside the parliament building on December 10, angered over the government’s recent decision to set aside EU accession talks until at least 2028 and following elections held amid accusations of Russian meddling. "Every day after work, we are coming here," Sofia Japaridze, 40, told AFP. "All of Georgia, every city, every village, everybody wants [to join] the EU. We don't want to go back to the U.S.S.R." EU foreign ministers, set for a summit on December 16, said they will discuss punishing Georgian leaders after what they described as "credible concerns" of torture the past two weeks against pro-EU protesters. "The persistent democratic backslide and the recent repressive means used by Georgian authorities have consequences for our bilateral relations. The EU will consider additional measures," a statement said. "Over 400 individuals have been detained and more than 300 have reportedly suffered violence and ill-treatment, many requiring urgent medical care." It said there are "credible concerns of torture and inhuman treatment" and said reports of human rights violations must be investigated. "The EU deplores these repressive actions against protesters, media representatives, and opposition leaders and calls for the immediate release of all detained individuals," it said. In a draft document seen by RFE/RL ahead of a separate European Council meeting on December 19, the EU raised concerns about the government's violent crackdown on protesters and its decision to suspend the country's EU accession process until 2018. "The European Council strongly condemns the violence against peaceful protesters,” the document reads. “The Georgian authorities must respect the right to freedom of assembly and of expression, and refrain from using force. All acts of violence must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.” Britain on December 9 said it was severely restricting its contacts with the Georgia government and blasted its "shocking" crackdown on journalists and pro-Western demonstrators, reflecting earlier moves by the United States and EU. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a controversial "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens to publicly discredit thousands of media outlets and civil society groups as "serving" outside powers. Tensions rose after the ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory in an election on October 26 that the pro-Western opposition and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili say was rigged with the help of Moscow. Protests intensified after the Tbilisi government said it was suspending until 2028 talks with Brussels on Georgia's bid to join the EU. In the Georgian capital, riot police have deployed tear gas and water cannons against mostly peaceful demonstrators over recent days, with many journalists reporting they have been targeted by security forces and men in civilian clothes. Despite the strong words, the EU could have difficulties coming to a consensus during the summit. Right-wing Hungarian leader Viktor Orban has expressed support for Georgia's government while condemning efforts to sanction Georgian Dream leaders over the brutal tactics. WASHINGTON -- The United States on December 10 said it has loaned Ukraine $20 billion backed by the interest earned on frozen Russian assets, part of a $50 billion G7 support package agreed to this summer. The Biden administration had promised to distribute the loan before the end of the year amid concern over whether President-elect Donald Trump would continue U.S. support for Ukraine. Trump, who enters office on January 20, has repeatedly criticized the amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine but also said he would support a lend-lease program. Ukraine is heavily dependent on U.S. and European military and financial aid as it seeks to stop Russia's invasion, now in its third year. The $61 billion U.S. aid package for Ukraine passed in April -- the fifth since the war started in February 2022 -- but will likely run out by early next year. That means the $50 billion G7 loan is crucial to ensuring Ukraine has enough funds and weapons to defend itself through the first part of 2025 should Trump halt further support. "These funds -- paid for by the windfall proceeds earned from Russia's own immobilized assets -- will provide Ukraine a critical infusion of support as it defends its country against an unprovoked war of aggression," U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a December 10 statement. The G7's loans "will help ensure Ukraine has the resources it needs to sustain emergency services, hospitals, and other foundations of its brave resistance," Yellen said, adding that Washington's support would help Kyiv "defend its sovereignty and achieve a just peace." The loan announcement follows many months of talks between the United States and its allies -- including the European Union -- about the best way to use frozen Russian assets, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, to help Ukraine without breaking international law. The treasury said Washington had transferred $20 billion to a World Bank fund, which will make the money available to Ukraine. A Romanian former mercenary and bodyguard of far-right pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has been released by a Romanian court after he and a group of armed associates were detained by police while heading toward Bucharest on December 8. Horatiu Potra had been detained for 24 hours late on December 8 for violating Romania's laws on weapons and ammunition and for public incitement, but a court in the southern Romanian city of Ploiesti ordered him released and placed under judiciary control for 60 days for the duration of an investigation into the prosecutors' claims. One of his associates, Andrei Florin Filip, 22, was also placed under judiciary control. Prosecutor Maria Florentina Ilioiu told Romanian media she will appeal the court's decision to release Potra instead of ordering him in preventive custody. Unnamed sources told Romanian media that investigators who searched Potra's residence found approximately 2 million euros ($2.1 million) in safes as well as weapons. Media reports said Potra owns 75 plots of land in Romania as well as 30 pieces of real estate and 15 kilograms of solid gold worth 6 million Romanian lei ($1.27 million). Potra and a group of 20 people were stopped and searched in Ilfov county north of Bucharest by police on December 8. During the search guns, machetes, axes, and knives were found, which, authorities said, could have been used to "disrupt public order and peace." At least 13 people were being questioned by law enforcement agencies. The arrest came as Georgescu and dozens of his supporters staged a protest early on December 8 in Bucharest after a runoff presidential vote scheduled for that day was scrapped by the country's Constitutional Court. Georgescu won a shock victory in the first round on November 24 amid accusations that he had been backed by a huge Russian-orchestrated online campaign using primarily the Chinese-owned TikTok social media platform. Romania's Supreme Defense Council later declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by a "state actor" which was not named. Following the council's move, the court canceled the December 8 runoff between Georgescu and pro-European center-right candidate Elena Lasconi. Romanian authorities staged raids and traffic checkpoints after Georgescu urged his supporters to show up at polling stations on December 8 in defiance of the court's ruling and demand to vote. Media reports said Potra and his companions had booked hotels in downtown Bucharest close to University Square, where anti-Georgescu protesters had gathered in previous days. A former fighter in France's Foreign Legion, Potra is reported to have led a 900-strong contingent of Romanian military contractors who fought in the African country of Congo. He is said to have had ties to Russian mercenary group Wagner, which fought in Ukraine and was established by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in a plane crash last year after staging a short-lived revolt against Russian military leaders. Potra, who has denied having any links to Wagner, appears in a photo last year in the company of Russian Ambassador to Romania Valery Kuzmin at a ceremony at the embassy marking Russia's national day. According to Romanian media, Potra was sentenced to two years in prison with a suspended sentence in 2011 after being found guilty of founding a paramilitary group. He has also entered Romanian politics and is currently a local councilor in the central Romanian city of Medias.

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Washington Capitals (13-6-1, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Florida Panthers (12-8-1, in the Atlantic Division) Sunrise, Florida; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers take on the Washington Capitals as losers of three straight games. Florida is 12-8-1 overall and 6-4-1 at home. The Panthers are fourth in league play serving 10.2 penalty minutes per game. Washington has a 13-6-1 record overall and a 6-2-0 record on the road. The Capitals have a +26 scoring differential, with 81 total goals scored and 55 allowed. Monday’s game is the first meeting between these teams this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Aleksander Barkov Jr. has four goals and 15 assists for the Panthers. Uvis Balinskis has over the last 10 games. Connor McMichael has 13 goals and seven assists for the Capitals. Ivan Miroshnichenko has over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 5-5-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.7 assists, 4.7 penalties and 12.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game. Capitals: 5-4-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Panthers: None listed. Capitals: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Halftime Musings: Kansas offense dominates way to 23-14 lead over ColoradoIn today's rapidly advancing world of home security technology, the stands out as a versatile and innovative choice. Available now on at a stunning 76% discount, this smart camera promises to revolutionize the way you oversee your living space, whether for keeping an eye on pets, children, or ensuring general home safety. The most striking feature of the is its dual-lens technology. With one lens offering a 360° panoramic view and the other providing a fixed angle to eliminate blind spots, it ensures comprehensive coverage of any room. This intelligent design means you can stay updated on every activity without missing a moment. Another feature that sets this camera apart is its gesture and one-touch calling option. This function allows family members to easily press a button or make a simple gesture in front of the camera to communicate with you. It's a convenient way for elderly family members or young children to reach out instantly, adding peace of mind to your daily routine. Furthermore, the smart human motion tracking utilizes advanced AI detection for identifying humans, pets, and babies. This ensures precise monitoring by sending timely alerts directly to your mobile device via the Zosi Smart app. You can conveniently customize detection zones to focus on specific areas, giving you more control over your home security setup. Connectivity is a breeze with the dual-band WiFi support, accommodating both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies for a stable and fast internet connection. Despite the need for a wired power source, the setup remains straightforward—just plug in and follow the app’s instructions. When it comes to storage solutions, the offers versatility. Choose between local storage with a micro SD card for continuous recording or opt for cloud storage, complete with a 30-day free trial. Such flexibility addresses various storage preferences, and the ability to share access with multiple users ensures that everyone in the family can stay informed and involved. In conclusion, the available on is not just a purchase; it's an investment into your home's security and your peace of mind. With features like dual-lens panoramic views, gesture calling, smart motion tracking, and flexible storage options, this discounted deal is hard to pass up. Visit today to elevate your home security experience.Panthers bring losing streak into matchup with the Capitals

The trailer for the world's first entirely made by artificial intelligence (AI) film, Mahabharat, has been released and it is looking quite promising. Rohit Reddy and EiPi Media released the trailer as per which this movie was made with the help of more than seven AI tools. Reddy released this on his LinkedIn account following which it was picked by several publications. At the moment it is unclear whether the final product will take the shape of a movie or a series. Continues below advertisement window.addEventListener("load", function() { let ad_unit_fire_time = 1000; if(ad_delay_time_abp > 0){ ad_unit_fire_time = parseInt(ad_delay_time_abp) + 500; } setTimeout(function () { googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-9167143-2"); }); },ad_unit_fire_time) }); Have a look at the trailer below: Continues below advertisement window.addEventListener("load", function() { let ad_unit_fire_time = 1000; if(ad_delay_time_abp > 0){ ad_unit_fire_time = parseInt(ad_delay_time_abp) + 500; } setTimeout(function () { googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1253031-3"); }); },ad_unit_fire_time) }); ALSO READ | Maharashtra Election Results 2024: BJP For The Win Leaves Resort Owners In Loss? Memefest Leaves Netizens In Splits Mahabharat: Plot The majority of the Indian population might have heard to seen the basic plot of Mahabharat at least once in their lives. If not completely then there's a high chance that they must have seen or heard at least a small part of the saga. For the ones who still might be unaware, here's a basic plot for you- Pandavas fight the battle of justice with the Kauravas after the latter humiliates Draupadi (Wife of Pandavas) publicly. This war resulted in the mass elimination of some of the top warriors. By the end of it, only a few remained. ALSO READ | Coldplay Concert Tickets: You Can STILL Get Your Hands On Mumbai, Ahmedabad Passes Online. Check Out How The story is largely expected to be similar to the one that we've heard while growing up unless the makers decide to take inspiration from people who made Adipurush. The makers of Adipurush allegedly ruined Ramayana and the audience can only hope that EiPi Media would do a better job than them. The LinkedIn post has garnered over 3,700 reactions so far and it has also amassed 272 comments (at the time of writing).

Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightingsIn today's fast-paced world, smartwatches have become indispensable companions for both professionals and adventurers alike. The [GPS + Cellular, 49mm] - Titanium Case with Blue Ocean Band, One Size (Renewed) stands out in a sea of wearables, especially with its 11% discount currently available on . Here’s why this powerful device deserves your attention today. The first aspect that makes the a compelling buy is its durability. Encased in a rugged 49mm corrosion-resistant titanium shell, it is designed to withstand the demands of endurance athletes, outdoor adventurers, and water sport enthusiasts. With 100m water resistance, this smartwatch is ready for any challenge you throw at it. For those who value sustainability, you will be pleased to know this gadget pairs with the latest Loop bands to achieve a carbon-neutral status, underscoring Apple's commitment to the environment. Another significant advantage of the is its impressive display technology. Apple boasts its biggest and brightest Always-On Retina display ever, which remains easy to read even in direct sunlight. This feature is crucial for outdoor users needing quick, clear access to information. Moreover, the additional space on the display allows for extensive customization with complications, letting you see up to six metrics at once. Battery life is also a key concern for many users, and the does not disappoint. It offers up to 36 hours of regular use on a single charge and extends up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. This extended battery performance ensures you're connected, informed, and entertained for longer stretches without frequent recharging. Moreover, the device’s integrated cellular capabilities provide exceptional freedom. Whether you're hiking in the wilderness or traveling abroad, the allows you to make calls, send texts, and stream music without the need to carry your iPhone. The international roaming feature ensures you're connected regardless of where your adventures take you. In essence, if you are in search of a smartwatch that combines rugged durability, impressive functionality, and environmental consciousness, the on is a marvelous choice. Don't miss out on the current discount, which makes this tech marvel even more appealing. Upgrade your wearable tech game today by embracing the future of smartwatches.

Jim Montgomery was hired as coach of the NHL's St. Louis Blues on Sunday, five days after being fired as coach of the Boston Bruins. The 55-year-old Canadian, who guided Boston to an NHL record for wins and points in a season but never got past the second round of the playoffs, replaced Drew Bannister, who was fired after a 9-12-1 start by the Blues this season. An 8-9-3 start this season by the Bruins led to Montgomery's firing, but he signed a five-year contract with the Blues. "This was more an opportunity to get someone of Jim's caliber more than anything else," Blues president of hockey operations Doug Armstrong said. "We've had to deal with our situations off the ice with injuries and everyone deals with that, but this decision was based 100% on having someone of Jim's caliber becoming available when I didn't know that was going to happen." Montgomery is 180-84-33 as an NHL coach, having guided Dallas for two seasons and Boston for just over two campaigns, going 120-41-23 with the Bruins. In the 2022-23 season, the Bruins won an NHL record 65 games and compiled a record 135 points under Montgomery, who was named the NHL's Coach of the Year, but were upset by Florida in the first round of the playoffs. Boston also lost to the eventual 2024 Stanley Cup champions in last year's playoffs. Montgomery was dropped by the Bruins last Tuesday and replaced by Joe Sacco. "He certainly has a very positive demeanour, works well with the top players in the organizations that he's been with," Armstrong said. "He has a wealth of experience and he's at the prime of his coaching career." The Blues, who won the 2019 Stanley Cup, have missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Bannister went 39-31-6 as the Blues coach after replacing Craig Berube last December. Montgomery gets his first test with the Blues on Monday when they visit the New York Rangers. js/sevTexans foiled by mistake after mistake in 32-27 loss to Titans

Escape To The Country fans were left seething after a celebrity special aired on the BBC . Featuring Linford Christie and his daughter Briannah, the Olympic sprinter, accompanied by host Alistair Appleton, scoured Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire for a lavish family home, including a visit to Shiplake in Oxfordshire, seeking a property with ample space for entertaining both inside and out. However, viewers were incensed by the celebrity twist and Christie's substantial budget. Disgruntled fans took to social media to vent their frustration, with one viewer commenting: "As if Escape to the Country wasn't bad enough with people's ridiculous budgets, BBC1 is now subjecting us to #celebrityescapetothecountry Obscene amounts of money whilst most normal folks are worried about putting their heating on. Get in the sea." Another remarked: "£2 million budget. P*** off BBC , the regular rich ones with £750K+ are bad enough!" whilst a third shared: "Sorry, had to turn off tonight, what's a waste of taxpayers money. Hope Christie wasn't paid to appear in this, all so staged #escapetothecountry." A fourth penned: "The # BBC showing us how out of touch they are with the times with #escapetothecountry Rich celebs looking for £2 million 4 bedroom houses, all ensuite with swimming pools and cinema rooms. Nice to know where the poor people's #tvlicence fee goes." However, another said they enjoyed the show, with one fan of the programme writing: "Watching #CelebrityEscapetotheCountry This is fun, Linford Christie is looking for a house in the country." Big names like Ian 'H' Watkins of Steps fame, singing sensation Alfie Boe, and Anita Rani are among the celebrities seen eyeing properties in the show, alongside Kaye Adams and The Apprentice star Tim Campbell. Julie Shaw, BBC Daytime Commissioner, said: "In this series, we get an insight into the celebrities, their careers and their families, essentially the journey they've been on from where they began long before the cameras and spotlights. "We cover the UK, including the beautiful hills and valleys in the Vale of Glamorgan and Stirlingshire, helping people to escape from world-famous cities like Glasgow and London it's a magical tour around some of the UK's most beautiful homes." *Celebrity Escape To The Country airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.Guggenheim Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Walmart (NYSE:WMT) Stock

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Truck drivers will be allowed drive more and rest less for the next two weeks as the Government prepares to ease rules for hauliers over fears package deliveries might not make their destinations in time for Christmas. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister of State James Lawless drafted a derogation from the strict rules applied to haulage drivers after trucks carrying Christmas deliveries had to be rerouted following the closure of Holyhead Port. The ministers are also due to have meetings on Monday with ferry companies where they will ask them to add more journeys to ensure people can get home in time for Christmas, and so packages are delivered. They also have meetings planned with their counterparts in Wales and England as they seek to find solutions to the backlog caused by the Welsh port closure due to damaged caused by Storm Darragh. It comes after An Post was forced to reroute drivers holding around 500,000 packages in Holyhead which were bound for Ireland. The majority of the packages have now made their way to Ireland and will be delivered to homes in the coming days. An Post said 99pc of packages ordered before Storm Darragh, which was seven days ago, will be delivered in time for Christmas. Read more Drivers are currently finding alternative routes to bring the backlogged parcels to Ireland. The easing of driving restrictions for drivers will see the maximum daily driving time extended to 11 hours in a day but not more than twice a week. This is in addition to the extension to 10 hours normally allowed. This exception is limited however by a weekly driving time limit of 60 hours (normally 56) and a fortnightly limit of 102 hours (normally 90 hours) This effectively means that drivers could work one longer week but then would need to compensate the following week. A driver could drive 60 hours one week followed by a 42 hour week or could split the times across a fortnight. The derogation will also see the required weekly rest period reduced from 45 hours to 24 hours. Trucks and trailers sit parked at Holyhead Port. Photo: Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg News in 90 Seconds - 14th December 2024 Irish Road Haulage Association President Ger Hyland said the Welsh port closure has been having a “devastating effect all week” with trucks laying up on both sides of the Irish Sea with “nothing to do”. “Our trailers are all tied up, some are sitting in Holyhead, some are sitting on customers premises – and we’re getting very limited bookings on other ports to come back to Ireland, they’re all at full capacity,” Mr Hyland said. Yesterday, An Post said it has the "facilities, technology and staff" to ensure the rerouted packages will be delivered in the coming days to homes and businesses. In a statement, it said UK retailers are working with ferry companies to find alternative routes for trucks carrying parcels. "Larger capacity ferries are now accessing Ireland from Wales, Scotland and Liverpool via Rosslare Europort, Larne and Dublin Port, and will continue to do so right up to Christmas and into New Year 2025," it said. The postal service said it had secured routes for vehicles carrying around 350,000 packages and expects to receive the remaining 150,000 parcels in the coming days. Read more

By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time to read books. U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up Taylor Swift’s tie-in book to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. “House of Flame and Shadow,” by Sarah J. Maas Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” “The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: digital screens that have drawn kids away from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. “War,” by Bob Woodward Bob Woodward books have been an election tradition for decades. “War,” the latest of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. “Melania,” by Melania Trump Former (and future) first lady Melania Trump, who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, unexpectedly announced she was publishing a memoir: “Melania.” The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond posting a video expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. “The Eras Tour Book,” by Taylor Swift Taylor Swift was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to her global tour isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. “Intermezzo,” by Sally Rooney Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo.” The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” “From Here to the Great Unknown,” by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir at the time of her death , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. “From Here to the Great Unknown” is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of son Benjamin Keough. To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, during an interview with Winfrey, said of her mother. “Cher: The Memoir, Part One,” by Cher Meanwhile, Cher released the first of two planned memoirs titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” “James,” by Percival Everett A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. “James,” winner of the National Book Award, is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. “Knife,” by Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. In “Knife,” he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” he told The Associated Press last spring. “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”