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Column: Brady Corbet’s epic movie ‘The Brutalist’ came close to crashing down more than once( MENAFN - The Peninsula) AFP Pristina: Kosovo arrested several suspects Saturday after an explosion at a key canal feeding two of its main power plants, while neighbouring Serbia rejected accusations of staging the blast. The explosion Friday near the town of Zubin Potok, which sits in an ethnic Serb-dominated area in Kosovo's troubled north, damaged a canal that supplies water to hundreds of thousands of people and cooling systems at two coal-fired power plants that generate most of Kosovo's electricity. As security forces swarmed the area around the canal, whose concrete walls were left with a gaping hole gushing water, Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited the site and announced authorities had arrested several people. Law enforcement "carried out searches" and "collected testimony and evidence, and the criminals and terrorists will have to face justice and the law," he said. The arrests follow a security meeting late Friday, when Kurti pointed the finger at Serbia. "The attack was carried out by professionals. We believe it comes from gangs directed by Serbia," he told a press conference, without providing evidence. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hit back Saturday, denying the "irresponsible" and "baseless accusations". "Such unfounded claims are aimed to tarnish Serbia's reputation, as well as to undermine efforts to promote peace and stability in the region," he said in a statement to AFP. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric had earlier suggested on X that the Kosovar "regime" could itself be behind the blast, calling for an international investigation. The main political party representing Serbs in Kosovo, Serb List, also condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms". AFP journalists at the scene saw water leaking heavily from one side of the reinforced canal, which runs from the Serb-majority north of Kosovo to the capital, Pristina. However, electricity supplies to consumers were running smoothly on Saturday morning, with authorities having found an alternative method to cool the plants, said Kosovo's Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli. Repair work was ongoing, authorities said, while Kurti confirmed workers had managed to restore water flows to 25 percent capacity. Fears of 'escalation' The United States strongly condemned the "attack on critical infrastructure in Kosovo", the US embassy in Pristina said in a statement on Facebook. "We are monitoring the situation closely... and have offered our full support to the government of Kosovo to ensure that those responsible for this criminal attack are identified and held accountable." Turkey's foreign ministry also condemned the attack, adding: "We call on all parties to exercise restraint to avoid escalation in the region." The NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping mission for Kosovo joined the calls for restraint. "It is important that facts are established and that those responsible are held accountable and brought to justice," it said in a statement. The force is providing security in the surrounding area and has offered logistical, explosives removal and engineering support to the Kosovo authorities, it added. The European Union's ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, joined the international condemnation, saying on X: "The incident needs to be investigated and those responsible brought to justice." Animosity between ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the end of the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Serbia has refused to acknowledge. Kurti's government has for months sought to dismantle a parallel system of social services and political offices backed by Belgrade to serve Kosovo's Serbs. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Saturday denounced "the act of sabotage on the critical water supply infrastructure in the Iber-Lepenc Canal" in comments on X, calling it "a serious crime that endangers the lives of Kosovo's citizens and undermines the process of normalizing relations in our region." Friday's attack came after a series of violent incidents in northern Kosovo, including the hurling of hand grenades at a municipal building and a police station earlier this week. MENAFN30112024000063011010ID1108941910 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the MLS Cup Final . The Galaxy were one of MLS’ worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while the Red Bulls were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. “Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it’s great,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it’s a special moment. Couldn’t be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game.” Everything changed in 2024 after a dismal decade for the Galaxy , who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over defending champ Columbus , archrival New York City FC and conference finalist Orlando to storm into the Cup final. “We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean,” Schwarz said Friday. “To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it’s necessary, because it’s a final, and without pressure it’s not possible to bring the best quality on the field.” The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they’ve collected three Supporters’ Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy’s trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. “I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit,” Vanney said. “It’s one thing to have players you like, and it’s a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group.” Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's conference final victory over Seattle . The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. “He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him,” Schwarz said. “But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it’s not clear now how they’re playing without him.” The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccerIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched an extraordinary attack on the Albanese government, claiming its “extreme anti-Israel position” caused the arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue. Early morning worshippers were forced to flee as the Adass Israel synagogue was firebombed on Friday. In footage of the incident, flames and thick pillars of smoke can be seen climbing into the sky as police surround the streets and firefighters battled for 40 minutes to contain the blaze. Police allege two men wearing masks were seen spreading an accelerant inside the synagogue. Now Mr Netanyahu claimed the “abhorrent act of anti-Semitism” was tied to the government’s treatment of Israel, reported the Herald Sun . “Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israel position of the Labor government in Australia,” he said. Mr Netanyahu pointed to the Australian government’s “scandalous decision” to support a United Nations resolution that called on Israel to “bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as rapidly as possible”. He also singled out the government’s decision to refuse a visa to former Israeli justice minister Ayelet Shaked over her commentary on the war in Gaza. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has defended rejecting the visa of Ms Shaked over comments she made comparing Palestinian children to snakes, and claims Palestinian-occupied areas of Israel should be levelled. The right-wing former justice minister was slated to attend the Canberra-Jerusalem Strategic Dialogue, however Mr Burke rejected her application on the grounds she had the potential to “seriously undermine social cohesion”. Mr Albanese said the violence and destruction at a place of worship was an outrage. “I unequivocally condemn the attack on a Melbourne synagogue early this morning,” Mr Albanese said in a statement. “I have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. “The people involved must be caught and face the full force of the law.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog also expressed his “firm condemnation of the horrific arson attack” to Mr Albanese and urged him to take “firm and strong action” on anti-Semitism in Australia. He said there had been an “intolerable wave of attacks on Jewish communities in Australia and around the world”. “I noted to the Prime Minister that this rise and the increasingly serious anti-Semitic attacks on the Jewish community required firm and strong action, and that this was a message that must be heard clearly from Australia’s leaders,” he said. “I thanked him for his ongoing efforts to combat anti-Semitism, and expressed my trust that the local law enforcement would do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice.” Mr Netanyahu’s office has slammed the government over its lack of support, suggesting Australia may no longer be a “key ally” of the Jewish state and warning “disappointing” positions on UN resolutions would “invite more terrorism” and “more anti-Semitic riots”. Australia has split with the United States and Israel voting in favour on a draft United Nations resolution which recognised the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinian people in occupied territories like the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Australia sided with 154 countries, including the United Kingdom, New Zealand and France, to vote in favour on the motion which recognised Palestinian sovereignty in the “occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources”. It comes as Amnesty International accused Israel of “committing genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war last year, saying its new report was a “wake-up call” for the world. The London-based human rights group said its findings were based on satellite images documenting devastation, fieldwork and ground reports from Gazans as well as “dehumanising and genocidal statements by Israeli government and military officials”.
ormer player and his wife are expecting their fourth child as they expand their family less than one year after the former center announced his retirement from football. Already mother and father to daughters , the next addition will also be a girl as announced the news via Instagram. The post showed the response of their kids, with a mix of excitement, shock and anguish with the youngest breaking down in tears. "I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister," posted to social media on November 22. "At least , mom and dad are on the same page!" The post gained over a million likes within 18 hours and some 18,000 comments as fans poured in their love and celebration for the 36-year-old Super Bowl winner and his family, months after he suggested they could expand their home. "It's not my decision," had told People in July.. "We've talked about, before having kids, having certain numbers. "But I think whatever We'll figure it out." At the time, had already hinted at another pregnancy when she said they're still keeping pyjamas just in cause a fourth child pops up on the horizon, which in retrospect proved to be a very shrew decision. How big is the Kelce family? met on Tinder back in 2014 and went on to date for four years before he finally proposed to her in 2018 and since then, they've had children in October 2019, March 2021 and February 2023. arrived just after her father had lost Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs, of whom plays for, to offer him some comfort after losing the final game of the season with the Eagles.Iranian Ambassador Warns of Consequences of Assad Regime's Collapse, Potential Regional ConflictFurther complicating the case is the alleged involvement of a recent graduate from a prestigious university. The individual, who has yet to be apprehended, is believed to have assisted the primary suspect in planning and executing the attack. Authorities are working tirelessly to track down and apprehend both suspects, as the public demands swift justice for the senseless act of violence.
Speculation has been rife in recent weeks that Manchester United are preparing to shake up their squad in a bid to bolster their attacking options. The decision to sell their star player, whose identity remains undisclosed at this stage, is seen as a bold move by the club's hierarchy, who are determined to elevate the team's performance to the next level.Brokerage Interprets December Political Bureau Meeting: Policies Exceed Expectations, Bullish for the Market
