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Subscribe Search Search Sort by Relevance Title Date Subscribe ALBAWABA - Following right-wing criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks to be poised to fire Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. Netanyahu ousted Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier this year. Also Read Which countries to arrest Netanyahu and which offered asylum following ICC arrest warrant? Netanyahu denied security document leaks from his office in a Saturday broadcast address, calling the situation a “political smear campaign” against him and his allies. The Prime Minister claimed security officials withheld vital information for political reasons. Netanyahu defended his spokesperson, Eliezer Feldstein, for leaking a fake document alleging a Hamas escape scheme, calling it a coordinated attack on his political base. Halevi's recommendations to change Gaza military operations have sparked right-wing criticism and media coverage over the past year. Right-wing newspapers like Mida have accused Halevi of undermining government goals by supporting a Hamas hostage deal and opposing extended military battles. According Israeli reports, Halevi and Netanyahu have had issues since the war began. Offensive efforts were delayed due to military strategy disagreements, particularly Halevi's preference for limited ground operations instead of a full-scale invasion of Gaza. WE WANT ACTION @netanyahu ! YOU NEED TO DISMANTLE ISRAEL'S DEEP STATE AND NEED TO FIRE RONEN BAR AND HERZI HALEVI! THEY ARE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT NOT ABOVE THE GOVERNMENT! THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO WHAT THEY DO! THIS IS UNDEMOCRATIC AND ILLEGAL! https://t.co/J6VML7TbRV — Vicky Cohn (@VECohn) November 24, 2024 Hostage discussions have strained Halevi-Netanyahu relations. In April, Halevi advocated a hostage agreement in a speech, but Netanyahu refused, citing “red lines.” Halevi reportedly blamed the administration for unnecessary Jabalia casualties in military operations. The transitional administration of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid nominated Halevi Chief of Staff in September 2022. Halevi has been seen as an outsider by some in the administration since Netanyahu's return. Right-wing critics call Halevi a “rebellious Chief of Staff,” saying his leadership style conflicts with the government's war strategy. Mida says, “It’s not too late to correct this mistake. A defiant Chief of Staff cannot win wars for Israel.” Osama Ali is an accomplished English content writer and news writer. With a strong command of language and a flair for storytelling. His expertise lies in delivering accurate and well-researched news pieces, ensuring that information is presented clearly and concisely. A dedicated professional who stays up-to-date with the latest trends in the English writing industry, consistently producing high... Subscribe Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content Subscribe Now Subscribe Sign up to get Al Bawaba's exclusive celeb scoops and entertainment news Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content Subscribe
No. 22 St. John's, Georgia pack busy schedule with game on SundayGeorgia poll workers now seek 'severe sanctions' for Rudy Giuliani
It’s not uncommon for a former sporting favourite to appear on a reality show well after their career is over, but it seems that snooker star Kyren Wilson is keen to be on one during the prime of his. The reigning world champion takes on Stephen Maguire in the first round of the UK Championship on Monday, where he is bidding to go all the way at the Triple Crown event for the first time. Although Wilson, the current world No.2, knows exactly what he’d want to be doing if he wasn’t competing in York. The popular ITV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is currently airing on ITV, with the likes of boxing great Barry McGuigan and Coleen Rooney - wife of ex- England captain Wayne - having ventured into the jungle. And now Wilson, 32, has admitted to having his own ambition to enter the Australian outback in Murwillumbah, New South Wales. In fact, he’s even discussed the prospect of three weeks Down Under with his wife. “I’d love a stint in the Jungle,” he told SportsBoom . “It’s quite funny actually. I’m a big fan of the show and I was watching it with my wife, and it was the episode where their families were giving them a luxury item each...Sophie said she would give me a game of UNO.” The timing of the show does not fall kindly for professional snooker players though. It takes place each year at around the same time as the tournament at the York Barbican, but that’s seemingly not the only issue ‘The Warrior’ would have to confront. “The only problem for me is the UK Championship will always take priority,” he added. “I always like testing myself, so I’d definitely give it a go. I’ve sky-dived from 13,000 feet before so I’ve ticked that one off. But I think fear wise it would be spiders, I’m not a fan of spiders.” Two snooker greats have previously taken taken part in the show, Jimmy White in 2009 and Steve Davis in 2013. ‘The Whirlwind’ made it to the final day, finishing in third place, while four years later Davis was the fifth person to be voted out. Wilson is not the only current star who has stated his desire to follow in their footsteps though. Back in 2022, current world No.1 Judd Trump echoed similar sentiments, and also shared the same drawback with the animals involved. “I’m a Celebrity is the real big one,” he told Eurosport . “Never say never to that one, it’s one that I would probably want to give a go but I absolutely hate any creepy-crawly things, spiders and snakes. So I would struggle with the challenges.” Sporting figures to have been crowned the ‘King or Queen’ of the jungle include cricketer Phil Tufnell, motorcycling icon Carl Fogarty, football manager Harry Redknapp and ex-Lioness Jill Scott. The former England international was the last of the quartet to prevail, winning in 2022.
Sources: Nagle back with Fritz as Houston OC
Edwards Lifesciences Co. ( NYSE:EW – Get Free Report ) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the twenty-six analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $75.67. A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $73.00 to $70.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $83.00 to $77.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Edwards Lifesciences from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Get Our Latest Report on EW Insider Transactions at Edwards Lifesciences Institutional Trading of Edwards Lifesciences A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the first quarter valued at $28,000. First Community Trust NA acquired a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the second quarter valued at $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 138.7% in the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 530 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.46% of the company’s stock. Edwards Lifesciences Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of NYSE EW opened at $70.49 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.46, a quick ratio of 2.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.58 billion, a PE ratio of 10.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 1.12. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $67.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.73. Edwards Lifesciences has a 12-month low of $58.93 and a 12-month high of $96.12. Edwards Lifesciences ( NYSE:EW – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The medical research company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67. The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 20.76% and a net margin of 70.82%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.59 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Edwards Lifesciences will post 2.57 EPS for the current fiscal year. Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile ( Get Free Report Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Edwards Lifesciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edwards Lifesciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Race to be next Oakland mayor somewhat stalled as Rep. Barbara Lee makes up her mindCanada thumped Trinidad and Tobago 38-0 to win the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens on Sunday and qualify for World Rugby’s second-tier Challenger Series. The tournament-favourite Canadian men outscored their opposition 169-0 over five matches in a first step back up the rugby sevens ladder since being relegated from the elite HSBC SVNS circuit in June. The top four teams from the three-event Challenger Series will face off against the bottom four from the HSBC SVNS at the SVNS World Championships May 3-4 in Carson, Calif., in a promotion/relegation playoff. “I think it’s just about continually building,” said Canada captain Elias Hancock. “We know what we’re capable of. We’ve shown it at times. It’s just time to get back to that place where we know we belong.” Prior to relegation, Canada had been a core team on the top sevens circuit since 2012-13 and lifted the trophy in Singapore in 2017. The Canadian men finished eighth at the Tokyo Olympics. Trinidad had plenty of the ball in the first half of Sunday’s final at Larry Gomes Stadium. But Canada, helped by several penalties, scored first with Hancock touching down under the posts for a try converted by Thomas Isherwood. Matt Oworu, beating two defenders, added another converted try for a 14-0 lead at the break. Cooper Coats added a converted try early in the second half. And Hancock, Jack Shaw and Noah Bain added late tries after Trinidad lost a man to the sin-bin for two minutes midway through the second half for an infraction off a Canadian kickoff. Earlier Sunday, the Canadians defeated Jamaica 26-0 in semifinal play and the Cayman Islands 38-0 in the quarterfinal. Trinidad and Tobago made it to the final — for the first time since 2013 — with a 19-7 comeback win over Mexico. Jamaica defeated Mexico 12-0 to finish third. Weather was a factor during the three-day tournament in Arima, some 30 kilometres east of Port of Spain. After enduring 30-plus C heat and humidity Friday, their final Pool A game against Barbados was abandoned Saturday due to a storm. On Sunday, the Canadians played the Cayman Islands in a downpour and the skies opened again at halftime of the Jamaica game. Alex Russell, Josiah Morra, Coats and Hancock scored tries against Jamaica for Canada, which led 12-0 at the break. Thomas Isherwood added three conversions. Morra and Hancock each scored two tries against the Caymans and Ethan Hager and D’Shawn Bowen added singles for Canada, which led 19-0 at the half. Canada added four conversions. Canada, which blanked Guyana 29-0 Friday, dispatched Bermuda 38-0 Saturday and was leading Barbados 10-0 when the game was halted in the first half due to heavy rain and high winds. While play eventually resumed, the interrupted Canada game was ruled a scoreless draw. The Canadian men are coming off a disastrous 3-36-0 HSBC SVNS season that ended with a 22-14 loss to Spain with relegation on the line. It was a 29th straight defeat. After being relegated, coach Sean White’s team fell short in an Olympic repechage tournament in late June in Monaco, finishing fourth after losing 26-0 to eventual winner South Africa in the semifinals. The Blitzboks went on to claim bronze in Paris. The 13-man roster for the RAN 7s includes six players who were part of the relegation playoff in Madrid: Hancock, Isherwood, Morra, Coats, Oworu and David Richard. Morra, Coats and Oworu joined the sevens team from Bucharest where they were part of Kingsley Jones’ Canadian 15s squad for test matches against Chile and Romania. The Canadian men are scheduled to play in an invitational men’s sevens tournament taking place at B.C. Place Stadium alongside the HSBC SVNS Vancouver stop in February. The Canadian women left Sunday for Dubai and the opening stop of the 2005 HSBC SVNS season. The Olympic silver-medallist Canadians open play next Saturday against Japan before facing Brazil and Olympic champion New Zealand.Lagos Liga adopts VAR, clubs battle for N50m
Russia has included the territories it occupies in Ukraine in its recent greenhouse gas inventory report to the United Nations, drawing protests from Ukrainian officials and activists at the COP29 climate summit in Baku. The move by Moscow comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin eyes potential peace deal negotiations with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump that could decide the fate of vast swaths of territory. "We see that Russia is using international platforms to legalize their actions, to legalize their occupation of our territory," Ukraine's Deputy Environmental Minister Olha Yukhymchuk told Reuters. She said Ukraine is in touch with officials from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN's main climate body, to ask it to resolve the dispute. Russia had already included emissions from Ukraine's Crimea region, annexed in 2014, in its last few reporting submissions to the UNFCCC. The Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party, fresh off a contested victory in parliamentary elections last month that ignited calls for fresh polls and pro-EU demonstrations in Tbilisi, is preparing to hold its first parliamentary session on November 25. In comments to RFE/RL, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said that foreign diplomats would not be invited to attend the opening session, saying it “should only be celebrated by the Georgian people." EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the October 26 elections in which Georgian Dream officially won 53.9 percent of the vote. Opposition leaders this week called on foreign diplomats not to legitimize the new parliament by attending the first session of parliament. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has refused to recognize the result validated by the country’s Central Election Committee (CEC), and protests demanding new elections continue to be held in the country’s capital. Protesters have alleged that there was widespread fraud during the campaign and vote, and that Russia heavily influenced the outcome favoring Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. In recent days, Georgian police have shut down the demonstrations, including through the use of violence on November 19. Video footage by RFE/RL correspondents in Tbilisi showed police dragging people to the ground, including women, and beating them before taking them away. The same day, Zurabishvili filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional.” The first item on the agenda for the opening session, which will be attended by the head of the CEC, will be recognizing the authority of all 150 parliament members. Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures enacted under Georgian Dream’s leadership have stalled that effort. The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is considering tapping Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, to be a special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to four sources familiar with the transition plans. Grenell, who served as Trump's ambassador to Germany, as special envoy to Serbia-Kosovo talks, and was acting director of national intelligence during Trump's 2017-2021 term, would play a key role in Trump's efforts to halt the war if he is ultimately selected for the post. While there is currently no special envoy dedicated solely to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump is considering creating the role, according to the four sources. Grenell has advocated for the creation of "autonomous zones" as a means of settling the conflict. He also suggested he would not be in favor of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the immediate future. EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola supports the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion and said Germany should quickly deliver its long-range Taurus system to the embattled country. Metsola, in an interview published on November 23 by the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers, said "yes," when asked whether countries providing long-range missiles to Ukraine should allow it to use them against targets in Russia -- and whether Germany should deliver its Taurus weapons system to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, has been staunchly opposed to sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. His coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens, however, are in favor of sending Kyiv the missiles. Austria has dropped its long-standing veto to Bulgaria and Romania joining the passport free Schengen zone, opening the door to their accession next year. The breakthrough development was announced on November 22 by the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, which hosted a meeting in Budapest with the interior ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria. The EU will meet with the two candidate countries to finalize a joint security package at a meeting on December 11-12. The two countries could become Schengen members in January. “Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area. I welcome the positive outcome of informal discussions in Budapest today.” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a tweet following the announcement. The addition of Bulgaria and Romania will expand the Schengen zone to 28 states, including 24 EU members. Ireland and Cyprus will remain the only EU members not part of the Schengen Area. Bulgarians and Romanians currently are not permitted to travel freely into other Schengen member states over land borders. Early this year, they received the right to travel freely by air and sea in the first concession by Vienna. After the meeting in Budapest, Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter told media that the agreement to be signed next month includes the establishment of a special contingent of at least 100 border police officers on the Turkish-Bulgarian border. Hungary will contribute to the full deployment of the officers and provide the necessary technical equipment to ensure effective protection of the border, he said. Pinter expressed confidence that the issue could be resolved by December 31. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said a January accession date is a realistic goal. Yekaterina Neroznikova, a journalist and member of the Marem human rights group, is facing administrative charges in Russia for her alleged involvement with an "undesirable organization." The charges stem from Neroznikova's participation in an interview with RFE/RL earlier this year, where she discussed the high-profile abduction of Seda Suleimanova, a native of Chechnya. The administrative protocol was filed with the Zhukovsky City Court in Moscow Oblast on November 15, with a hearing scheduled for November 26. Neroznikova, who left Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, disclosed the development to the OVD-Info human rights group, a prominent watchdog monitoring political persecution in Russia. The case against Neroznikova is linked to her April 2024 appearance on RFE/RL’s program Human Rights Are A Right. During the program, she discussed the abduction of Suleimanova, who was forcibly taken from St. Petersburg in August 2023 by local police and Chechen operatives. Suleimanova, who fled Chechnya in 2022 because of pressure being put on her to agree to a forced marriage, has been missing since September last year. The charges against Neroznikova are seen as part of Russia’s broader crackdown on dissent and press freedom. Suleimanova's case has prompted global protests and solidarity campaigns highlighting ongoing human rights concerns in Chechnya and Russia in general. According to Neroznikova, a man identifying himself as an officer of the Interior Ministry contacted her relatives last week before reaching out to her directly. He informed her of the administrative charges, citing her commentary on RFE/RL as the reason. RFE/RL's Russian Service and its multiple projects in the Russian language were designated as "undesirable organizations" in Russia in February 2024, making any association with them punishable under Russian law. Participation in the activities of an “undesirable organization” in Russia can result in fines of up to 15,000 rubles for individuals. Repeat offenses within a year can escalate to criminal charges, carrying penalties of up to four years in prison. Suleimanova's case has drawn international attention. In 2022, she fled her family in Chechnya to avoid an arranged marriage and persistent conflicts. In August 2023, she was abducted in St. Petersburg by individuals including local police and plainclothes Chechen security officers. She was taken to her family in Chechnya, and no information about her whereabouts has been available since September 2023. An investigation into Suleimanova’s disappearance was launched in March 2024 following thousands of public appeals. Despite the family's claims that she left home again in February, observers remain skeptical, citing conflicting statements made by her relatives. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country's new intermediate-range ballistic missile, a nuclear-capable weapon, will continue to be tested, including in combat conditions, as Moscow struck several Ukrainian regions with other, less powerful weapons. "We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats that are created for Russia," Putin said on November 22 at a meeting with Defense Ministry officials and military-industrial complex officials. The Kremlin leader also called for serial production of the large missile to begin. Russia launched the so-called Oreshnik ballistic missile against Ukraine on November 21 in a strike targeting the city of Dnipro. Putin said at the time it was part of Moscow's response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil with U.S.-supplied ATACMS and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. The use of the Oreshnik "is first and foremost a messaging and saber rattling kind of weapon. This is the sort of delivery system that's not cheap. It's not a battlefield sort of weapon," Tom Karako, a missile defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told RFE/RL. Putin added on November 22 that the Oreshnik is new and not an upgrade of previous Soviet-designed weaponry. The United States said the new missile is “experimental” and based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Ukraine initially accused Russia of having used an ICBM in the Dnipro attack. An ICBM has never been used in a war. Strategic Weapons Russia has been striking Ukraine with Iskanders, ground-launched, short-range ballistic missiles, and Kinzhals, air-launched, intermediate-range ballistic missiles, as well as various cruise missiles. Russia probably only has several units of the Oreshnik in stock, a U.S. official told media following the November 21 strike. Ukraine's military intelligence put the figure at up to 10 units. If Russia were to move forward with serial production of the Oreshnik, it would be for its nuclear force posture and not for use in a conventional war like the one with Ukraine, Karako said. "This is not an alternative to a cruise missile. It's probably designed for strategic weapons," he said. Zelenskiy's Response In his November 21 address to the nation announcing the use of the Oreshnik, Putin said that the missile traveled at a speed of Mach 10, or 2.5-3 kilometers per second, claiming that "there are currently no ways of counteracting this weapon." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 22 that Ukraine was working on developing new types of air defenses to counter "new risks," a reference to missiles like the Oreshnik. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said testing a new weapon for the purposes of terror in another country was an "international crime" and called for a worldwide "serious response" to keep Russia from expanding the war. "When someone starts using other countries not only for terror, but also for testing their new missiles through acts of terror, then this is clearly an international crime." A lack of air defenses has been one of Ukraine's major weak spots in the 33-month war with Ukraine. Zelenskiy has called on the West to deliver more air defense systems since the first days of the invasion. He had also called on the West to ease restrictions preventing Ukraine from striking inside Russia with powerful long-range weapons. Zelenskiy said the deep strikes were necessary to target airfields critical for Russia's daily aerial attacks. The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly lifted the restrictions on November 17 with Ukraine using their long-range weapons -- ATACMS and Storm Shadow respectively -- to hit targets in Russia's regions of Belgorod and Kursk. Putin launched the Oreshnik into Ukraine to warn the West against arming Ukraine. Parliament Session Canceled Russia did not use the Oreshnik to strike Ukraine during another deadly air attack on November 22. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. In the capital, which has been on edge for several days amid intense Russian attacks on Ukraine, lawmakers were advised to avoid the government district on November 22 and parliament canceled a scheduled session due to warnings of a potential missile strike. "We were informed about the risk of a missile strike on the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv in the coming days. Putin has significantly raised the stakes . Tomorrow's parliamentary session is canceled," lawmaker Taras Batenko said. Oleksiy Honcharenko, another lawmaker, said on Telegram that the next session was now planned for December, although parliament leaders have not officially commented on the warnings. Zelenskiy's office assured the public that the presidential administration would continue operating "as usual" on November 22. The Russian Supreme Court has declared the international organization Post-Russia Free Nations Forum a terrorist group, the latest move in the Kremlin's clampdown on any sign of dissent. The organization, founded in Poland in 2022, has been accused of promoting separatism and aiming to disband the Russian Federation into independent states under foreign influence. Russia is a multiethnic state comprised of more than 80 regions, many of which have large indigenous populations, such as Chechnya and Tatarstan. Since coming to power in 1999, Russian President Vladimir Putin has centralized authority, curtailing the autonomy that some ethnic regions enjoyed. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its attempt to wipe out Ukrainian identity has shone a bright light on the Kremlin's historical mistreatment of its own indigenous populations and triggered a "decolonization" movement that seeks to give more prominence to ethnic groups within Russian historical and cultural studies. The case against the Post-Russia Free Nations Forum was launched in late October by the Prosecutor-General’s Office, which cited its activities as a threat to Russia’s territorial integrity and national security. In its statement, the Prosecutor General’s Office alleged that the forum operates through 172 regional and national entities, including the Baltic Republican Party, the Ingria Movement, the Congress of Peoples of the North Caucasus, the Free Yakutia Foundation, and the Far Eastern Confederation. The office claims these groups are directed by exiled leaders of separatist movements. “These leaders aim to divide the Russian Federation into independent states that would fall under the influence of hostile foreign countries,” the Prosecutor-General’s Office stated on its official website. The Post-Russia Free Nations Forum is registered in Poland and describes itself as a civic movement advocating for greater regional autonomy within Russia, with some members supporting full independence for regions. On its website and social media platforms, the organization also uses variations of its name, such as the Post-Russia Free States Forum. Ukrainian businessman Oleh Mahaletskiy positions himself as one of the founders of the group and is believed to be a major sponsor. The group’s activities have included discussions on decentralization and independence, with notable speakers such as the noted Tatar activist Nafis Kashapov, Bashkir activist Ruslan Gabbasov, Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomaryov, U.S. political analyst Janusz Bugajski, and others. Following the November 22 terrorist designation by the Supreme Court, all activities of the Post-Russia Free Nations Forum are now banned in Russia. Membership or association with the group is subject to criminal prosecution under Russian anti-terrorism laws. Critics of the ruling argue that the designation reflects a broader crackdown on dissent and regional autonomy movements in Russia. They note that the Forum primarily operates abroad and online, raising questions about the ruling’s effectiveness outside Russian borders. The Forum has not yet responded to the court’s decision. Observers suggest that this ruling may escalate tensions between Russia and countries hosting members of the organization, particularly Poland, where it is registered. The authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has threatened to shut down the Internet in the event of mass protests during or after the upcoming presidential election, after the previous vote in 2020 erupted in unprecedented unrest amid opposition allegations it was rigged. Speaking to students at Minsk State Linguistic University on November 22, Lukashenka defended past Internet restrictions and warned of future measures to throttle dissent. "If this happens again, we will shut it down entirely. Do you think I will sit idly and pray you don't send a message when the fate of the country is at stake?" state news agency BelTA quoted him as saying. Lukashenka admitted that Internet disruptions during the 2020 protests were conducted with his approval, citing the need to "protect the country." Following the August 9, 2020, election, which many Western governments have said was not free and fair, Internet access across Belarus was disrupted for several days and intermittently blocked. The disputed election that extended Lukashenka's decades of rule -- he has held power since 1994 -- for another term was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors. The protests, which demanded Lukashenka’s resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead. Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. The next presidential election in Belarus is scheduled for January 26. Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service, was honored with the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in a ceremony held in New York on November 21. Kurmasheva, who was recently released from detention in Russia after spending 288 days in custody, thanked the CPJ for its efforts toward gaining her freedom. "Journalism is not a crime," she said , noting that more than 20 journalists are currently imprisoned in Russia. Kurmasheva added that she was dedicating the award to her colleagues still imprisoned , including RFE/RL journalists Ihar Losik and Andrey Kuznechyk in Belarus, Vladislav Yesypenko in Crimea, and Farid Mehralizada in Azerbaijan. "My colleagues are not just statistics; like me they are real human beings with families who miss and love them. There are dozens of other journalists in Russian prisons. They should be released at once," Kurmasheva stressed . Other recipients of the award this year included Palestinian journalist Shorouq al-Aila, Guatemalan journalist Kimi de Leon, and Nigerien investigative journalist Samira Sabou, all recognized for their courage in the face of persecution. Detained by authorities in June 2023 as she was visiting relatives in the central Russian city of Kazan, Kurmasheva was initially charged with not declaring her U.S. passport. She was released but barred from leaving the country. That October, however, she was arrested, jailed, and charged with being an undeclared "foreign agent" -- under a draconian law targeting journalists, civil society activists, and others. She was later hit with an additional charge: distributing what the government claims is false information about the Russian military, a charge stemming from her work editing a book about Russians opposed to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. RFE/RL, as well as the U.S. government, called the charges absurd. The prisoner exchange that came to fruition on August 1 included 24 people in all -- including Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, and Russian political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza -- in a complex, seven-country deal. Religious tensions are on the rise in northwestern Pakistan following a deadly attack on a police-escorted convoy of Shi'ite Muslims that threatened to reignite sectarian violence in a strife-plagued region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In the aftermath of the attack on the 200-vehicle convoy traveling from Peshawar to Parachinar, the capital city of the Kurram district, authorities on November 22 imposed a curfew and suspended mobile service in the remote mountainous district. RFE/RL correspondents on the ground reported on November 22 that heavily armed people set fire to a military checkpoint in the area overnight. In Parachinar, dozens of angry people carrying automatic weapons were gathering, amid reports that several other facilities of the Pakistani Army and the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were attacked and destroyed, with RFE/RL correspondents reporting sounds of constant heavy gunfire. Jamshed Shirazi, a social activist in Parachinar, told RFE/RL that several government installations had been damaged by the angry protesters. "People are expressing their anger by attacking the government offices," Shirazi said. But Jalal Hussain Bangash, a local Shi'ite leader, voiced dismay at the violence during a Friday Prayer sermon on November 22 and said that Shi'a had nothing to do with the ensuing violence, RFE/RL correspondents on the ground report . Hamid Hussain, a lawmaker from Kurram in the national parliament, was adamant that the violence was the work of provocateurs. "We are helpless. Neither Shi'a nor Sunnis are involved in this. This is some other invisible forces who do not want to see peace in the area," Hussain told RFE/RL. At least 48 people, including several women and children, were killed and more than 40 wounded when gunmen opened fire on November 21 on the convoy of vehicles in the Kurram district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border. Local leaders told RFE/RL that most of those killed were Shi'a, but at least four Sunnis were also among the dead. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in Kurram, long known as a hotspot of Shi'ite-Sunni sectarian conflict. Local tribal leader Malik Dildar Hussain told RFE/RL that there were about 700 people in the convoy. Tensions in Kurram began to heat up in the past several months, where clashes again erupted between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim tribes in the area, which was formerly semiautonomous. On October 12, 17 people were killed in an attack on a convoy, and there have been a handful of deadly attacks since then. Sunnis and Shi'a live together in Kurram and have clashed violently over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace. Minority Shi'ite Muslims have long suffered discrimination and violence in Sunni-majority Pakistan. Moscow launched another deadly attack on Ukraine on November 22, a day after firing what it said was a new intermediate-range missile that the Kremlin boasted was a " warning " for the West, after Kyiv reportedly obtained permission from President Joe Biden to strike into Russia with U.S. long-range missiles. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. Ukraine's air force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. In the capital, which has been on edge for several days amid intense Russian attacks on Ukraine, lawmakers were advised to avoid the government district on November 22 and parliament canceled a scheduled session due to warnings of a potential missile strike. "We were informed about the risk of a missile strike on the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv in the coming days. Putin has significantly raised the stakes . Tomorrow's parliamentary session is canceled," lawmaker Taras Batenko said, while lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko said on Telegram that the next session was now planned for December, although parliament leaders have not officially commented on the warnings. The office of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy assured the public that it would continue operating "as usual" on November 22. On November 20, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine warned of a significant Russian air attack, prompting the temporary closure of its operations. The embassies of Spain, Italy, and Greece also suspended services for the day. On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the "successful combat testing" of a new Oreshnik (Hazel Tree) intermediate-range ballistic missile amid the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin claimed the missile was used in a strike on Ukraine's eastern city of Dnipro, asserting it was a response to NATO’s "aggressive actions" and Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles to target Russian territory. On November 22, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that the test was a message to the West that Moscow will respond harshly to any "reckless" Western moves in support of Ukraine. "The main message is that the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries that produce missiles, supply them to Ukraine, and subsequently participate in strikes on Russian territory cannot remain without a reaction from the Russian side," Peskov told reporters. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns are not taken into account have been quite clearly outlined," he said. Ukraine's military intelligence said on November 22 that Russia may have up to 10 units of the new missile. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited his Israeli counterpart to visit Hungary, defying an arrest warrant for issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Benjamin Netanyahu that other European states say they will honor. Orban, speaking during his regular weekly interview with Hungarian state radio, said on November 22 that the ICC's decision a day earlier to issue the warrant accusing Netanyahu of "crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed during the war in Gaza was "outrageously brazen" and "cynical." The ICC issued similar arrest warrants for former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a Hamas military leader who Israel claims to have killed but whose death the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group has not officially acknowledged. The ICC said Netanyahu and Gallant were suspected of using "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid while targeting civilians in Israel's war in Gaza -- charges Israeli officials deny. Orban said the ICC move against Netanyahu "intervenes in an ongoing conflict...dressed up as a legal decision, but in fact for political purposes." "Later today, I will invite the Israeli prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, to visit Hungary, where I will guarantee him, if he comes, that the judgment of the ICC will have no effect in Hungary, and that we will not follow its terms," he added. "There is no choice here, we have to defy this decision," Orban said. Shortly after the ICC decision was announced, the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU member states." However, the EU's most powerful members, Germany and France, on November 22 reacted with restraint to the ICC warrants. A spokesman said the German government will refrain from any moves until a visit to Germany by Netanyahu is planned. "I find it hard to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis," Steffen Hebestreit said on November 22, adding that legal questions had to be clarified about the warrant. In Paris, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine only said that France acknowledged the ICC's move and voiced its support for the ICC's independence. "France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the court, in accordance with the Rome Statute," Lemoine said. Hungary, a NATO and European Union member state, has signed and ratified the 1999 document. However, it has not published the statute's associated convention and therefore argues that it is not bound to comply with ICC decisions. Netanyahu on November 22 thanked Orban for his show of "moral clarity." "Faced with the shameful weakness of those who stood by the outrageous decision against the right of the State of Israel to defend itself, Hungary" is "standing by the side of justice and truth," Netanyahu said in a statement. A right-wing nationalist in power since 2010, Orban has maintained close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has voiced opposition to the EU's sanctions imposed on Moscow after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Orban has previously said that Hungary would not arrest Putin either, despite the ICC arrest warrant issued on the Russian leader's name for war crimes for his role in deporting Ukrainian children. Furthermore, he flew to Moscow in July immediately after Hungary took over the EU's rotating six-month presidency to meet with Putin, in defiance of the fellow members of the bloc. Soltan Achilova, a veteran journalist and former RFE/RL correspondent in Turkmenistan, was forcibly hospitalized in Ashgabat on November 20 in what appears to be a move by the government to prevent her from flying to Geneva to receive an international award. According to the Chronicle of Turkmenistan website, four men in medical gowns arrived at the 75-year-old's apartment early that morning, claiming she was suspected of carrying an infectious disease and needed an "urgent" examination. Achilova, who showed no signs of illness, was forcibly taken to the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases in Ashgabat's Choganly district. Her family was not allowed to accompany her and her apartment keys were confiscated. One family member said one of the men told Achilova, "Why do you need keys in the afterlife?" Doctors have not disclosed when she will be released. Turkmenistan is consistently ranked by media watchdogs, such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), among the worst countries in the world for press freedom. Independent media are nonexistent in the authoritarian Central Asian state, where journalism "amounts only to praise for the regime," according to RSF. The government continues a relentless clampdown on dissent -- with critics being harassed, beaten, tortured, jailed, and even killed. Many others have been forced abroad into exile. Human rights groups, including the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights and the International Partnership for Human Rights, immediately condemned Achilova's forced detention, calling it a stark escalation in Turkmenistan's crackdown on free speech. They demanded her immediate release and an end to the persecution of journalists. Achilova, the only journalist in Turkmenistan who openly criticizes the authoritarian government, has faced repeated harassment, threats, and attacks. In November 2023, border guards at the Ashgabat airport destroyed her passport to prevent her from traveling to Switzerland, where she was scheduled to attend the Martin Ennals Award human rights ceremony. Achilova has faced verbal threats and physical attacks, which the journalist and her supporters describe as government retaliation for her work. Many of her relatives have also been threatened. Ashgabat doesn't tolerate any dissent, and the government has stifled independent media, forced opposition activists into exile, and blocked access to all major social media and messaging apps to virtually cut its citizens off from the rest of the world. The Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy, has canceled appearances by opera singer Ildar Abdrazakov over his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pina Picierno, a vice president in the European Parliament, announced the cancellation on the social network X on November 21, emphasizing that Abdrazakov's ties to the Kremlin made him unfit for a leading cultural institution in Europe. She had led a campaign to keep Abdrazakov from performing in productions of Verdi’s Don Carlos and Attila operas. The Anti-Corruption Foundation of Aleksei Navalny had previously named Abdrazakov, who comes from the Bashkortostan region, as a regime supporter, citing his performances at events tied to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and a lucrative appearance on Red Square in 2022. This marks the latest in a series of international cancellations for Abdrazakov, whose scheduled performances in the United States and Germany were also recently cancelled. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here . Iran has vowed to respond to a resolution adopted by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that criticizes the Islamic republic for what it says is poor cooperation by installing a number of "new and advanced" centrifuges. The resolution, which comes shortly after the return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi from a trip to Iran , reportedly says it is "essential and urgent" for Tehran to "act to fulfill its legal obligations." A joint statement by Iran's Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization said on November 22 that the country's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, "issued an order to take effective measures, including launching a significant series of new and advanced centrifuges of various types." The Iranian announcement came after the IAEA's board on November 21 issued a second resolution condemning Tehran's cooperation with the agency after a similar warning in June. Some analysts say the resolution may be a step toward making a political decision to trigger a "snapback" of UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against Iran. The "snapback" mechanism is outlined in UNSC Resolution 2231, which enshrined a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. However, the option to reimpose the sanctions expires in October 2025. The IAEA resolution, put forward by France, Germany, and Britain and supported by the United States, comes at a critical time as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return at the White House in January. Trump during his first term embarked on a "maximum pressure" campaign of intensified sanctions on Iran and unilaterally withdrew the United States in 2018 from a landmark 2015 agreement that lifted some sanctions on Iran in exchange of curbs to its nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful. The resolution passed on November 21 also urged Iran to cooperate with an investigation launched after uranium particles were found at two sites that Iranian authorities had not declared as nuclear locations. Nineteen of the 35 members of the IAEA board voted in favor of the resolution. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso opposed it, 12 members abstained, while one did not vote, diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP. It also calls on the IAEA to come up with a "comprehensive report" on Iran's nuclear activities by spring. During Grossi's visit, Iran agreed with an IAEA demand to limit its stock of uranium enriched at 60 percent purity, which is still under the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear weapon, but it is much higher than the 3.67 percent limit it agreed to in the 2015 deal. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who was Tehran's chief negotiator for the 2015 agreement, warned that Iran would not negotiate "under pressure." Tehran has responded to previous similar resolutions by moves such as removing IAEA cameras and monitoring equipment from several nuclear sites, and increasing uranium enrichment to 60 percent purity at a second site, the Fordow plant. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy early on November 22, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. "Several powerful explosions were heard in Sumy," he said in the video, adding that rescue teams, police, and ambulances were working at the site of the explosions. Kobzar urged residents to take shelter, saying that air defenses were still engaging incoming drones in the morning. Ukraine's air force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here . A senior North Korean general has been wounded in Russia’s Kursk region, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Western officials. More than 10,000 North Korean troops are supporting Russian forces in Kursk. Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping to recover the swath of the Kursk region that Ukraine seized in August before President Donald Trump takes office early next year. The United States this week gave Ukraine the green light to use its long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russian assets in Kursk and said North Korean troops would be fair game. It is unclear how the North Korean general was wounded, the WSJ reported . The United States has imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, Russia’s third-largest lender, and dozens of other financial institutions as President Joe Biden seeks to further curtail the Kremlin’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine before he leaves office in two months. Gazprombank, which plays an important role in facilitating Russian energy exports, was the only remaining large Russian lender not under U.S. sanctions. Washington and Brussels had avoided sanctioning Gazprombank amid concern over possible energy export interruptions. Along with Gazprombank, the United States also announced sanctions on more than 50 other Russian banks conducting international operations, more than 40 Russian securities registrars and 15 Russian finance officials. The United States also warned financial institutions against joining Russia’s version of the international messaging system for banks known as SWIFT. Russia is seeking to attract international banks to its messaging platform to get around U.S. financial sanctions. “Today’s action reaffirms the U.S. commitment to curtail Russia’s ability to use the international financial system to conduct its war against Ukraine and disrupts Russia’s attempts to make cross-border payments for dual-use goods and military materiel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a November 21 statement. Ukraine backers had been calling on the Biden administration for months to tighten sanctions on Russia’s banking sector, saying the Kremlin was finding ways around existing sanctions to pay for technology imports and other dual-use items. In addition to facilitating energy payments, Gazprombank had been acting as a conduit for the purchase of military goods. The Kremlin also uses Gazprombank to pay Russian soldiers and compensate families for war deaths. “I am grateful to @POTUS and his administration for today’s strong package of financial and banking sanctions targeting Russia’s economy and war chest,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a tweet . Eddie Fishman, a former State Department official and sanctions expert, called the latest announcement a “strong step” toward closing loopholes around Russia’s energy sector, which generates about half of federal budget revenues. Biden will leave office on January 20 to make way for President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to end the war in Ukraine by getting Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table, something that experts say will be harder done than said. The financial sanctions come at a critical time for Russia’s economy as Putin’s record spending on the war effort drives up inflation and interest rates. The Russian Central Bank last month raised interest rates to 21 percent, the highest in decades, and could continue to ratchet them up with no end in sight to the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin said his military fired a new intermediate-range missile into Ukraine following accusations by Kyiv that it was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In a November 21 video statement to the nation, Putin said the use of the new weapon was a response to the United States and the United Kingdom giving permission to Kyiv to fire their long-range missiles into Russia. "In combat conditions, one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested," Putin said, adding that it was a hypersonic, ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Earlier in the day, Kyiv accused Russia of striking Ukraine with what it said appeared to be an ICBM. The new weapon was part of a larger missile attack on Dnipropetrovsk, home to important military-industrial plants. ICBMs, which are designed to deliver long-distance nuclear strikes, have never been used in war before. "On the morning of November 21, 2024...Russian troops attacked the city of Dnipro (facilities and critical infrastructure) with missiles of various types. In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation," the Ukrainian Air Force said in its statement on Telegram. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram later that the new Russian weapon had "all characteristics -- speed, altitude -- [of an] intercontinental ballistic missile." Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Russia struck Ukraine with an "experimental" intermediate-range ballistic missile that was based on its RS-26 Rubezh ICBM. She said Russia had informed the United States it would be launching the experimental missile shortly beforehand through "nuclear risk reduction channels." She said the new weapon had a smaller warhead that some other missiles Russia has launched into Ukraine. A U.S. official who asked not to be identified told media that Putin was seeking to intimidate Ukraine but added that Moscow only had a few of the "experimental" missiles. The Russian attack comes just days after reports that Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and U.S.-made ATACMS systems to strike military targets deeper inside Russia following the long-sought approval by President Joe Biden. The RS-26 Rubezh is a solid-fueled, road-mobile ICBM currently in development that has been tested with heavier payloads at intermediate ranges. Military analysts said ICBM missiles can be classified as intermediate-range weapons when their payloads are increased and ranges decreased. The main target of the Russian attack was the southeastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's most important industrial region, and its capital, the city of Dnipro. Ukraine's air force said that besides the ICBM, Russian aircraft also launched a hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile and seven subsonic Kh-101 cruise missiles. Ukrainian air defenses shot down six Kh-101 missiles, the air force reported. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said his region bore the brunt of the Russian attack. "Since early in the morning, the aggressor massively attacked our region," Lysak reported on Telegram, adding that preliminary information showed that an industrial facility was damaged in the regional capital, Dnipro, where two fires were started by the attack. Explosions were also reported in Kremenchuk, in the central Poltava region. Moscow's use of a large number of sophisticated missiles as opposed to the usual drone attacks appears to be in response to Ukraine's gaining approval to use some Western-donated long-range missile systems to strike deeper into Russia. On November 20, Russian military bloggers and a source cited by Reuters reported that Ukraine had fired up to 12 Franco-British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia's Kursk region, part of which has been under Ukrainian control following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian troops in August. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to confirm whether the missiles had been used. Previously, London had given permission to use the Storm Shadows, which have a 250-kilometer range, within Ukraine's territory. Earlier this week, Ukraine reportedly used ATACMS to strike a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region after Biden was reported as giving his OK. The White House has not officially confirmed the approval and Ukraine hasn't directly acknowledged the use of ATACMS on Russian targets. Russia has long warned that Ukraine's use Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike inside its territory would mark a serious escalation of the conflict. On November 21, Moscow said a new U.S. missile defence base in the Polish town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, which was opened on November 13 as part of a broader NATO missile shield, will lead to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger. "This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilising actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic alliance in the strategic sphere," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger," Zakharova said. Poland rejected the claim, saying there were no nuclear missiles at the base. "It is a base that serves the purpose of defense, not attack," Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said on November 21. At least 38 people were killed and more than 40 wounded after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of cars carrying Shi'ite Muslims in northwest Pakistan as religious tension in the region rises. Three women and a child were among those killed in the November 21 attack, police told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal. The convoy of 200 cars was heading from Peshawar to Parachinar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province near the border with Afghanistan when the unknown gunmen attacked. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in the Kurram region. Police, who were escorting the cars, said the death toll could climb. There were about 700 people in the convoy, according to law enforcement. Tension in Kurram began to heat up after 17 people were killed in an attack on a convoy on October 12. There have been about a handful of deadly attacks since then. Sunnis and Shi'a live together in Kurram and have clashed violently over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace. Influential Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash is among eight people targeted by fresh British sanctions that accuse the group, which includes his wife, Lada, of large-scale, international corruption. Angolan-Russian billionaire Isabel dos Santos and Latvian politician and businessman Aivars Lembergs are also among those hit by the new sanctions announced on November 21. The British government accuses Firtash of bribing officials to secure mining licenses for his companies and profiting illegally from Ukraine's gas-transportation system. Firtash is also linked to financier Denys Horbunenko, a resident of the United Kingdom who was added to the sanctions list on November 21 for his association with Firtash. Firtash has faced legal scrutiny in Ukraine over embezzlement and money-laundering accusations involving fraudulent gas-trading schemes. The United States has been seeking his extradition from Austria on charges of bribing Indian officials. Firtash, who gained prominence in the 2000s through his joint venture RosUkrEnergo with Russian energy giant Gazprom, has denied allegations of working in Russia's interests. Dos Santos, daughter of former Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is Africa's first female billionaire. She is accused of corruption in Angola, where she allegedly exploited her political connections for personal gain. Dos Santos claims she has held Russian citizenship since birth, as she was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 1973 under the former Soviet Union. Lembergs, a former populist mayor of the Latvian city of Ventspils, has been convicted in Latvia of corruption and sentenced to five years in prison. He claims the charges against him are politically motivated. The sanctions are part of a British efforts to combat international corruption and disrupt the financial networks of individuals accused of abusing their power for personal enrichment. The measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and restricting these individuals from accessing the U.K.'s financial system or entering the country. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Muhammad Deif, a military commander in the Iran-backed group Hamas, alleging they committed crimes against humanity in the ongoing Gaza war. All three are accused of committing war crimes connected to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, an EU- and U.S-designated terrorist organization that is part of Tehran's network of proxies in the Middle East, and Israel's subsequent military intervention in the Gaza Strip. Iran's backing of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-supported militant group and political party that controls much of the southern part of Israel's neighbor, Lebanon, has sparked fears that the war in the Gaza Strip will engulf the Middle East. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. The court said the warrants had been classified as "secret" to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. Israel, which claims it killed Deif in July, blasted the move as "a dark moment for the ICC." Hamas, which has never officially acknowledged Deif's death, called the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant an "important step toward justice." The ICC said it had issued the arrest warrant for Deif as the prosecutor had not been able to determine whether he was dead. His warrant shows charges of mass killings during the October 7 attack on Israel that left some 1,200 dead, as well as charges of rape and the taking of around 240 hostages in the attack. "The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both [Israeli] individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024," the ICC said in a statement . "This finding is based on the role of Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal," it said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the move against Netanyahu and Gallant "absurd" in a post on X, saying it was an attack of Israel's right to self-defense. "A dark moment for the ICC in The Hague, in which it lost all legitimacy for its existence and activity," Sa'ar said. Tehran has yet to comment publicly on the warrants. Neither the United States nor Israel have recognized the ICC's jurisdiction. A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said Washington "fundamentally rejects" the issuance of the arrest warrants and "the troubling process errors that led to this decision. Meanwhile, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a post on X that ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States." The court said Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction was not required. However, the court itself has no law enforcement levers to enforce warrants and relies on cooperation from its member states. Russian police have conducted searches at the PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art in the city of Perm, as well as at the home of its current director, in connection with a case against former director Marat Gelman , REN-TV reported, citing anonymous sources. The PERMM Museum announced on social media that it would remain closed until 3 p.m. local time due to "technical reasons." Gelman, a well-known art dealer who currently lives in Montenegro, where he owns an art gallery, was placed on Russia’s federal wanted list in December 2022 under a criminal charge, though details of the accusation remain unclear. In an interview with Current Time, Gelman suggested that the charges might be in connection with him "discrediting" the Russian military, a common pretext used against critics of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Gelman has been a vocal member of the Anti-War Committee and a member of the Permanent Committee of the Free Russia Forum. He has repeatedly expressed his support for Ukraine and his opposition to Russia's war efforts. The raid in Perm is part of a broader pattern of increasing pressure on Gelman. In the past week, he was added to Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists," with a designation indicating an ongoing criminal case against him. Critics argue this move is part of a crackdown on anti-war activists and dissenting voices within and beyond Russia. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on November 21 that 11 people were arrested after being found responsible for the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in Serbia's second-largest city. The huge canopy collapsed on November 1, killing 15 people and seriously injuring another two. The accident occurred after the railway station, built in 1964, had been renovated twice in recent years by a consortium of four companies -- China Railway International and China Communications Construction, France's Egis, and Hungary's Utiber. Among those arrested are former Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic, and the ex-director of Railway Infrastructure, Jelena Tanaskovic. They face charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work, the prosecutor said in a statement, adding that they faced up to 12 years in prison. The arrests came after public protests that turned violent demanded the punishment of those responsible amid accusations of corruption that resulted in substandard renovation work on the railway station. In a message on X, Vesic wrote that he had not been arrested, but had "voluntarily responded to the call of the police officers" and "made himself available to police authorities." Vesic, an official from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, resigned after the accident on November 4 but said he did not accept blame for the accident. Tomislav Momirovic, who headed the Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Ministry from 2020 to 2022, submitted his resignation as trade minister on November 20. The same day, Tanaskovic resigned as head of Serbian Railway Infrastructure. Opposition politicians have voiced scepticism about the arrests and demanded that the case be handed over to organized-crime prosecutors.Ace Green Recycling, a Global Leader in Battery Recycling Technology, to Become a Public CompanyWhy Are Investors Suddenly So Excited About This Database Giant?
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What Time/Channel Is ‘Yellowstone’ On Tonight? Where To Watch ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5, Episode 11 Live Online For FreeBASE SHELF PROSPECTUS IS ACCESSIBLE, AND PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS, ON SEDAR+ AND ON EDGAR TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Profound Medical Corp. (TSX: PRN; NASDAQ: PROF) (“Profound” or the “Company”) today announced that it intends to offer and sell common shares (the “Common Shares”) in an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”). In addition, Profound expects to grant the underwriters of the Offering a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the Common Shares sold in the Offering. All of the securities in the Offering are being offered by Profound. The Offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the Offering. The net proceeds of the Offering are expected to be used: (i) to fund the continued commercialization of the TULSA-PRO® system in the United States, (ii) to fund the continued development and commercialization of the TULSA-PRO® system and the Sonalleve® system globally, and (iii) for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Offering is expected to be completed pursuant to an underwriting agreement to be entered into between the Company and Raymond James Ltd. and Lake Street Capital Markets as co-lead underwriters and joint bookrunners, and a third underwriter. The Offering is expected to take place in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, except the province of Québec, and in the United States. The Offering is expected to close on or about December 10, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. Profound will notify the Nasdaq Capital Market in accordance with the rules of that exchange. In connection with the Offering, the Company has filed a preliminary prospectus supplement (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) and intends to file a subsequent prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to its short form base shelf prospectus dated July 10, 2024 (the “Base Shelf Prospectus”) in each of the provinces and territories of Canada relating to the proposed Offering. The Prospectus Supplement will also be filed in the United States with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as part of the Company’s effective registration statement on Form F-10 (File no. 333-280236), as amended, previously filed under the multijurisdictional disclosure system adopted by the United States. Access to the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, and any amendments to the documents will be provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a shelf prospectus supplement, a base shelf prospectus and any amendment. The Base Shelf Prospectus is, and the Prospectus Supplement will be (within two business days of the date hereof), accessible on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov . The Common Shares are offered under the Prospectus Supplement. An electronic or paper copy of the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement (when filed), and any amendment to the documents may be obtained without charge, from Raymond James Ltd., Scotia Plaza, 40 King St. W., 54th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3Y2, Canada, or by telephone at 416-777-7000 or by email at ECM-Syndication@raymondjames.ca by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable. Copies of the Prospectus Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus will be available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov or may be obtained without charge from Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Attention: Equity Syndicate, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, by telephone at (800) 248-8863, or by email at prospectus@raymondjames.com , and from Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC, 920 2nd Ave S - Ste 700, Minneapolis, MN 55402, prospectus@lakestreetcm.com , (612) 326-1305. The Base Shelf Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement contain important, detailed information about the Company and the proposed Offering. Prospective investors should read the Base Shelf Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement (when filed) before making an investment decision. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, territory, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, territory, state or jurisdiction. About Profound Medical Corp. Profound is a commercial-stage medical device company that develops and markets customizable, incision-free therapies for the ablation of diseased tissue. Profound is commercializing TULSA-PRO®, a technology that combines real-time MRI, robotically-driven transurethral ultrasound and closed-loop temperature feedback control. Profound is also commercializing Sonalleve®, an innovative therapeutic platform that is CE marked for the treatment of uterine fibroids and palliative pain treatment of bone metastases. Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Profound and its business which may include, but is not limited to, the Offering, including the Offering’s timing, pricing, underwriters, size, terms, selling jurisdictions, closing, over-allotment option, and use of proceeds; the availability and timing of the final prospectus supplement; and, the expectations regarding the efficacy and commercialization of Profound’s technology. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "is expected", "expects", "scheduled", "intends", "contemplates", "anticipates", "believes", "proposes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Profound. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release, may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including risks regarding the medical device industry, regulatory approvals, reimbursement, economic factors, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth and competition. Although Profound has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Additional information about the risks and uncertainties of forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based is contained in the Company’s filings with securities regulators, which are available electronically through SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov . Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Profound undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than as required by law. For further information, please contact: Stephen Kilmer Investor Relations skilmer@profoundmedical.com T: 647.872.4849Waqf Board bill among 16 listed for Winter Session of Parliament
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