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DAMASCUS — Former Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly arrived in Moscow with his family after being granted asylum, according to Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA. The reports, citing unnamed Kremlin sources, indicate that Assad fled Syria early Sunday following the collapse of his regime. According to RIA, Russian officials received assurances from Syrian insurgents regarding the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria, though further details were not provided. The fall of Assad’s regime culminated in a stunning rebel advance into Damascus, bringing an end to 50 years of Assad family rule. Across the capital, Syrians poured into the streets on Sunday, waving revolutionary flags and firing celebratory gunshots. Many gleefully ransacked the presidential palace and other symbols of the regime's power. Opposition leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani declared Assad’s fall a "victory for the Islamic nation" during his visit to the historic Umayyad Mosque. Al-Golani, who has sought to distance HTS from its extremist roots, faces the enormous task of uniting a fractured country. In his first public appearance since the rebels entered Damascus, al-Golani, now using his given name Ahmad al-Sharaa, vowed to prioritize inclusivity and criticized Assad for turning Syria into “a farm for Iran’s greed.” Amid celebrations, opposition forces announced a curfew in Damascus and released prisoners from the infamous Saydnaya prison, a site associated with torture and extrajudicial killings under Assad’s regime. Videos circulating online showed prisoners being freed, some appearing visibly shocked after years of captivity. Assad’s flight to Moscow marks a major blow to his allies, including Iran and Hezbollah, which had supported him throughout Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war. Iran’s Foreign Ministry called for Syrians to decide their future independently, while the Iranian Embassy in Damascus was reportedly ransacked after being abandoned. Israel moved swiftly to secure its northern borders, deploying troops to the buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the measures were necessary to protect Israeli residents, though the Arab League condemned Israel's actions, accusing it of exploiting Assad’s fall to expand territorial control. Meanwhile, the United Nations called for urgent talks to ensure an orderly political transition. Geir Pedersen, the U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, warned that the challenges of rebuilding the nation are daunting. With Assad’s regime dismantled and his whereabouts confirmed in Moscow, the next chapter in Syria’s history remains uncertain as both domestic and international actors navigate a complex and evolving landscape. — Agencies < Previous Page Next Page >, and now we know when, and what'll be included. The throwback mode will be permanent, and should tickle your nostalgia gland with a relatively simplified battle royale experience that offers something a little more stripped back than . Here's all we know about what's included, with the classic weapons, map, and more revealed. Fortnite OG will launch at 2PM GMT on Friday, December 5 - as per a countdown within the game's Discover tab. It's worth noting that confirms not everything will be as it used to be, with some of the current version of Fortnite's changes in effect. "A number of quality-of-life changes that have been added to Fortnite over the years will be present. Building mechanics will be uniform with Battle Royale as it is today, and as far as traversal goes you’ll be able to sprint, slide, mantle, door bash, and move while healing," it explains. "Some of the rough edges from that era have been preserved, while others have been polished. For example, you’ll find Reboot Vans and be able to see the glare from a sniper scope, but max building resources are set to 999 and double pump is enabled for Shotguns (for now)." Come and join The Daily Star on , the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X. Fear not, we're not leaving , but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on , and see us social better than the rest. You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a . So what are you waiting for?! Let's The OG map is back from Chapter 1 Season 1, and that means the following POIs can be found: The following weapons are included as part of Fortnite OG, so you can start planning what you'll equip: Epic is adding a new Battle Pass dubbed the OG Pass, which promises "45 tiers of retro rewards with a modern twist on classic items and Outfits". Three outfits are earnable in Season 1, and each have unlockable alternate styles; Renegade Rebel, Aerial Assault Bomber, and Skull Commander. The pass will expire on January 31, 2025.

wasn’t able to play in Arizona’s season finale, an injury suffered the week before keeping him out, but he was dressed for the Territorial Cup and participated in the pregame coin toss. That will turn out to be his final time in a Wildcats uniform. Savaiinaea has officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, the first of three expected early departures from the UA roster for the NFL. The 6-foot-5, 336-pound Savaiinaea started all 36 games he played in for Arizona, beginning at right guard as a true freshman and then moving to right tackle in 2023. This past season he shifted between both tackle spots, starting his final five games at left tackle as injuries mounted on the offensive line. Savaiinaea allowed just eight sacks in 1,544 career pass-blocking snaps, per , and in the 2024 season ranked 13 in FBS among offensive tackles with an 83.4 pass-blocking grade. PFF has Savaiinaea 70 on its 2025 NFL Draft Big Board, but some mock drafts have him going in the first round. If that happens it would give Arizona back-to-back years with an offensive lineman taken in the first round, following to the Green Bay Packers. Fellow UA juniors and are expected to declare for the draft, with McMillan a lock to go in the first round with most projections have him getting picked in the top 10.

UP recognizes CS researchers with 2024 REPS chair, awards

Police in Romania have detained several people as they headed toward Bucharest carrying guns, machetes, and knives to allegedly "disrupt public order and peace," authorities said on December 8. At least 13 people were being questioned by law enforcement agencies after their vehicles were stopped overnight in the Ilfov county, police sources told RFE/RL. Authorities did not release the names of those in custody but according to sources at the judiciary, among them is Horatiu Potra , leader of the contingent of Romanian private military contractors fighting in the African nation of Congo. Ilfov police said a criminal probe has been launched into the issue. According to Romanian media, Potra was sentenced to two years in prison with a suspended sentence in 2011 after being found guilty of founding a paramilitary group. State news agency Agerpres published a photo of Potra being escorted by several armed officers as he was being taken for questioning, according to the agency. The arrests came as dozens of supporters of Romania’s far-right, pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu were preparing to stage a protest in Bucharest after a runoff vote -- scheduled for December 8 -- was scrapped by the country's Constitutional Court. The rally took place without incident with Georgescu in attendance. "I came only with flowers and prayer," he told those gathered in Mogosoaia, just outside Bucharest. "I am not calling on anyone to do anything, it is a moment of silence," he added. Romania’s far-right, pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu and dozens of his supporters staged a protest at a shuttered polling station in Bucharest after an election runoff was scrapped by the country's Constitutional Court. More than 100 people gathered outside a polling station in the capital on December 8 -- the originally scheduled date of the runoff vote -- chanting "Down with dictatorship," "We want to vote," and "Thieves.” Georgescu, whose pro-Russian comments have prompted protests by thousands of mostly young Romanians in recent days, said the authorities canceled the elections because they were afraid he would win. "I'm here in the name of democracy and always will be," Georgescu told reporters outside the station in the European Union and NATO member country. Georgescu, who ran as an independent, won the first round of the election on November 24 ahead of reformist Elena Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union party, setting up the second-round runoff. However, the Constitutional Court on December 6 annuled the entire presidential election, throwing the process into upheaval even as diaspora voting in the second round had already begun at sites outside the country. The court in its published ruling cited the illegal use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as the use of "undeclared sources of funding." Georgescu had blasted the court's ruling as an "officialized coup" and an attack on democracy, while Lasconi also assailed the decision. Georgescu on December 7 urged voters to turn up at polling stations and "to wait for democracy to win through their power," according to a statement by his team. "Mr. Calin Georgescu believes that voting is an earned right. That is why he believes that Romanians have the right to be in front of the polling stations tomorrow," the statement said. The runoff had been seen as a referendum on the NATO and EU member's future course amid accusations of Russian meddling that brought thousands of Romanians onto the streets in support of the country's place in the Euro-Atlantic community. The Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision came just two days after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence that alleged Russia had organized thousands of social media accounts to promote Georgescu -- the shock first-round winner -- across platforms such as TikTok and Telegram. Georgescu had appeared as a favorite to win the runoff, but was passed by Lasconi in the latest opinion poll after the intelligence documents were released. The court, without naming Georgescu, said that one of the 13 candidates in the November 24 first round had improperly received “preferential treatment” on social media, distorting the outcome of the vote. Iohannis said he would remain in office until a new presidential election could be conducted again from the start. He is expected to appoint a prime minister to begin forming a government from the parliament that was elected on December 1. That administration will choose the date of the new election. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has left the country, his government's staunch ally Russia announced, as rebels claimed to have taken control of the capital, Damascus, after launching a lightning offensive in recent days that advanced quickly through the country. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on December 8 that Assad had departed the country, but it did not say where he was now and said Russia had not taken part in the talks around his departure. The ministry said Assad "decided to resign" after "negotiations" with a "number of participants in the armed conflict" and left office "giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power." "Russia did not participate in these negotiations," the ministry said. The statement came as the rebels said in a statement aired on state TV that Damascus is "now free of Assad," whose family ruled the country with an iron fist for more than 50 years. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said in a video that the government is "ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people." "We believe that Syria is for all Syrians and that it is the country of all its sons and that this country can be a normal state that builds good relations with its neighbors and the world without entering into any regional alliances and blocs," Jalali said, adding he was still at home in Damascus and had not fled. Abu Mohammad al-Golani, a leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, had said late on December 7 that the insurgent fighters were "in the final moments of liberating" Homs, a city of 775,000 people. It appears as though once that city fell, the rebels made swift progress to Damascus, about 160 kilometers south of Homs. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. In Washington, the White House press office told RFE/RL that U.S. President Joe Biden and his team "are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners." Setback For Russia Experts have said the fall of the Assad regime would also represent a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin, which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that "Assad regime forces have collapsed and Assad's backers do not appear willing to bolster the Syrian Arab Army by rapidly deploying additional forces." Russia has multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin's actions in Africa. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he "wasn't in the business of guessing." Konstantin Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament, said on December 8 that Syrians will have to cope with a full-scale war alone, but he suggested Moscow was ready to support the Syrian people in certain circumstances. The ISW said Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the base, "but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory." Ruslan Suleymanov, a Russian expert on the Middle East, told RFE/RL that Moscow would "cooperate with the rebels" if they take power in Damascus and that HTS too has "claimed previously that it was ready to negotiate" with the Kremlin. "Putin wants to save his military presence in the region. In any case, to do that, he has to make concessions -- both to jihadists and to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan who supports [the rebels]," Suleymanov said. The surprising offensive began on November 27 during which a coalition of rebel groups led by HTS captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's second largest. Since then, they moved on to take other major cities with Assad's forces providing little resistance. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Neighbors, World Powers React The developments in Damascus prompted Syria's neighbors to take urgent measures, with Lebanon announcing it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel said on December 8 it has deployed forces in a demilitarized buffer zone along its northern border with Syria and sent troops "other places necessary for its defense." The Israeli military said the deployment was meant to provide security for residents of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The United States said it will maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State (IS) in the region. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro said Washington is "aware that the chaotic and dynamic circumstances on the ground in Syria could give [IS] space to find the ability to become active, to plan external operations." Speaking at a security conference in Bahrain on December 8, Shapiro said the United States is determined to work with its partners to "continue to degrade [IS] capabilities." "[We're determined] to ensure [IS's] enduring defeat, to ensure the secure detention of IS fighters and the repatriation of displaced persons," Shapiro added. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen described the latest developments as a "watershed moment in Syria's history" and urged all armed actors in the country to maintain law and order and preserve pubic institutions. Speaking in Doha on December 8, Pedersen also said he has no information on Assad's whereabouts. Tom Fletcher, head of the UN humanitarian aid agency, warned about the plight of the millions of Syrians displaced by nearly 14 years of the country’s civil war. Now many more are in danger, Fletcher said. “We will respond wherever, whenever, however we can, to support people in need, including reception centers -- food, water, fuel, tents, blankets,” he said. British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called for a "political solution" while the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was time in Syria for unity, a peaceful political transition, and for fighting to end. TBILISI -- Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Georgian capital on December 7 following a violent crackdown the night before by riot police against demonstrators angered by the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. Violence broke out again late in the night, as witnesses said journalists and others were beaten by groups of men in street clothes while nearby security personnel did not attempt to intervene. Many of the protesters were calling for the release of fellow demonstrators arrested in previous rallies. Georgian police reported that 48 people had been detained the night before. In the previous night's demonstration – which started late on December 6 -- riot police began dispersing protesters gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building at about 12:30 a.m. on December 7. Special forces detained several people at Republic Square by 1:30 a.m. local time on December 7. They had mobilized earlier on Rustaveli Avenue about 600 meters away from the main center of the demonstration on Republic Square. Among those detained is Tsotne Koberidze, a member of the Tbilisi City Council from the opposition party Girchi (More Freedom), RFE/RL reported. A young woman who had been standing in front of the cordon for several minutes was also detained. Warning messages urging protesters to disperse continued as the riot police attempted to break up the protest on Rustaveli Avenue. Demonstrators moved away from the avenue but did not disperse. Tensions have been running high in Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party won an election on October 26 that the pro-Western opposition and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili say was rigged with the help of Moscow. Earlier on December 6, Zurabishvili called on Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to step down as pressure mounts on the government amid a violent crackdown on unrest. Zurabishvili made the call in an interview with Georgia's Channel One media group as the Prosecutor-General's Office announced that it had filed its first criminal charges against protesters who have taken to the streets to rally against the move. "The prime minister who has failed to settle the crisis...must be replaced," Zurabishvili said. "This is the compromise, depolarization, a way out for Georgia, stability, peace and the future, which will be unshakable, free and democratic," she added. Zurabishvili traveled to Paris on December 7 for ceremonies marking the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral, which had been restored following a devastating 2019 fire. She said on social media that she had an "in-depth discussion" there with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and French leader Emmanuel Macron, posting a video of the talks on X. Zurabishvili also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and thanked him for his support for the Caucasus nation. The announcement last week by Georgian Dream to halt talks on joining the EU until 2028 further fueled dissension, with thousands of Georgians flooding the streets around parliament in protest. The largely peaceful protesters have been met with a sometimes-brutal crackdown by security forces, leaving dozens -- including opposition members and journalists covering the events -- in need of medical attention. The Prosecutor-General's Office, however, said it charged nine individuals with organizing and participating in group violence during the protests on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. "This is a choice between autocracy and democracy -- there is no other way," Tere Heland, an adviser to the European Neighborhood Council, which provides information on current events in Georgia, told RFE/RL in an interview on December 6. Opposition leaders have also rejected accusations by Georgian Dream that the violence was the product of a conspiracy -- aided by foreign actors -- to provoke chaos. Levan Tsutskiridze, leader of the Freedom Square movement and one of the most influential members of the Strong Georgia political coalition, said the actions of government forces against peaceful protesters were "tragic." He accused the police of "mass terror, with physical violence, intimidation, and torture." The opposition has also called for fresh elections, saying that without a new vote, the restoration of democratic legitimacy is impossible. Georgia's Interior Ministry told RFE/RL on December 6 that a total of 338 individuals had been detained for administrative violations during the protests, which security forces have tried to put down with water cannons, vast amounts of tear gas, and harsh beatings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called his trilateral talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump “good and productive” and said the leaders discussed the situation on the ground in Ukraine and the potential for “a just peace.” “We talked about our people, the situation on the battlefield, and a just peace for Ukraine. We all want to end this war as quickly and fairly as possible,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram from Paris on December 7 as world leaders gathered to mark the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral. "President Trump, as always, is determined. We are thankful for that," he added. Macron said , "Let us continue joint efforts for peace, security." It was not immediately known if Trump would make public comments following the talks. Zelenskiy, looking to bolster support for his nation’s fight against the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022, arrived in the French capital at midday as more than three dozen global dignitaries gathered for the ceremonies, many of whom applauded the Ukrainian leader at the Notre Dame event. Zelenskiy arrived at the Elysee Palace for the three-way talks at 5:30 p.m. Paris time. The three men posed for photos at but made no public comments before the talks began. Zelenskiy is expected to leave Paris immediately following the ceremonies at Notre Dame, which was restored following a devastating 2019 fire, aided by some $1 billion in donations from around the globe. Trump , who will take office on January 20, has criticized the billions of dollars the United States has poured into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion. Trump has also said he could end the war within 24 hours of retaking the White House, a statement that has been interpreted as meaning that Ukraine would have to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. The two also have a long history, mainly through an infamous phone call. During that July 2019 call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to look into the activities in Ukraine of Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. The elder Biden went on to defeat Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The call led to accusations that Trump had conditioned the release of nearly $400 million in military aid on an investigation into the Bidens, and Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted Trump on both charges in February 2020. "We expect a good decision from today's meeting with Macron," a source within the Ukrainian delegation told the AFP news agency before the announcement of the three-way talks. AFP also reported that Elon Musk, the world's richest man and one of Trump's closest allies, is expected to attend the ceremonies. On social media, Zelenskiy earlier said that Ukraine had received a second shipment of sophisticated F-16 fighter jets from Denmark. "The second batch of F-16s for Ukraine from Denmark is already in Ukraine. This is the leadership in protecting life that distinguishes Denmark," he wrote on Telegram . "The planes provided by the Danes from the first batch are already shooting down Russian missiles and saving our people, our infrastructure. Now our air shield is additionally strengthened. If all partners were so determined, it would be possible to prevent Russian terror," he said. In November , Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark would transfer two more batches of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Six had already been transferred, with a total of 19 aircraft earmarked for delivery by Copenhagen. Separately, Washington said it is preparing a $988 million package of arms and equipment to Ukraine, funds taken from the remaining $2.21 billion available in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The funds will be used to buy ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and for drones, the Pentagon said, as the administration of President Joe Biden attempts to bolster Kyiv before he leaves office. BUCHAREST -- Romania’s far-right, pro-Russian presidential candidate defiantly told voters to turn up at polling stations for a December 8 election runoff that has been scrapped by the Constitutional Court. While Calin Georgescu attempts to fill the streets with backers, however, his actual level of support remains uncertain. Georgescu told supporters "to wait to be welcomed, to wait for democracy to win through their power," according to a statement on December 7 by his team. "Mr. Calin Georgescu believes that voting is an earned right. That is why he believes that Romanians have the right to be in front of the polling stations tomorrow," the statement said, adding that Georgescu would go to a polling station near the capital, Bucharest, early in the morning. Over recent days, thousands of mostly young Romanians have taken to the streets to protest against his pro-Russia comments. Georgescu, who ran as an independent, had won the first round of the presidential election on November 24, ahead of reformist Elena Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union party, setting up a runoff originally set for December 8. However, Romania's Constitutional Court on December 6 annulled the entire presidential election, throwing the process into upheaval even as diaspora voting had already begun at sites throughout the globe. Georgescu had blasted the court’s ruling as an “officialized coup” and an attack on democracy, while Lasconi also assailed the decision. The Constitutional Court in its published ruling cited the illegal use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, as well as the use of “undeclared sources of funding.” The runoff had been seen as a referendum on the NATO and EU member's future course amid accusations of Russian meddling that brought thousands of Romanians onto the streets in support of the country's place in the Euro-Atlantic community. The Constitutional Court’s unprecedented decision came just two days after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence that alleged Russia had organized thousands of social media accounts to promote Georgescu -- the shock first-round winner -- across platforms such as TikTok and Telegram. Georgescu had appeared as a favorite to win the runoff, but was passed by Lasconi in the latest opinion poll after the intelligence documents were released. The court, without naming Georgescu, said that one of the 13 candidates in the November 24 first round had improperly received “preferential treatment” on social media, distorting the outcome of the vote. Georgescu and Lasconi were supposed to meet in a runoff this weekend. Voting abroad had already started when the court shelved the entire election and instructed the government to set a new one. Iohannis said he would remain in office until a new presidential election could be conducted again from the start. He is expected to appoint a prime minister to begin forming a government from the parliament that was elected on December 1. That administration will choose the date of the new election. Meanwhile, Romania authorities conducted searches at three homes as part of the probe into the election irregularities. 'In the central city of Brasov, police searched three homes early on December 7 as part of a probe "in connection with the crimes of voter corruption, money laundering, and computer forgery," the local prosecutor’s office said in a statement. It added that the police action had targeted a person involved in the "illegal financing of the electoral campaign of a candidate for the presidency of Romania, through the use of sums of money," without naming Georgescu. The statement also said the investigation involved alleged violations of Romanian law prohibiting organizations and symbols of a fascist, racist or xenophobic character. In Washington, the U.S. State Department said Romanians must have confidence their elections are free of harmful external influences. "The United States reaffirms our confidence in Romania’s democratic institutions and processes, including investigations into foreign malign influence," the department said in a statement issued late on December 6. Syrian rebels led by Islamist militants have entered the central city of Homs as they close in on Damascus while the country’s main allies -- Russia and Iran -- scrambled to protect the regime of authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad and their own assets in the country. Abu Mohammad al-Golani, a leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, said late on December 7 that the insurgent fighters were "in the final moments of liberating" Homs, a city of 775,000 people. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Experts said the future of the Assad regime was hanging in the balance -- and that, if it fell, it would also represent a major geopolitical setback for the Kremlin which, along with Tehran, has supported the Syrian government through many years of civil war. Media reports said many residents of Damascus were stocking up on supplies as thousands were attempting to leave the country through the border with Lebanon -- itself a war-torn nation in the increasingly chaotic Middle East. As fighting on the ground and rebel gains intensified, the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey held emergency talks in Doha, Qatar, on December 7 calling for an end to hostilities in the most serious challenge to Assad’s rule in years. The U.S. State Department told RFE/RL that Washington was closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Syria. A spokesperson said the United States and its partners and allies urged that civilians, including members of minority groups, be protected. The spokesperson said it was time to negotiate an end to the Syrian conflict consistent with principals established in UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The spokesperson added that the refusal of the Assad regime to engage in the process has directly led to the current situation. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War ( ISW ) said that “Assad regime forces have collapsed and Assad’s backers do not appear willing to bolster the Syrian Arab Army by rapidly deploying additional forces.” Russia has multiple military sites in Syria, including an air base at Hmeimim and strategic naval facilities at Tartus, which are also used to support the Kremlin’s actions in Africa. The ISW said that Moscow had not yet begun to evacuate the base, “but it remains unclear whether Russia will keep its vessels at the port as Syrian rebels continue to advance swiftly across regime-held territory.” The American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats blog said the Assad regime “faces an existential threat given the widespread collapse of regime forces and lack of sufficient external backing to bolster these forces.” It added that “Russia will face logistic challenges that will undermine its Africa operations if it loses its footprint in Syria.” Mark Katz, a professor emeritus at George Mason University who focuses on Russia and the Middle East, told RFE/RL that the Kremlin risks losing its air assets in Syria if it can’t agree with Turkey on the use of its airspace. “In one sense, the Turkish government might be happy to grant permission as the more the Russian Air Force is out of Syria, the happier Ankara will be,” he said. "Russia would also face difficulties relocating its warships because they would need Turkey's permission to get into the Black Sea. They would have to go through NATO waters," he added. Meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States “should have nothing to do” with the war in Syria, where a small contingent of U.S. forces remain deployed in some areas. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,” he wrote on the Truth Social platform. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Fast-moving developments on the ground were difficult to confirm, but media outlets quoted witnesses as well as rebel and Syrian army sources as saying militant fighters were continuing to make large gains on December 7 in their effort to topple Assad. Some reported signs of panic in Damascus, with shortages of critical supplies, although the government said Assad was at work as usual in the capital. Government forces and their Russian allies appear to have failed in their attempt to halt the rebel push toward Homs, which stands at an important intersection between the capital, Damascus, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus. Homs is 140 kilometers from the capital. Witnesses and army sources told Reuters and other news agencies that rebels had entered Homs amid reports that government forces had pulled out. Celebrations were reported in some areas of the city. Homs Province is Syria’s largest in size and borders Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan. The city is also home to one of Syria’s two state-run oil refineries. The AFP news agency quoted security sources as saying hundreds of Syrian government troops, some injured, had fled across the border into Iraq. The surprising offensive was launched last week by a coalition of rebel groups led by the Islamist HTS faction. Besides HTS, the fighters include forces of an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Turkey has denied backing the offensive, though experts say insurgents would not have launched it without the country's consent. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs toward the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of the Russian air and naval bases. Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declined to comment on the fate of the Russian bases, saying he “wasn’t in the business of guessing.” The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and inflict losses on Assad, as well as his Russian and Iranian allies. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. Following the foreign ministers' meeting in Doha, Lavrov said -- referring to HTS rebels -- that it was "inadmissible to allow terrorist groups" to take control of Syrian territory and that Russia would oppose them with all means possible. Since the rebels seized control of Aleppo a week ago, they have moved on to capture other major cities with Assad’s forces providing little resistance. Besides capturing Aleppo in the north, Hama in the center, and Deir al-Zor in the east, rebels rose up in southern Suweida and Deraa, saying on December 6 they had taken control of the two cities and posting videos showing insurgent celebrations there. Taking Deraa and Suweida in the south could allow a concerted assault on the capital, Damascus, the seat of Assad's power, military sources said. Video posted online showed protesters in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana chanting and tearing down a statue of Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1971 until his death in 2000, when his son took power. Golani, the HTS leader, told CNN in an exclusive interview on December 5 from Syria that Assad’s government was bound to fall, propped up only by Russia and Iran. “The seeds of the regime’s defeat have always been within it,” he said. “But the truth remains, this regime is dead.” Prosecutors with a special international court in The Hague confirmed on December 6 that a new indictment has been filed against former Kosovar President Hashim Thaci and four other people for allegedly attempting to influence witness testimony in a war crimes trials. Thaci has been charged with three counts of obstruction, four counts of violating the secrecy of proceedings, and four counts of contempt of court, a statement released by prosecutors said. He was in the detention facilities of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers when served with an arrest warrant on the charges, the statement said. A separate statement issued by the Kosovo Specialists Chambers in The Hague said "the indictment charges the accused with offences related to alleged unlawful efforts to influence witness testimonies in the Thaci et al war crimes trial." The four others charged are former Justice Minister Hajredin Kuci, former Kosovar Intelligence Agency chief Bashkim Smakaj, former Malisheva Mayor Isni Kilaj, and Fadil Fazliu. Smakaj, Fazliu, and Kilaj were arrested on December 5 in Kosovo and transported to the Specialist Chambers’ detention facility in The Hague, the court said. They have been charged with attempted obstruction of official persons in carrying out official duties and of disobeying the court and are expected to make their first court appearance on the charges in the next few days, the statement said. Thaci is being tried by the court in a separate case against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is accused of coordinating "three separate groups" along with Smakaj, Kilajn, Kuci, and Fazliu to influence the testimony of prosecution witnesses in the case against him and others for war crimes. The indictment says that Thaci gave Smakaj, Kilaj, Fazliu, and Kuci confidential information about witnesses, instructions to influence their testimony, and details on how they should do so during nonprivileged visits to the detention facility that took place between April 12, 2023, and November 2, 2023. The new indictment comes a day after the Specialist Prosecutor's Office announced that it was conducting ongoing operations in Kosovo in connection with its investigations. The Specialist Chamber was established in 2015 by the Kosovo Assembly to prosecute mainly former KLA fighters for war crimes and is part of Kosovo's judicial system, but it operates with international staff and is based in The Hague. Fear of witness intimidation was one of the reasons why the court is located there. Thaci, a former KLA commander, became president of Kosovo after it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but resigned in late 2020 to face war crimes and crimes against humanity charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Thaci is widely seen as a guerilla hero in Kosovo, but prosecutors said he openly oversaw a brutal reign of violence as the ethnic Albanian KLA tried to tighten its grip on power during and after the war. The Kosovo war, which claimed some 13,000 lives, ended after a NATO bombing campaign forced Serb forces to withdraw. An attack by Russian troops on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya on the evening of December 6 killed 10 people, according to regional Governor Ivan Fedorov as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy slammed Russia for carrying out the attack. Fedorov said that another 20 people were injured, including three children. One of the injured adults, a 23-year-old man, is in extremely serious condition, he added. The impact destroyed a service station and damaged nearby houses and shops, Fedorov said on Telegram. His post included a video of smoke rising from a building and debris strewn across the street. The state emergency service said that attack caused the fire, which engulfed six cars, a garage, and the service station. The fire has been put out, the service said. A separate attack on Kryviy Rih in the southern region of Dnipropetrovsk killed two people. A three-story building was destroyed in the attack, and residential buildings and cars were damaged, the emergency service said on Telegram. Zelenskiy said the attacks showed Russia has no interest in striking a deal to end the full-scale invasion it launched in February 2022. "Thousands of such strikes carried out by Russia during this war make it absolutely clear that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin does not need real peace," Zelenskiy said on Telegram. "Only by force can we resist this. And only through force can real peace be established," he added. Zelenskiy is set to travel to Paris for a ceremony on December 7 to mark the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral after a restoration following a devastating fire in 2019, according to news reports quoting unidentified sources. A source in the Ukrainian government was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that Zelenskiy will attend the celebrations marking the restoration of the cathedral and will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. He also hopes to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to attend the ceremony. It would be their first meeting since Trump was elected president for a second non-consecutive term on November 5. Trump has repeatedly criticized U.S. military aid to Kyiv and said he would end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House but has yet to provide details. There are fears in Kyiv that Trump could try to force Ukraine to the negotiating table and accept peace terms favorable to Russia. Trump has named Keith Kellogg, a retired general who has called on Kyiv to make concessions to end the war, as his Ukraine envoy. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's outgoing administration is seeking to bolster Kyiv before leaving office on January 20. The administration announced on December 2 that it will send $725 million worth of missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines, and other weapons to Ukraine. Iran is poised to significantly increase the production rate of highly enriched uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned in a confidential report. The IAEA report said the effect of the change "would be to significantly increase the rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent," according to news agencies quoting the report on December 6. This means the rate of production will jump to more than 34 kilograms of highly enriched uranium per month at its Fordow facility alone, compared to 4.7 kilograms previously, the report to the IAEA's board of governors says. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, who spoke to reporters about the report on the sidelines of an international conference in Bahrain, said the increase would represent “seven or eight times or even more," calling the development very concerning. “They were preparing, and they have all of these facilities sort of in abeyance and now they are activating that. So we are going to see,” he said, adding that it would be a “huge jump” if Iran begins increasing its enrichment. The report also said Iran must implement tougher safeguard measures such as inspections to ensure Fordow is not being "misused to produce uranium of an enrichment level higher than that declared by Iran, and that there is no diversion of declared nuclear material." Iran's decision to accelerate production of enriched uranium is in response to recent censure by the IAEA, Grossi told the AFP news agency. "This is a message. This is a clear message that they are responding to what they feel is pressure," the UN nuclear watchdog's head said. Tehran was angered by a resolution last month put forward by Britain, Germany, and France, known as the E3, and the United States that faulted Iran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. Britain, Germany, and France have adopted a tougher stance on Iran in recent months, in particular since Tehran ramped up its military support to Russia. In addition, there was little progress last week when European and Iranian officials met to determine whether they could enter serious talks on the nuclear program before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers and is now appointing hawks on Iran to his planned administration. While Iran maintains its program is peaceful, Iranian officials increasingly threaten to potentially seek a nuclear bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile. But experts war that the enrichment of uranium at 60 percent is just a short step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, and they say there is no justification for enriching uranium to such a high level under any civilian program. The news of Iran's decision to increase uranium enrichment came just hours after Tehran claimed it had conducted a successful space launch with its heaviest payload ever. Official media reported that the launch of the Simorgh rocket took place at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Semnan Province located about 220 kilometers east of Tehran. Western governments have expressed concern that the Tehran’s ballistic missile program is coming closer to having the ability to launch a weapon against distant foes like the United States. The Simorgh carried what Iran described as an “orbital propulsion system” and two research systems to a 400-kilometer orbit above the Earth. It also carried the Fakhr-1 satellite for Iran’s military, the first time Iran’s civilian program is known to have carried a military payload. Iran has said its space program, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Oreshnik missile systems, recently combat-tested in a strike on Ukraine, will be deployed in Belarus simultaneously with their introduction into the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN). Speaking on December 6 after a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State in Minsk, Putin said that the Oreshnik systems could be stationed in Belarus as soon as the second half of 2025. The statement opens a new phase in the military strategy and development of relations between Russia and Belarus. The decision underscores a further deepening of military integration between the two countries and underlines Russia's increasing military footprint in Eastern Europe. Russia launched an 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 Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Putin said the Oreshnik system would have highly accurate, long-range missiles that could pierce advanced missile defense systems. The specific technical details of the Oreshnik remain classified, but it is reportedly designed to increase the survivability and effectiveness of Russia's nuclear arsenal, particularly in the context of evolving global security challenges. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has been part of a broader geopolitical and military partnership, formally enshrined through the Union State agreement signed in the 1990s. Over the years, this alliance has been deepening, especially after 2014, following the annexation of Crimea and the subsequent deterioration of relations between Russia and the West, especially over Moscow's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022. For Russia, the placement of advanced missile systems in Belarus indicates its willingness to develop military capabilities close to NATO's eastern flank. Belarus's proximity to NATO member states, particularly Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, makes it a very strategic location for Russia's missile deployments. Aside from missile deployments, Russia and Belarus are performing joint military exercises and integrating their air defense systems and defense coordination strategies. In general, the coordination shows a continuously intensifying comprehensive military integration, which many analysts suggest would take the relationship one step further to a fully political-military union in the framework of the Union State. To Belarus, the alliance with Russia is an influential factor in its security strategy, particularly when tensions have risen between Belarus and the West. Belarus's authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has long relied on Russian support, both political and military, as a guarantor of his regime's stability. Five Azerbaijani journalists who are reportedly affiliated with Meydan TV, a media outlet known for harshly criticizing government policy, have been detained in Baku, their relatives said on December 6. The relatives said the journalists -- Aynur Elgunas, Aytac Tapdiq, Natiq Cavadli, Xayala Agayeva, and Ramin Cabrayilzada, known by his pen name Deko -- were taken to the Baku City Main Police Directorate. Interior Ministry officials said Cabrayilzada was detained after police obtained information about the alleged smuggling of foreign currency into the country. The Interior Ministry told the Turan news agency that further investigations are under way and that other people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the case. "Additional information will be provided," they said. The detainees have denied the charges, saying they are politically motivated and connected with their professional activity. The development comes amid a broader crackdown on media freedom in Azerbaijan. More than 20 journalists and civil society activists, including members of AbzasMedia and Toplum TV, have been arrested within the past year on suspicion of foreign currency smuggling. The timing of the detentions is symbolic ahead of International Human Rights Day on December 10. The embassies of the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland in Baku issued a joint call earlier this week to immediately release those imprisoned in connection with exercising their fundamental freedoms. They were most concerned about the continued persecution of those advocating for human rights and freedom of expression. U.S. Ambassador Mark Libby called on Baku to release "people fighting for human rights in their beautiful homeland." The detainees, according to Libby, include economist and journalist Farid Mehralizada, who was recently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. He emphasized that Azerbaijan must fulfill its international commitments to human rights by releasing those arbitrarily detained. In response, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry rejected the statements of the foreign diplomats and assertions that their arrests were related to their professional activities. The ministry went on to say that this was an attempt to devalue the independence of the Azerbaijani judiciary. Many international observers are deeply concerned about freedom of speech and respect for human rights in the country with regard to the continued targeting of journalists and activists. Russian forces bombed a key bridge and highway to try and slow a lightning advance by rebels toward the Syrian city of Homs as thousands fled the area. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said civilians were fleeing from Homs towards the Mediterranean coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government and the site of Russian air and naval bases. The United Nations said on December 6 that almost 300,000 people in Syria had already been displaced since late November by the fighting, and that up to 1.5 million could be forced to flee as the rebels advance and deal losses to the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. Assad has relied on Iran and Russia to remain in power since the conflict erupted in 2011. A Syrian Army officer was quoted by Reuters as saying that Russian bombing overnight had destroyed the Rastan bridge along the key M5 highway linking Homs to Hama, another city the rebels captured a day earlier. The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim air base. HTS is considered a terrorist group by the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. In his first media interview in several years, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the group's leader, told CNN the goal "remains to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime, and it is our right to use all available means to achieve this goal." Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The foreign ministers of Iraq, Syria, and Iran were to meet on December 6 to discuss the situation, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the top diplomats from Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara will meet in Qatar on December 7. The state news agency TASS reported on December 6 that Russia's embassy in Syria had urged Russian nationals to leave the country due to the situation. Riot police in Georgia used water cannons late on the night of December 6 to disperse protesters gathered in Tbilisi for the ninth consecutive night to voice their opposition to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. The riot police began dispersing protesters gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building at about 12:30 a.m. on December 7. Special forces detained several people at Republic Square by 1:30 a.m. local time on December 7. They had mobilized earlier on Rustaveli Avenue about 600 meters away from the main center of the demonstration on Republic Square. Among those detained is Tsotne Koberidze, a member of the Tbilisi City Council from the opposition party Girchi (More Freedom), RFE/RL reported. A young woman who had been standing in front of the cordon for several minutes was also detained. Warning messages urging protesters to disperse continued as the riot police attempted to break up the protest on Rustaveli Avenue. Demonstrators moved away from the avenue but did not disperse. Tensions have been running high in Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party won an election on October 26 that the pro-Western opposition and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili say was rigged with the help of Moscow. Earlier on December 6, Zurabishvili called on Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to step down as pressure mounts on the government amid a violent crackdown on unrest. Zurabishvili made the call in an interview with Georgia's Channel One media group as the Prosecutor-General's Office announced that it had filed its first criminal charges against protesters who have taken to the streets to rally against the move. "The prime minister who has failed to settle the crisis...must be replaced," Zurabishvili said. "This is the compromise, depolarization, a way out for Georgia, stability, peace and the future, which will be unshakable, free and democratic," she added. The announcement last week by Georgian Dream to halt talks on joining the EU until 2028 further fueled dissension, with thousands of Georgians flooding the streets around parliament in protest. The largely peaceful protesters have been met with a sometimes brutal crackdown by security forces, leaving dozens -- including opposition members and journalists covering the events -- in need of medical attention. The Prosecutor-General's Office, however, said it charged nine individuals with organizing and participating in group violence during the protests on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. "This is a choice between autocracy and democracy -- there is no other way," Tere Heland, an adviser to the European Neighborhood Council, which provides information on current events in Georgia, told RFE/RL in an interview on December 6. Opposition leaders have also rejected accusations by Georgian Dream that the violence was the product of a conspiracy -- aided by foreign actors -- to provoke chaos. Levan Tsutskiridze, leader of the Freedom Square movement and one of the most influential members of the Strong Georgia political coalition, said the actions of government forces against peaceful protesters were "tragic." He accused the police of "mass terror, with physical violence, intimidation, and torture." The opposition has also called for fresh elections, saying that without a new vote, the restoration of democratic legitimacy is impossible. Georgia's Interior Ministry told RFE/RL on December 6 that in all, 338 individuals had been detained for administrative violations during the protests, which security forces have tried to put down with water cannons, vast amounts of tear gas, and harsh beatings. Further demonstrations are planned for December 6 and through the week, protest leaders said. The EU has said it is following the events very closely, with some officials warning that continued unrest - and allegations of police brutality - could have profound implications for Georgia's relations with the bloc. Some Western diplomats have warned of the possible suspension of visa liberalization because the government has violated the shared values underpinning Georgia's partnership with Europe. "We are all watching the deteriorating political situation with concern," Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during a session on December 5. "It is important to clearly state that there is a bipartisan consensus in the Senate and Congress on this issue regarding Georgia, and we are not going to tolerate the gross violations of human rights that are taking place in the country without action. I hope that the prime minister and the ruling party will understand this message." Explosions were reported early on December 6 in the Crimean city of Kerch, and the bridge connecting the Moscow-occupied peninsula with Russia was closed, local Telegram channels reported. According to the channel Krymskiy Veter, explosions were heard in the area of the Zaliv shipyard. The first blasts were reported around 7 a.m. local time, witnesses told RFE/RL. The Russian Defense Ministry said the Kerch region was being attacked by Ukrainian aerial and seaborne surface drones. It said that Russian forces downed one aerial drone and sank two naval drones. Ukraine has not commented. Attacks on Crimea occur regularly, particularly near the bridge. A powerful explosion in October 2022 on the bridge caused the collapse of a road section and a major fire on the railway section of the bridge. According to Russian data, three people were killed in that incident. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here . Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the entire presidential election -- even as a runoff vote was under way -- throwing the process into upheaval after a Moscow-friendly, far-right candidate won the first round. The court ruling on December 6 was followed by an announcement from Romanian prosecutors that a probe into alleged computer-related crimes has been launched amid allegations of Russian influence that Romanian intelligence services said sparked the shock first-round victory of Calin Georgescu. Experts said is was unclear after the court decision if all the candidates are going to be allowed to re-register for the new vote, or if Georgescu could be disqualified following revelations of Moscow's support for him. Catalin Pop, a lawyer specializing in the Constitutional Court, told RFE/RL that the ruling was "definitive and binding," and that the court the court's reasoning will most likely "be similar" to what was used in the case of Diana Sosoaca, meaning Georgescu could be ruled out of the new election. Sosoaca was ruled out by the court in October prior to the first round of voting for promoting extremist and anti-Semitic views, while also pushing ideas against the democratic values and EU membership that are at the root of Romania's constitution. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court said the electoral process for the election "will be resumed in its entirety, with the government to establish a new date for the election of the president of Romania, as well as a new calendar program for carrying out the necessary actions." President Klaus Iohannis, whose term was scheduled to end on December 21, said he would stay in his post until a successor can be elected. "When the new president takes the oath, I will leave here," Iohannis said in a statement on December 6. Iohannis is expected to appoint a prime minister to begin forming a government from the parliament that was elected on December 1. The new government will choose the date of the new election, he said. Georgescu's victory sent shock waves across the West after Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) declassified documents said to prove a massive, Moscow-orchestrated cybercampaign in his favor on TikTok that largely went under the radar of Romanian authorities. Georgescu was to face off in a runoff vote on December 8 against pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi. At the time of the court's announcement, voting had already begun in the large Romanian diaspora around the world, with around 33,000 said to have cast their ballots. In a statement to Romanian television station Realitatea, Georgescu called the court ruling an "official coup," evidence of what he said was a corrupt system showing its face. The runoff has been seen as a referendum on the NATO and EU member's future course amid accusations of Russian meddling that brought thousands of Romanians to the streets in support of the country's place in the Euro-Atlantic community. Georgescu had appeared as a favorite to win the runoff, but was passed by Lasconi in the latest opinion poll after CSAT on December 4 declassified documents revealing the country was the target of an "aggressive hybrid Russian action" that led to the far-right candidate's shock victory in the first round. Lasconi, a former TV presenter and the incumbent mayor of the small city of Campulung, had a 2 percentage-point lead over Georgescu in the AtlasIntel poll published on December 5 which is credited with an error margin of about 1 percent. Lasconi condemned the court's ruling annulling the election. "The constitutional court's decision is illegal, amoral and crushes the very essence of democracy, voting," she said. Georgescu's first-round shock victory saw the candidate favored by early opinion polls to win the vote -- Social Democratic (PSD) Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu -- come third in the race and prompted him to resign as PSD leader. Ciolacu said on December 6 that the surprise announcement by the court "was the only correct solution." However, the unexpected move is likely to trigger a wave of criticism both by the pro-Western parties who support Lasconi and the far-right groups such as the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) that had thrown their support behind Georgescu. Critics have said that the Constitutional Court, which is dominated by judges appointed by the PSD, had tried to smooth Ciolacu's path to the second round -- an accusation that may resurface following the December 6 annulment. Over the past several days, Georgescu's first-place finish sparked fears and triggered protests, especially among younger Romanians, over the future of democracy in the country. On December 5, some 3,000 people marched in Bucharest 5 demanding Romania maintain its pro-European path before gathering in the capital's University Square chanting "Freedom" and "Europe." In a gesture of support, Moldovan President Maia Sandu traveled to Romania on December 5 to meet with Lasconi. Moldova was part of Romania until World War II and the two countries share a common language, culture, and history. The pro-Western Sandu won reelection on November 3, defeating Moscow-friendly candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo despite allegations of a widespread campaign in his favor orchestrated and funded by Russia. "We, Moldovans, have always looked toward Romania with admiration. For us, Romania has always been a model to follow...that's why we also want to be part of the European Union, but we need your help," Sandu told Lasconi. Moldova opened accession talks with the European Union earlier this year. About 3,000 people marched in Bucharest on December 5 demanding Romania maintain its pro-European path ahead of a runoff that will decide whether a far-right pro-Russian candidate will become the country’s next president. With the country braced for a December 8 second round vote pitting pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi against Calin Georgescu , who won the first round amid allegations of election influence orchestrated by Russia, Romanians gathered in University Square chanting "Freedom" and "Europe." Georgescu's first-place finish sparked fears and triggered protests, especially among younger Romanians, over the future of democracy in the country. The country was rocked further when Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) on December 4 declassified documents revealing the country was the target of an "aggressive hybrid Russian action" that led to Georgescu's shock first-round victory. Activists, including poet Ana Blandiana, prominent actors and other Romanians spoke at the rally, which was sponsored by the group Romania Hope. Blandiana said the vote represents more than just a simple election. The balloting is a true referendum: "'Yes' - for Europe or 'no' for the past that I came out of 35 years ago," she told the crowd. Serban Pavlu, an actor known for playing in feature films and television series, echoed Blandiana's comments, urging voters to choose the pro-European candidate. "We cannot, 30 years after the revolution, fear that the Russians will come after us," Pavlu said. Both speakers referred to the events of December 1989 when civil unrest spread through the country and resulted in the Christmas day execution of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena. Actress Oana Pellea told the gathering that there is only one path for Romanians: the one toward freedom "so that we don't end up spending our holidays [in Russia] in St. Petersburg." After each speaker, the people gathered in the square shout "Freedom! Freedom!" as they were urged to vote for Lasconi, a small town mayor and former journalist. History professor Marcel Bartic opened the rally by telling people they were using their voices to speak out against fascism, which he said Romania doesn't want. "We are here to remind our compatriots that Romania says no to extremists, to fascism. We want Europe, European values and we are not afraid to say it," Bartic said. The group's announcement on Facebook said Romania is at a decisive moment after the revolution opened the country's path to freedom and democracy. The organization said the country had been on a “difficult road...with many disappointments” since 1989 but had still achieved the right to travel, settle, study, and work in the countries of Europe and membership in NATO. “Human dignity, fundamental freedoms, equality between persons, solidarity, citizens' rights, and justice are the values that can unite us all,” the organization said, adding that it represents a “common cry for the protection and strengthening of these fundamental values.” Britain’s counterterrorism police say they are awaiting the extradition of two Romanian men who are suspects in the stabbing in March of a journalist working for a Persian-language media organization in London. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on December 5 that Nandito Badea, 19, and George Stana, 23, had been arrested in Romania and charged in the attack on Pouria Zeraati, a London-based TV host for the Iran International news network. Badea and Stana appeared in a Romanian court after their arrest on December 4 for the start of extradition proceedings," a CPS spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying. "We continue to work closely with Romanian authorities, to ensure that our extradition request is progressed through the courts." British authorities have authorized charges against both of "wounding and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm," according to a statement issued by the London Metropolitan Police. Zeraati, a British-Iranian journalist, suffered injuries after being stabbed near his home on March 29 in southwestern London. Counterterrorism police have led the investigation into the attack over concerns he had been targeted because of his job at Iran International, which is critical of Iran's government. “We now await the extradition process to progress so that the men can face prosecution here in the U.K.,” Acting Commander Helen Flanagan of the Counter Terrorism Command said in the statement. Flanagan said the command planned no further comments on the investigation and urged others not to speculate about the case, given criminal proceedings are now pending. Officials had previously said that the Romanians were suspected of being associates of an Eastern European crime network hired to carry out an attack directed by Iran’s security services. The suspects were likely hired to carry out the attack and had arrived in Britain shortly before the incident, according to British police sources quoted by The Guardian newspaper. British police, security officials, and politicians have issued a number of warnings about what they say is Iran's growing use of criminal proxies to carry out attacks abroad. The U.S. Justice Department last month unsealed criminal charges that included details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election. FBI Director Christopher Wray said at the time that the charges exposed Iran's “continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens” and dissidents who criticize the Iranian regime, which has rejected accusations that it is involved. One of the targets of the alleged plot was dissident journalist Masih Alinejad, who said on X that she was shocked to have learned of the conspiracy from the FBI. Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021 according to U.S. prosecutors, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home. Britain and the United States have imposed sanctions on Iranian officials who they say have been involved in threats to kill journalists on their soil. Iran International said the network is pleased that the police investigation has made progress. “It is reassuring for our journalists, as for others in organizations under similar threat," said Adam Baillie, a spokesman for the network, according to Reuters. Authorities initially believed three suspects were involved in the attack on Zeraati. The three men abandoned their vehicle shortly after the incident and left the country by air within hours, police said. A third person was detained in Romania on December 4, but was later released, according to individuals familiar with the case quoted by The Washington Post. The London Metropolitan Police statement did not mention the third person or specifically accuse those arrested of acting on behalf of Tehran. Zeraati did not comment directly on the developments but posted links on his X account to news stories about the arrests made in Romania. Georgian law enforcement officers conducted searches of homes owned by former Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili following a decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to uphold a ruling that he had embezzled over 5 million euros ($5.3 million) during his tenure as defense minister more than a decade ago. It was not clear what was being sought during the December 5 investigative actions. Details will be announced once the searches are complete, Kezerashvili's lawyer said. The searches took place amid large anti-government protests in the country over the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to suspend talks on Georgia joining the European Union and a crackdown that has drawn international condemnation and sanctions. One of the leaders of the opposition United National Movement (ENM), Dimitri Chikovani, currently lives in one of the homes searched. Chikovani reacted to the search on social media, saying it was an attempt to intimidate by “the Russian regime” and vowing that it would not succeed. “They want to form a dictatorship in the country, and they are wrong if they think they can do it,” Chikovani said. “Home invasions, illegal arrests, and pressure on individuals will not stop anyone. The Georgian people will soon force the Russian dictator and his regime out of Georgia forever and ever.” Kezerashvili, who fled Georgia in 2012 for France, reacted to the searches by taunting the Georgian authorities in a post on social media. "The so-called authorities have been so overwhelmed by the ECHR's decision that they are entering my house at the moment. Come on boys, keep it up. We still got this!!" Earlier on December 5, Georgian Justice Minister Anri Okhanashvili told a news conference in Tbilisi that the embezzled funds had been designated in the state budget for the Georgian armed forces shortly before the August 2008 war with Russia. Okhanashvili described Kezerashvili’s actions as a “blatant act of corruption,” and added that the former minister had signed a fictitious agreement with an offshore company for army training, bypassing the General Staff of the Defense Forces. The justice minister said the Strasbourg-based ECHR ruling showed thatthere had been no political prosecution against Kezerashvili and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Georgia on Kezerashvili's guilty plea was also substantiated and the presumption of innocence against him was not violated. “The court unequivocally found no violation of the presumption of innocence and affirmed that the Supreme Court of Georgia’s verdict was well-founded,” he said. "I congratulate our state, the Georgian Army, and our community on this worthy victory in the European Court," Okhanashvili added. However, ECHR decision indicated that an article of the Convention on Human Rights on the right to a fair trial was violated in Kezerashvili’s case. The court held that the presence of former Prosecutor-General Shalva Tadumadze on the three-judge panel that convicted him was sufficient to question the objectivity of the Supreme Court during the hearing of the appeal. But the court did not believe that the Supreme Court's decision was unsubstantiated and would result in a denial of the fairness of the proceedings as a whole. Kezerashvili filed the case with the ECHR in February 2022. The decision was made by the Grand Chamber of the ECHR with the consent of seven judges. The Syrian Army said it was redeploying troops "to preserve civilians lives and prevent urban combat" after Islamist-led rebels entered the key city of Hama, another loss for the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, as well as his allies in Russia and Iran. "Over the past few hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups...these groups were able to breach a number of axes in the city and entered it," a Syrian Army statement said on December 5. Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is key to the defense of Damascus and the gateway to the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, the former being home to a strategic Russian naval base. Syrian and Russian forces had shelled the rebels a day earlier and used air strikes to try and stop their advance. "With that (advance in Hama), Assad's in real trouble. Homs is next & its countryside is FAR more amenable to facilitating an opposition advance," Charles Lister, a senior fellow and the director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs at the Middle East Institute, wrote on X. The rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have made major advances over the past several days, including the capture of Aleppo, the country's largest city, as well as 14 central villages and towns, and gotten as close as 35 kilometers from the Russian-operated Khmeimim air base. Syria turned over the air base to Russia in 2015 as Moscow moved in to help Damascus turn the tide of a four-year civil war in its favor. Besides HTS, the rebels also include an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. The United Nations has said tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting. The European Union has ordered TikTok to freeze all its data amid reports that the Chinese-owned social platform had been instrumental in implementing a Moscow-orchestrated campaign to influence Romania's presidential and parliamentary elections. Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) on December 4 declassified documents revealing the country was the target of an "aggressive hybrid Russian action" that led to last month's surprise victory of pro-Russian far-right candidate Calin Georgescu in the first round of presidential elections. CSAT said the document showed EU and NATO member Romania was the target of various coordinated actions, most likely orchestrated by a "state actor," leading up to the November 24 election won by Georgescu, who ran as an independent. The European Commission -- the bloc's executive arm -- on December 5 issued a "retention order" to TikTok under its Digital Services Act (DSA) that would preserve evidence "related to actual or foreseeable systemic risks its service could pose on electoral processes and civic discourse in the EU," the commission said in a statement . It added the move was necessary in case of a further probe of TikTok's "compliance with its obligations under the DSA." According to the declassified documents, Romania's intelligence services believe Georgescu was massively promoted on TikTok with backing from Russia through multiple methods, including coordinated accounts, algorithms to boost his presence on the platform, and paid promotion. The documents purported to explain how Georgescu's popularity increased from 1 percent shortly before the race to 22 percent through a vast operation of manipulation that involved influencers and ensnared Romanian institutions as well as ordinary voters. A parliamentary election a week later resulted in a surge for three pro-Russia far right parties that garnered about a third of the vote, although the pro-European parties appear to have enough votes to form a coalition government. On December 8, voters will decide the winner of the presidential election in a runoff that pits Georgescu against pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied Russia was interfering in the election. "The campaign for the Romanian presidential election...is accompanied by an unprecedented outburst of anti-Russian hysteria," Zakharova said. "More and more absurd accusations are being made by local politicians, officials and media representatives," she added. "We firmly reject all hostile attacks, which we consider absolutely groundless." Ahead of the vote, the United States called for a thorough investigation into Moscow's alleged actions. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that while the United States does not interfere with the Romanian people's choice or the election process, Washington is "concerned by the CSAT's report of Russian involvement in malign cyberactivity designed to influence the integrity of the Romanian electoral process." Miller said Romania is a strong NATO ally and the United States values its contributions to the alliance's security and the country's hard-earned position in the transatlantic community cannot be reversed "by foreign actors seeking to shift Romania's foreign policy away from its Western alliances." Such a change in policy would have "serious negative impacts on U.S. security cooperation with Romania," Miller said. The declassified documents say influencers on TikTok were recruited to promote Georgescu directly by publicly supporting him and indirectly through neutral messages that contained labels associated with him. Dozens of TikTok accounts were found that falsely used the intelligence service's logo and the title Anti-Terrorist Brigade, each displaying thousands of followers and over 100,000 likes. Romania's intelligence services hinted that large sums of money would have been spent in the operation. Georgescu has told Romanian electoral authorities that he spent nothing on his campaign. Romanian intelligence linked the operation to Russia by noting that access data for official Romanian election websites was published on Russian cybercrime platforms. The access data was probably procured by targeting legitimate users or exploiting the legitimate training server, the intelligence services said. The State Department statement said Washington has been "closely following the elections in Romania" and that it "will continue to work together [with Romanian authorities] "to preserve the security of our nations and the prosperity and well-being of our citizens." On December 5, three Romanian institutions, including the country's top political sciences school, and a former presidential candidate asked the Constitutional Court to annul the first round of presidential elections and repeat them. It was not known immediately if the Court would consider the requests just hours ahead the start of the runoff abroad. TBILISI -- A Georgian opposition leader who was beaten unconscious during his arrest is recovering and expecting a court hearing, his lawyer said on December 5, as the United States firmly condemned the ruling Georgian Dream party's use of violence against demonstrators protesting the party's move to halt accession talks with the European Union. Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Akhali party under the Coalition for Change umbrella, was detained on December 4 by police during searches by authorities at opposition parties' headquarters in Tbilisi and was repeatedly hit in the stomach until he lost consciousness before being dragged motionless into a police vehicle. Gvaramia's lawyer, Dito Sadzaglishvili, said on December 5 that the opposition leader's health is "satisfactory." Sadzaglishvili said Gvaramia was arrested for "petty hooliganism and failing to comply with police orders" and a court hearing in his case should take place within 48 hours from his arrest. Another prominent member of the Coalition for Change, activist Gela Khasaia, was also taken into custody during the police operation. The wave of repression unleashed by the Georgian Dream government against protesters drew international condemnation as well as sanctions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a stern warning to the Georgian Dream government, urging it "to cease its repressive tactics, including its use of arbitrary detention and physical violence" as Tbilisi was roiled by a sixth day of mass protests that were met with excessive force by riot police. "The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream party's brutal and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, and opposition figures," Blinken said in a statement. Blinken reaffirmed the United States' "solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratic aspirations," warning those attempting to suppress the Georgians' right to freedom "will be held to account," including through additional sanctions. Washington in July suspended $95 million in assistance to Georgia after the Georgian Dream-controlled parliament adopted legislation related to foreign agents that critics say was inspired by a similar Russian law used by the Kremlin to crack down on political dissent and that sparked weeks of mass protests. Blinken's statement came after the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi on December 4 urged authorities to treat protesters with dignity as law enforcement authorities conducted raids on the offices of several Georgian opposition parties and protest leaders. On December 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Kyiv was imposing sanctions on 19 Georgian individuals. Zelenskiy's move came after the three Baltic states on December 2 announced joint sanctions against 11 Georgians, including Ivanishvili and Gomelauri. The list included Georgian Dream founder and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, State Security Service chief Grigol Liluashvili, Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, Tbilisi City Mayor Kakha Kaladze, and a number of judges and lawmakers. Despite the growing protests, Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests. Georgia's ombudsman accused police of torturing pro-EU protesters. Levan Ioseliani, whose role is to defend citizens' rights, said he and his officials had met people subjected to "the harshest treatment" by police. Protesters have described to RFE/RL the brutality employed by security forces against them. "They were hitting us in the head," protester Salome Zandukeli said, describing how she and a friend had been chased on the night of December 2 by some 25 riot police into a building in downtown Tbilisi before taking refuge in a cafe. Activist Gia Jvarsheishvili told RFE/RL that he was thrown to the ground by charging officers and beaten before being shoved into a police van where police pushed detainees to the floor and began stomping on them. "Suddenly, I was in unbearable pain and I realized that I had been injured. I didn't know it then, but I had a broken rib," Jvarsheishvili said. Georgia's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with the demonstrators, said on X that many of the arrested protesters had injuries to their heads and faces. Some people were subjected to systematic beatings between arrest and transportation to detention facilities, she added. Georgia has been thrown into the latest wave of turmoil since parliamentary elections in October in which Georgian Dream secured 54 percent of the vote. The opposition and Western governments argued that the poll was marred by violations and Russian influence. Kobakhidze has blamed the unrest on foreign "instructors" and tried to explain the decision to halt EU accession talks through 2028 by saying Georgia is ready for the talks, "but only with dignity and justice and without blackmail." Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023 but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, beginning with the adoption of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law, which critics say threatens media outlets and civil society groups. accusing them of "serving" outside powers. A majority of Georgians support EU membership, and efforts to join the bloc are mandated in the Georgian Constitution. Documents declassified by Romania's security council on December 4 said the country was the target of an "aggressive hybrid Russian action" during recent election campaigns, including last month's surprise victory of a pro-Russian far-right candidate. The Supreme Council of National Defense declassified the documents, saying they showed that Romania was the target of various coordinated actions leading up to the presidential election's November 24 first round, won by Calin Georgescu. Voters in the EU and NATO member state will decide the winner of the presidential election in a runoff on December 8 that pits Georgescu against pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi. It had already been reported that TikTok was used to generate support for Georgescu and connect him to a Romanian audience in the millions. But the declassified documents show that Romania's intelligence service believes that Georgescu was massively promoted on TikTok with backing from Russia through multiple methods, including coordinated accounts, algorithms to boost his presence on the platform, and paid promotion. The documents help explain how Georgescu's popularity increased from 1 percent shortly before the race to 22 percent artificially, through a vast operation of manipulation that involved influencers and ensnared Romanian institutions as well as ordinary voters. Some 25,000 TikTok accounts allegedly used to increase Georgescu's popularity "became very active two weeks before the date of the elections," according to the declassified documents. About 800 of these accounts had extremely low activity until November 11. From that date onward "the entire network was activated at full capacity," according to the documents. The intelligence service documents also show that influencers on TikTok were recruited to promote Georgescu directly by publicly supporting him and indirectly through neutral messages that contained labels associated with him. Another method used to promote the independent candidate involved the creation of accounts that falsely represented institutions of the Romanian state. Dozens of TikTok accounts were found that falsely used the intelligence service's logo and the title Anti-Terrorist Brigade (BAT), each displaying thousands of followers and over 100,000 likes. These fake accounts had supportive posts for Georgescu, presenting the false notion that these state institutions supported him. In addition, Georgescu's posts were not marked as belonging to a candidate, and this favored their mass dissemination. Other candidates whose posts were labeled as belonging to a candidate had a diminished online presence. Romania's intelligence services hinted that large sums of money would have been spent in the operation. Georgescu, according to information revealed in the declassified documents, declared to Romanian electoral authorities that he spent nothing on his campaign. The intelligence service linked the operation to Russia by noting that access data for official Romanian election websites was published on Russian cybercrime platforms. The access data was probably procured by targeting legitimate users or by exploiting the legitimate training server, the intelligence service said. It added that it had identified more than 85,000 cyberattacks that aimed to exploit system vulnerabilities. "The attacks continued intensively including on election day and the night after elections," the agency said in one of the declassified document. "The operating mode and the amplitude of the campaign leads us to conclude the attacker has considerable resources specific to an attacking state." Russia has denied any interference in Romania's elections. TikTok confirmed the deletion of electoral propaganda materials two days after the request of the Central Electoral Bureau, but it did not delete the electoral content as requested by the Permanent Electoral Authority, and it continued to be available to the public even after the end of the election campaign, including on election day, in violation of Romanian election law. Serbian lawmakers have begun deliberating a bill submitted to parliament that would establish a " foreign agents " registry, a move that may alienate Serbia from its EU ambitions. Initiated by members of the Movement of Socialists, led by pro-Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, the bill aims to regulate organizations and individuals receiving more than 50 percent of their funding from foreign sources. Supporters of the law argue that it aims to ensure greater transparency in the NGO sector. They claim that some foreign-funded organizations work against Serbia's national interests. However, critics -- both within Serbia and internationally -- warn that such a law could stigmatize civil society organizations, hinder their operations, and limit freedom of expression. "This draft law poses a serious and direct threat to civil society organizations, jeopardizing their role in safeguarding democratic values, human rights, and European integration," the EU's Economic and Social Committee said in a statement . "As with similar initiatives in other candidate countries, such as in the case of Georgia, the EESC reiterates that such legislation is incompatible with the fundamental values of the European Union, which Serbia, as an EU candidate country, is expected to uphold." The regional trend toward adopting such laws, legislation that mirrors Russian law and is often driven by pro-Russian political forces, highlights a broader geopolitical struggle in the Balkans. Several countries in the region find themselves in a situation where they try to balance historic ties with Russia and their aspirations for European integration. Serbia, alongside Montenegro, is considered a front-runner in the EU accession process. However, to achieve membership, candidate countries must harmonize their laws, policies, institutions, and practices with EU standards. Any legislation perceived as suppressing civil liberties, the EU has said, could jeopardize this progress. In Montenegro, a comparable draft law was introduced in October by the coalition For the Future of Montenegro, which includes pro-Russian parties such as the New Serbian Democracy and the Democratic People's Party. The bill in Serbia is also steeped in further controversy because of its origins. Deputy Prime Minister Vulin, a staunch ally of Russia, has positioned the bill as a transparency measure, comparing it to the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). However, Serbian opposition figures and international observers argue that the draft law more closely resembles the restrictive legislation seen in Russia. Vulin's close ties to Moscow -- underscored by frequent visits and his role in coordinating Serbia's BRICS-related activities -- have drawn international attention. In 2023, he was placed under U.S. sanctions for allegedly facilitating Russian activities in the Balkans. Critics view the proposed law as aligning with Moscow’s pattern to muzzle independent civil society organizations and limit dissent.

Adam Pemble, AP journalist whose compassionate lens brought stories to life, dies at 52COPENHAGEN, Denmark--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 8, 2024-- Genmab A/S (Nasdaq: GMAB): Preliminary analyses from the EPCORE ® CLL-1 trial demonstrates overall response rate (ORR) of 61 percent and complete response (CR) rate of 39 percent in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who received epcoritamab monotherapy In the study, 75 percent of evaluable responders achieved undetectable minimal residual disease (MRD), indicating no detectable disease following treatment with epcoritamab The data were selected as part of the 2024 American Society of Hematology’s (ASH’s) Annual Meeting Press Program in the Diagnosing and Treating Blood Cancers and “Almost Cancers” briefing Genmab A/S (Nasdaq: GMAB) today announced results from the Phase 1b/2 EPCORE ® CLL-1 clinical trial evaluating epcoritamab (Abstract #883), a T-cell engaging bispecific antibody administered subcutaneously, demonstrated an overall response rate (ORR) of 61 percent and a complete response (CR) rate of 39 percent in difficult-to-treat adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treated with epcoritamab monotherapy. These results, from the monotherapy expansion (EXP) cohort (n=23) of the trial, along with the first safety data from the optimization (OPT) cohort, were presented at the 66 th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), during the ASH Annual Meeting Press Program. The data will be presented during an oral session on December 9, 2024. In the EXP cohort, the median time to response was two (2.0) months and the median time to CR was 5.6 months. Among all patients in the cohort, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.8 months and median overall survival (OS) was not reached (median follow-up was 22.8 months). An estimated 65 percent of patients were alive at 15 months. Among 12 responders evaluable for minimal residual disease (MRD) by next-generation sequencing in peripheral blood, nine patients (75 percent) had undetectable MRD. The most frequent non-hematologic treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in the EXP cohort were cytokine release syndrome (CRS; 96 percent), diarrhea (48 percent), peripheral edema (48 percent), fatigue (43 percent), and injection-site reaction (43 percent). Cytopenias were common (anemia, 65 percent; thrombocytopenia, 65 percent; neutropenia, 48 percent); however, most patients had baseline anemia and thrombocytopenia, suggesting that these events were largely disease-related. Three cases of immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were reported (one Grade 1; two Grade 2), and there was one clinical tumor lysis syndrome (CTLS) case (Grade 2). These cases did not lead to treatment discontinuation. Four fatal TEAEs occurred - two cases of pneumonia, one case of sepsis and one case of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. The EXP cohort followed a 2-step step-up dose regimen, and CRS was manageable and primarily low grade (9 percent Grade 1, 70 percent Grade 2, 17 percent Grade 3). In the first data from the separate OPT cohort, which followed a 3-step step-up dose regimen, CRS severity was substantially reduced with only low-grade events (71 percent Grade 1, 12 percent Grade 2). In both cohorts, CRS events primarily occurred following the first full dose, and none led to treatment discontinuation. No ICANS or CTLS cases were reported in the OPT cohort. “These EPCORE CLL-1 data are encouraging, especially as the majority of patients were heavily pre-treated with at least four lines of therapy,” said Alexey Danilov, MD, PhD, Marianne and Gerhard Pinkus, Professor and Director of Early Clinical Therapeutics and Associate Director of the Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope. “Despite progress in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia, there remains a tremendous need for additional therapeutic options for high-risk patients whose disease has progressed following standard chemoimmunotherapy and targeted therapies.” Additional data from the EXP cohort showed high response rates in patients with high-risk factors treated with epcoritamab, including TP53 aberrations, IGHV-unmutated disease and double-exposed disease – prognostic markers that are associated with disease progression and decreased survival. i,ii,iii In patients with TP53 aberrations (n=15), the ORR was 67 percent with a CR of 33 percent. Among patients with IGHV-unmutated disease (n=16), the ORR was 63 percent, and the CR was 44 percent. In double-refractory patients, the ORR was 53 percent, and the CR was 37 percent. All patients in the trial had prior chemoimmunotherapy, and most patients had previously received targeted therapies such as BTK and BCL2 inhibitors (double-exposed) and had high-risk disease characteristics. “Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is incurable, and patients often need a variety of treatments throughout their lifetime, especially if their disease has high-risk prognostic factors, has relapsed or has become refractory to the current standard-of-care, including targeted therapies,” said Dr. Judith Klimovsky, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Genmab. “These early data show the potential therapeutic applicability of epcoritamab in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and further reinforce the potential of epcoritamab as a core therapy for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.” Use of epcoritamab in CLL is not approved in the U.S. or in the EU or in any other territory. The safety and efficacy of epcoritamab for use in CLL have not been established. About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent type of leukemia, affecting over 200,000 people in the United States alone. iv Chronic lymphocytic leukemia can be classified as either slow growing (indolent) or fast growing (aggressive). v CLL is incurable, and many patients will likely relapse and progress on frontline therapies. vi Most patients will experience consecutive episodes of disease progression and will require several lines of treatment in their lifetime. vii,viii About the EPCORE ® CLL-1 Trial EPCORE ® CLL-1 is a Phase 1b/2, open-label, multi-center trial to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of epcoritamab as a monotherapy and in combination with standard of care agents in patients with difficult-to-treat relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), R/R small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and Richter's Syndrome (RS). The trial consists of two parts: a dose-escalation phase (Phase 1b) and an expansion phase (Phase 2). Patients with RS are only included in the expansion phase. The primary objective of Phase 1b is to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose and the maximum tolerated dose as well as establish the safety profile of epcoritamab monotherapy and epcoritamab plus venetoclax in participants with R/R CLL. The purpose of Phase 2 is to assess and evaluate the preliminary efficacy, safety and tolerability profiles of epcoritamab monotherapy and epcoritamab plus venetoclax for patients with R/R CLL and SLL. Additionally, epcoritamab monotherapy and combination therapy will be evaluated in patients with RS to assess their efficacy, safety and tolerability profiles. More information on this trial can be found at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ (NCT: 04623541). About Epcoritamab Epcoritamab is an IgG1-bispecific antibody created using Genmab's proprietary DuoBody ® technology and administered subcutaneously. Genmab's DuoBody-CD3 technology is designed to direct cytotoxic T cells selectively to elicit an immune response toward target cell types. Epcoritamab is designed to simultaneously bind to CD3 on T cells and CD20 on B cells and induces T-cell-mediated killing of CD20+ cells. ix Epcoritamab (approved under the brand name EPKINLY ® in the U.S. and Japan, and TEPKINLY ® in the EU) has received regulatory approval in certain lymphoma indications in several territories. Epcoritamab is being co-developed by Genmab and AbbVie as part of the companies' oncology collaboration. The companies will share commercial responsibilities in the U.S. and Japan, with AbbVie responsible for further global commercialization. Both companies will pursue additional international regulatory approvals for the investigational R/R FL indication and additional approvals for the R/R DLBCL indication. Genmab and AbbVie continue to evaluate the use of epcoritamab as a monotherapy, and in combination, across lines of therapy in a range of hematologic malignancies. This includes five ongoing Phase 3, open-label, randomized trials including a trial evaluating epcoritamab as a monotherapy in patients with R/R DLBCL compared to investigator's choice chemotherapy ( NCT04628494 ), a trial evaluating epcoritamab in combination with R-CHOP in adult patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL ( NCT05578976 ), a trial evaluating epcoritamab in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide (R 2 ) in patients with R/R FL ( NCT05409066 ), a trial evaluating epcoritamab in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide (R 2 ) compared to chemoimmunotherapy in patients with previously untreated FL ( NCT06191744 ), and a trial evaluating epcoritamab in combination with lenalidomide compared to chemotherapy infusion in patients with R/R DLBCL ( NCT06508658 ). The safety and efficacy of epcoritamab has not been established for these investigational uses. Please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov for more information. EPKINLY ® (epcoritamab-bysp) U.S. INDICATIONS & IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is EPKINLY? EPKINLY is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with certain types of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), high-grade B-cell lymphoma, or follicular lymphoma (FL) that has come back or that did not respond to previous treatment after receiving 2 or more treatments. EPKINLY is approved based on patient response data. Studies are ongoing to confirm the clinical benefit of EPKINLY. It is not known if EPKINLY is safe and effective in children. Important Warnings—EPKINLY can cause serious side effects, including: Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which is common during treatment with EPKINLY and can be serious or life-threatening. To help reduce your risk of CRS, you will receive EPKINLY on a step-up dosing schedule (when you receive 2 or 3 smaller step-up doses of EPKINLY before your first full dose during your first cycle of treatment), and you may also receive other medicines before and for 3 days after receiving EPKINLY. If your dose of EPKINLY is delayed for any reason, you may need to repeat the step-up dosing schedule. Neurologic problems that can be life-threatening and lead to death. Neurologic problems may happen days or weeks after you receive EPKINLY. People with DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma should be hospitalized for 24 hours after receiving their first full dose of EPKINLY on day 15 of cycle 1 due to the risk of CRS and neurologic problems. Tell your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you develop a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher; dizziness or lightheadedness; trouble breathing; chills; fast heartbeat; feeling anxious; headache; confusion; shaking (tremors); problems with balance and movement, such as trouble walking; trouble speaking or writing; confusion and disorientation; drowsiness, tiredness or lack of energy; muscle weakness; seizures; or memory loss. These may be symptoms of CRS or neurologic problems. If you have any symptoms that impair consciousness, do not drive or use heavy machinery or do other dangerous activities until your symptoms go away. EPKINLY can cause other serious side effects, including: Infections that may lead to death. Your healthcare provider will check you for signs and symptoms of infection before and during treatment and treat you as needed if you develop an infection. You should receive medicines from your healthcare provider before you start treatment to help prevent infection. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop any symptoms of infection during treatment, including fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, cough, chest pain, tiredness, shortness of breath, painful rash, sore throat, pain during urination, or feeling weak or generally unwell. Low blood cell counts, which can be serious or severe. Your healthcare provider will check your blood cell counts during treatment. EPKINLY may cause low blood cell counts, including low white blood cells (neutropenia), which can increase your risk for infection; low red blood cells (anemia), which can cause tiredness and shortness of breath; and low platelets (thrombocytopenia), which can cause bruising or bleeding problems. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for symptoms of CRS, neurologic problems, infections, and low blood cell counts during treatment with EPKINLY. Your healthcare provider may temporarily stop or completely stop treatment with EPKINLY if you develop certain side effects. Before you receive EPKINLY, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you have an infection, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. If you receive EPKINLY while pregnant, it may harm your unborn baby. If you are a female who can become pregnant, your healthcare provider should do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with EPKINLY and you should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment and for 4 months after your last dose of EPKINLY. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant or think that you may be pregnant during treatment with EPKINLY. Do not breastfeed during treatment with EPKINLY and for 4 months after your last dose of EPKINLY. In DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma, the most common side effects of EPKINLY include CRS, tiredness, muscle and bone pain, injection site reactions, fever, stomach-area (abdominal) pain, nausea, and diarrhea. The most common severe abnormal laboratory test results include decreased white blood cells, decreased red blood cells, and decreased platelets. In follicular lymphoma the most common side effects of EPKINLY include injection site reactions, CRS, COVID-19, tiredness, upper respiratory tract infections, muscle and bone pain, rash, diarrhea, fever, cough, and headache. The most common severe abnormal laboratory test results include decreased white blood cells and decreased red blood cells. These are not all of the possible side effects of EPKINLY. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch or to Genmab US, Inc. at 1-855-4GENMAB (1-855-443-6622). Please see Full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide , including Important Warnings. Globally, prescribing information varies; refer to the individual country product label for complete information. About Genmab Genmab is an international biotechnology company with a core purpose of guiding its unstoppable team to strive toward improving the lives of patients with innovative and differentiated antibody therapeutics. For 25 years, its passionate, innovative and collaborative team has invented next-generation antibody technology platforms and leveraged translational, quantitative and data sciences, resulting in a proprietary pipeline including bispecific T-cell engagers, antibody-drug conjugates, next-generation immune checkpoint modulators and effector function-enhanced antibodies. By 2030, Genmab’s vision is to transform the lives of people with cancer and other serious diseases with knock-your-socks-off (KYSO ® ) antibody medicines. Established in 1999, Genmab is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with international presence across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit Genmab.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X . This Media Release contains forward looking statements. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend” and “plan” and similar expressions identify forward looking statements. Actual results or performance may differ materially from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such statements. The important factors that could cause our actual results or performance to differ materially include, among others, risks associated with preclinical and clinical development of products, uncertainties related to the outcome and conduct of clinical trials including unforeseen safety issues, uncertainties related to product manufacturing, the lack of market acceptance of our products, our inability to manage growth, the competitive environment in relation to our business area and markets, our inability to attract and retain suitably qualified personnel, the unenforceability or lack of protection of our patents and proprietary rights, our relationships with affiliated entities, changes and developments in technology which may render our products or technologies obsolete, and other factors. For a further discussion of these risks, please refer to the risk management sections in Genmab’s most recent financial reports, which are available on www.genmab.com and the risk factors included in Genmab’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at www.sec.gov . Genmab does not undertake any obligation to update or revise forward looking statements in this Media Release nor to confirm such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made or in relation to actual results, unless required by law. Genmab A/S and/or its subsidiaries own the following trademarks: Genmab ®; the Y-shaped Genmab logo ®; Genmab in combination with the Y-shaped Genmab logo ®; HuMax ®; DuoBody ®; HexaBody ®; DuoHexaBody ®, HexElect ® and KYSOTM. EPCORE ®, EPKINLY ®, TEPKINLY ® and their designs are trademarks of AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd. i Campo, et al. TP53 Aberrations in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: An Overview of the Clinical Implications of Improved Diagnostics. Haematologica . 2018 Nov 15;103(12):1956–1968. https://haematologica.org/article/view/8691 . ii Galieni, et al. Unmutated IGHV at Diagnosis in Patients With Early Stage CLL Independently Predicts for Shorter Follow-Up Time to First Treatment (TTFT). Leukemia Research. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leukres.2024.107541 . iii Zuber, et al. Efficacy and Effectiveness Outcomes of Treatments for Double-Exposed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma Patients: A Systematic Literature Review. Cancer Medicine . 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70258 . iv Fedele, et al. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Time to Care for the Survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology . 2024. https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.23.02738 . v Penn Medicine. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Accessed November 2024. https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/types-of-cancer/leukemia/types-of-leukemia/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia . vi Odetola, et al. Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Curr Hematol Malig Rep . 2023 Jun 6:1–14. doi: 10.1007/s11899-023-00700-z vii Moreno, Carol. Standard Treatment Approaches for Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia After Frontline Chemoimmunotherapy. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program . 2020 Dec 4;2020(1):33-40. doi: 10.1182/hematology.2020000086. viii Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Relapsed and Refractory CLL. Accessed November 2024. https://www.lls.org/leukemia/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia/treatment/relapsed-and-refractory . ix Engelberts PJ, et al. DuoBody-CD3xCD20 Induces Potent T-Cell-Mediated Killing of Malignant B Cells in Preclinical Models and Provides Opportunities for Subcutaneous Dosing. EBioMedicine . 2020;52:102625. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.102625. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241208951291/en/ CONTACT: David Freundel, Senior Director, Global R&D & Portfolio Communications T: +1 609 430 2481; E:dafr@genmab.com Andrew Carlsen, Vice President, Head of Investor Relations T: +45 3377 9558; E:acn@genmab.com KEYWORD: DENMARK EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RESEARCH FDA CLINICAL TRIALS BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL OTHER SCIENCE SCIENCE ONCOLOGY SOURCE: Genmab A/S Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/08/2024 11:00 AM/DISC: 12/08/2024 11:02 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241208951291/en

Article content It’s 8:30 a.m. and some of the children coming into the Strathcona Community Centre for breakfast are tired, some are chirpy, but they are all hungry. They enter up a flight of stairs at the back of the centre and waiting for them are Bonnie Jarvis, who runs the breakfast program, and longtime breakfast volunteer Vuong My. Not only students come up those stairs. There are teachers and support workers, too, from the adjoining Lord Strathcona Elementary School, carrying large bags filled with today’s meal — three different kinds of cereal, cartons of milk, bananas and boiled eggs. They will take this food back to the school for their students to eat before classes begin. Each day, staff here prepare and provide as many as 270 grab-and-go breakfasts for Strathcona students. There are plenty of needy communities in this province, but then there is Strathcona. The proverbial most needy of all in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. “This breakfast program is very important for the community,” said Amy Weeks, the food security manager for the centre. “It’s grab-and-go breakfast because we don’t know who really needs a breakfast, so this de-stigmatizes it.” A communal breakfast was once served inside the community centre for parents and children, but that model was abandoned when the province ordered schools closed and people to isolate during the COVID pandemic. “This breakfast is essential for supporting the health and well-being of our students,” said Weeks. Half of the families living in the area are considered low-income, many living in two large social housing complexes nearby. Strathcona has the highest rate of child poverty in the city. Those families not in subsidized housing struggle with the financial instability caused by the rising cost of housing and food, said Weeks. Many families rely on income assistance, disability benefits, or low-paying jobs. “For many students, hunger is a significant and daily challenge,” she said. She estimated that 60 per cent of the school’s 500 students could be classified as vulnerable because of poverty. “The vulnerable student population we serve face a variety of interconnected challenges beyond hunger, ” she explained. “Many children come from single-parent households, or are being raised by grandparents or other extended family members, or are new to Canada and still adjusting to the language. ... Breakfast is a stabilizing anchor for these students. It’s where they are cared for and valued.” The community centre is asking The Vancouver Sun’s Adopt-A-School campaign for $35,000 to feed these children each morning. From September to November, a total of 13,726 breakfasts have been served. The menu varies each day and students from the school will come in and help prepare the next day’s meal as part of the centre’s Breakfast Buddies program. The average cost of a breakfast is $3 and a variety of items are offered on different days, such as banana muffins, pancakes, french toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, hash browns, egg bites, yogurt cups and fruit, as well as cereal and milk. First grade teacher Lourdes Friess was there filling a large shopping bag with cereal, milk, eggs and bananas. “This will keep my class going all day,” she said. There was enough in her bag to provide breakfast for her class and for snacks later in the day after lunch. “It’s really important for them,” she said. The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund which administers Adopt-A-School is being asked for $2.9 million to support hundreds of schools in the province. Almost $2.2 million is being sought for food and clothing for hungry and impoverished children. All donations made to Adopt-A-School will be sent to schools. No administration fees are deducted from donations. To pay by credit card, call .

With Trump on the way, advocates look to states to pick up medical debt fightPep Guardiola looks defeated as he delivers grim Man City injury update before Juventus and Man Utd

NVIDIA Co. (NASDAQ:NVDA) Shares Purchased by Ridgepath Capital Management LLC

Notre Dame welcomes back public for mass after five-year refitTrudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for SyriaWashington State Patrol Chief John Batiste will soon be serving under his third chief executive. Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson on Thursday announced Batiste’s reappointment to lead the statewide law enforcement agency, a job Batiste has held for nearly two decades. Also Thursday, Ferguson announced he’s retaining three other members of Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration: Joel Sacks as director of the Department of Labor & Industries , Allyson Brooks as director of the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation , and Bill Kehoe as director of Washington Technology Solutions and the state’s chief information officer. “With our challenges ahead, proven and thoughtful leadership is more important than ever,” Ferguson said in a statement. “I am proud that these four individuals will continue their service.” On Friday, he said he was reappointing three additional agency leaders: Drew Shirk as director for the Department of Revenue , Scott McCallum as superintendent for the Washington State School for the Blind and Shauna Bilyeu as executive director for the Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth . Ferguson has named leaders of more than a dozen agencies and departments ahead of his inauguration next month. Batiste could be a prominent figure in advancing Ferguson’s public safety agenda, which includes securing funding to help cities and counties hire officers and increasing safety on the state’s roadways. Batiste joined the Washington State Patrol in March 1976 , earning promotions through the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and deputy chief. In 2005, then-governor Christine Gregoire appointed him to be the state patrol’s 21st chief. Gov. Jay Inslee kept him on when he took office in 2013 and Batiste is set to begin work for Ferguson on Jan. 15, 2025. The Washington State Patrol has 1,100 positions budgeted for commissioned officers and 1,100 for civilian employees. Of its six bureaus, field operations is the most visible as it is responsible for traffic law enforcement, collision investigation, and motorist assistance on 17,524 miles of state and interstate highways. The state’s crime lab and fire marshal are housed in the agency. And the Investigative Services Bureau includes the Firearms Background Division, a point of contact for all firearm-related background checks. Sacks has led the Department of Labor and Industries since 2013. The department oversees Washington’s workplace safety laws and workers’ compensation insurance program, and enforces the state’s wage and hour requirements. In a release , Sacks said he was honored to join the Ferguson administration. “I’m passionate about worker safety, and proud of what we’ve accomplished. As long as there are people hurt and killed on the job, we have a lot more to do,” he said.Freelance photographer arrested on Capitol riot charges

Aberdeen midfielder Leighton Clarkson insists it is “not all doom and gloom” at Pittodrie despite crashing to a five-game winless slump. After a record-breaking 11 game unbeaten start to the league campaign the Dons’ form has hit a bump in recent weeks. Clarkson accepts the Reds now face a “test of character”. A return of just three points from the last possible 15 have resulted in second-placed Aberdeen falling nine points behind league leaders Celtic, who hold a game in hand. The Dons were level on points at the top of the table with Celtic after 11 games. Some frustrated Aberdeen fans booed at half-time and full-time. Clarkson admits the drop in form is disappointing but has called for some perspective as Aberdeen are second in the Premiership and their confidence remains intact. He said: “We are still in a really good position so it’s not all doom and gloom. “The spirit is still there but the quality has dipped in the last few games and we need to get that back. “The confidence hasn’t gone, we just need to be more at it. “The games we drew recently felt like losses even though we did get something out of them. “But we felt (against St Johnstone) we really should have been coming away with three points. “We had a lot of possession but it was all a bit slow when we need to punch the passes in and make them run around.” Pittodrie ‘fear factor’ was missing Aberdeen had a this season prior to recently losing 1-0 to Celtic in the Granite City. Clarkson believes the fear factor the Dons had built for opposition teams at Pittodrie wasn’t there against the Perth Saints. He said: “We spoke in the changing room before the game about getting the crowd going. “For opposition players to come here, they should fear it. “I don’t think St Johnstone feared it and that comes from us on the pitch not giving the fans enough to shout about. “So there’s obviously still a lot we need to do.” ‘It’s a test of character’ Aberdeen are . The Dons were nine points clear of third-placed Rangers but that gap has been slashed. Clarkson said: “It’s a test of character because everything was going swimmingly for such a long time...then all of a sudden. “It was lacklustre against St Johnstone. “We had a lot of possession, but it was all a bit slow. “We need to be punching the passes in and making the opposition work, making them turn around. “There was not enough crosses into the box and we didn’t really play through the lines. “We threw everything at it, but just couldn’t get enough shots away.” ‘We need to be bang at it at home’ Aberdeen trailed 1-0 at half-time to a goal from Makenzie Kirk. Boss Thelin made three changes at the break and it paid off as substitute Duk played in Clarkson to level in the 56th minute. Aberdeen, however, could not deliver a winner. Clarkson said: “It was frustrating as we didn’t come out of the blocks in the first half and weren’t really at it. “The gaffer made a couple of changes at half-time that brought a bit of life back into us. “We managed to get the goal but we are disappointed not to work their keeper enough. “I don’t know why that was as especially when we play teams at home we need to be bang at it. “I was happy with the goal as I know I missed one the other night against Celtic. “I didn’t sleep at night after that so it was good to score but I would have been more pleased with the three points.”

A Campbell River resident is celebrating the milestone of becoming Canada’s first-ever student pilot to fly solo in an electric airplane. Catherine Check said she has wanted to be a pilot since she was five years old and decided a few years ago to pursue it as a profession. After gaining experience with conventional airplanes, her instructor at Sealand Flight School offered her the opportunity to test an electric plane. On Dec. 18, with about 10 hours of training experience, the 18-year-old became the country's first-ever student pilot to fly solo in an electric airplane. "The plane is a lot lighter, so you feel more turbulence," Check said. "But at the same time, the technology difference is remarkable." Flying the electric plane felt safer than a conventional plane, Check explained, because she could monitor what's happening with the engine, batteries, and power more confidentially during the 50-minute flight. "It's really safe in my opinion," she said. "Because it's a glider, it's not going to go in a nosedive." Check said the achievement means a lot to her, as she is a female pilot in a male-dominated field. She said she hopes her success will encourage others to consider becoming pilots, especially because the future of air travel is more sustainable. Called a Velis Electro, the electric plane Check flew is ultra-quiet. It produces zero emissions and is expected to be less expensive than conventional training aircraft. According to Sealand Flight School, the flight represents a major milestone in the aviation industry’s pursuit of sustainability. With the backing of Clean BC, BC Hydro, and Transport Canada, Sealand Flight is leading this initiative and takes immense pride in Check's achievement. “After sending students solo in conventional airplanes for over 20 years, it was exciting and rewarding to watch Catherine solo in an electric airplane for the first time,” said Ian Lamont, the company's chief flight instructor. This pioneering initiative serves as a foundation for implementing more commercial zero-emissions aircrafts reads a media release from the flight school. Through the electric airplane training flights, Canada's regulators and industry members are studying and evaluating how aviation can feasibly adopt these emerging technologies, it says.In a significant move to foster international ties, the City of Austin has entered into a Sister Cities Agreement with Limerick, Ireland, an arrangement aimed at stimulating cultural, educational, and economic engagements between the two cities, according to a press release from Austin's Economic Development Department . The signing ceremony, which saw Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Limerick Mayor John Moran in attendance last Thursday, celebrates the potential of cooperation across the Atlantic. A new sign outside Austin City Hall heralds this transatlantic connection as a testament to the growing relationship between the cities. Under the newly established agreement business development, science and technology, and the creative industries are among the sectors expected to benefit from this transatlantic collaboration, as the two cities intend to leverage their similarities in entrepreneurial drive and innovation—an intent expressed by both Mayor Kirk Watson and Mayor John Moran, "Together, we will create opportunities for cultural exchange, economic collaboration, and shared innovation that will benefit both our communities and foster a lasting friendship across the Atlantic," Mayor Watson stated in a press release . Mayor Moran of Limerick echoed the sentiment, celebrating the shared entrepreneurial spirit and the already present business ties between their respective cities. The agreement stipulates yearly meetings and idea exchanges to maintain and strengthen communication channels aiming to enrich urban development, tourism, education, and further common interests. This Sister Cities partnership aligns with Austin Economic Development Department's strategic objectives to bolster global partnerships and ultimately foster mutual growth, in an effort bridging not just two cities, but two continents, Mayor Moran told reporters. Austin now counts 13 Sister Cities and 2 Friendship Cities, all managed by Austin Sister Cities International, a volunteer-driven initiative that ensures these international relationships are nurtured and productive. For entrepreneurs and locals interested in the potential expansions and opportunities arising from the city's global business strategies, the Economic Development Department's website serves as a lively hub of information and the starting point to tap into these new cross-border possibilities. Those looking for further details on Austin's initiatives to support business development, creative industries, and local communities can find vital resources by visiting the official Economic Development Department website at www.austintexas.gov/edd. The site also encourages subscribes to learn more through the department's newsletter and social media channels, enabling a connection with @AustinEconDev across various platforms.

Onity Group Names Valerie Haertel Vice President of Investor RelationsLooking to burnish communications to the community, the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) is planning to move ahead with the creation of a dedicated smartphone app. “I think it’s a step in the right direction because now instead of relying on mailouts, we’re using the technology that’s already in our members’ hands and communicating with them that way,” said MCK chief Amy Beauvais. The app will be used by all MCK departments to deliver updates, job opportunities, and other information pertinent to band members, but it will not replace existing forms of communication, Beauvais said. “A large majority of our members have smartphones, but that isn’t to say we’re going to obliterate the other forms of communication,” she said. “We’re not trying to get rid of anything. We’re just trying to add and improve.” Beauvais presented the option to other Council chiefs after she was approached with the concept by technology company Communikit, which specializes in creating app solutions for First Nations. “I would say I was ecstatic when I found out,” said Beauvais, who has been looking for ways to boost Council’s outreach following her experience at the Indigenous-led First Nations Executive Education (FNEE) program at HEC Montreal. At the school, she worked on a project that envisioned a communications department at the MCK. It’s something she’s now working to put into action, she said, alongside the MCK’s new administrative consultant. Improving communications is a priority, she said, because community members have often complained they don’t know what Council is doing. Communikit’s technology is already being used by other First Nations, including Six Nations of the Grand River, which issues announcements and other information on the app. The suite of features even allows for forms to be filled out, although Six Nations doesn’t currently have any available. “I think to have a one-stop shop is great,” said Six Nations of the Grand River public relations coordinator Darryl Smart. “There are so many different platforms out there and so many ways to get the message out. If you can spread that message to as many people as possible, I think that’s the big one.” He said in his community, too, paper is not going anywhere. He remembers the department pounding the pavement this summer to deliver parking information ahead of homegrown Kanien’kehá:ka National Hockey League star Brandon Montour coming to town with the Stanley Cup. “Physical information will never go away because if you’re in communications, you also have to realize it’s nice to have the tools, but you also have to realize not everyone has these tools,” Smart said. Even social media cannot reach everyone, he noted, especially with the fragmentation of platforms. The communications app is not the only new technology coming soon to Kanesatake, with MCK chief Brant Etienne revealing to The Pines Reporter earlier this year that Council has contracted the services of OneFeather to provide an online voting option in the next MCK election. The Eastern Door Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

OMNI 360 Wealth Inc. boosted its position in NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 125.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 16,170 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after buying an additional 8,988 shares during the period. NVIDIA makes up approximately 1.3% of OMNI 360 Wealth Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. OMNI 360 Wealth Inc.’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $1,964,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Koesten Hirschmann & Crabtree INC. acquired a new stake in NVIDIA in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in NVIDIA in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. grew its stake in NVIDIA by 1,900.0% in the 2nd quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 200 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc acquired a new stake in NVIDIA in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, CGC Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in NVIDIA in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. 65.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insider Activity In other NVIDIA news, CFO Colette Kress sold 66,670 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.59, for a total value of $7,773,055.30. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 4,954,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $577,611,810.26. This represents a 1.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, CEO Jen Hsun Huang sold 120,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.33, for a total value of $12,639,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 75,895,836 shares in the company, valued at $7,994,108,405.88. The trade was a 0.16 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 1,796,986 shares of company stock valued at $214,418,399 over the last 90 days. 4.23% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Read Our Latest Analysis on NVIDIA NVIDIA Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ:NVDA opened at $142.44 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $138.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $125.58. NVIDIA Co. has a fifty-two week low of $45.60 and a fifty-two week high of $152.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.49 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 4.10 and a quick ratio of 3.64. NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $35.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.15 billion. NVIDIA had a return on equity of 114.83% and a net margin of 55.69%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 93.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.38 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year. NVIDIA announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, August 28th that allows the company to repurchase $50.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the computer hardware maker to purchase up to 1.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. NVIDIA Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 5th. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1.57%. NVIDIA Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVDA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Alibaba Divests Its Intime Store ChainCanadian negotiators are downplaying concerns about the impact the pending Trump administration will have on the state of the Columbia River Treaty modernization efforts between Canada and the United States. Both sides reached an "agreement in principle (AIP)" earlier this year amid efforts to update the decades-old flood control and power generation agreement between the two countries. However, as the U.S. White House transitions from Democratic president Joe Biden to Republican Donald Trump, concerns raised by the public about the immediate future of the treaty were front and centre during a held on Dec. 19. While in California during the U.S. election campaign in September, President-elect Donald Trump suggested a "very large faucet" in B.C. could help California's drought. Stephen Gluck, the lead federal negotiator with Global Affairs Canada, said the treaty's modernization efforts spanned back to the first Trump administration through the Biden administration and will continue no matter who is in power in the United States. "Obviously, there's profile and media attention to comments like that," Gluck said. "I will say though that the Columbia River Treaty is a treaty that has been for power and flood risk management and we have moved towards modernizing it for some other means, but essentially it is a regional and a contained treaty. We don't necessarily follow or look for those remarks and our team right now is focused on modernizing the treaty...as soon as we can." B.C. energy minister Adrian Dix, who was also in virtual attendance, concurred. "I think what we have to do, and what we have to continue to do, is do the work of defending Canadian interests, Columbia Basin interests, British Columbia interests, and not be distracted in that work by the political discussions of the time," Dix said. The info session also included representation from Columbia Basin MLAs, the Province of B.C. as well as Indigenous representatives from the Syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations. Originally ratified in 1964, the Columbia River Treaty was a water management agreement between the two countries that focused on downstream flood control management and power generation. The treaty facilitated the creation of three dams in B.C. — Mica, Duncan and Keenleyside — as well the Libby dam in Montana. However, when it was drafted, it was essentially done without any input from Indigenous Nations, as the resulting reservoirs flooded out Indigenous territory, affecting cultural, heritage and ecological values. Among the key elements of a modernized treaty is a focus on ecosystem function and re-framing the agreement to treating the Columbia River as a one-river system that flows over traditional Indigenous territory and a number of federal and state jurisdictions. That effort has been led by Indigenous governments in both countries. The Secwépemc, Syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations were invited to participate as official observers with the Canadian delegation in 2018, and led the focus on ecosystem function along with U.S.-based Indigenous governments. During the info session, Jay Johnson, the lead negotiator for the Syilx Okanagan Nation, reflected on the significance of Indigenous participation in the treaty modernization efforts. "This is a pretty profoundly important journey that we are on right now in that never in the history of the contemporary world have Indigenous communities had a voice directly at the table in international bilateral negotiations," Johnson said, "and both governments had the foresight and the understanding to include the three Nations and the Untied States to include the U.S. tribes in helping to shape and form and participate in the negotiations and that's a pretty important step in the journey of reconciliation." Major elements of the new AIP include increased domestic flexibility for the Canadian treaty dams, particularly for ecosystem and Indigenous values. Additionally, a new flood-risk management regime replaces the existing one, as the U.S. will now pay Canada $37.6 million (USD) indexed to inflation until 2044. Canada will receive an additional $16.6 million (USD) in recognition of other benefits that the U.S. receives due to Canada's operations of the three treaty dams. The Canadian Entitlement is the share of the power benefit by coordinating flows in the three Canadian reservoirs for incremental power generation above and beyond what's already generated in the U.S. However, for every million-acre feet that is used for Canadian flexibility, the Entitlement will be reduced by 6.5 per cent, as there is no corresponding power benefit to the U.S. Other elements of the modernized AIP include an Indigenous and Tribal advisory body, salmon reintroduction and ensuring flows for salmon and a transboundary Kootenay/Kootenai working group. Before the treaty is finalized, it must pass approvals processes federally in both Canada and the U.S., as well as in British Columbia.