Christmas

Pope urges Russia, Ukraine dialogue in Christmas blessing

diplomacy

Russia makes 'proposal' to France over jailed researcher

  • Vinatier, 49, who works for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, was jailed in June 2024 and is serving a three-year sentence for failing to register as a "foreign agent".
  • Russia has made an offer to France regarding a jailed researcher facing espionage charges that could see him sentenced to 20 years in prison, the Kremlin said Thursday.
  • Vinatier, 49, who works for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, was jailed in June 2024 and is serving a three-year sentence for failing to register as a "foreign agent".
Russia has made an offer to France regarding a jailed researcher facing espionage charges that could see him sentenced to 20 years in prison, the Kremlin said Thursday.
The surprise public overture prompted hopes from Laurent Vinatier's family that he could soon be freed. It came as Russia and France expressed interest in possible talks between presidents Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron.
Macron is "fully mobilised" to obtain Vinatier's release "as quickly as possible", his office said, while insisting that the researcher was being held "arbitrarily".
Vinatier, 49, who works for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, was jailed in June 2024 and is serving a three-year sentence for failing to register as a "foreign agent". He now faces fresh allegations of spying. Vinatier is among a number of westerners that their governments say are being held hostage.
"There were appropriate contacts between our side and the French. Indeed, a proposal was made to the French regarding Vinatier," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP.
He did not provide details but added that "the ball is now in France's court".
Vinatier's family say that he is a victim of tensions between Moscow and Paris over the war in Ukraine.
Frederic Belot, a lawyer for the family, said they hoped Vinatier could be released by the Orthodox Christmas on January 7. He said a prisoner exchange was possible but that he wanted to be "extremely prudent".
The researcher's mother Brigitte Vinatier told BFMTV television her son was well and "resilient".
Western countries have long accused Russia of arresting their citizens to use as bargaining chips to secure the release of alleged Russian spies and cyber criminals jailed in Europe and the United States.
Putin said last week he would look into Vinatier's case after a French journalist asked him about it during a news conference.
He said he knew nothing about Vinatier but promised to look into the case. "And if there's even the slightest chance of resolving this matter favourably, if Russian law allows it, we'll make every effort," Putin said.

Putin 'ready' for dialogue

The Kremlin said at the weekend that Putin was "ready" to engage in dialogue with the French leader.
This came after Macron raised the possibility that he could speak with Putin soon amid a flurry of diplomacy over the Ukraine war.
Macron has urged Russia to free Vinatier, saying he is being unfairly detained and that the "propaganda" against him "does not match reality".
He is just one of the Westerners arrested inside Russia after Putin launched an all-out offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.
Several US citizens have been imprisoned and then released in exchanges brokered by both US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden.
In the original case, prosecutors accused Vinatier of gathering military information without registering with the Russian authorities -- something he apologised for and said he was not aware he was required to do.
Speaking Russian during that trial, he said that in his work he always tried to "present Russia's interests in international relations".
In brief remarks as he was led by police from a court hearing in the Russian capital this year, Vinatier said he was "tired" and that he felt like he was being treated as a bargaining chip.
Moscow has used alleged breaches of the "foreign agents" law to arrest people before then applying more serious charges -- as happened to Vinatier.
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King

King Charles calls for 'reconciliation' in Christmas speech

  • It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation the way our Lord lived and died."
  • Britain's King Charles III called for "compassion and reconciliation" at a time of "division" across the world in his Christmas Day message Thursday.
  • It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation the way our Lord lived and died."
Britain's King Charles III called for "compassion and reconciliation" at a time of "division" across the world in his Christmas Day message Thursday.
The 77-year-old monarch said he found it "enormously encouraging" how people of different faiths had a "shared longing for peace". 
Charles praised individuals who risked their lives to save others in situations of violence, including those caught up in the killings at a Jewish event at Bondi Beach in Australia this month. 
"Individuals and communities have displayed spontaneous bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm's way to defend others," said the king whose words were accompanied by images of events at Bondi.
Eighty years after the end of World War II, the king said the courage of servicemen and women and the way communities came together after the conflict carried "a timeless message for us all". 
"These are the values which have shaped our country," he said.
"As we hear of division both at home and abroad, they are the values of which we must never lose sight," Charles said in a message recorded at Westminster Abbey and broadcast nationally.

No mention of royal tribulations

"With the great diversity of our communities, we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong. It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation the way our Lord lived and died."
In October, Charles became the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with a pope since a schism with Rome 500 years ago, in a service led by Leo XIV at the Vatican. He called it a "historic moment of spiritual unity".
A few days earlier Charles met survivors of a deadly attack on a synagogue and members of the Jewish community in the northern English city of Manchester. 
This is the second year running that the king has made his festive address away from a royal residence. 
Last year he spoke from a former hospital chapel as he thanked medical staff for supporting the royal family in a year in which he announced his cancer diagnosis.
This year, Charles did not make any reference to his battle with the illness, nor did he mention his younger brother Andrew who in October was stripped of his royal titles over his links to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The message did feature images of his son and heir Prince William, as well as his grandson George.
The Christmas song that ended the message was sung by a Ukrainian choir formed after Russia's 2022 invasion of their country.
The king and other members of the royal family, including Andrew's daughters, attended a Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene Church on Charles's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
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tech

UK tech campaigner sues Trump administration over US sanctions

  • Ahmed faces the "imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion" from the United States, the court filing said. 
  • The chief of a prominent anti-disinformation watchdog has sued President Donald Trump's administration over a US entry ban, calling it an "unconstitutional" attempt to expel the permanent American resident, court filings showed Wednesday.
  • Ahmed faces the "imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion" from the United States, the court filing said. 
The chief of a prominent anti-disinformation watchdog has sued President Donald Trump's administration over a US entry ban, calling it an "unconstitutional" attempt to expel the permanent American resident, court filings showed Wednesday.
Imran Ahmed, a British national who heads the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), was among five European figures involved in tech regulation whom the US State Department said Tuesday would be denied visas.
The department accused them of attempting to "coerce" US-based social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. The European Union and several member states strongly condemned the move and vowed to defend Europe's regulatory autonomy.
The campaigner filed his complaint in a New York district court against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Ahmed, a critic of billionaire Elon Musk, holds US permanent residency, commonly known as a "green card." 
"I am proud to call the United States my home," he said in a statement. "My wife and daughter are American, and instead of spending Christmas with them, I am fighting to prevent my unlawful deportation from my home country."
Ahmed faces the "imminent prospect of unconstitutional arrest, punitive detention, and expulsion" from the United States, the court filing said. 
However, a district judge granted a temporary restraining order barring Ahmed's arrest or detention, with a further hearing in the case scheduled for Monday.
There was no immediate reaction from the State Department.
Rogers, in a post on X, said Ahmed was sanctioned because he was a "key collaborator" with efforts by the previous administration of former president Joe Biden to "weaponize the government" against US citizens.

'Not be bullied'

"My life's work is to protect children from the dangers of unregulated social media and AI and fight the spread of antisemitism online. That mission has pitted me against big tech executives -- and Elon Musk in particular -- multiple times," Ahmed said.
"I will not be bullied away from my life's work."
The visa ban also targeted former European commissioner Thierry Breton, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German nonprofit HateAid, and Clare Melford, who leads the UK-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI).
Condemning the move, the European Commission said that it was seeking clarification from US authorities, and if needed it "will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures."
Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, often clashed with tycoons including Musk -- a Trump ally -- over their obligations to follow EU rules.
The State Department has described him as the "mastermind" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes content moderation and other standards on major social media platforms operating in Europe.
The DSA stipulates that major platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, provide transparency for users and ensure researchers can carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content.
But the act has become a bitter rallying point for US conservatives who see it as a weapon of censorship against right-wing thought in Europe and beyond, an accusation the EU furiously denies.
Ahmed's CCDH also frequently clashed with Musk, reporting a spike in misinformation and hate speech on the social media platform X since the billionaire's 2022 takeover. The site was previously called Twitter.
Last year, a California court dismissed X's lawsuit against CCDH that accused the nonprofit of a smear campaign.
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Bolsonaro

Brazil's jailed ex-president Bolsonaro undergoes 'successful' surgery

  • The surgery was to repair an inguinal hernia -- a protrusion in the groin area due to a tear in the abdominal muscles.
  • Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup, underwent a "successful" surgery on Thursday for an inguinal hernia, his wife said.
  • The surgery was to repair an inguinal hernia -- a protrusion in the groin area due to a tear in the abdominal muscles.
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup, underwent a "successful" surgery on Thursday for an inguinal hernia, his wife said.
The 70-year-old former president left prison on Wednesday for the first time since late November to undergo the procedure at the DF Star hospital in Brasilia.
"Successful surgery completed, without complications. Now we wait for him to wake up from anesthesia," his wife Michelle announced in an Instagram post.
Bolsonaro has grappled with health issues since being stabbed in the stomach during the 2018 presidential campaign, undergoing multiple surgeries related to his wounds. He was also recently diagnosed with skin cancer.
Doctors for the far-right former leader, who served from 2019 to 2022, anticipated that his hospitalization would last between five and seven more days.
The surgery was to repair an inguinal hernia -- a protrusion in the groin area due to a tear in the abdominal muscles.
"It is a complex surgery," Dr Claudio Birolini said Wednesday. "But it is a standardized... scheduled surgery, so we expect the procedure to be carried out without major complications."
After the operation, doctors are to assess whether Bolsonaro can undergo an additional procedure: blockage of the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm, for recurrent hiccups, Birolini said.
Brazil's Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to prison in September after he was found guilty of having led a scheme to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office and to retain power.
Bolsonaro has maintained his innocence, declaring he was a victim of political persecution.
He has been confined to a small room with a minibar, air conditioning and a television at a Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia.
Earlier, he had been under preventive house arrest between August and November, but was sent to prison a few days ahead of schedule because he tried to damage his electronic ankle bracelet.
A court order said at least two police officers would guard the door to the former president's room during his hospitalization.
Bolsonaro's release from prison for the medical procedure was authorized by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over the case in which the former president was convicted.
The former president's wife is accompanying him during his stay at the hospital.

Succession

His eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, has recently announced a 2026 presidential run, saying his father chose him as his successor.
Ahead of the surgery, Flavio read a handwritten letter signed by the ex-president.
"Faced with this scenario of injustice, and with a commitment to not allow the will of the people to be silenced, I have decided to nominate Flavio Bolsonaro as a pre-candidate for the presidency of the republic," the senator told a press conference outside the hospital, quoting his father's letter.
It was the first public message in several months from the usually outspoken Jair Bolsonaro, who is prohibited from expressing himself online or in the media without prior judicial authorization.
According to Flavio Bolsonaro, the letter sought to clarify any "doubt" about his father's support for his presidential bid.
"Many people say they had not heard it from his own mouth or had not seen a letter signed by him. I believe this clears up any shadow of doubt," the senator said after reading the text.
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Christmas

Pope urges Russia, Ukraine dialogue in Christmas blessing

BY CLEMENT MELKI WITH ALICE CHANCELLOR IN BETHLEHEM

  • "May the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue," he added.
  • Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine to find the "courage" to hold direct talks and spoke of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza in his first Christmas message.
  • "May the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue," he added.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine to find the "courage" to hold direct talks and spoke of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza in his first Christmas message.
The US pope, who was elected by fellow cardinals in May after the death of his predecessor pope Francis, also condemned the "senselessness" of war and the "rubble and open wounds" it leaves behind.
Speaking to a crowd of some 26,000 people in St Peter's Square, the pope called for "solidarity with and acceptance of those in need" in Europe -- a possible reference to growing anti-immigration sentiment on the continent.
"Let us pray in a particular way for the tormented people of Ukraine," he said.
"May the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue," he added.
Russian and Ukrainian officials have spoken separately in recent weeks to US negotiators about proposals to end the war started by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Tens of thousands have been killed, eastern Ukraine decimated and millions forced to flee their homes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week outlined key points of a plan to end the conflict after US talks.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far shown no willingness to compromise, doubling down on his hardline demands.

'Return of life'

In his first Christmas homily as pontiff, Leo addressed the dismal conditions in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters in wintry conditions weeks after a fragile ceasefire took hold.
"How... can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold," the pope said, adding that the territory's inhabitants "have nothing left and have lost everything."
The UN has said an estimated 1.3 million people currently need shelter assistance in Gaza and has warned of the increasing risk of hypothermia as temperatures dip.
"The war, in all its forms, has been harsh on everyone living on this land," Elias al-Jalda, a Palestinian Christian from Gaza, told AFP after attending a Christmas mass at Gaza's only Roman Catholic Church late on Wednesday.
"We hope this year will mark the beginning of a new phase -- one defined by a complete end to the war and the return of life to Gaza," said Jalda, one of dozens attending the mass.

'Compassion and reconciliation'

Sarah Mullally, who becomes head of the Church of England next month, addressed the issue of immigration directly in her Christmas sermon Thursday.
"Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us,"  said the future archbishop of Canterbury.
"We who are Christians then hold fast to joy as an act of resistance," she added.
Britain's King Charles III called for "compassion and reconciliation" at a time of "division" across the world in his annual Christmas Day message broadcast.
"With the great diversity of our communities, we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong," he said.
"It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation the way our Lord lived and died."
As well as being king of the United Kingdom, Charles is head of the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth.

Joy in Bethlehem

In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years as the occupied West Bank city emerges from the shadow of the war in Gaza.
Hundreds of worshippers gathered for mass on Wednesday night at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ.
In Syria, Christmas lights illuminated Damascus's Old City despite the Christian community's fears of violence after a deadly attack in June.
Around the district, home to several important churches, red baubles hung from trees, shopkeepers put up Christmas decorations and street vendors peddled warm chestnuts.
"Syria deserves joy and for us to be happy, and to hope for a new future," said student Loris Aasaf, 20.

Trump's Christmas message

In the United States, President Donald Trump issued a starkly different message to those of religious leaders.
He wished a Merry Christmas "to everyone, including the radical left-wing scum", referring to Democrats.
In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a sombre message after the deadly attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14.
"After the terror inflicted on Jewish Australia celebrating Hanukkah and Bondi Beach, we feel the weight of sorrow in our hearts," he said
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immigration

New Anglican leader says immigration debate dividing UK

  • "Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us," she said. 
  • Sarah Mullally, who becomes head of the Church of England next month, warned during a Christmas sermon on Thursday that national conversations over immigration were dividing British society.
  • "Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us," she said. 
Sarah Mullally, who becomes head of the Church of England next month, warned during a Christmas sermon on Thursday that national conversations over immigration were dividing British society.
Currently the Bishop of London, Mullally, 63, will on January 28 become the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world's 85-million strong Anglican community. 
In her Christmas sermon at St Paul's Cathedral in London, the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury raised concerns about the hot-button issue of immigration.
"Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us," she said. 
She continued: "We who are Christians then hold fast to joy as an act of resistance."
This, she said, was "the kind of joy that does not minimise suffering but meets it with courage".
Immigration has become a central political issue in the United Kingdom. 
In response to undocumented asylum seekers making the perilous journey across the Channel to Britain in small boats, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to "smash the gangs" of people smugglers behind them. 
So far he has struggled to reduce the number of migrants arriving in the country -- the vast majority of them legally -- but the issue is being exploited by the anti-immigration Reform party.
The rise in support for hard-right Reform mirrors advances by far-right parties across Europe. 
Mullally is to succeed Justin Welby, who stepped down from the top post earlier this year over findings that the Church of England had covered up a 1970s case of serial sexual abuse against young boys and men. 
The Church of England has been struggling to shake accusation of years of sex abuse cover-ups and safeguarding failures.
It is currently looking into a complaint from 2020 against Mullally's handling of the allegations made by an individual known as 'N'.
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Rahman

Bangladesh PM hopeful Rahman returns from exile ahead of polls

BY SHEIKH SABIHA ALAM

  • - 'Repay the debt' - The BNP is widely seen as an election frontrunner, with Rahman expected to be put forward as prime minister if his party wins a majority.
  • Aspiring prime minister and political heavyweight Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday, ending 17 years in self-imposed exile with a promise to deliver safety and justice if his party wins next year's elections.
  • - 'Repay the debt' - The BNP is widely seen as an election frontrunner, with Rahman expected to be put forward as prime minister if his party wins a majority.
Aspiring prime minister and political heavyweight Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday, ending 17 years in self-imposed exile with a promise to deliver safety and justice if his party wins next year's elections.
Huge crowds of joyous supporters waving flags, banners and posters welcomed Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and acting chairman of her popular Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
"Today, I want to say that I have a plan for my country... a safe state that people have long hoped for," Rahman, 60, said in a first speech after his homecoming.
"It is time we build a country together. This country belongs to the people in the hills and the plains, to Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus."
A visibly emotional Rahman earlier took off his shoes, stood on the grass outside the airport and scooped up soil as a mark of reverence to his motherland.
He waved to supporters before ducking into a convoy under tight security, according to video footage shared by his party.
BNP backers gathered in the capital Dhaka since the early morning, plastering the streets with banners and festoons bearing images of Rahman, who is expected to take the reins from his ailing mother.
Patriotic songs blared from loudspeakers while cut-outs depicted the seasoned politician riding a stallion.
Party supporter Alamgir Hossain said Bangladesh was in a "dire situation" and that only Rahman "can fix it".
Rahman, known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, left Bangladesh for London in 2008, following an arrest on corruption charges and after what he described as political persecution.
As acting party chairman, Rahman will lead the BNP through the February 12 general elections -- the first polls since a student-led uprising last year toppled the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina.

'Repay the debt'

The BNP is widely seen as an election frontrunner, with Rahman expected to be put forward as prime minister if his party wins a majority.
Rahman's 80-year-old mother Zia is undergoing treatment in intensive care at a hospital in Dhaka after years of ill health and imprisonment.
Rahman said his mother had "sacrificed everything" for the country and that he had come to meet her and express "my gratitude".
Rahman's return comes amid unrest over the killing of popular student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a staunch India-critic who took part in last year's mass uprising.
Hadi, 32, was shot by masked assailants earlier this month in Dhaka, and later died of his wounds at a Singapore hospital.
His death set off violent protests with mobs torching several buildings, including two major newspapers deemed to favour India and a prominent cultural institution.
Mobs also threw stones at the Indian High Commission in the port city of Chattogram, where visa services have since been suspended.
Rahman urged his supporters to remain vigilant "in the face of conspiracies".
"If the nation is to repay the... debt owed to its martyrs, it must build the country the people have long yearned for," he said.

'Symbol of hope'

Dhaka's diplomatic ties with its historical ally New Delhi have worsened since the uprising, with ousted prime minister Hasina seeking refuge in India.
India has said it was considering Bangladesh's request to extradite Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia for orchestrating a deadly crackdown on the uprising.
With anti-India sentiments rising in the majority Muslim nation, a Hindu garment worker was accused of blasphemy and lynched by a mob on December 18.
Jahan Panna, a former BNP lawmaker, said she hoped Rahman's return would end the "cycle of anarchy".
"Rahman is the symbol of hope for this country," Panna, 55, told AFP.
Rahman faced a slew of criminal cases, but since Hasina's fall his most severe punishment has been overturned: a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a political rally. He denied the charges.
In Britain, he kept a low profile but remained an outspoken figure on social media.
In June, he met in London with Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading the interim government until the February vote.
Hasina's Awami League party, a bitter rival of BNP, has been barred from contesting in the polls.
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Suicide

Police suspect suicide bomber behind Nigeria's deadly mosque blast 

  • Nigeria has been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2009 by jihadist groups Boko Haram and an offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in a conflict that has killed at least 40,000 and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast, according to the UN. Although the conflict has been largely limited to the northeastern region, jihadist attacks have been recorded in other parts of the west African nation. 
  • Nigeria police said Thursday that they suspected a suicide bomber was behind the blast that killed several worshippers in a mosque on Christmas eve in the country's northeastern Borno state.
  • Nigeria has been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2009 by jihadist groups Boko Haram and an offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in a conflict that has killed at least 40,000 and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast, according to the UN. Although the conflict has been largely limited to the northeastern region, jihadist attacks have been recorded in other parts of the west African nation. 
Nigeria police said Thursday that they suspected a suicide bomber was behind the blast that killed several worshippers in a mosque on Christmas eve in the country's northeastern Borno state.
A police spokesman put the death toll at five, with 35 wounded. A witness on Wednesday told AFP that eight people were killed.
The bomb went off inside the crowded Al-Adum Juma'at Mosque at Gamboru market in the capital city of Maiduguri, as Muslim faithful gathered for evening prayers around 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), according to witnesses and the police.
"An unknown individual, whom we suspect to be a member of a terrorist group, entered inside the mosque, and while prayer was ongoing, we recorded an explosion," police spokesman Nahum Daso told journalists. 
Daso said in a statement late on Wednesday that the "incident may have been a suicide bombing, based on the recovery of fragments of a suspected suicide vest and witness statements."
Police officials have been deployed to markets, worship centres and other public places in the wake of the blast.
Nigeria has been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2009 by jihadist groups Boko Haram and an offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in a conflict that has killed at least 40,000 and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast, according to the UN.
Although the conflict has been largely limited to the northeastern region, jihadist attacks have been recorded in other parts of the west African nation. 
Maiduguri itself -- once the scene of nightly gun battles and bombings -- has been calm in recent years, with the last major attack recorded in 2021.
tba/yad

earthquake

Last Christians gather in ruins of Turkey's quake-hit Antakya

BY ANNE CHAON

  • - 'Saint Peter's first service' - It is here, they believe, that Peter, the disciple Jesus assigned to found the Christian church, held his first religious service in the 1st century.
  • Saint Peter's, one of the world's oldest rock churches, is a sacred rallying point for the isolated Christians still left in quake-hit Antakya in southeastern Turkey, the city known in ancient times as Antioch. 
  • - 'Saint Peter's first service' - It is here, they believe, that Peter, the disciple Jesus assigned to found the Christian church, held his first religious service in the 1st century.
Saint Peter's, one of the world's oldest rock churches, is a sacred rallying point for the isolated Christians still left in quake-hit Antakya in southeastern Turkey, the city known in ancient times as Antioch. 
"Since the earthquake, our community has scattered," said worshipper Mari Ibri.
"Those who remain are trying to regroup. We each had our own church but, like mine, they have been destroyed."
The landscape around the cave remains scarred by the disaster nearly three years ago, when two earthquakes devastated Hatay province on February 6, 2023 and its jewel, Antakya, the gateway to Syria.
Sad fields of rubble and the silhouettes of cracked, abandoned buildings still scar the city -- all enveloped in the ever-present grey dust.
Since the earthquakes, Antakya city has emptied and the Christian community has shrunk from 350 families to fewer than 90, Father Dimitri Dogum told AFP.
"Before, Christmas at our house was grandiose," Ibri recalled.
"Our churches were full. People came from everywhere."
Ibri's own church in the city centre was rendered inaccessible by the earthquakes.
Now she and other worshippers gather at the cave on December 24 -- Christmas Eve in some Christian calendars.

'Saint Peter's first service'

It is here, they believe, that Peter, the disciple Jesus assigned to found the Christian church, held his first religious service in the 1st century.
The rock church was later enlarged and 11th-century crusaders added a pale stone facade.
It is now a museum, opened to the faithful only on rare occasions.
Christmas Eve is one.
The morning sun was still glowing red in the sky when Fadi Hurigil, leader of Antakya’s Orthodox Christian community, and his assistants prepared the service.
They draped the stone altar and unpacked candles, holy oil, chalices and plastic chairs.
Out in front they placed figurines of Christ and three saints near a bottle of rough red wine, bread baskets and presents for the children.
The sound system played a recording of the bells of Saint Peter and Paul church, which now stands empty in Antakya city centre.
"That was my church," said Ibri, crossing herself. "They recorded the peals."
Around one hundred worshippers soon squeezed into the incense-filled cave and at least as many congregated outside.
A large police contingent looked on. Sniffer dogs had already inspected the cave and esplanade.
"It's normal," said Iliye, a 72-year-old from Iskenderun, 60 kilometres (40 miles) further north. "We're a minority. It's to protect us."
The slow chanting of Orthodox hymns heralded the start of the two-hour service, conducted entirely in chants sung in Arabic and Turkish by Dogum and another cleric.
"It's very moving for us to be here in the world's first cave church, where the first disciples gathered," the priest said.
"There used to be crowds here," he added.
"In 2022, there were at least 750 people outside, Christians and non-Christians alike." 
Since the earthquakes, the gathering has been much smaller, although it is now starting to grow again.
At the end of the service, when Christmas carols fill the air, Dogum and Hurigil cut a huge rectangular cake. 
The Nativity scene at its centre -- Mary, baby Jesus, the ox and the ass -- was edged with whipped cream.
"There's the religious dimension but it's also important that people can gather here again," a worshipper said.
"After February 6, our fellow citizens scattered. But they're starting to come back. We're happy about that."
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politics

Mogadishu votes in first local elections in decades under tight security

BY MUSTAFA HAJI ABDINUR

  • Universal suffrage is, however, practised in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 but has never been internationally recognised.
  • Somalians turned out in droves on Thursday to vote in local elections in the capital Mogadishu -- the first by universal suffrage in nearly 60 years -- with the city locked down amid security concerns.
  • Universal suffrage is, however, practised in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 but has never been internationally recognised.
Somalians turned out in droves on Thursday to vote in local elections in the capital Mogadishu -- the first by universal suffrage in nearly 60 years -- with the city locked down amid security concerns.
The east African country is struggling to emerge from decades of conflict and chaos, battling a bloody Islamist insurgency and frequent natural disasters.
Long lines snaked outside seven polling stations that an AFP correspondent in the capital visited early on Thursday, with those waiting impatient and excited to cast their ballots.
"This is a great day," Guhad Ali, 37, said, proudly showing his ink-stained finger, proof that he had voted.
"I am so proud that I don't even feel that I'm queuing," said 29-year-old mother of two Shamso Ahmed, who spent hours waiting to cast a ballot for the first time in her life. 
Thursday's polls will serve as a test of the direct voting system championed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, amid opposition from the country's  states who say it is a bid to centralise power in Mogadishu.
"This is the future of the Somali people," he said after voting, urging every citizen to "take the path of democracy".
The volatile nation has stepped up security ahead of the polls, with more than 10,000 security personnel deployed across the capital.
"This is history today, it is a day the Somali people have gotten a new door opened, so that we call on the more than 500,000 people, who have taken the voting cards to come out and cast their votes," electoral commission chief Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said while visiting a polling station in the south of the capital.
Mogadishu police chief Moalim Mahdi told reporters that "we are committed to ensuring the safety and security of the people" and urged "patience for each other as you cast your vote".
According to the country's electoral body more than 1,600 candidates will contest 390 local council seats in the southeastern Banadir region that takes in the capital.
Key opposition parties have boycotted the election, accusing the federal government of "unilateral election processes".

Clan-based system

Somalia's system of direct voting was abolished after Siad Barre took power in 1969. Since the fall of his authoritarian government in 1991, the country's political system has revolved around a clan-based structure.
Universal suffrage is, however, practised in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 but has never been internationally recognised.
In May 2023, the semi-autonomous northern state of Puntland held local elections by direct vote, but later abandoned the system for local and regional polls in January.
Thursday's vote has been postponed three times this year.
Somalia has been battling Islamist Al-Shabaab militants since the mid-2000s, but security has deteriorated sharply this year, with the group retaking dozens of towns and villages and reversing most gains from the 2022–2023 military campaign.
The electoral body boss Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan on Sunday said all movement would be restricted on election day and "the whole country will be shut down".
On Monday, the civil aviation authority announced that the country's main airport would be closed on voting day.

'Stage-managed'

The election is seen as a test ahead of a presidential ballot due in 2026, when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term comes to an end.
While the vote marks a pivotal moment for Somalia, security analyst Samira Gaid expressed scepticism, saying the process was "stage-managed" to make the Horn of Africa nation "appear like a democracy".
"There is close to zero civilian participation. It's mostly a government and security forces operation," Gaid told AFP, adding that the voter registration exercise had not been successful.
The political strain is fuelling tensions ahead of next year's national elections, with parliament's mandate expiring in April and the president's term ending in May.
The International Crisis Group has warned that the situation resembles the 2021 political crisis that erupted under former president Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo". That led to clashes between clan-based factions after he failed to organise parliamentary and presidential elections before his mandate expired.
With the clock ticking, there is still no consensus on how the 2026 election will be conducted, and the opposition and federal member states are threatening to run a parallel process if no agreement is reached.
bur/yad/fg

weather

'Starting anew': Indonesians in disaster-struck Sumatra hold Christmas mass

BY AMROE

  • Around 30 worshippers, each of them holding a lit candle, sung Christmas hymns.
  • At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island.
  • Around 30 worshippers, each of them holding a lit candle, sung Christmas hymns.
At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island.
The Angkola Protestant Church, in the hard-hit South Tapanuli district, was festooned on Wednesday with balloons and simple Christmas decorations.
Outside, the street leading to the building was buried under mounds of debris and foliage.
Many in the congregation are still sheltering at evacuation sites after the disaster wreaked havoc on the island four weeks ago.
Churchgoer Krismanto Nainggolan said this year's Christmas service was "different", even as he noted joy in the bittersweet moment.
"The feelings are mixed. Every word of the pastor's sermon made us want to cry," he told AFP after the Christmas mass.
"But the spirit of Christmas... gave us strength," he added.
Krismanto lost his house in the flooding, while many of his neighbours were killed.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, 1,129 people died, and more than 170 others are still missing.
While the annual monsoon season often brings heavy rain to Indonesia, this month's deluge was among the worst disasters to strike Sumatra since a magnitude-9.1 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami in 2004.
In South Tapanuli, churchgoer Mea Rosmawati Zebua said she had not expected to be able to celebrate Christmas this year.
"In past years, Christmas was a routine. Now, (we are) very grateful because God still gives us the breath of life," the 54-year-old told AFP.
While Christmas mass is typically held in the evening, the Angkola church moved its service to Wednesday afternoon ahead of rain forecast in the evening, pastor Yansen Roberto Ritonga said.
To prepare for the first service since the disaster, the church had to remove towering heaps of mud that had been washed inside.
Soldiers and police had helped clear the debris and driftwood.
On Wednesday afternoon, a man rang the church's bell before the pastor's entrance, marking the start of the mass.
Around 30 worshippers, each of them holding a lit candle, sung Christmas hymns.
Yansen said this year's Christmas served as a moment of "reflection" for the congregation.
Churchgoer Krismanto said that despite the widespread damage and the personal cost of the disaster, he chose to see it as a new beginning.
"Our hopes depend solely on God because we are now starting over... our lives are starting anew," he said.
str-mrc/lb/mjw

conflict

Cambodian PM's wife attends funerals of soldiers killed in Thai border clashes

  • The Southeast Asian nations' longstanding border conflict reignited this month, killing 23 people in Thailand -- almost all soldiers -- and 21 civilians in Cambodia, according to official counts.
  • The wife of Cambodia's leader has attended funerals for soldiers killed in border clashes with Thailand, according to an official Facebook post, even though Phnom Penh has not announced any military deaths.
  • The Southeast Asian nations' longstanding border conflict reignited this month, killing 23 people in Thailand -- almost all soldiers -- and 21 civilians in Cambodia, according to official counts.
The wife of Cambodia's leader has attended funerals for soldiers killed in border clashes with Thailand, according to an official Facebook post, even though Phnom Penh has not announced any military deaths.
The Southeast Asian nations' longstanding border conflict reignited this month, killing 23 people in Thailand -- almost all soldiers -- and 21 civilians in Cambodia, according to official counts.
Cambodia has not officially announced that any of its troops have been killed since the fighting broke out on December 7.
But a post on Prime Minister Hun Manet's Facebook page late Wednesday said first lady Pich Chanmony had paid "tribute to the soldiers who died in the battle to defend the territory from the invading Thai enemy".
Photos showed her praying while holding incense sticks and comforting bereaved people near displayed names and portraits of at least two soldiers.
"This is a great sorrow for the nation and the families," the post said, adding that Pich Chanmony attended funeral services in Takeo province on Wednesday.
Cambodia's defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata on Thursday declined to comment on the post, referring AFP to the ministry's official page.
The ministry said in a statement that fighting continued on Thursday morning with the Thai military shelling parts of the border province of Banteay Meanchey.
The two countries have blamed each other for instigating the fresh fighting, which has spread to nearly every province along their border.
Each nation has also claimed to have acted in self-defence, and has accused the other of attacking civilians.
Cambodian and Thai officials began four days of talks at a border checkpoint on Wednesday aimed at negotiating an end to the clashes.
The conflict stems from a territorial dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border and a smattering of ancient temple ruins situated on the frontier.
suy/sco/mjw

Rahman

Prime minister hopeful Tarique Rahman arrives in Bangladesh: party

  • Rahman left Bangladesh for London in 2008 after what he has described as political persecution.
  • Aspiring prime minister and political heavyweight Tarique Rahman was welcomed back to Bangladesh on Thursday by huge crowds of supporters after his 17 years in self-imposed exile.
  • Rahman left Bangladesh for London in 2008 after what he has described as political persecution.
Aspiring prime minister and political heavyweight Tarique Rahman was welcomed back to Bangladesh on Thursday by huge crowds of supporters after his 17 years in self-imposed exile.
Rahman, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and heir apparent of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), shook hands with party leaders after touching down at the Dhaka airport.
Accompanied by his wife and daughter, he waved to supporters before ducking into a convoy under tight security, video posted by his party showed.
Since early Thursday, BNP-backers have been gathering in the capital, plastering the streets with banners and festoons bearing images of Rahman. 
Patriotic songs blared from loudspeakers while cut-outs depicted Rahman riding a stallion.
Rahman left Bangladesh for London in 2008 after what he has described as political persecution.
As acting chairman of the BNP, Rahman will lead the party through the February 12 general election, the first polls since ex-premier Sheikh Hasina's exit following a student-led uprising last year.
The BNP is widely seen as an election frontrunner, with Rahman expected to be put forward as prime minister if his party wins a majority.
Rahman's ailing mother, 80-year-old former leader Zia, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka.
Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in the upcoming elections.
But she was hospitalised soon after making that pledge, and has been in intensive care ever since.
Rahman's return comes after recent unrest over the killing of popular student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a staunch India-critic who took part in last year's mass uprising.
Hadi, 32, was shot by masked assailants this month in Dhaka, and later died of his wounds at a Singapore hospital. 
His death set off violent protests with mobs torching several buildings, including two major newspapers deemed to favour India, as well as a prominent cultural institution.
sa-abh/lb

migration

Pacific archipelago Palau agrees to take migrants from US

  • Under a new memorandum of understanding, Palau will let up to 75 third-country nationals from the United States live and work on the sparsely populated archipelago, officials said Wednesday.
  • The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to accept up to 75 non-American migrants from the United States under a deal worth $7.5 million, the two countries have said.
  • Under a new memorandum of understanding, Palau will let up to 75 third-country nationals from the United States live and work on the sparsely populated archipelago, officials said Wednesday.
The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to accept up to 75 non-American migrants from the United States under a deal worth $7.5 million, the two countries have said.
President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to expel undocumented migrants, has accelerated deportations and cracked down on border crossings since returning to power this year.
Under a new memorandum of understanding, Palau will let up to 75 third-country nationals from the United States live and work on the sparsely populated archipelago, officials said Wednesday.
In return, the United States will grant $7.5 million to Palau for public service and infrastructure needs.
With some 20,000 people spread across hundreds of volcanic isles and coral atolls, Palau is by population one of the smallest countries in the world.
The migrants from the United States have not been charged with crimes and will help to fill needed jobs in Palau, both sides said.
"Palau would have to agree on a case-by-case basis as to individuals who will be arriving in Palau under the arrangement," the Pacific nation said in a statement.
The deal was announced following a call between Palau President Surangel Whipps and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
"Through this partnership, the United States and Palau are taking concrete steps to strengthen our security and protect our communities, while also fostering a safe, more secure, and more prosperous Indo-Pacific region," the US State Department said in a separate statement.
During the call with Whipps, Landau said the United States was committed to building a new hospital and improving Palau's capacity to respond to national disasters.
Washington will also provide additional funding of $6 million for reforms to prevent the collapse of Palau's civil service pension plan, while adding another $2 million for law enforcement initiatives.
The Palauan archipelago -- a string of limestone islands and coral atolls -- lies about 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of the Philippines.
Whipps has overseen the expansion of US military interests since winning power in 2020, including the construction of a long-range US radar outpost, a crucial early warning system as China ramps up military activity in the Taiwan Strait.
Palau gained independence in 1994 but allows the US military to use its territory under a longstanding "Compact of Free Association" agreement.
In return, the United States gives Palau hundreds of millions of dollars in budgetary support and assumes responsibility for its national defence.
djw/mjw

submarine

North Korea's Kim visits nuclear subs as Putin hails 'invincible' bond

BY KANG JIN-KYU

  • The "heroic" efforts of North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region "clearly proved the invincible friendship" between Moscow and Pyongyang, Putin said in a message to Kim, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
  • North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a nuclear submarine factory and received a message from Russia's Vladimir Putin hailing the countries' "invincible friendship", Pyongyang's state media said Thursday.
  • The "heroic" efforts of North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region "clearly proved the invincible friendship" between Moscow and Pyongyang, Putin said in a message to Kim, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a nuclear submarine factory and received a message from Russia's Vladimir Putin hailing the countries' "invincible friendship", Pyongyang's state media said Thursday.
North Korea and Russia have drawn closer since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, and Pyongyang has sent troops to fight for Russia.
In return, Russia is sending North Korea financial aid, military technology and food and energy supplies, analysts say.
The "heroic" efforts of North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region "clearly proved the invincible friendship" between Moscow and Pyongyang, Putin said in a message to Kim, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Their work demonstrated the nations' "militant fraternity", Putin said in the message received by Pyongyang last week.
The provisions of the "historic treaty" the two leaders signed last year, which includes a mutual defence clause, had been fulfilled "thanks to our joint efforts", Putin wrote.
South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have estimated that the North has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, primarily to Kursk, along with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems.
Around 2,000 troops have been killed and thousands more have been wounded, according to South Korean estimates.
North Korea acknowledged this month that its troops in Kursk had been assigned to clear mines and that some had died on deployment.
KCNA reported Putin's letter on the same day that it published details of Kim's undated recent visit to a manufacturing base for nuclear-powered submarines.
There, the North Korean leader vowed to counter the "threat" of South Korea producing its own such vessels.
US President Donald Trump has given the green light for South Korea to build "nuclear-powered attack submarines", though key details of the project remain uncertain.
Photos published by KCNA showed Kim walking alongside a purportedly 8,700-tonne submarine at an indoor assembly site, surrounded by officials and his daughter Kim Ju Ae.
In another image, Kim Jong Un smiles during an official briefing as Kim Ju Ae stands beside him.
Pyongyang would view Seoul developing nuclear subs as "an offensive act severely violating its security and maritime sovereignty", Kim Jong Un said, according to KCNA.
It was therefore "indispensable" to "accelerate the radical development of the modernisation and nuclear weaponisation of the naval force", he said.
Kim clarified a naval reorganisation plan and learned about research into "new underwater secret weapons", KCNA said, without giving details.
Pyongyang's defence ministry said it would consider "countermeasures" against US "nuclear muscle flexing", a separate report said Thursday.

Help from Russia?

Only a handful of countries have nuclear-powered submarines, and the United States considers its technology among the most sensitive and tightly guarded military secrets.
In the North's first comments on the US-South Korea deal, a commentary piece by KCNA last month said the programme was a "dangerous attempt at confrontation" that could lead to a "nuclear domino phenomenon".
Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP the submarine photos raise "considerable speculation" over whether Russia helped North Korea assemble a nuclear-powered submarine "within such a short time frame". 
Kim also reportedly oversaw the test launch on Wednesday of "new-type high-altitude long-range anti-air missiles" over the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. 
The projectiles hit mock targets at an altitude of 200 kilometres (124 miles), KCNA said. That height, if correct, would be in space.
One photo showed a missile ascending into the sky in a trail of intense orange flame, while another showed Kim walking in front of what appeared to be a military vehicle equipped with a vertical missile launcher.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said they had been aware of the launch preparations and had braced for the firing in advance.
"South Korean and US intelligence authorities are currently closely analysing the specifications," it said.
des-kjk/lb

Imamoglu

'We hold onto one another and keep fighting,' says wife of jailed Istanbul mayor

BY FULYA OZERKAN

  • "It's an extremely difficult time for our children and for me... but we hold onto one another," Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, 51, told AFP in her first interview with foreign media. 
  • Turkish democracy has taken a heavy beating since the jailing of Istanbul's popular opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, his wife told AFP, saying it has been painful for his family but that the ordeal has made them stronger.  
  • "It's an extremely difficult time for our children and for me... but we hold onto one another," Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, 51, told AFP in her first interview with foreign media. 
Turkish democracy has taken a heavy beating since the jailing of Istanbul's popular opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, his wife told AFP, saying it has been painful for his family but that the ordeal has made them stronger.  
"It's an extremely difficult time for our children and for me... but we hold onto one another," Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, 51, told AFP in her first interview with foreign media. 
Her husband -- the only politician seen as capable of beating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- faces 2,430 years in prison from a blizzard of charges many see as a bid to stop him standing against Erdogan in 2028.
But Dilek Kaya Imamoglu said they have taken strength from her husband's message "to never lose hope". 
Imamoglu's arrest in March, just before he was named as the main opposition CHP's candidate for the presidential race, sparked Turkey's worst bout of street unrest since 2013. 
He is accused of heading a sprawling criminal network and exerting influence "like an octopus" in a 4,000-page indictment that covers everything from graft and bribery to money laundering. The first court hearing is set for March 9.
But his wife warned that "the public conscience cannot be silenced. These hardships do not lead me to despair but to solidarity. I trust the will and conscience of the people," she said.  
'Freedom is in my mind'-
She described how hundreds of police descended on the Istanbul mayor's home on the morning of his arrest. "I was shocked by what I saw... My heart felt like it was beating outside my chest. I will never forget the worry in our children's eyes."
But Imamoglu turned to them and said: "We will hold our heads high and never lose hope." 
"And instead of bowing to it, we chose to fight," his wife said. 
Dilek Kaya Imamoglu said the family is allowed weekly visits to see him in Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, where several other leading opponents of Erdogan are also being held.
Despite the serious charges he is facing, Imamoglu's spirit is high, she said. 
She described those moments as "very precious, but also very heavy".
Her husband "resists by working, taking notes, generating new ideas for our country's future and reading books". 
"'My freedom is in my mind,' he says. Messages of solidarity, letters, and visitors give him incredible strength. It helps him feel that he is not alone inside, but together with millions."

Western silence 'disappointed us'

Rights groups have accused Europe of turning a deaf ear to what they call the erosion of the rule of law and judicial independence in Turkey, as they lash out at a government crackdown on opponents and the jailing of Erdogan's political rivals. 
"Frankly, this silence has disappointed us," Dilek Kaya Imamoglu said. 
"While the will of millions in Turkey is being ignored, countries that claim to defend democracy have often chosen to remain silent," she said. 
But she added: "Our greatest support is not international reaction, but the solidarity of millions in Turkey who believe in justice, freedom and democracy".
She also expressed her solidarity with the families of other leading figures who have fallen foul of Erdogan, including popular Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas and philanthropist Osman Kavala, both of whom have been behind bars for nearly a decade.

'We are not alone'

"Today I share the patience and resilience of the spouses of Selahattin Demirtas and Osman Kavala," Dilek Kaya Imamoglu told AFP in the written interview. 
"The endurance of the families of those unjustly and unlawfully deprived of their freedom guides me, because we are not alone," the author and activist added. 
Asked if she worries Imamoglu might face a similar fate, she said: "As a spouse, it is impossible not to worry. Decisions by the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court are being ignored. Our constitution is not being applied, and attempts are being made to normalise lawlessness."
With "so much injustice", it is impossible to predict the outcome of her husband's case, said Dilek Kaya Imamoglu.
"But I want to believe that justice will be applied equally for all, and that Ekrem (Imamoglu) and his colleagues will eventually be acquitted, for the sake of all 86 million citizens of our country."
Dilek Kaya Imamoglu has stepped into the spotlight while her husband is in jail, attending rallies and meeting the families of the party's other jailed officials in an effort to keep their cases in the public eye.  
But she ruled out entering politics. 
"The politician in our household is Ekrem," she said.
But she was determined to do her bit to repair the "heavy wounds" she said democracy has suffered in Turkey.
"Press freedom, judicial independence, and fundamental rights and freedoms are under pressure," she said. 
But she remains optimistic. 
"No matter how intense the pressure, the conscience of the people will ultimately prevail. That is where I draw my hope."
fo/ach/fg/ceg

Global Edition

Trump-backed Nasry Asfura declared winner of Honduras presidency

BY JOAN SUAZO

  • Trump also endorsed Asfura, suggesting they could "work together to fight the narcocommunists," and warned "there will be hell to pay" if the conservative candidate's razor-thin lead was overturned in the count.
  • Nasry Asfura, a conservative businessman backed by US President Donald Trump, was declared winner of the Honduran presidential vote Wednesday, weeks after a razor-thin election marred by delays and allegations of fraud.
  • Trump also endorsed Asfura, suggesting they could "work together to fight the narcocommunists," and warned "there will be hell to pay" if the conservative candidate's razor-thin lead was overturned in the count.
Nasry Asfura, a conservative businessman backed by US President Donald Trump, was declared winner of the Honduran presidential vote Wednesday, weeks after a razor-thin election marred by delays and allegations of fraud.
The national electoral council CNE said the 67-year-old son of Palestinian immigrants defeated fellow conservative TV personality Salvador Nasralla by less than one percentage point 
Asfura's victory marks the return of the right wing to power in one of Latin America's poorest countries after four years of leftist Xiomara Castro's presidency. 
It also aligns Honduras with a rise of conservative governments in the region following shifts in Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina.
"Honduras: I'm ready to govern. I won't let you down," Asfura posted to X after the win was declared, thanking election officials for validating his victory.
Asfura, who takes office on January 27, prevailed with just 40.1 percent of the vote, narrowly beating Nasralla at 39.5 percent, according to the official results.
Rixi Moncada, a lawyer from the leftist Libre Party, which currently runs the government, trailed in third with 19.2 percent.
Within minutes of the result declaration, the United States welcomed the election of Asfura, saying it would help stop illegal immigration.
"We look forward to working with his incoming administration to advance our bilateral and regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States, and strengthen the economic ties between our two countries," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Following the lengthy counting process in the Central American country's election, Rubio called on all sides to "respect the confirmed results so that Honduran authorities may swiftly ensure a peaceful transition of authority."
Argentina's President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, said on X that the Honduras vote amounted to "a resounding defeat of narco-socialism." 

Tensions, challenges

The result was announced more than three weeks after the November 30 election. The wait for the outcome has caused tensions among Hondurans, and the sluggish count has been accompanied by claims of irregularities and voter fraud.
Nasralla had demanded a full recount due to alleged irregularities, and has not recognized Asfura's victory.
The recount of nearly 2,800 tally sheets with suspected inconsistencies was pored over by hundreds of electoral staff and political delegates to decide the race.
The CNE had until December 30 to declare a winner. 
Last week, thousands of supporters of the outgoing president's leftist Libre Party staged a demonstration in the capital Tegucigalpa to protest what they consider "fraud" in the vote.
On the eve of the election, Trump in a surprise move pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, a member of Asfura's party who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.
Extradited by Honduras to face justice in the United States, Hernandez insists he had been set up by the previous administration of US president Joe Biden because of his conservative policies.
The pardon was widely seen as contradicting Trump's crackdown on alleged drug traffickers in Latin America.
Trump also endorsed Asfura, suggesting they could "work together to fight the narcocommunists," and warned "there will be hell to pay" if the conservative candidate's razor-thin lead was overturned in the count.
On Wednesday Hernandez took to X to congratulate Honduran voters, saying the country "closes a cycle and opens a new era with hope, commitment and responsibility."
Asfura faces major challenges. He has pledged to attract foreign investment to the nation of 11 million people and re-establish ties with Taiwan -- after his predecessor warmed to China in 2023.
He will govern a more polarized country amid lingering doubts about the elections, which Castro said was under "serious question" due to a lack of transparency, coercion of voters by gang members, and "threats" from Trump.
Honduras is also plagued by violence and the crime of drug traffickers and major gangs, which Castro has struggled to combat despite declaring a state of emergency.
Although murders have declined, Honduras remains one of the region's most violent countries, with some 27 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024.
str/axm/cjc/mlm/sla

Asfura

'At your service!' Nasry Asfura becomes Honduran president-elect

  • "The only real friend of freedom in Honduras is Tito Asfura," Trump had written on Truth Social, referring to the politician by his nickname. 
  • It took longer than expected, but Nasry Asfura has gone from businessman to mayor to president-elect of Honduras, carrying the blessing of US President Donald Trump who has described him as a "friend of freedom."
  • "The only real friend of freedom in Honduras is Tito Asfura," Trump had written on Truth Social, referring to the politician by his nickname. 
It took longer than expected, but Nasry Asfura has gone from businessman to mayor to president-elect of Honduras, carrying the blessing of US President Donald Trump who has described him as a "friend of freedom."
Capping a career shadowed by corruption claims, but never prosecuted, the 67-year-old conservative ascended to the Central American country's top job on his second attempt, having lost out to leftist Xiomara Castro in 2021.
More than three weeks after the election, Asfura held his razor-thin edge and was declared the winner Wednesday over fellow conservative Salvador Nasralla, a 72-year-old TV star, by the plenary session of the national electoral council.
Asfura rose to the top as the head of the right-wing National Party (PN), which was tainted by the US imprisonment of a former leader, Juan Orlando Hernandez, for drug trafficking.
Hernandez, however, walked out of prison a free man in early December after receiving a pardon from Trump, who embraced Asfura as an ally in the fight against "narcocommunists." 
"The only real friend of freedom in Honduras is Tito Asfura," Trump had written on Truth Social, referring to the politician by his nickname. 
He added: "Tito and I can work together to fight the Narcocommunists, and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras" -- one of Latin America's most impoverished and violent countries.
Asfura returned the PN to power, leaving the ruling leftist party out in the cold in a region where voters tired of hardship and crime have been punishing incumbent parties.

'Nothing to hide'

Asfura, a former two-time mayor of the capital Tegucigalpa, ran a campaign with promises to "save democracy" from the left, which the Latin American right associates with authoritarian regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
He claims to lead a "renewed" party and has denied links to Hernandez, though after Trump's pardon, he expressed hope it would "bring hope and peace of mind to the family" of the former president.
The son of Palestinian immigrants, Asfura was born on June 8, 1958, in Tegucigalpa.
He studied civil engineering at the National University but dropped out to start what would become one of the country's largest construction companies. 
Later, as mayor, he was credited with building bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure to ease congestion in the city of over a million inhabitants.
He was also accused of embezzling municipal funds, but the Supreme Court decided not to send the case to trial. 
Asfura was later mentioned in the 2021 "Pandora Papers" list of offshore companies used to evade taxes, but was never charged.
"I owe nothing, I fear nothing. I have nothing to hide," he once asserted.

'Work and more work'

Grey-haired and mustachioed, Asfura is reputed to be a hard worker. He usually wears a light blue shirt, jeans, and dusty boots. 
In his speeches, he promises "work and more work" for Hondurans, to develop infrastructure, and to attract investments to generate employment. 
Those who know him say he is passionate about music and a man of few words but much action. 
He greets supporters who approach him with his trademark phrase: "At your service!"
Asfura has described himself as "allergic" to smartphones, preferring to use a landline, and has not embraced social media campaigning.
He is married to Lissette del Cid, with whom he has three daughters and three grandchildren.
bur-mis/mlr/jgc/sla/mlm

Bolsonaro

Brazil's imprisoned Bolsonaro hospitalized ahead of surgery

BY JUAN SEBASTIAN SERRANO

  • - 'Christmas present' - Moraes has ordered a significant security detail to surround the former president during his hospitalization. 
  • Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, imprisoned for attempting a coup, has been admitted to hospital in Brasilia where he will undergo a planned surgery on Christmas Day, his doctors said Wednesday.
  • - 'Christmas present' - Moraes has ordered a significant security detail to surround the former president during his hospitalization. 
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, imprisoned for attempting a coup, has been admitted to hospital in Brasilia where he will undergo a planned surgery on Christmas Day, his doctors said Wednesday.
A convoy of black cars and motorcycles entered the parking garage of the DF Star hospital early Wednesday, transporting the ex-president from a federal police headquarters where he began serving a 27-year sentence in  November.
The surgery to repair an inguinal hernia -- a protrusion in the groin area due to a tear in the abdominal muscles -- will begin at 1200 GMT on Thursday and last three to four hours, surgeon Claudio Birolini said.
"It's a complex operation, there are no simple operations, but it is scheduled, and we expect everything to go smoothly," Birolini told a press conference outside the  hospital.
Bolsonaro will be hospitalized for five to seven days, cardiologist Brasil Caiado said.
He said Bolsonaro was "anxious, a little depressed" and had been suffering bouts of hiccups, a recurring problem, "for about 40 days."

Permission to leave prison

The permission to leave prison granted by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro's trial, comes after an expert review last week stated that the operation was medically necessary.
Bolsonaro, 70, has grappled with health issues since being stabbed in the stomach during the 2018 presidential campaign. He was recently diagnosed with skin cancer.
Bolsonaro underwent a 12-hour emergency surgery at the same private hospital in April.
In office from 2019 to 2022, he was sentenced by the Supreme Court in September to prison after being found guilty of having led a scheme to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office and to retain power.
Bolsonaro has maintained his innocence, declaring he was a victim of political persecution.  

'Christmas present'

Moraes has ordered a significant security detail to surround the former president during his hospitalization. 
Two police officers are to be stationed 24 hours a day outside his hospital room, where mobile phones and computers are prohibited.
Bolsonaro's wife, Michelle, was authorized to be with him during his hospital stay, but his sons initially were not.
However, Moraes on Wednesday relented and allowed Bolsonaro's sons to see their father.
One of them, Carlos Bolsonaro, a former city councilman in Rio de Janeiro, showed up at the hospital entrance to "send good energy" to his father. 
"If I manage to catch a glimpse of him, it will be a wonderful Christmas present," he told reporters shortly before the former head of state arrived at the hospital.
His eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, recently announced his candidacy for the October 2026 presidential election, claiming that his father had designated him as his successor. 
Last week, Brazil's conservative-majority parliament passed a law that could reduce the length of Bolsonaro's imprisonment to just over two years. 
Lula says he intends to veto the law, but the legislature will have the final say, as it has the right to override a presidential veto.
lg/ksb/iv

demonstration

Bolivian miners protest elimination of fuel subsidies

  • The new center-right President Rodrigo Paz last week announced an end to the subsidies used by leftist governments to freeze fuel prices for 20 years.
  • Hundreds of Bolivian miners protested on Wednesday against the elimination of long-standing fuel subsidies by the government.
  • The new center-right President Rodrigo Paz last week announced an end to the subsidies used by leftist governments to freeze fuel prices for 20 years.
Hundreds of Bolivian miners protested on Wednesday against the elimination of long-standing fuel subsidies by the government.
The new center-right President Rodrigo Paz last week announced an end to the subsidies used by leftist governments to freeze fuel prices for 20 years.
Miners in helmets took to the streets of the administrative capital La Paz on Wednesday, while riot police blocked them from entering the main city square. 
Demonstrations last week brought traffic to a standstill in cities nationwide.
"We want the repeal of that decree," Mario Argollo, the main leader of the country's largest trade union, Bolivian Workers' Central, told AFP. 
Argollo said the government's decree is fueling inflation, with price rises for meat and transport. 
Bus fares have doubled. 
Ending the subsidies is part of a package of reforms announced by Paz to end an economic crisis.
Bolivia has a severe shortage of foreign currency, and annual inflation rose to nearly 20 percent in November. 
Economy Minister Gabriel Espinoza said on Tuesday that cutting subsidies on gasoline and diesel would result in savings of $10 million per day.
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