New Delhi, India (DT) – While AAP has released the list of candidates for all 70 seats for Delhi assembly elections, Congress has also released the list for some of its seats. In Shalimar Bagh assembly, both BJP and AAP have fielded their candidates. Praveen Jain from Congress and current MLA Bandana Kumari from AAP have been made their candidates. BJP has not released any list yet.
The name of Rekha Gupta, former BJP candidate from Shalimar Bagh assembly and currently Municipal Councilor Ward No. 56, is almost confirmed this time too.
Rekha Gupta’s name is at the top in the survey and it is believed that there is no better candidate than Rekha Gupta for BJP, it is not easy for the current MLA Bandana Kumari to win the Shalimar Bagh assembly seat this time, many AAP party workers have expressed their displeasure over Bandana Kumari being given the ticket, in such a situation, if BJP trusts Rekha Gupta, then this time Rekha Gupta can be successful in winning her seat. In such a situation, BJP will not want to take the risk by making any other new face a candidate, the name of former candidate Rekha Gupta is almost certain.
“If we ever have a meeting with President-elect Trump, I am sure we’ll have a lot to talk about,” he said, adding that Russia was prepared for “negotiations and compromises.”
Last week, the Kremlin said that the Russian president had not received an invitation from Trump to attend his inauguration on Jan. 20.
The last meeting between the two leaders took place in June 2019, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan.
Trump, who recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy, has repeatedly said that one of his priorities after returning to the White House will be to end the war in Ukraine.
Maputo, Mozambique (DT) – The death toll from the passage of cyclone Chido in northern Mozambique went up to 75, with at least 768 injured and 329,565 affected, according to data from the Mozambique National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) obtained by EFE.
In addition, 39,133 houses ended up destroyed, and one person is still missing, the INGD added.
Two new deaths (updated from 73 from a previous report) registered in the province of Cabo Delgado, the hardest hit with 67 deaths, with 740 injured and 216,930 people affected.
Many public buildings were also affected, including 250 schools with 109,793 students and 1,556 teachers.
Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi, who declared two days of national mourning from early Friday, visited the Mecúfi district of Cabo Delgado, the hardest hit by the cyclone.
Destruction in Pemba, Mozambique, on Wednesday after Cyclone Chido made landfall.Credit…Shafiek Tassiem/Reuters
“The priority we have set ourselves is the immediate restoration of electricity because this will help solve the problem of water distribution, communications and even help the sick,” Nyusi said at a meeting with the local government.
He expressed concern about the “lack of accommodation in Mecúfi” and the possible increase in water-borne illnesses.
“In the next two weeks, there will be rains, which means that these people who are out in the open will get wet with the little they have. What we will distribute to them will get wet (food and basic needs),” warned Nyusi.
Cabo Delgado is the worst-hit province, with 67 deaths. Nampula and Niassa have recorded five and three deaths, respectively.
Although the cyclone near Zimbabwe dissipated between Monday and Tuesday, experts said the death toll could rise as the affected areas continue to be assessed.
Chido made landfall in Mozambique on Sunday with winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour (74 miles per hour) and wreaked havoc in the north of the country before moving into neighboring Malawi on Monday, where at least 13 people died.
The cyclone has also left at least 22 dead and 45 seriously injured on the French archipelago of Mayotte. However, Gallic authorities warned on Sunday that the death toll could reach “several hundred.”
The Indian Ocean islands were battered by wind gusts of up to 220 kilometers per hour (136 miles per hour) and heavy rains.
Southeast Africa typically experiences an annual tropical storm season that lasts from October to April, sometimes resulting in numerous deaths and extensive property damage.
Between February and March 2023, Freddy, the longest cyclone ever recorded, killed more than 1,200 people in Malawi and nearly 200 in Madagascar and affected more than 1.7 million people in these and other areas of the region, such as Zimbabwe and Mauritius.
Zaragoza, Spain (DT) – A fire at a nursing home near Zaragoza in northeastern Spain left at least 10 people dead and several others injured before firefighters managed to control the blaze, local authorities reported on Friday.
The alarm was raised just before 5 a.m. in Villafranca de Ebro, located about 28 kilometers (18 miles) from Zaragoza. Two individuals remain in critical condition, officials confirmed.
At the time of the fire, there were 82 people in the residence, located in the town of Villafranca de Ebro, according to the regional government of Aragon.
The casualties resulted from inhalation of smoke, and the two people in critical condition were admitted to the Royo Villanova Hospital in Zaragoza.
According to the Zaragoza authorities, when firefighters arrived at the scene they found the fire spreading in one of the wings of the residence and a large amount of smoke.
Members of the emergency services and relatives of residents are seen outside of a retirement home in Villafranca de Ebro, Zaragoza, Spain, 15 November 2024. EFE/ Javier Cebollada
At least 25 firefighters were involved in putting out the fire and evacuating the elderly.
Besides firefighters, members of the Civil Guard, Civil Protection volunteers, psychologists, social workers and health care from the emergency services, as well as medical personnel from health centers in nearby towns, were deployed to the scene.
The retirement home where the fire broke out is on the outskirts of Villafranca de Ebro, a town of about 800 inhabitants about 30 kilometers from Zaragoza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences to the victims on X, stating he was “shocked by the tragedy.”
Consternado ante la tragedia ocurrida esta madrugada en una residencia de mayores de Zaragoza.
Acabo de hablar con el presidente de Aragón, @Jorge_Azcon, para trasladarle todo mi cariño y mi pésame a las familias y compañeros de los fallecidos, a los trabajadores del centro y al…
The fire occurred only weeks after catastrophic flash floods in Valencia, which claimed over 200 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. The floods are regarded as the worst natural disaster in Spain’s recent history.
Wellington, New Zealand (DT) — Thousands of Maori protesters continued their determined march toward Wellington today, rallying against the Treaty Principles Bill, which they argue threatens indigenous rights and sovereignty.
The bill, currently being debated in Parliament, seeks to redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, a move that Maori leaders say undermines Maori land claims and environmental protections.
This nine-day protest march, or hikoi, includes rallies in towns across the country and is expected to reach the national capital by Tuesday. An estimated 10,000 protesters gathered in Rotorua, around 450 kilometers north of Wellington, according to a New Zealand police statement. Protesters, some dressed in traditional Maori attire, were met by hundreds waving Maori flags and chanting in solidarity.
Yesterday, Indigenous Maori leaders staged a powerful haka — a traditional Maori dance historically used to challenge opponents — at the first parliamentary hearing on the bill. Demonstrators are calling on lawmakers to withdraw or amend the legislation, emphasizing that it disregards Maori ancestral ties to the land and their rights under the Treaty.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called for open dialogue between Maori leaders and lawmakers, though he has yet to indicate any plans to amend the bill. The protests are expected to intensify as the hikoi approaches Wellington, with growing national debate over New Zealand’s commitment to honoring its indigenous heritage.
The Maori community and their supporters argue that the bill risks inciting racial tension and erodes the rights of New Zealand’s Indigenous people, who comprise about 20 percent of the nation’s 5.3 million population.
During a parliamentary vote on Thursday, 22-year-old legislator Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke of the Te Pati Maori party tore up a copy of the bill and led fellow members in a traditional haka. The impromptu demonstration prompted a brief suspension of Parliament as supporters in the gallery joined in, their chants overwhelming the chamber and halting the debate.
Beirut, Lebanon (DT) – At least 43 people have been killed and dozens injured across Lebanon in a series of Israeli attacks in recent hours, including on two Civil Defense centers, authorities said on Friday.
The deadliest attack reported by the authorities took place on Thursday night in the province of Baalbek where at least 12 people were killed at a Civil Defense center, according to Governor Bachir Khodr on X.
The public health ministry confirmed the casualties and added that at least one person was injured.
“The Ministry of Public Health reiterates its condemnation of this barbaric attack on a Lebanese state-run health center, noting that it is the second Israeli attack on a health emergency facility in less than two hours,” it wrote on X.
Also in Baalbek, according to the ministry, at least eight people, five of them women, were killed in an Israeli attack on Al Shaab neighborhood, injuring 29 others.
Israeli forces also killed six people, including four paramedics, when they attacked a post of the Islamic Health Organization and Civil Defense in the southern town of Arab Salim, according to the same source.
In addition to these three attacks, the ministry reported almost a dozen more in various parts of the country, raising the total number of fatalities to at least 43 in recent hours.
These attacks include one in the city of Shmustar, which killed two, while at least three people were killed and four wounded in Temnine Et Tahta. The ministry also recorded casualties in seven other towns: Saraaine El Tahta, Al Bazurba, Hanawiya, Aytat, Qana, Al Bayad and Shihin.
In more than a year of conflict, at least 3,386 people have been killed in Lebanon and another 14,417 have been injured, including 220 minors and 658 women, according to the latest update from the Lebanese government, prior to these latest attacks.
The vast majority of these deaths have occurred since the start of Israel’s massive bombing campaign just over a month ago, followed by a ground offensive, which in turn has displaced more than 1.2 million people, according to government figures.
Lima, Peru (DT) — Representatives from 21 Pacific Rim economies are convening in Peru on Friday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, marking the first global summit since U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory and featuring several prominent world leaders.
The annual gathering unites countries that together represent nearly two-thirds of global GDP and half of the world’s trade, according to APEC organizers. Confirmed attendees in Lima include outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden, China’s President Xi Jinping, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, among others.
The summit comes as the global community contemplates potential shifts in international relations under new U.S. leadership.
The leaders and representatives are scheduled for private discussions in the morning, followed by an afternoon session with APEC’s business advisory council. On Wednesday, the council urged APEC economies to foster inclusive growth, emphasizing support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, especially those led by women and Indigenous entrepreneurs.
“While the global economy remains resilient, APEC economies are grappling with persistent inflation, economic disparities, high interest rates and the urgent need to increase investments for a green, climate-resilient future,” said council chairwoman Julia Torreblanca.
APEC is bound to be one of Biden’s last before leaving office, and White House officials insist that his attendance as well as his subsequent visit to Brazil for the Group of 20 meeting next week will be substantive, with talks to focus on climate issues, global infrastructure, counter-narcotic efforts. For the first time since last year’s APEC forum, Biden will meet one-on-one with Chinese President Xi on Saturday. He will also meet with South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol, Japan’s Shigeru Ishiba and Peru’s President Dina Boluarte.
The officials say Biden also will use the summits to press allies to keep up support for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia’s invasion and persist in negotiating an end to Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza.
Discontent has been brewing in the middle-class San Borja neighborhood outside Lima’s Convention Center, where the APEC conference is sited. Metal barriers and police equipped with riot gear surround the perimeter where, for the past two days, anti-government protesters angry about a recent spate of gang-fueled violence have shouted slogans demanding that their wildly unpopular presiden t take action against the crime wave.
The rallies have devolved into scuffles with police, who used batons to drive away the more aggressive protesters on Thursday.
New Delhi, India (DT) – With former U.S. President Donald Trump potentially returning to the political stage, experts predict a unique convergence between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both leaders, known for their strong nationalist policies and personal diplomacy, are expected to rekindle a collaborative dynamic that could reshape U.S.-India relations.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House on the horizon, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may find a strategic ally whose policies resonate with his vision for India’s sovereignty and global standing. India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, recently remarked on India’s confidence in U.S. relations, saying, “I know today a lot of countries are nervous about the U.S., let’s be honest about that. India was not one of them.”
He further noted that a call from Modi “was among the first three calls, I think, that President (elect) Trump took.” Jaishankar’s statement reflects the strength of past U.S.-India ties under Trump and suggests the potential for their resurgence.
A second Trump presidency could play to New Delhi’s advantage as Modi seeks to recalibrate India’s relations with the West. This effort comes amidst recent friction over India’s refusal to impose sanctions on Russia or condemn its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Modi has faced Western criticism over India’s democratic backsliding and human rights concerns, yet his pragmatic foreign policy and Trump’s America-first stance might sidestep such issues in favor of bolstering mutual interests.
Their partnership could significantly impact areas like trade, defense, and counter-terrorism, with a shared emphasis on curbing China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Although potential ideological differences remain on multilateral fronts, a Trump-Modi alignment would likely prioritize strategic interests, leading to a period of strengthened, transactional diplomacy that aligns India’s sovereignty goals with U.S. objectives.
New York, USA (AP) — Maribel Hidalgo fled her native Venezuela a year ago with a 1-year-old son, trudging for days through Panama’s Darien Gap, then riding the rails across Mexico to the United States.
They were living in the U.S. when the Biden administration announced Venezuelans would be offered Temporary Protected Status, which allows people already in the United States to stay and work legally if their homelands are deemed unsafe. People from 17 countries, including Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan and recently Lebanon, are currently receiving such relief.
But President-elect Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have promised mass deportations and suggested they would scale back the use of TPS that covers more than 1 million immigrants. They have highlighted unfounded claims that Haitians who live and work legally in Springfield, Ohio, as TPS holders were eating their neighbors’ pets. Trump also amplified disputed claims made by the mayor of Aurora, Colorado, about Venezuelan gangs taking over an apartment complex.
“What Donald Trump has proposed doing is we’re going to stop doing mass parole,” Vance said at an Arizona rally in October, mentioning a separate immigration status called humanitarian parole that is also at risk. “We’re going to stop doing mass grants of Temporary Protected Status.”
Hidalgo wept as she discussed her plight with a reporter as her son, now 2, slept in a stroller outside the New York migrant hotel where they live. At least 7.7 million people have fled political violence and economic turmoil in Venezuela in one of the biggest displacements worldwide.
“My only hope was TPS,” Hidalgo said. “My worry, for example, is that after everything I suffered with my son so that I could make it to this country, that they send me back again.”
Venezuelans along with Haitians and Salvadorans are the largest group of TPS beneficiaries and have the most at stake.
“It’s a moral obligation” for the Biden administration, said Maria Bilbao, of the American Friends Service Committee.
Elena, a 46-year-old Nicaraguan who has lived in the United States illegally for 25 years, hopes Biden moves quickly.
“He should do it now,” said Elena, who lives in Florida and insisted only her first name be used because she fears deportation. “Not in January. Not in December. Now.”
__ Snow reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed to this report.
Madrid, Spain (DT) – Spain has issued a severe weather alert, with torrential rains threatening eight provinces, particularly Andalusia and Catalonia, where the risk is highest.
This comes only two weeks after devastating floods in Valencia and nearby regions claimed over 220 lives.
The National Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has placed the provinces of Malaga and Tarragona under a red alert, indicating extreme risk. Forecasters warn that some areas may see up to 120 liters of rainfall per square meter within 12 hours, with Tarragona expected to receive up to 180 liters, heightening the threat of flash floods and urging residents to take immediate precautions.
Emergency services remain on standby as Spain braces for yet another extreme weather event.
In Malaga, regions including Sol, Guadalhorce, and Axarquia are expected to bear the brunt, while the city of Antequera may see accumulations reaching 100 liters per square meter within 12 hours.
On Tuesday night, nearly 3,000 people were evacuated from areas near the Guadalhorce River as a precaution against potential flooding.
Two technicians assess the state of the bridge in the Valencian town of Riba-roja in the rain., in Valencia, Spain, 13 November 2024. EFE/ Kai Försterling
The flooding in Spain two weeks ago claimed at least 223 lives while several people are still missing, marking one of the worst disasters in the country.
The heavy rains have led to the suspension of school classes in both Malaga and various districts in Tarragona, with authorities closely monitoring the situation to ensure public safety.
Meanwhile, municipalities in Valencia, another hard-hit area during the recent floods, are once again on alert, with classes canceled across multiple regions.
Additional warnings are in place for other provinces in Andalusia: Granada is under an orange alert (high risk), while Cordoba and Seville remain a notch below on a yellow alert.
Spain’s Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, stressed on the safety of citizens in high-risk areas, advising workers in affected zones to remain home and assuring that their salaries will be “compensated.”
