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ST. ALBANS CITY — Can you hear the silent sound of turkey’s wings? Thanksgiving must be in the air. Or at least it was during the second episode of the latest podcast released Friday by the Messenger. Functioning as a kind of political palette cleanser, the 40-minute audio piece asks some of the nicest people in St. Albans how to be good to each other during the Thanksgiving season. The episode’s guests are Sunni Tipper, the food programs coordinator at the Fairfield Community Center; Arleigh Young, downtown manager with the City of St. Albans; Joe Halko, former communications director at Northwestern Counseling & Support Services; and KarenMarie Peltier, Back Inn Time owner. Topics covered include some useful tips on how to best set up your space to be welcoming this season, along with a few food prep ideas. Guests also cover the importance of “listening” to a person’s words, body language and culture cues to understand how to make someone feel comfortable, no matter their political persuasion. “Sometimes you have some new individuals who haven't been with the group before, and I think one of the very first things that we need to be cognizant of is to get them involved in being conversational,” Halko said. “So they don't feel like they're an outsider in a group that knows one another pretty well.” Gearing up for gravy The second episode of the “Saint Albans Message” starts off in the Fairfield Community Center’s kitchen before moving forward with a discussion of the spaces we make, the relationships we form and the ways we communicate. Guests also gave a few helpful tips on how to best engage with your loved ones, as many prepare for family traditions centered around Thanksgiving this upcoming weekend. Halko, for example, explained how listening is often much more than passively reacting to vocal cues as it requires people to really take the time to absorb what someone is saying and how they might be saying it. As for the trick to continuing any conversation? Three words. “Tell me more.” “Tell me more. Those three words will help carry conversations that may seem like they’re going to get dormant or stale,” Halko said. “What you’re really saying is, you really do want to hear what they have to say.” The best interactions have respect behind them, Peltier said. As the owner of Back Inn Time, she said she’s worked with some people who aren’t always aware, and they can run roughshod over people when they don’t notice. In some cases, the largest personalities can even dominate a room, making everyone else feel uncomfortable and pushing them to seek out the exits. “That was like a mental workout, trying to bring other people into the conversation, but eventually some of us just kind of meandered off to a different room,” Peltier said. “Sometimes people are not self aware, and so we have to make space.” “We call it reading the room,” Young said. “And there’s a lot to that, and there are a lot of people that aren’t good at reading the room.” Forming family This episode’s podcast guests also came with plenty of useful tips to prevent any potential mishaps around family members. Sometimes, humor can be a strong tool, Tipper said, as it sets the guidelines while making feel comfortable to know they can laugh in a space. “If you’ve set a precedent with your own attitude and you feel comfortable navigating people out of those conversations, it becomes easier than you think,” Tipper said. Setting up a big table helps, too, as it helps bring people together physically, Young added, while good smells can bring a comfortable vibe. But even with all those preparations, Thanksgiving could still turn a corner, Peltier said. She emphasized the need for grace to be able to let things go when someone might say or do something hurtful. “I think it’s more important to look at the long view when I have differences with family members,” Peltier said. “10 years from now, this person is probably not even going to realize the damage they just did.” Alcohol use, or cannabis use, could even exacerbate the issue if it's a part of the family tradition. As Young reminded the group, a bad outcome is always within the realm of possibility. “Sometimes things aren’t going to go 100% alright. And that doesn’t mean it was a bad day,” Young said. “It just means that there was a situation that you couldn’t do anything about. And that happens.” The latest episode can be heard by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M4m672bngw

-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email The cogent documentary, “Surveilled,” now available on HBO, tracks journalist Ronan Farrow as he investigates the proliferation and implementation of spyware , specifically, Pegasus, which was created by the Israeli company NSO Group . The company sells its product to clients who use it to fight crime and terrorism. It is claimed that Pegasus was instrumental in helping capture Mexican drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman . However, there are also reports that NSO’s products are being used to target journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents. "We’re selling weapons to the world." Directors Matthew O’Neill and Perri Peltz follow Farrow as he meets with individuals including a former NSO employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity; Ron Deibert, of Toronto’s Citizen Lab , which uncovered spyware abuse; and Elies Campo, in Catalonia, Spain, who is able to check phones for spyware. Campo discovers that members of the European parliament have been hacked in part because Catalonia has angered Madrid by wanting to become independent . He also found out his own parents and sister were targeted, which emphasizes the concerns and implications of this nefarious spyware. Farrow explores how the United States is testing and evaluating Pegasus and other spyware as well as whether to ban or regulate it. Related Ronan Farrow's high-wire act: Why it matters that "Catch and Kill" is such a page-turner Salon spoke with Farrow, along with filmmakers Matthew O’Neill and Perri Peltz about “Surveilled” and spyware. How did you learn about Pegasus and what made you spend two-plus years investigating spyware in general and Pegasus and NSO in particular? Ronan Farrow: It flowed from reporting I’d done in the Israel private intelligent space around the story “ Harvey Weinstein’s Army of Spies .” I and other people were being followed around and intimated by a firm called Black Cube . Through that body of reporting and the book “ Catch and Kill ,” about that espionage plot, I became fascinated by the way in which surveillance issues are not incidental to any of the other issues I report upon, whether that is abuse of power in the corporate sector or national security issues . Surveillance underpins all of it. The questions of fairness and accountability is so often shaped by whether people in power are surveilling their opponents. I wanted to unmask that industry. It is not that I don’t think there is a place for it to exist, but people need to understand how much watching people who are less powerful in a democracy can shrink the space for democratic expression. Through those relationships, I understood that what I have been exposed to — old-fashioned gumshoes and some light tech surveillance. I also came to understand that as much as that shrank that space of my reporting, it wasn’t the outer edge. The consequential part of it was this incredibly advanced technology you see documented in the film. Pegasus can turn on your phone freely, it can capture all your calls, photos and videos, and disgorge every text and email you sent. I was fascinated by the capacity of tech accelerating and how available and how prevalent it was becoming. Matthew and Perri, how did you get involved in making this film, and what decisions did you make in how to tell or approach the story? Matthew O’Neill : This topic chose us. The executives at HBO, Lisa Heller and Nancy Abraham, connected Perri and me to Ronan to have a conversation broadly about what he was working on, and what we were working on. Together, we created the “Axios” on HBO series, which used the intersection of documentary techniques fused with television journalism. Perri Peltz : We really looked at this as an opportunity to go behind the scenes in the journalism. So much of it was based originally on Ronan’s reporting for The New Yorker. Having the opportunity to follow Ronan as he investigated this story is incredibly compelling. This is not a talking heads film, it’s watching Ronan do what he does so well, and we thought capturing that on film would translate well for the audience. O’Neill : The idea was that the audience would feel like they are going on journey of discovery with Ronan, like riding shotgun in his investigation. We were lucky to have Ronan’s voice, but also seeing the detritus of Ronan’s all-nighter eating at his desk at The New Yorker, when he’s rushing for the deadline, gives a behind-the-scenes look at what print journalists do. The work is really time consuming, and difficult, and challenging. You get a taste of that. In the film, you uncover that NSO has been selling Pegasus to Europe for one price and the Middle East for 25 times that price as well as to African countries. Is this simply a “follow the money” story? Does this all come down to a question of supply and demand? Farrow: That’s certainly part of it. It calls into question the dog-and-pony show you get from some of these leading spyware companies who say our business is about empowering benign democracies. Employees [in these companies] quit over ethical concerns saying no, the bread and butter is in the cases where the company knows or should know that there are going to be abuses. That is an intractable problem for this industry. It is a weapon of sorts. Lawyers at NSO make this point on camera in the film — this is a form of arms dealing . We’re selling weapons to the world, and it is not our fault that there is no Geneva Convention equivalent to put guardrails or consequences that are sufficient. Yes, it is a "follow the money" story about who is using and making this technology. To be clear, the NSO group is just one example in this multibillion-dollar industry. It’s everywhere now. "The United States, under administrations from both parties, has flirted with this technology in ways that is alarming." O’Neill : We hope that the balance between the supply and the demand is clear. In terms of law enforcement, and you also hear it from [Congressman] Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the intelligence committee saying, “If this is software that can help rescue my theoretically kidnapped child, I want that.” It’s part of the real challenge in terms of abuse and potential use of this software. What is a crime and what is being investigated as a crime? What you see unfold in Catalonia is people who are representatives of civil society advocating for certain political situations. They are seen by representatives of the state as legitimate targets of investigation. It is easy when it is a clear terrorist or someone who kidnapped a child to say their phone should be hacked, but when these tools are all powerful because it’s geolocation, pictures and medical records, that’s a whole new territory. Farrow: It is such an under-regulated space. The stories captured in the film include Elies and his family finding out in real time that they have been hacked and all of the consequences of that. They are innocent, apolitical bystanders. I hope that people see those stories and understand it is not just information gathering; it really can intimidate and be so painful personally. But also, it shrinks the space for free expression and efforts to holding people accountable. It can come for any one of us. Peltz : We know that people are using Pegasus to target dissidents, activists and politicians, but there is residual and collateral damage as well. There is something about this ability to say, “It’s not going to happen to me. I’m an open book. I’m not doing anything wrong, so therefore there is nothing to be afraid of.” And that’s wrong. We both learned you don’t have to be a politician, or an activist, or a dissident. You see this in Elies’ mother, a physician, and all the images of her patients that get exposed as a result of Pegasus. If you think, I haven’t done anything wrong, why does it matter? It does matter, and all of us need to worry about what the potential impact is. You never know [spyware] was there. It copies everything on your phone and it leaves. That’s really bad. It’s your bank and health records, your photos, your family. Surveilled (HBO) It is exponentially terrifying. Do you worry that your phones, or your family member’s phones, would be hacked because you were investigating this topic? Did you have Elies test your phone? Farrow: Yeah, I am really in a situation now where no one is going to want to hang out with me, dammit! [Laughs] Of course, I worry about this all the time, and try to exercise good digital hygiene, and use devices as secure as possible and test those devices regularly. But to do the work I do is to acknowledge it is all porous and you have to work as hard as you can to protect yourself and your sources. But these days, ultimately, if someone wants to put the effort and money into hacking you, they can. It can happen. Peltz : Absolutely. Elies did test our phones. We were aware that it was a possibility, So far, so good, but we absolutely had our phones checked and it would be foolhardy if we didn’t. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism Likewise, I fear we should be very concerned that with this incoming administration spyware is going to be unregulated in the United States, and there will be consequences. What observations do you have about spyware’s immediate future? Farrow: I put up a piece in The New Yorker this week . It was fascinating to talk to experts in the privacy law space who are really in a high state of alarm right now. The United States, under administrations from both parties, has flirted with this technology in ways that is alarming. Under the first Trump administration, they bought Pegasus. They claimed they were buying it to test it and see what our enemies were doing, and The New York Times later sued them for more information and found really persuasive evidence that the FBI wanted to operationalize that in American law enforcement investigations. "I criticize the Biden administration heavily on this." In this latest piece I talk about ICE and the Department of Homeland Security purchasing spyware tech from a company called Paragon, and that contract is currently under review, and we don’t know if that will be unraveled, or what restraints will be put on that. The thing I hear from these privacy law experts is the DHS is where you see the purchasing of legally dubious technology because they have a built-in excuse, “Hey, it’s all in the course of law enforcement operations.” There is very little reason to think that we are going to see more aggressive self-policing under this incoming Trump administration than we did under the Biden administration. And under Biden it was insufficient. They promised to pass an executive order, and they did, ostensibly limiting how much of this spyware the government can purchase. But we are already seeing how many loopholes there are to that. You can imagine how you couple the Trump administration’s various promises that are so much about targeting the opposition, enemies and vulnerable groups – and statements that show a flagrant disregard for law – you can image how experts fighting in this space to safeguard privacy rights are really worried right now. O’Neill : It’s Sinclair Lewis — “It can’t happen here.” We look around the world and think this is going to happen in China and in Russia, and other places. If there is something that changed for us over the course of film, it was understanding this can happen in democracies, and with U.S. allies. It can certainly happen here. It is just a matter of decision-making of the people in charge. Peltz : This is not going away. We are not putting this genie back in the bottle. It’s just a question of understanding how best to regulate its use. Is there an appropriate use for spyware? Farrow: This is not a new part of the story of government excess or breeches of privacy. There is always this debate that there are legitimate law enforcement reasons, certainly theoretically, where we can reach for cases where that’s how it played out, or instrumental in exposing criminal plots and tracking down criminals. There is a reason why law enforcement officials love the idea of being about to do that without any guardrails on it. They want to be able to open up any phone at any time. In democracies with checks and balances in them, we tend to restrain that because it is a fundamental truth that is going to be abused. If companies only promise to sell it to governments who police the use of this, we only see abuses in conventionally repressive settings, like Saudi Arabi, and Jamal Khashoggi getting killed . Technology allegedly was on phones around him. Now this history we are reporting on in this film is much more about realizing it is happening everywhere. Having a constitution that protects privacy rights, and having a set of rules and regulations that should be followed isn’t enough. That’s how you see these scandals playing out in Greece and Spain, as you see in the film, and Poland. It’s the same pattern. The government says they are using it for law enforcement purposes, and then there is this overreach, and suddenly it is on the phones of political opposition members, activists and journalists. Any problems we have in this country, where we want people to be able to expose facts related to the problem, or we want people to freely express dissent to the government is affected by the proliferation of this relatively cheap, increasingly easy to use, increasingly intrusive spyware. The less space there is for privacy for those kinds of conversations, the more the powerful can keep things under their thumbs. That is something we should all be worried and thinking about. It is not specific to United States or any one political party, it is just a fundamental truth. O’Neill : Ultimately, it’s about the rule of law and the system of checks and balances that exist for the use of any surveillance technology including this incredibly powerful one. That is our best hope for responsible use by governments and by our own government. As consumers, we can keep the pressure on providers of all the apps we use, the browsers, the operating systems saying, “We want privacy. Privacy is driving our decisions on what we use.” If we keep pressure on the technology companies, that privacy matters to us and they will keep up in the cat-and-mouse game of hackers and commercial spyware providers. Peltz : This is a Gordian knot of a problem. This doesn’t go away entirely unless our cell phones go away entirely. What are the chances of that? Pretty close to zero. This is a problem that will be with us as long as we are in a connected world. We just have to figure it out and grapple with it. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter , Crash Course. What are our options here? Farrow: I do think people can and should vote according to these kinds of civil liberties concerns and look for political candidates, on whatever side of the aisle, who are going to protect our privacy rights and our basic freedoms. If you care about this, you should call and write to representatives in Congress that this is a concern, and we need legislation that puts guardrails on this. We need people on the Hill to hold whoever is in the White House to account on this and make sure there is greater transparency about what government offices are purchasing commercial spyware, what the vetting process is, what the red lines are when it can be used. "Unless you give up that connected life, you are going to be dealing with these issues at some level." I criticize the Biden administration heavily on this and I sat down with a Biden administration official and asked, “Why are you not being transparent about the loopholes here?” The executive branch of the government is never automatically going to self-police. They are going to want the loopholes. Maybe sometimes for an understandable law enforcement reason, but it should be our job as a body politic to press people in Congress to force rule-making and accountability. Otherwise, you see in one democracy after another where innocent peaceful protesters and political opposition members are being targeted, and journalism and the flow of information is threatened. Peltz : Unless you give up that connected life, you are going to be dealing with these issues at some level. What is second best, is figuring out how to regulate it. It is here to stay to some extent. O’Neill : The only simple concrete advice we received was reboot your phone every day. Pegasus software is designed to erase itself, so if you reboot your phone, you are not vulnerable if it infected you yesterday. Peltz : I don’t want to be a downer, but I’m going to add to that: Sometimes. “Surveilled” is now available on HBO. Read more documentary interviews by Gary Kramer "She guided him in his activism": Film shows how Lauren Bacall made Humphrey Bogart a Democrat "Freedom" transforms "Emily in Paris" star Lucas Bravo from heartthrob to heist master In "My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock," director Mark Cousins explores the Master of Suspense's legacy By Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is a writer and film critic based in Philadelphia. Follow him on Twitter . MORE FROM Gary M. Kramer Related Topics ------------------------------------------ Hbo Interview Matthew O'neill Max Movies Pegasus Perri Peltz Privacy Ronan Farrow Spyware Surveillance Surveilled Related Articles Advertisement:NoneBRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVONIX Limited (NASDAQ: NVX, ASX: NVX) (“NOVONIX” or the “Company”), a leading battery materials and technology company announced today the Company’s participation in the American Active Anode Material Producers’ (“AAAMP”) petition to the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) and the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) to investigate whether China is exporting natural and synthetic graphite used to make lithium-ion battery anode material at unfair prices to the United States. 1 The filing asserts China is harming the nascent domestic graphite industry by exporting artificially cheap battery-grade graphite into the U.S., denying North American producers a fair opportunity to enter the market. Experts at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, the law firm handling the case, estimate dumping margins as high as 920%. If the investigation proves conclusive, Commerce will assess the use of additional tariffs equal to the extent of unfair pricing by the Chinese. China currently has over 95% market share for battery grade graphite. 2 Dr. Chris Burns, CEO of NOVONIX, said, “This is an important issue to address on the path to strengthening the production of critical minerals here in the U.S. and bringing fair competition to the global marketplace. We hope filing this case will bring transparency to the graphite anode market and drive further government action to utilize policies and tariffs in a manner commensurate with China’s unfair trade practices.” NOVONIX’s Riverside facility, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is poised to become the first large-scale production site dedicated to high-performance synthetic graphite for the battery sector in North America. It is slated to begin commercial production in 2025 with plans to grow output to 20,000 tonnes per annum to meet current customer commitments. Previously, the Company announced that the Department of Energy’s (“DOE”) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (“MESC”) awarded the Company a US$100 million grant 3 and that it was selected for a US$103 million investment tax credit 4 towards funding the Riverside facility. NOVONIX also recently announced receiving a conditional commitment from the DOE Loan Programs Office (“LPO”) for a direct loan of up to US$754.8 million to be applied towards partially financing a proposed new production facility also to be located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 5 This case was filed by the AAAMP which is comprised of four members of the North American Graphite Alliance (“NAGA”), including NOVONIX, alongside two additional graphite anode material producers in the United States. NAGA represents American and Canadian producers of battery-grade natural and synthetic graphite, both of which are used to create anode material for lithium-ion batteries. NAGA encourages the U.S. Federal government to craft and implement policies, programs, and funding opportunities that support growing the domestic graphite industry. This announcement has been authorised for release by Admiral Robert J Natter, USN Ret., Chairman. About NOVONIX NOVONIX is a leading battery technology company revolutionizing the global lithium-ion battery industry with innovative, sustainable technologies, high-performance materials, and more efficient production methods. The Company manufactures industry-leading battery cell testing equipment, is growing its high-performance synthetic graphite material manufacturing operations, and has developed a patented all-dry, zero-waste cathode synthesis process. Through advanced R&D capabilities, proprietary technology, and strategic partnerships, NOVONIX has gained a prominent position in the electric vehicle and energy storage systems battery industry and is powering a cleaner energy future. To learn more, visit us at www.novonixgroup.com or on LinkedIn and X . For NOVONIX Limited Scott Espenshade, ir@novonixgroup.com (investors) Stephanie Reid, media@novonixgroup.com (media) Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements about the Company and the industry in which we operate. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would,” or other similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements in this communication include, among others, statements we make regarding our plans to commence commercial production and meet our production target at our Riverside facility and our plans to build a new production facility and our efforts to finance this new production facility with a loan from the LPO. We have based such statements on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Such forward-looking statements involve and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the timely deployment and scaling of our furnace technology, our ability to meet the technical specifications and demand of our existing and future customers, the accuracy of our estimates regarding market size, expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, needs and access for additional financing, the availability and impact and our compliance with the applicable terms of government support, including the DOE MESC grant and, if obtained, the LPO loan, our ability to obtain patent rights effective to protect our technologies and processes and successfully defend any challenges to such rights and prevent others from commercializing such technologies and processes, and regulatory developments in the United States, Australia and other jurisdictions. These and other factors that could affect our business and results are included in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F. Copies of these filings may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at www.novonixgroup.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes, and actual performance and outcomes may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this communication. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement in this communication is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. 1 American-Graphite-Producers-File-Trade-Case-with-U.S.-Government-Over-Chinas-Manipulation-of-Global-Graphite-Market.pdf 2 Benchmark Minerals Intelligence Anode Price Assessment September 2024 3 NOVONIX Finalizes US$100 Million Grant Award from U.S. Department of Energy - NOVONIX 4 U.S. Government Selects NOVONIX to Receive US$103 Million in Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credits - NOVONIX 5 NOVONIX Offered Conditional Commitment for US$754 Million Loan from the U.S. Department of Energy for New Synthetic Graphite Manufacturing Plant in Tennessee - NOVONIX

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The Financial Times reports that Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in Ukraine, lured by the promise of high salaries and potential Russian citizenship. The November 23 report said they were helped by a Huthi-linked company to travel to Russia, then forcibly inducted into the Russian Army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine. The report said the action illustrates how the Kremlin is desperately trying to avoid a full mobilization of its society by using foreign fighters following reports that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to train and fight alongside Russian forces. Iran on November 24 confirmed it will hold talks regarding its disputed nuclear program with officials from Britain, France, and Germany on November 30, saying they will also focus on “bilateral, regional, and international issues.” In a news conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei spokesman did not specific the location of the talks. Earlier, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that Iran was arranging nuclear talks with Britain and the European Union starting on November 30 in Geneva. Kyodo quoted several diplomatic sources as saying the Iranian administration is seeking a solution to Iran's nuclear impasse ahead of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here . More than 80 people have been killed and about 150 others injured in the latest bout of sectarian clashes in northwestern Pakistan, local officials said on November 24. The violence between Sunni and Shi'ite groups in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province began on November 21 after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shi'ite Muslims, killing at least 38 people. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in Kurram. Police said armed men torched shops, houses, and government property. A government delegation has arrived in the area to defuse the crisis. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal, click here . https://gdb.rferl.org/fcdcf26c-4515-4304-a215-0765b77567d3_w1023_r1_s.jpg Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 24 his country "needs more air-defense systems" to protect its people as Russia continues to target Ukraine with aerial bombs, combat drones, and missiles. "Strengthening the protection of our skies is absolutely critical," Zelenskiy wrote on social media, adding that Kyiv was "actively working" with its partners on improving the country’s air defenses. Russia has launched more than 800 guided aerial bombs, around 460 strike drones, and over 20 missiles of various types against Ukraine over the past week, according to Zelenskiy. Both Ukraine and Russia on November 24 reported repelling dozens of drones from the other side overnight. Ukrainian military said early in the morning that its air defenses shot down 50 of 73 Russian drones, with more than 10 of the intercepted drones targeting the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force added that it lost track of 19 drones and four more were still in the air. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said the air-raid alert lasted for more than three hours as the drones "were flying from different directions" toward the city. Russia's Defense Ministry reported its air-defense systems destroyed 34 drones overnight, including 27 over the Kursk region bordering Ukraine. The ministry did not provide information about any damage or casualties caused by the strikes. Ukrainian forces swept into the Kursk region in a surprise offensive in August, seizing nearly 1,400 square kilometers of Russian territory. But Kyiv has since lost about 40 percent of the territory it captured in Kursk, according to a source in Ukraine’s General Staff. "At most, we controlled about 1,376 square kilometers, now of course this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks," the source was quoted by news agencies as saying. The source said Kyiv now controls approximately 800 square kilometer in Kursk and "will hold this territory for as long as is militarily appropriate." The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly gave permission to Ukraine recently to strike inside Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles, respectively. The missiles are precision tactical weapons designed to hit command-and-control centers, logistics, and arms depots near the front. Ukraine has already used the missiles to strike in Kursk and the neighboring region of Belgorod. France also joined the United States and Britain in signaling to Ukraine that it is allowed use long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in an interview with the BBC that Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia "in the logics of self-defense.” But he would not confirm if French weapons had already been used. Pakistani authorities have locked down Islamabad and partially suspended mobile phone and Internet services as supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan geared up for a protest in the capital, calling for his release. The government announced late on November 23 that Internet and cellphone services would be temporarily unavailable "in areas with security concerns" while "continuing to operate as usual in the rest of the country." It did not specify the areas, nor did it explain when the suspension would be lifted. The announcement was posted on X, which is banned in Pakistan. Highways leading to Islamabad through which the protesters are expected to enter the city and gather near the parliament have been blocked by the government. Most major roads in the city have also been sealed off with shipping containers, while large contingents of police and paramilitary personnel could be seen deployed in riot gear. Islamabad police issued a statement, saying gatherings of any sort have been banned under legal provisions. Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and has over 150 criminal cases against him, ranging from corruption to inciting violence. Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf or PTI, deny all the charges as politically motivated. Khan’s supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of protest rallies. Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and a key Khan ally, called on protesters to gather near the entrance of Islamabad's red zone, known as D Chowk. The red zone houses the country's parliament building and important government offices, as well as embassies and foreign institutions' offices. "Khan has called on us to remain there till all our demands are met," Gandapur said in a video message on November 23. He is expected to lead the largest convoy into Islamabad. Last month, a PTI protest in Islamabad turned violent with one policeman killed, dozens of security personnel injured, and protesters arrested. Both protesters and authorities accused one another of instigating the clashes. The shutdown of Internet and cellphone services during that protest disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing, and food delivery. BUCHAREST -- Romanians are voting on November 24 in the likely first of two rounds in a presidential election that will have a key impact on foreign policy, particularly on Bucharest's current support for embattled Ukraine, with which it shares a 613-kilometer border. Romanian Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party leader Marcel Ciolacu is favored to receive the most votes among the 13 candidates, but if no one garners more than 50 percent, a second round will be held on December 8 featuring the two leaders. According to pre-vote polls, five candidates have a shot at advancing to the runoff to succeed the outgoing center-right incumbent, Klaus Iohannis, who is ending his second term and a decade in office. A possible second-round challenger for Ciolacu is George Simion , leader of the far-right, ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR). Fourteen candidates are officially registered in the race, but Ludovic Orban announced he was withdrawing from the contest. Romania also has parliamentary elections set for December 1. As of 3 p.m., Romanian election officials said turnout was 32 percent, up from 29.2 percent at the same time in the 2019 vote, with long lines at polling stations reported in the capital, Bucharest. At three polling stations, turnout was reported at more than 150 percent. It was not immediately clear if the figure was the result of irregularities or due to supplemental lists holding more names than the permanent lists. Romania has become a key ally of Ukraine , not only providing training and military equipment but playing a key role in transporting Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods to global markets. Much of the credit for Bucharest's pro-Ukraine stance goes to the incumbent, Iohannis. Romania's president has significant decision-making powers , including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments. Diaspora voting began on November 23, with initial figures indicating a lower turnout than in 2019 among those abroad, with about 222,000 of such votes cast by the morning of November 24. Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the Bucharest-based think tank GlobalFocus Center, told RFE/RL that this is a high-stakes election for the NATO and EU nation of 19 million people. "Romania is faced with two important realities next year: the threat of further instability and conflict in the region and globally, especially in the context of a [President-elect Donald] Trump White House," she said. Also, "the risks of deepening economic and financial crisis, given that [Romania is] currently running one of the highest twin budget deficits and inflation rates in the EU and the cost of commodities has continued to increase while government expenditure has stayed high (largely because of the bloated state apparatus)," she added. Foreign policy is also of concern to voters, namely Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and how that conflict could change with a switch in Washington from U.S. President Joe Biden, who has steadily backed Kyiv, to Trump, who has suggested support could be curtailed. "The threat of regional instability and war is also a source of concern. Voters care about candidates' positions on Ukraine, Russia, Trump, the extent of their Euro-Atlantic orientation," Popescu-Zamfir said, adding that voters were also focused on the presidential candidates' "ability to lead the country in case of escalating tensions with Russia." In an interesting sidelight, election officials say that at least 50 Romanians over the age of 100 are expected to vote in the presidential election. The oldest is a man aged 113, while the oldest woman is aged 108, officials said. Developing nations staged a walkout at the United Nations climate talks in Baku, demanding wealthy emitter nations step up financial aid to combat the effects of global warming. Host nation Azerbaijan urged delegates to seek consensus as COP29, already extended into an extra day, verged on the brink of failure. “I know that none of us wants to leave Baku without a good outcome,” COP President Mukhtar Babayev told climate officials from around the world on November 23, urging them to “bridge the remaining divide.” Small island states and the least developed nations walked out of negotiations on a funding package for poor countries to curb and adapt to climate change, saying their climate finance interests were being ignored. “[The] current deal is unacceptable for us. We need to speak to other developing countries and decide what to do,” said Evans Njewa, chair of the Least Developed Countries group. Developing countries have been pushing rich countries for years to finance their attempts to battle the impact of climate change, saying that the extreme weather and rising seas hurting them is the result of greenhouse gas emitted by the wealthy nations decades ago. In 2009, rich countries pledged $100 billion a year in annual climate aid by the early 2020s but some have been struggling to meet their commitments. The last official draft on November 22 pledged $250 billion annually by 2035, more than double the previous goal, but far short of the annual $1 trillion-plus that experts say is needed. Experts said that rich countries like the United States and Europe are facing budget constraints due to the coronavirus pandemic and now wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The United States has allocated $174 billion to Ukraine and billions more to Israel to help bolster their defenses. European nations have also allocated well north of $100 billion for Ukraine. In a bid to save COP29, representatives from the European Union, the United States, and other wealthy countries met directly with those of developing nations to work out an agreement. “If we don’t get a deal I think it will be a fatal wound to this process, to the planet, to people,” Panama’s special representative for climate change, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez said. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has fired several top officials in the State Security Service (SSS) and Interior Ministry in a sweeping reshuffle following an assassination attempt last month on a close ally of his eldest daughter. Abdusalom Azizov, the head of the State Security Service (SSS) and Alijon Ashurov, the head of the Presidential Personal Security Department, were among those dismissed by Mirziyoev on November 22, several law enforcement sources told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service. Meanwhile, Otabek Umarov, the deputy head of the SSS and the husband of Mirziyoev’s youngest daughter, left the country on November 23, the sources said. It is unclear whether he fled or intends to come back, they added said. The upheaval is the biggest in the security services since the authoritarian Mirziyoev took office eight years ago. It comes amid a back-door power struggle among Uzbekistan's political elite that was thrust into the spotlight following an assassination attempt on Komiljon Allamjonov, a former high-ranking official in the presidential administration. Alisher Ilkhamov, an analyst at U.K.-based political risk firm Central Asia Due Diligence, said Mirziyoev needed to take action to show that no one was above the law and demonstrate his control over the country. "Impunity for such actions is a sign that the group that committed this is given carte blanche. And this will create a certain mood in society - an atmosphere of fear," he said. Allamjonov was traveling in a car on October 26, one day before parliamentary elections, when it was sprayed with bullets. Allamjonov survived, but the incident -- the first assassination attempt on a current or former member of Mirziyoev’s administration -- sent shockwaves through the country. Earlier this month, South Korean authorities detained Uzbek citizen Javlon Yunusov on suspicion of involvement in the attempted murder of Allamjonov. An RFE/RL investigation also linked another man, Shokhrukh Ahmedov, along with Yunusov and other suspects to organized crime, prior assassination attempts in Turkey, and high-level officials within Uzbekistan’s administration, including Umarov. The 40-year-old Allamjonov left his government post in September allegedly to focus on a private business venture. Meanwhile, Umarov had been accused of allegedly establishing a "deep state," controlling the country's security services and major businesses through his proxies. Sources close to the investigation have suggested that the organizers of the attack may have sought to curb Allamjonov’s growing influence and connections within the administration. Prior to the assassination attempt, Allamjonov received the personal backing of 39-year-old Saida Mirziyoeva, the president’s eldest daughter who is widely seen as his potential successor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia is seeking to drive his forces out of the Kursk region before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next year but added that the military situation in the Donetsk region is the most critical for his country. “I am certain that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wants to push us out before January 20,” Zelenskiy told reporters, referring to the day of Trump’s inauguration. “It is very important for him to show that he controls the situation” in Kursk. Ukraine stunned the Kremlin by sweeping into the Kursk region in August, seizing nearly 1,400 square kilometers of Russian territory. With Trump promising to end the war upon entering office, Moscow could be forced to exchange land it seized in Ukraine for Kursk territory should it fail to push Ukrainian forces out in time. Putin has sent tens of thousands of Russian troops to Kursk who are mounting wave after wave of counterattacks, a source on Ukraine's General Staff said. Russia has regained about 800 square kilometers in Kursk or about 40 percent of the territory Ukraine seized, the source said. Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian troops are inflicting large-scale losses on Russian forces in Kursk. Russia has recently been losing as many as 1,500 troops a day to injury and death across the entire theater of the war, the most since the invasion began in February 2022, Ukrainian and Western officials said. “Russia hasn’t suffered such losses as it is now suffering in Kursk,” Zelenskiy said. Russia has recruited more than 11,000 North Korean troops to help it take back Kursk territory. The North Korean troops reportedly arrived last month though it is unclear if they have taken part in fighting yet. The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly gave permission this week to Ukraine to strike inside Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles respectively. The missiles are precision, tactical weapons designed to hit command-and-control centers, logistics and arms depots near the front. Ukraine has already used the missiles to strike in Kursk and the neighboring region of Belgorod. Russian Advances Meanwhile, Russian ground forces continue to make incremental advances in eastern Ukraine, including near the town of Velyka Novosilka, according to Deep State, an open-source organization with ties to the Ukrainian Army, and confirmed by other analysts. Ukraine has been struggling to hold back the Russian advances due to a lack of manpower, raising concern about a possible breakthrough. While Russia is losing forces at a greater rate, the Kremlin is able to quickly replace them thanks to lucrative wages and incentives. Putin on November 23 widened those incentives, signing a law permitting the cancellation of debt for new army recruits volunteering to fight in Ukraine. The new law allows the state to forgive up to 10 million rubles ($95,835) of debt for those signing contracts with the Defense Ministry to fight in Ukraine for at least a year, beginning on December 1. The law applies to all potential recruits who have had debt collection proceedings opened against them before December 1. The maximum debt forgiveness is several times the average annual salary in Russia’s provinces. Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, said in an interview published on November 23 that new technological advances will prevent a “serious breakthrough” at the front. Ukraine and Russia have been rapidly developing reconnaissance and strike drones as well as electronic warfare weapons. The technology advancements have helped Ukraine partially compensate for its lack of manpower. In the interview, Zaluzhniy said that Russia will struggle to expand the front line and break through because it would require huge resources "which the Russians no longer have." Trump Presidency U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations outside Rome on November 25-26 to discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. It will be the last G7 meeting for the Biden administration, which is seeking to ensure that support for Ukraine is sustained when Trump enters office in January. Trump has criticized aid to Ukraine, raising questions whether he will continue support should a peace deal not be reached. The president-elect met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Florida on November 22 to discuss Ukraine and other issues facing the alliance. Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly considering Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, for the new post of special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Zelenskiy told reporters that the war could end next year if Ukraine continues to get strong Western support. Zelenskiy spoke with media following the Grain From Ukraine Summit in Kyiv. Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of grains to world markets. Prior to the conference, Zelenskiy visited a memorial to the victims of the Holodomor, the man-made famine orchestrated by the Soviet government in the 1930s that led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians. In a clear reference to Putin’s war against Ukraine, Zelenskiy said: "There is something we know for certain. They wanted to destroy us. To kill us. To subjugate us. They failed." The violent detentions of brawling foreign university students, including from Iran, in Tatarstan has led to a protest by Iran’s consul general to the Russian region. “Iranian citizens studying abroad have the right to respect and fair treatment,” Consul General Davud Mirzakhani said on November 23. “We will ensure that the rights of our students are fully protected." "The Russian police confuse the Iranian people with those of other nations," Mirzakhani added. "We will never allow anyone to treat our people abroad inhumanely and illegally." The comments came after a brawl broke out among foreign students at Kazan Federal University on the morning of November 22 as they stood in line for documentation needed to renew their student visas. Video of the incident can be seen here: According to the Russian news agency TASS, two students who instigated the brawl were detained. Iranian students involved in the incident were later released. However, Tatarstan’s Investigative Committee announced that it has opened a criminal case against one student who “used violence against a police officer.” It is not clear if the student being investigated was among those released. Local media reported that the brawl may have started when someone cut into a large line of students who had been waiting to register their documents for hours. Foreign students were reportedly transferred from their dormitories at the university to make room for attendees of the BRICS summit held in Kazan on October 22-24. Students affected by the move launched a petition to protest the decision at the time, and were reportedly among those attempting to get their documentation in order on November 22. Local media reported that the foreign students lining up for documents were there trying to extend their student visas needed to study in Kazan. Following the brawl, the university reportedly opened additional service stations for the foreign students to submit their documents. Local authorities have reported that at least 25 people, most of them Shi’a, were killed on November 22 in fresh sectarian violence in a tribal region of northwest Pakistan long known as a hotspot of Shi’ite-Sunni conflict. The deaths in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province came just two days after dozens of people were killed when gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles in the Sunni-majority district. Speaking to RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal on November 23, Kurram district administrative head Javedullah Mehsud said the renewed clashes erupted unexpectedly and the authorities could not respond in sufficient numbers to control them. Other news agencies, citing local officials, reported that at least 32 people had died and 47 were wounded in the violence on November 22. Locals in the Bagan area of the district told Radio Mashaal that an angry mob of hundreds of Shi’a set several shops and homes on fire. Locals in the predominantly Sunni area claimed that some inhabitants were unaccounted for. Local Shi'ite leader Malik Dildar Hussain told Radio Mashaal that Shi’a have frequently come under attack in the area. On November 21, at least 50 people, including several women and children, were killed and more than 40 wounded when gunmen opened fire on November 21 on a police-escorted convoy of 200 vehicles carrying Shi'ite Muslims. The convoy was traveling from the provincial capital, Peshawar, to Parachinar, the capital city of the Kurram district. The threat of additional violence led local authorities to impose a curfew on November 22 and to suspend mobile telecommunications services in the remote mountainous district. Local leaders told RFE/RL that most of those killed in the renewed violence on November 22 were Shi'a, but at least four Sunnis were also among the dead. No group has taken responsibility for the attack. RFE/RL correspondents on the ground reported on November 22 that heavily armed people set fire to a military checkpoint in the area overnight. In Parachinar, witnesses reported seeing dozens of angry people armed with automatic weapons gathering amid reports that several other facilities of the Pakistani Army and the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary had been attacked and destroyed. RFE/RL correspondents reported hearing heavy gunfire. Jamshed Shirazi, a social activist in Parachinar, told RFE/RL that several government installations were damaged by the mob. "People are expressing their anger by attacking government offices," Shirazi said. Jalal Hussain Bangash, a local Shi'ite leader, voiced dismay at the violence during a Friday Prayers sermon on November 22 and said that Shi'a had nothing to do with the ensuing violence, RFE/RL correspondents on the ground reported. Hamid Hussain, a lawmaker from Kurram in the national parliament, was adamant that the violence was the work of provocateurs. "We are helpless. Neither Shi'a nor Sunnis are involved in this. This is [the result of] some other invisible forces who do not want to see peace in the area," Hussain told RFE/RL. Sectarian tensions have risen over the past several months in the Kurram district, which was formerly semiautonomous. Seventeen people were killed in an attack on a convoy on October 12, and there have been a handful of deadly attacks since then. Sunnis and Shi'a living in Kurram have clashed over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace. Minority Shi'ite Muslims have long suffered discrimination and violence in Sunni-majority Pakistan. Russia has included the territories it occupies in Ukraine in its recent greenhouse gas inventory report to the United Nations, drawing protests from Ukrainian officials and activists at the COP29 climate summit in Baku. The move by Moscow comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin eyes potential peace deal negotiations with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump that could decide the fate of vast swaths of territory. "We see that Russia is using international platforms to legalize their actions, to legalize their occupation of our territory," Ukraine's Deputy Environmental Minister Olha Yukhymchuk told Reuters. She said Ukraine is in touch with officials from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN's main climate body, to ask it to resolve the dispute. Russia had already included emissions from Ukraine's Crimea region, annexed in 2014, in its last few reporting submissions to the UNFCCC. The Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party, fresh off a contested victory in parliamentary elections last month that ignited calls for fresh polls and pro-EU demonstrations in Tbilisi, is preparing to hold its first parliamentary session on November 25. In comments to RFE/RL, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said that foreign diplomats would not be invited to attend the opening session, saying it “should only be celebrated by the Georgian people." EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the October 26 elections in which Georgian Dream officially won 53.9 percent of the vote. Opposition leaders this week called on foreign diplomats not to legitimize the new parliament by attending the first session of parliament. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has refused to recognize the result validated by the country’s Central Election Committee (CEC), and protests demanding new elections continue to be held in the country’s capital. Protesters have alleged that there was widespread fraud during the campaign and vote, and that Russia heavily influenced the outcome favoring Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. In recent days, Georgian police have shut down the demonstrations, including through the use of violence on November 19. Video footage by RFE/RL correspondents in Tbilisi showed police dragging people to the ground, including women, and beating them before taking them away. The same day, Zurabishvili filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional.” The first item on the agenda for the opening session, which will be attended by the head of the CEC, will be recognizing the authority of all 150 parliament members. Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures enacted under Georgian Dream’s leadership have stalled that effort. The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is considering tapping Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, to be a special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to four sources familiar with the transition plans. Grenell, who served as Trump's ambassador to Germany, as special envoy to Serbia-Kosovo talks, and was acting director of national intelligence during Trump's 2017-2021 term, would play a key role in Trump's efforts to halt the war if he is ultimately selected for the post. While there is currently no special envoy dedicated solely to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump is considering creating the role, according to the four sources. Grenell has advocated for the creation of "autonomous zones" as a means of settling the conflict. He also suggested he would not be in favor of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the immediate future. EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola supports the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion and said Germany should quickly deliver its long-range Taurus system to the embattled country. Metsola, in an interview published on November 23 by the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers, said "yes," when asked whether countries providing long-range missiles to Ukraine should allow it to use them against targets in Russia -- and whether Germany should deliver its Taurus weapons system to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, has been staunchly opposed to sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine. His coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens, however, are in favor of sending Kyiv the missiles. Austria has dropped its long-standing veto to Bulgaria and Romania joining the passport free Schengen zone, opening the door to their accession next year. The breakthrough development was announced on November 22 by the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, which hosted a meeting in Budapest with the interior ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, and Austria. The EU will meet with the two candidate countries to finalize a joint security package at a meeting on December 11-12. The two countries could become Schengen members in January. “Bulgaria and Romania belong fully to the Schengen area. I welcome the positive outcome of informal discussions in Budapest today.” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a tweet following the announcement. The addition of Bulgaria and Romania will expand the Schengen zone to 28 states, including 24 EU members. Ireland and Cyprus will remain the only EU members not part of the Schengen Area. Bulgarians and Romanians currently are not permitted to travel freely into other Schengen member states over land borders. Early this year, they received the right to travel freely by air and sea in the first concession by Vienna. After the meeting in Budapest, Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter told media that the agreement to be signed next month includes the establishment of a special contingent of at least 100 border police officers on the Turkish-Bulgarian border. Hungary will contribute to the full deployment of the officers and provide the necessary technical equipment to ensure effective protection of the border, he said. Pinter expressed confidence that the issue could be resolved by December 31. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said a January accession date is a realistic goal. Yekaterina Neroznikova, a journalist and member of the Marem human rights group, is facing administrative charges in Russia for her alleged involvement with an "undesirable organization." The charges stem from Neroznikova's participation in an interview with RFE/RL earlier this year, where she discussed the high-profile abduction of Seda Suleimanova, a native of Chechnya. The administrative protocol was filed with the Zhukovsky City Court in Moscow Oblast on November 15, with a hearing scheduled for November 26. Neroznikova, who left Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, disclosed the development to the OVD-Info human rights group, a prominent watchdog monitoring political persecution in Russia. The case against Neroznikova is linked to her April 2024 appearance on RFE/RL’s program Human Rights Are A Right. During the program, she discussed the abduction of Suleimanova, who was forcibly taken from St. Petersburg in August 2023 by local police and Chechen operatives. Suleimanova, who fled Chechnya in 2022 because of pressure being put on her to agree to a forced marriage, has been missing since September last year. The charges against Neroznikova are seen as part of Russia’s broader crackdown on dissent and press freedom. Suleimanova's case has prompted global protests and solidarity campaigns highlighting ongoing human rights concerns in Chechnya and Russia in general. According to Neroznikova, a man identifying himself as an officer of the Interior Ministry contacted her relatives last week before reaching out to her directly. He informed her of the administrative charges, citing her commentary on RFE/RL as the reason. RFE/RL's Russian Service and its multiple projects in the Russian language were designated as "undesirable organizations" in Russia in February 2024, making any association with them punishable under Russian law. Participation in the activities of an “undesirable organization” in Russia can result in fines of up to 15,000 rubles for individuals. Repeat offenses within a year can escalate to criminal charges, carrying penalties of up to four years in prison. Suleimanova's case has drawn international attention. In 2022, she fled her family in Chechnya to avoid an arranged marriage and persistent conflicts. In August 2023, she was abducted in St. Petersburg by individuals including local police and plainclothes Chechen security officers. She was taken to her family in Chechnya, and no information about her whereabouts has been available since September 2023. An investigation into Suleimanova’s disappearance was launched in March 2024 following thousands of public appeals. Despite the family's claims that she left home again in February, observers remain skeptical, citing conflicting statements made by her relatives. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country's new intermediate-range ballistic missile, a nuclear-capable weapon, will continue to be tested, including in combat conditions, as Moscow struck several Ukrainian regions with other, less powerful weapons. "We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats that are created for Russia," Putin said on November 22 at a meeting with Defense Ministry officials and military-industrial complex officials. The Kremlin leader also called for serial production of the large missile to begin. Russia launched the so-called Oreshnik ballistic missile against Ukraine on November 21 in a strike targeting the city of Dnipro. Putin said at the time it was part of Moscow's response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil with U.S.-supplied ATACMS and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. The use of the Oreshnik "is first and foremost a messaging and saber rattling kind of weapon. This is the sort of delivery system that's not cheap. It's not a battlefield sort of weapon," Tom Karako, a missile defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told RFE/RL. Putin added on November 22 that the Oreshnik is new and not an upgrade of previous Soviet-designed weaponry. The United States said the new missile is “experimental” and based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Ukraine initially accused Russia of having used an ICBM in the Dnipro attack. An ICBM has never been used in a war. Strategic Weapons Russia has been striking Ukraine with Iskanders, ground-launched, short-range ballistic missiles, and Kinzhals, air-launched, intermediate-range ballistic missiles, as well as various cruise missiles. Russia probably only has several units of the Oreshnik in stock, a U.S. official told media following the November 21 strike. Ukraine's military intelligence put the figure at up to 10 units. If Russia were to move forward with serial production of the Oreshnik, it would be for its nuclear force posture and not for use in a conventional war like the one with Ukraine, Karako said. "This is not an alternative to a cruise missile. It's probably designed for strategic weapons," he said. Zelenskiy's Response In his November 21 address to the nation announcing the use of the Oreshnik, Putin said that the missile traveled at a speed of Mach 10, or 2.5-3 kilometers per second, claiming that "there are currently no ways of counteracting this weapon." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 22 that Ukraine was working on developing new types of air defenses to counter "new risks," a reference to missiles like the Oreshnik. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said testing a new weapon for the purposes of terror in another country was an "international crime" and called for a worldwide "serious response" to keep Russia from expanding the war. "When someone starts using other countries not only for terror, but also for testing their new missiles through acts of terror, then this is clearly an international crime." A lack of air defenses has been one of Ukraine's major weak spots in the 33-month war with Ukraine. Zelenskiy has called on the West to deliver more air defense systems since the first days of the invasion. He had also called on the West to ease restrictions preventing Ukraine from striking inside Russia with powerful long-range weapons. Zelenskiy said the deep strikes were necessary to target airfields critical for Russia's daily aerial attacks. The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly lifted the restrictions on November 17 with Ukraine using their long-range weapons -- ATACMS and Storm Shadow respectively -- to hit targets in Russia's regions of Belgorod and Kursk. Putin launched the Oreshnik into Ukraine to warn the West against arming Ukraine. Parliament Session Canceled Russia did not use the Oreshnik to strike Ukraine during another deadly air attack on November 22. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. In the capital, which has been on edge for several days amid intense Russian attacks on Ukraine, lawmakers were advised to avoid the government district on November 22 and parliament canceled a scheduled session due to warnings of a potential missile strike. "We were informed about the risk of a missile strike on the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv in the coming days. Putin has significantly raised the stakes . Tomorrow's parliamentary session is canceled," lawmaker Taras Batenko said. Oleksiy Honcharenko, another lawmaker, said on Telegram that the next session was now planned for December, although parliament leaders have not officially commented on the warnings. Zelenskiy's office assured the public that the presidential administration would continue operating "as usual" on November 22. The Russian Supreme Court has declared the international organization Post-Russia Free Nations Forum a terrorist group, the latest move in the Kremlin's clampdown on any sign of dissent. The organization, founded in Poland in 2022, has been accused of promoting separatism and aiming to disband the Russian Federation into independent states under foreign influence. Russia is a multiethnic state comprised of more than 80 regions, many of which have large indigenous populations, such as Chechnya and Tatarstan. Since coming to power in 1999, Russian President Vladimir Putin has centralized authority, curtailing the autonomy that some ethnic regions enjoyed. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its attempt to wipe out Ukrainian identity has shone a bright light on the Kremlin's historical mistreatment of its own indigenous populations and triggered a "decolonization" movement that seeks to give more prominence to ethnic groups within Russian historical and cultural studies. The case against the Post-Russia Free Nations Forum was launched in late October by the Prosecutor-General’s Office, which cited its activities as a threat to Russia’s territorial integrity and national security. In its statement, the Prosecutor General’s Office alleged that the forum operates through 172 regional and national entities, including the Baltic Republican Party, the Ingria Movement, the Congress of Peoples of the North Caucasus, the Free Yakutia Foundation, and the Far Eastern Confederation. The office claims these groups are directed by exiled leaders of separatist movements. “These leaders aim to divide the Russian Federation into independent states that would fall under the influence of hostile foreign countries,” the Prosecutor-General’s Office stated on its official website. The Post-Russia Free Nations Forum is registered in Poland and describes itself as a civic movement advocating for greater regional autonomy within Russia, with some members supporting full independence for regions. On its website and social media platforms, the organization also uses variations of its name, such as the Post-Russia Free States Forum. Ukrainian businessman Oleh Mahaletskiy positions himself as one of the founders of the group and is believed to be a major sponsor. The group’s activities have included discussions on decentralization and independence, with notable speakers such as the noted Tatar activist Nafis Kashapov, Bashkir activist Ruslan Gabbasov, Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomaryov, U.S. political analyst Janusz Bugajski, and others. Following the November 22 terrorist designation by the Supreme Court, all activities of the Post-Russia Free Nations Forum are now banned in Russia. Membership or association with the group is subject to criminal prosecution under Russian anti-terrorism laws. Critics of the ruling argue that the designation reflects a broader crackdown on dissent and regional autonomy movements in Russia. They note that the Forum primarily operates abroad and online, raising questions about the ruling’s effectiveness outside Russian borders. The Forum has not yet responded to the court’s decision. Observers suggest that this ruling may escalate tensions between Russia and countries hosting members of the organization, particularly Poland, where it is registered. The authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has threatened to shut down the Internet in the event of mass protests during or after the upcoming presidential election, after the previous vote in 2020 erupted in unprecedented unrest amid opposition allegations it was rigged. Speaking to students at Minsk State Linguistic University on November 22, Lukashenka defended past Internet restrictions and warned of future measures to throttle dissent. "If this happens again, we will shut it down entirely. Do you think I will sit idly and pray you don't send a message when the fate of the country is at stake?" state news agency BelTA quoted him as saying. Lukashenka admitted that Internet disruptions during the 2020 protests were conducted with his approval, citing the need to "protect the country." Following the August 9, 2020, election, which many Western governments have said was not free and fair, Internet access across Belarus was disrupted for several days and intermittently blocked. The disputed election that extended Lukashenka's decades of rule -- he has held power since 1994 -- for another term was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors. The protests, which demanded Lukashenka’s resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead. Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. The next presidential election in Belarus is scheduled for January 26. Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service, was honored with the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in a ceremony held in New York on November 21. Kurmasheva, who was recently released from detention in Russia after spending 288 days in custody, thanked the CPJ for its efforts toward gaining her freedom. "Journalism is not a crime," she said , noting that more than 20 journalists are currently imprisoned in Russia. Kurmasheva added that she was dedicating the award to her colleagues still imprisoned , including RFE/RL journalists Ihar Losik and Andrey Kuznechyk in Belarus, Vladislav Yesypenko in Crimea, and Farid Mehralizada in Azerbaijan. "My colleagues are not just statistics; like me they are real human beings with families who miss and love them. There are dozens of other journalists in Russian prisons. They should be released at once," Kurmasheva stressed . Other recipients of the award this year included Palestinian journalist Shorouq al-Aila, Guatemalan journalist Kimi de Leon, and Nigerien investigative journalist Samira Sabou, all recognized for their courage in the face of persecution. Detained by authorities in June 2023 as she was visiting relatives in the central Russian city of Kazan, Kurmasheva was initially charged with not declaring her U.S. passport. She was released but barred from leaving the country. That October, however, she was arrested, jailed, and charged with being an undeclared "foreign agent" -- under a draconian law targeting journalists, civil society activists, and others. She was later hit with an additional charge: distributing what the government claims is false information about the Russian military, a charge stemming from her work editing a book about Russians opposed to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. RFE/RL, as well as the U.S. government, called the charges absurd. The prisoner exchange that came to fruition on August 1 included 24 people in all -- including Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, and Russian political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza -- in a complex, seven-country deal. Religious tensions are on the rise in northwestern Pakistan following a deadly attack on a police-escorted convoy of Shi'ite Muslims that threatened to reignite sectarian violence in a strife-plagued region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In the aftermath of the attack on the 200-vehicle convoy traveling from Peshawar to Parachinar, the capital city of the Kurram district, authorities on November 22 imposed a curfew and suspended mobile service in the remote mountainous district. RFE/RL correspondents on the ground reported on November 22 that heavily armed people set fire to a military checkpoint in the area overnight. In Parachinar, dozens of angry people carrying automatic weapons were gathering, amid reports that several other facilities of the Pakistani Army and the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were attacked and destroyed, with RFE/RL correspondents reporting sounds of constant heavy gunfire. Jamshed Shirazi, a social activist in Parachinar, told RFE/RL that several government installations had been damaged by the angry protesters. "People are expressing their anger by attacking the government offices," Shirazi said. But Jalal Hussain Bangash, a local Shi'ite leader, voiced dismay at the violence during a Friday Prayer sermon on November 22 and said that Shi'a had nothing to do with the ensuing violence, RFE/RL correspondents on the ground report . Hamid Hussain, a lawmaker from Kurram in the national parliament, was adamant that the violence was the work of provocateurs. "We are helpless. Neither Shi'a nor Sunnis are involved in this. This is some other invisible forces who do not want to see peace in the area," Hussain told RFE/RL. At least 48 people, including several women and children, were killed and more than 40 wounded when gunmen opened fire on November 21 on the convoy of vehicles in the Kurram district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border. Local leaders told RFE/RL that most of those killed were Shi'a, but at least four Sunnis were also among the dead. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in Kurram, long known as a hotspot of Shi'ite-Sunni sectarian conflict. Local tribal leader Malik Dildar Hussain told RFE/RL that there were about 700 people in the convoy. Tensions in Kurram began to heat up in the past several months, where clashes again erupted between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim tribes in the area, which was formerly semiautonomous. On October 12, 17 people were killed in an attack on a convoy, and there have been a handful of deadly attacks since then. Sunnis and Shi'a live together in Kurram and have clashed violently over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace. Minority Shi'ite Muslims have long suffered discrimination and violence in Sunni-majority Pakistan. Moscow launched another deadly attack on Ukraine on November 22, a day after firing what it said was a new intermediate-range missile that the Kremlin boasted was a " warning " for the West, after Kyiv reportedly obtained permission from President Joe Biden to strike into Russia with U.S. long-range missiles. Two people were killed and 12 wounded in Russian strikes on Sumy, Artem Kobzar, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city, reported in a video statement on Telegram. Ukraine's air force said Russian drone attacks were under way in four regions -- Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr. In the capital, which has been on edge for several days amid intense Russian attacks on Ukraine, lawmakers were advised to avoid the government district on November 22 and parliament canceled a scheduled session due to warnings of a potential missile strike. "We were informed about the risk of a missile strike on the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv in the coming days. Putin has significantly raised the stakes . Tomorrow's parliamentary session is canceled," lawmaker Taras Batenko said, while lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko said on Telegram that the next session was now planned for December, although parliament leaders have not officially commented on the warnings. The office of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy assured the public that it would continue operating "as usual" on November 22. On November 20, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine warned of a significant Russian air attack, prompting the temporary closure of its operations. The embassies of Spain, Italy, and Greece also suspended services for the day. On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the "successful combat testing" of a new Oreshnik (Hazel Tree) intermediate-range ballistic missile amid the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin claimed the missile was used in a strike on Ukraine's eastern city of Dnipro, asserting it was a response to NATO’s "aggressive actions" and Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles to target Russian territory. On November 22, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that the test was a message to the West that Moscow will respond harshly to any "reckless" Western moves in support of Ukraine. "The main message is that the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries that produce missiles, supply them to Ukraine, and subsequently participate in strikes on Russian territory cannot remain without a reaction from the Russian side," Peskov told reporters. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns are not taken into account have been quite clearly outlined," he said. Ukraine's military intelligence said on November 22 that Russia may have up to 10 units of the new missile. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited his Israeli counterpart to visit Hungary, defying an arrest warrant for issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Benjamin Netanyahu that other European states say they will honor. Orban, speaking during his regular weekly interview with Hungarian state radio, said on November 22 that the ICC's decision a day earlier to issue the warrant accusing Netanyahu of "crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed during the war in Gaza was "outrageously brazen" and "cynical." The ICC issued similar arrest warrants for former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a Hamas military leader who Israel claims to have killed but whose death the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group has not officially acknowledged. The ICC said Netanyahu and Gallant were suspected of using "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid while targeting civilians in Israel's war in Gaza -- charges Israeli officials deny. Orban said the ICC move against Netanyahu "intervenes in an ongoing conflict...dressed up as a legal decision, but in fact for political purposes." "Later today, I will invite the Israeli prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, to visit Hungary, where I will guarantee him, if he comes, that the judgment of the ICC will have no effect in Hungary, and that we will not follow its terms," he added. "There is no choice here, we have to defy this decision," Orban said. Shortly after the ICC decision was announced, the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said ICC decisions "are binding on all states party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU member states." However, the EU's most powerful members, Germany and France, on November 22 reacted with restraint to the ICC warrants. A spokesman said the German government will refrain from any moves until a visit to Germany by Netanyahu is planned. "I find it hard to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis," Steffen Hebestreit said on November 22, adding that legal questions had to be clarified about the warrant. In Paris, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine only said that France acknowledged the ICC's move and voiced its support for the ICC's independence. "France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the court, in accordance with the Rome Statute," Lemoine said. Hungary, a NATO and European Union member state, has signed and ratified the 1999 document. However, it has not published the statute's associated convention and therefore argues that it is not bound to comply with ICC decisions. Netanyahu on November 22 thanked Orban for his show of "moral clarity." "Faced with the shameful weakness of those who stood by the outrageous decision against the right of the State of Israel to defend itself, Hungary" is "standing by the side of justice and truth," Netanyahu said in a statement. A right-wing nationalist in power since 2010, Orban has maintained close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has voiced opposition to the EU's sanctions imposed on Moscow after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Orban has previously said that Hungary would not arrest Putin either, despite the ICC arrest warrant issued on the Russian leader's name for war crimes for his role in deporting Ukrainian children. Furthermore, he flew to Moscow in July immediately after Hungary took over the EU's rotating six-month presidency to meet with Putin, in defiance of the fellow members of the bloc. Soltan Achilova, a veteran journalist and former RFE/RL correspondent in Turkmenistan, was forcibly hospitalized in Ashgabat on November 20 in what appears to be a move by the government to prevent her from flying to Geneva to receive an international award. According to the Chronicle of Turkmenistan website, four men in medical gowns arrived at the 75-year-old's apartment early that morning, claiming she was suspected of carrying an infectious disease and needed an "urgent" examination. Achilova, who showed no signs of illness, was forcibly taken to the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases in Ashgabat's Choganly district. Her family was not allowed to accompany her and her apartment keys were confiscated. One family member said one of the men told Achilova, "Why do you need keys in the afterlife?" Doctors have not disclosed when she will be released. Turkmenistan is consistently ranked by media watchdogs, such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), among the worst countries in the world for press freedom. Independent media are nonexistent in the authoritarian Central Asian state, where journalism "amounts only to praise for the regime," according to RSF. The government continues a relentless clampdown on dissent -- with critics being harassed, beaten, tortured, jailed, and even killed. Many others have been forced abroad into exile. Human rights groups, including the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights and the International Partnership for Human Rights, immediately condemned Achilova's forced detention, calling it a stark escalation in Turkmenistan's crackdown on free speech. They demanded her immediate release and an end to the persecution of journalists. Achilova, the only journalist in Turkmenistan who openly criticizes the authoritarian government, has faced repeated harassment, threats, and attacks. In November 2023, border guards at the Ashgabat airport destroyed her passport to prevent her from traveling to Switzerland, where she was scheduled to attend the Martin Ennals Award human rights ceremony. Achilova has faced verbal threats and physical attacks, which the journalist and her supporters describe as government retaliation for her work. Many of her relatives have also been threatened. Ashgabat doesn't tolerate any dissent, and the government has stifled independent media, forced opposition activists into exile, and blocked access to all major social media and messaging apps to virtually cut its citizens off from the rest of the world.

Concerns have also been raised about the “renormalisation” of smoking. Dr Rachel O’Donnell, senior research fellow at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said restrictions on smoking in outdoor places can “reinforce” a message that smoking “isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do” and could also help smokers to kick the habit. In November, it emerged that the UK Government is to scrap plans to ban smoking in the gardens of pubs and restaurants in England. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the hospitality industry has “taken a real battering in recent years” and it is not “the right time” to ban smoking outside pubs. But smoking and vaping could be banned in other public places in England – such as in playgrounds or outside of schools – under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. According to the World Health Organisation, there is no safe level of second-hand smoke exposure. In a briefing for journalists, Dr O’Donnell said decision-making “should be on the basis of all the evidence that’s available”. She added: “Any debate about legislation on smoking in outdoor settings shouldn’t only focus on air quality and second-hand smoke exposure levels, because the impacts of restrictions in outdoor settings are also evident on our social norms.” Smoke-free outdoor environments “reinforce smoke-free as the acceptable norm”, she said. “This, I think, is a critically important point at a time where in the media, over the last year, we’ve seen various reports and questions as to whether we might be on the cusp of renormalisation of smoking for various reasons, and so smoke-free public environments still have a critically important role to play. “If you reduce opportunities to smoke, it can also help individuals who smoke themselves to reduce the amount they smoke or to make a quit attempt.” Dr O’Donnell said visibility of tobacco products and smoking is a “form of marketing for tobacco companies” as she pointed to studies highlighting the increasing number of tobacco depictions on screen. She went on: “The more often young adults observe smoking around them, the more likely they are to believe that smoking is socially acceptable, which feeds back into this idea of renormalisation of smoking. “So, restrictions on smoking in outdoor public places have other positive knock-on effects, potentially for young people as well, just sending out that clear message that this isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do and see, and this could help to discourage smoking initiation among young people at quite a critical time.” On being exposed to second-hand smoke at work, she added: “I think sometimes when we think about exposure to second-hand smoke in outdoor settings, in pubs, in restaurants, we think about that sort of occasional customer exposure, the nuisance element of it when people are out enjoying a meal with friends, but we also need to be reminded that this is a repeated occupational exposure for those who are working in hospitality and serving drinks and food. “Now, as we’ve already seen, concentrations of second-hand smoke in these settings are generally low, and they’re likely to present a low risk to health for most healthy people. “But ... there’s no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and so any individual with pre-existing heart, lung or respiratory conditions may be particularly vulnerable even to low levels of exposure. “We know that second-hand smoke is its known carcinogen, and on that basis those exposed in the hospitality sector have a right to be protected. “On that basis, there’s a need to protect them, as there is anybody in any workplace setting from second-hand smoke exposure in all areas of workplaces and spaces.” Sean Semple, professor of exposure science at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said: “I think that if I were a policy-maker, which I am not, then I would be looking at those occupational exposures as well. “I have asthma, if I was being occupationally exposed to SHS (second-hand smoke), and knowing that I was one of a very small number of workers now being legally exposed to SHS in the workplace, then I might not be very happy about that.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “As part of our 10 Year Health Plan we are shifting focus from sickness to prevention, including tackling the harms of smoking and passive smoking. “The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill is the biggest public health intervention in a generation and will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK.”None

NoneShare Tweet Share Share Email Have you ever wondered how nonprofit organizations in one of the world’s busiest cities manage to stay financially sustainable amidst towering expenses and regulatory complexities? For nonprofits in New York City, financial management isn’t just about crunching numbers; it’s about ensuring that every dollar aligns with their mission while maintaining compliance with stringent state and federal laws. This challenge necessitates a robust financial strategy—and the expertise of seasoned accountants who understand the unique needs of the nonprofit sector. We explore how professional accounting solutions can empower nonprofits to navigate the intricate financial landscape of New York City. From bookkeeping to audits, these strategies ensure transparency, accountability, and fiscal health, enabling nonprofits to focus on driving social impact. 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The "Proud Mary" singer dealt with years of poor health before her death in 2023 Paul Natkin/Getty left an indelible mark on music and pop culture before her death at age 83. in 1939, Turner's journey from a small-town girl to one of the most successful solo artists in history was turbulent. Sharing stages with legends like the Rolling Stones, to Ike Turner and delivering chart-toppers like "Proud Mary" and "What’s Love Got to Do with It," Turner became a symbol of resilience. The singer, who would have celebrated her 85th birthday on Nov. 26, told PEOPLE in 1981 that a psychic once told her, " ." But as Tina stepped back from the stage in 2018, she started to focus on her health. In one of her final public appearances, at the premiere of the Broadway musical inspired by her life, , Turner reflected on her incredible journey. " ," she wrote in the musical's program. "I don't need another show, but I get so many cards and letters — I still can't believe how people feel about me onstage and the legacy they say I left.” Related: In her final years, Turner spent her days with her second husband, Erwin Bach, who donated a kidney to his wife in 2017. Six years later, Turner died in May 2023 at age 83. Here’s a closer look at Tina Turner's struggle with her health, her eventual death and the legacy she left behind. Dave Benett/Getty Turner died on May 24, 2023, following a long period of illness, including , an intestinal cancer diagnosis in 2016 and kidney failure, which required an organ transplant in 2017. The singer had also been diagnosed with high blood pressure in 1978. Turner's health problems were exacerbated after she suffered a stroke in 2013, three weeks after marrying her second husband, Erwin Bach, whom she had been dating for 26 years. Turner wrote in her 2018 memoir, , that she worried about potentially being paralyzed and feared that she would never dance again. Turner recovered the ability to walk but was diagnosed with intestinal cancer just three years later, in 2016. She then turned to homeopathic medicine to treat her high blood pressure after unpleasant side effects from traditional treatment, something she greatly regretted later in life, as it led to the degradation and eventual failure of her kidneys. In one of her , posted in March 2023, the star warned her fans to take their health seriously. “Show your kidneys love! They deserve it," Turner wrote. "My kidneys are victims of my not realizing that my high blood pressure should have been treated with conventional medicine.” She added, “For far too long I believed that my body was an untouchable and indestructible bastion.” In her 2018 memoir, Turner recalled feeling “ ” over her decision to forgo traditional treatment, but praised her husband Bach, writing, “He never reproached me for my mistake. Instead, he was loyal, kind and understanding - and determined to help me get through all this alive.” Bach donated a kidney to Turner in 2017, allowing her to undergo a life-saving procedure. She lived for six years following the transplant. Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Turner died at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, where she spent her final years with her second husband Bach. The couple moved to Switzerland in 1995. After Turner's death, a friend in the music industry told PEOPLE, "She had found true love and was able to live without fear. She had a she was around." Friend and designer Stephen Sills recalled Turner saying, “I've had a wonderful last part of life. I've enjoyed it, but I'm tired,” just two years before her passing. Walter McBride/WireImage Turner died on May 24, 2023. "The ‘Queen of Rock'n Roll’ has died peacefully today,” her publicist said at the time. “With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.” Turner's son, just five months prior. The Grammy winner on social media, writing, “Ronnie, you left the world far too early. In sorrow I close my eyes and think of you, my beloved son." Soon after her death, remembered Turner and her portrayal of the singer in the 1993 film Bassett shared the last words Turner said to her in a tribute posted shortly after news of her death broke. “Her final words to me — for me — were, 'You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world.' I shall hold these words close to my heart for the rest of my days. ,” Bassett wrote on . Legendary performer and long-time friend told PEOPLE about her final visit with Turner at her Swiss home. “She was lying on the chaise and said, ‘I’m tired.’ Then for two hours we were running around the house, and she was laughing hysterically,” Cher said. “She just needed to talk and yell. . We had the best time and talked about the old times.” Getty Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images Turner’s death prompted an outpouring of love and recognition from those who worked with her and were inspired by her. Fans of the singer took to social media and in order to pay tribute, leaving flowers, candles and messages of remembrance and thanks. Turner’s longtime manager, Roger Davies, remembered Turner in a statement to PEOPLE. “ with her strength, incredible energy and immense talent," he wrote. "From the first day I met her in 1980 she believed in herself completely when few others did at that time." A year after Turner's death, Grammy Awards tribute to the late singer went viral. Wearing a sparkling dress and big hair as a nod to Turner’s style, Cyrus set to Turner’s hit song "Proud Mary." Getty Turner is widely considered one of the greatest performers of all time. Throughout her career, she won eight Grammys, including three Grammy Hall of Fame Awards, and five Billboard awards. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. With beloved songs like "River Deep Mountain," "The Best," "Proud Mary" and dozens more, her discography continues to be influential. Turner is remembered as “the Queen of Rock and Roll,” but also as a survivor of her abusive relationship with Ike Turner. She was a legendary talent in singing, dancing, stage presence and a fashion icon. The singer’s legs were almost always on display, and her love of body-bearing dance costumes ." The legendary designer and decades-long collaborator on Turner’s iconic style, Bob Mackie, remembered the singer after her death, telling PEOPLE, “It was so hard to hear that news, but at the same time, I'm not worried about her. and having a good time, I hope." Turner inspired millions with her story, through her music, her memoirs and the Broadway musical about her life, for broadcasting one of her life lessons: “You can turn poison into medicine.”