Cancer-hit UK king hails doctors in Christmas speech

Britain's King Charles speaks with Reverend Canon Dr Paul Williams as the Royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain December 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Britain's King Charles speaks with Reverend Canon Dr Paul Williams as the Royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain December 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 25 December 2024
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Cancer-hit UK king hails doctors in Christmas speech

Britain's King Charles speaks with Reverend Canon Dr Paul Williams as the Royals take residence at the Sandringham estate.
  • “We cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict in the Middle East … pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives,” king said

LONDON: King Charles III thanked “selfless doctors and nurses” for supporting the royal family in his Christmas address, marking the end of a year during which he and Princess Catherine have battled cancer.
Speaking in a pre-recorded message from a former hospital chapel, the king paid tribute to medical staff, veterans and humanitarian workers, and touched upon topics ranging from global conflicts to the far-right riots in the UK this summer.
The monarch’s traditional Christmas message, the first in nearly two decades made outside a royal residence, was symbolically filmed in the ornate Fitzrovia Chapel in central London.
“I offer special heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” Charles, 76, said.
“I am deeply grateful too to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement,” the king added.
His daughter-in-law Princess Catherine was also diagnosed with cancer just weeks after him, temporarily removing the two senior royals from frontline duties.
They have gradually resumed engagements, with Kate, as she is widely known, announcing she had completed chemotherapy in September. Charles is still undergoing regular treatment for cancer, expected to continue into 2025.
Charles, who became monarch in 2022 after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, also hailed the country’s response to divisive far-right riots that took place across England in August and September following the fatal stabbing of three young girls.
“I felt a deep sense of pride here in the United Kingdom when in response to anger and lawlessness in several towns this summer, communities came together not to repeat these behaviors, but to repair,” Charles said.
Calling for peace, the king reflected on conflicts across the world in a year which also marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
“During previous (D-Day) commemorations, we were able to console ourselves with the thoughts that these tragic events seldom happen in the modern era,” said Charles.
“But on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere, pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives and livelihoods.”
Charles praised the “diversity of culture, ethnicity and faith” in Commonwealth countries, after attending a summit in Samoa in October.
“Across the Commonwealth, we are held together by a willingness to listen to each other,” Charles added, as the bloc increasingly confronts the legacy of slavery and colonialism under the former empire.
The eco-conscious king notably did not address climate change or environmental concerns this time around, in a shift from last year’s address.
However, in the backdrop of the broadcast was a live Christmas tree that was later donated and replanted, a tradition begun by Charles in 2023.
The king ended the speech with a call for “peace on earth.”
“And so it is with this in mind that I wish you and all those you love a most joyful and peaceful Christmas,” he concluded.
In keeping with tradition, Charles and his wife Queen Camilla, 77, were joined by other senior royals for their annual festive gathering at the family’s Sandringham estate in eastern England.
Heir-to-the-throne Prince William and Kate along with their three children were part of the royal entourage attending a morning church service followed by Christmas lunch.
Disgraced Prince Andrew, however, was missing from the festivities after revelations of his dealings with a suspected Chinese spy emerged just weeks earlier.
The king’s younger brother was present at last year’s gathering despite being shunned from royal life over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Also missing were Prince Harry and his wife Meghan — who quit royal life in 2020 and moved to California — making it the sixth royal Christmas they have missed in a row.


Lithuania accuses Belarus, Russia of operation against Belarusian exiles

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Lithuania accuses Belarus, Russia of operation against Belarusian exiles

Lithuania accuses Belarus, Russia of operation against Belarusian exiles
VSD said the goal of the alleged operation had been to cause conflicts between Lithuanians and Belarusians Vilnius
It accused Minsk and Moscow of recruiting people to organize and undertake attacks

VILNIUS: Lithuania’s intelligence service accused Belarus and Russia on Wednesday of attempting to organize attacks against Belarusians in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
The State Security Department (VSD) said the goal of the alleged operation had been to cause conflicts between Lithuanians and the tens of thousands of Belarusians in the Baltic state.
Many Belarusians, who include opposition figures and activists, moved there as Minsk clamped down on dissent after a 2020 presidential election that rights groups said was fraudulent.
“Russian and Belarusian intelligence services have been conducting ... an operation since 2023 aimed at fomenting ethnic tensions between Lithuanian society and the newly-arrived Belarusian diaspora to make them feel unsafe in the country,” the VSD said in a statement.
It accused Minsk and Moscow of recruiting people to organize and undertake attacks on Belarusian exiles in exchange for cryptocurrency payments.
It said the assaults were prevented but did not specify how.
The VSD also accused the two countries of recruiting people to spray anti-Belarusian and anti-Lithuanian graffiti in Vilnius.
It said a series of vandalism acts targeting Belarusian businesses and cultural centers had taken place since last year.
The intelligence service claimed Belarus and Russia recruited people mainly from the Russian-speaking Lithuanian community on Telegram, a secure messaging app.
European officials have accused Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against Western countries supporting Ukraine since Moscow invaded the country in February 2022.
The term “hybrid” is commonly used to describe attacks that do not use conventional military tactics, such as sabotaging infrastructure or launching cyberattacks.
In March, Lithuania arrested two Ukrainians for attempting to set fire to an IKEA store in Vilnius — an incident it blamed on Russian intelligence.
“Lithuania’s intelligence services warn that the work of Russian and Belarusian secret services in Lithuania remain intensive,” the VSD said.

Russia allows Taliban to have Moscow ambassador

Russia allows Taliban to have Moscow ambassador
Updated 23 April 2025
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Russia allows Taliban to have Moscow ambassador

Russia allows Taliban to have Moscow ambassador
  • The Russian side has decided to upgrade the diplomatic mission of Afghanistan in Moscow
  • The Afghan side “expressed their deep gratitude for this step“

MOSCOW: Russia said Wednesday it will allow the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to have an ambassador in Moscow, in a symbolic move days after it lifted a “terrorist” designation for the militant group.
Moscow has taken steps to normalize relations with the Islamist Taliban administration since the group seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the withdrawal of US troops.
The Russian foreign ministry said Russian officials had held talks with Afghanistan’s foreign and internal ministers.
“The representatives of the Afghan leadership were informed that, following the decision announced by the Supreme Court of Russia to suspend the ban on the Taliban movement, the Russian side has decided to upgrade the diplomatic mission of Afghanistan in Moscow to the level of ambassador,” it said in a statement.
It added the Afghan side “expressed their deep gratitude for this step.”
Russia sees a potential economic partner in the Taliban authorities, who praised Moscow for scrapping the “terrorism” label last week.
Taliban officials have visited Russia for high-profile events in recent years.
Russia’s decision to suspend the ban on the group does not equal a formal recognition for the Taliban authorities, which are seeking international legitimacy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that “the new authorities in Kabul are a reality.”
“We need to take this into account in order to carry out pragmatic, not ideologized policy,” the minister told journalists.
The Afghan government is not officially recognized by any country or world body and the United Nations refers to the administration as the “Taliban de facto authorities”.


Ukrainian strike damages Russian drone production site in Tatarstan, Kyiv says

Ukrainian strike damages Russian drone production site in Tatarstan, Kyiv says
Updated 23 April 2025
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Ukrainian strike damages Russian drone production site in Tatarstan, Kyiv says

Ukrainian strike damages Russian drone production site in Tatarstan, Kyiv says
  • Russia has been extensively using Shahed and other types of attack drones
  • The general staff said the strike caused explosions near the facility

KYIV: Ukraine’s military said on Wednesday it had hit a Russian long-range drone production site in Tatarstan, damaging the final assembly line.
In the course of the three-year-old war, Russia has been extensively using Shahed and other types of attack drones for strikes across Ukraine. On Wednesday night, Ukraine said it had downed 134 Russian drones.
“As of now, it is known that damage was caused to the final assembly line of the UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles),” Ukraine’s general staff said on the Telegram app, adding that the plant’s production capacity is 300 drones per day.
Reuters could not independently verify the statement. Local authorities in Yelabuga reported a drone being shot down in the town. Mash, a Telegram channel close to Russia’s security services, said at least four drones had been downed close to a factory in the town.
The general staff said the strike, conducted by Ukraine’s drone forces and other units, caused explosions near the facility, 1,054 kilometers (654 miles) from the Ukrainian border. It added that the aftermath of the strike is being clarified and that explosions were confirmed in the target area.


Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial opens at a different #MeToo moment

Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial opens at a different #MeToo moment
Updated 23 April 2025
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Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial opens at a different #MeToo moment

Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial opens at a different #MeToo moment
  • It’s the first time Manhattan prosecutors have detailed Sokola’s allegations
  • Emphasizing Weinstein’s onetime influence in the movie industry, Lucey said the ex-studio boss used “dream opportunities as weapons” to prey on women

NEW YORK: Opening statements in Harvey Weinstein’s #MeToo rape retrial began Wednesday with a prosecutor telling jurors about the three allegations at issue in the case, including one involving a woman who wasn’t part of the original trial in 2020. Weinstein’s lawyer countered that the women and the one-time Hollywood powerbroker had consensual relationships.
Kaja Sokola, a former model from Poland, alleges that Weinstein pinned her to a bed and forcibly abused her in 2006 after luring her to his Manhattan hotel room with the promise of movie scripts. Four years earlier, Sokola alleges, he molested her at his apartment when she was just 16, Assistant District Attorney Shannon Lucey told jurors.
Weinstein, 73, is charged in connection with the 2006 allegation, but not the earlier one. Sokola previously sued and received $3.5 million in compensation, Lucey said.
It’s the first time Manhattan prosecutors have detailed Sokola’s allegations, which were added to the case after New York’s highest court overturned Weinstein’s conviction last year. The rest of the retrial involves allegations from two women who were part of the original trial — Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann.
The Associated Press does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named, as Haley, Mann and Sokola have done.
Emphasizing Weinstein’s onetime influence in the movie industry, Lucey said the ex-studio boss used “dream opportunities as weapons” to prey on women. He is charged with raping Mann and forcing himself on Haley and Sokola.
“The defendant wanted their bodies, and the more they resisted, the more forceful he got,” Lucey said.
Weinstein, she said, “held the golden ticket: a chance to make it, or not.”
The Oscar-winning producer, seated in the wheelchair he now uses because of health problems, whispered with one of his lawyers and appeared to take notes as Lucey described his alleged crimes, but he didn’t look at the jury.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone.
His lawyer, Arthur Aidala, told jurors in his opening statement that Weinstein engaged in “mutually beneficial relationships” with women who wanted his help in the industry but that nothing he did was illegal.
“In this case, the casting couch is not a crime scene,” Aidala argued.
He implored jurors to view the case with an open mind and to wait until they’ve heard all of the evidence before reaching a conclusion. Acknowledging Weinstein’s former career, Aidala compared the opening stage of the trial to a movie trailer.
“How often is a preview great, but the movie falls flat on its face?” the defense lawyer said. “After you hear all of the evidence, their case is going to fall flat on its face.”
The audience in the packed courtroom included Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He inherited the landmark #MeToo case, brought by his predecessor, when the Court of Appeals last year threw out the 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence because the judge allowed testimony about allegations Weinstein was not charged with. The reversal led to the retrial.
Weinstein’s retrial is playing out at a different cultural moment than the first. #MeToo, which exploded in 2017 with allegations against Weinstein, has evolved and ebbed.
The jury counts seven women and five men — unlike the seven-man, five-woman panel that convicted him in 2020 — and there’s a different judge.
At the start of Weinstein’s first trial, chants of “rapist” could be heard from protesters outside. This time, there was none of that.
Weinstein is being retried on a criminal sex act charge for allegedly forcibly abusing Haley, a movie and TV production assistant at the time, in 2006, and a third-degree rape charge for allegedly assaulting Mann, a then-aspiring actor, in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
Weinstein also faces a criminal sex act charge for allegedly abusing Sokola, also in 2006. Prosecutors said she came forward days before his first trial but wasn’t part of that case. They said they revisited her allegations when his conviction was thrown out.
Weinstein’s acquittals on the two most serious charges at his 2020 trial — predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape — still stand.
Sokola’s lawyer, Lindsay Goldbrum, said Weinstein’s retrial marks a “pivotal moment in the fight for accountability in sex abuse cases” and a “signal to other survivors that the system is catching up — and that it’s worth speaking out even when the odds seem insurmountable.”
During jury selection, a prosecutor asked prospective jurors whether they’d heard of the #MeToo movement. Most said they had, but that it wouldn’t affect them either way.
Those who indicated it might were excused.


Macron visits Madagascar in the first trip by a French leader to the former colony in 20 years

Macron visits Madagascar in the first trip by a French leader to the former colony in 20 years
Updated 23 April 2025
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Macron visits Madagascar in the first trip by a French leader to the former colony in 20 years

Macron visits Madagascar in the first trip by a French leader to the former colony in 20 years
  • France and Madagascar signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding, including in energy, agriculture and education
  • Macron announced funding from the French Development Agency and a loan from the French treasury for the construction of a hydroelectric dam

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar: French President Emmanuel Macron began a two-day visit to the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar on Wednesday and spoke of the need for his country to find new markets and boost economic cooperation in the region.
Macron’s visit marked the first by a French leader to the former colony off the east coast of Africa since Jacques Chirac’s in 2005.
The trip also delved into disputes between the nations stemming from the colonial era, including Madagascar’s claims over a group of small islands that are French territory, and its demands that France return the remains of a local king who was killed by French colonial forces in the late 1800s.
Macron met with Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina in the capital, Antananarivo, and they signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding, including in energy, agriculture and education.
Macron also announced funding from the French Development Agency and a loan from the French treasury for the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Volobe in eastern Madagascar, which has been planned for nearly a decade.
Macron is due to attend Thursday a summit of the Indian Ocean Commission in Madagascar, a bloc made up of Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, Seychelles and Reunion — which is a territory of France. China, India and the European Union are among a group of countries and international bodies that have observer status at the commission.
“We need to conquer, at least, the market of the (Indian Ocean Commission),” Macron said Wednesday. “And then, more widely, East Africa and the Indian Ocean.”
On some of their disagreements, Rajoelina said there would be a new round of meetings on June 30 over the fate of the Scattered Islands, five small islands around Madagascar that fall under France’s overseas territories but are claimed by Madagascar.
France favors a system where the islands would be jointly managed by the two countries, but the UK’s decision last year to hand over control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius has spurred some in Madagascar to push for full control of the Scattered Islands — which are known as the Eparses Islands in France.
Madagascar and France “are determined to find a solution together,” Rajoelina said.
Macron said he would work with Madagascar over the agreed return of three skulls that were taken from Madagascar more than 125 years ago and displayed in a Paris museum. One of them is believed to be the skull of King Toera of the Sakalava people, who was beheaded by French troops in 1897.