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Local officials confirm three deaths in protests against Alawites on the Syrian coast
Thousands of protesters call for federalism and the release of prisoners After an assailant fires, security forces will shoot into the air One member of the security forces has been killed By Karam al-Masri LATAKIA (Syria) Dec. 28 - According to the media office of the province, three people were killed when protests in Syria’s Alawite?heartland?of Latakia erupted into violence and gunfire. Syria has been racked by sectarian violence since the ouster of long-time leader Bashar Al-Assad last year. He is a Muslim Alawite who was ousted in a rebel assault and replaced by a Sunni led government. On Sunday, thousands of Alawite demonstrators gathered in Azhari Square to call for a decentralized political structure in Syria. A reporter on the scene said that gunshots were heard from an unknown location about two hours into protest. The protest then descended into chaos as security forces fired in the sky. Demonstrators were seen carrying injured people on foot. In a written statement distributed to journalists by the Latakia media office, it was stated that three?people had been killed and over 40 others injured. The statement did not say if all the deaths occurred in Azhari Square or in other towns that were also protesting. UNKNOWN ATACKERS SANA, the Syrian state-run news agency, reported that a member of the security force was killed in Latakia by gunfire fired by "armed remnants" of the former regime. Unknown assailants shot at civilians and security staff near Azhari Square, the report said. Ghazal Ghazal, the head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council had called for the rally on Sunday. In November, a similar protest lasted only an hour before it was confronted with a rival demonstration in support of Syria’s new government. Both protests were broken up by Syrian security forces. On Sunday, protesters chanted "We want federalism!" The Syrian people are united! Salman Mansour said, "We came here to demand our dignity and a living. We came here to demand political federalism, just like the big states of America, Germany, and (United Arab) Emirates." He added, "We came to demand our right to?living since we were killed on our land." More than 1,000 Alawites were killed in March after a failed insurrection by ?Assad loyalists sparked revenge killings by government-affiliated forces. Eight people were killed last week when a bomb exploded at an Alawite Mosque in Homs, a nearby city. "We will continue to ask for federalism in order to maintain our dignity. "They say we hate one another - No!" Nisreen Khzem, another protester said. Reporting by Karam Al-Masri, Writing by Maya Gebeily, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne
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Guinea's presidential vote is expected to cement Doumbouya rule
Guinea began voting in the presidential election on Sunday. It is widely expected that Mamady Doumbouya will be given a seven-year term, ending the transition of West African nation back to civil rule. Former Special Forces commander Alpha Conde, who is believed to be in early 40s, will face?eight?other candidates, in a field that has no clear challenger. Former President Alpha Conde, and longtime leader of the opposition Cellou DaleinDiallo are still in exile. In Conakry's capital, the polling stations opened promptly at 7 am (0700 GMT), with some minor delays as people queued outside. Some voters referred to the election as an insignificant formality, and said the result was a given. The most important thing for me is to see the country return to normal. I'm pragmatic. Moussa Kabab, a shopkeeper from Nairobi, said: "I voted for the person who was in office and ensured the continuity of state." Around 6.7 million voters are registered and the polls were scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m. (1600 GMT). Provisional results should be available within 48-72 hours after polls closed. BAUXITE AND IRON ORE RICH Guinea has the largest bauxite deposits in the world and the richest iron ore deposit, Simandou. It was officially launched at the end of last month following years of delays. Doumbouya claims credit for ensuring Guinea gains from the project and its progress. In the wake of a dispute over a refinery, his government revoked this year the license?of Guinea Alumina Corporation's subsidiary Emirates Global Aluminium. The assets were transferred to a state owned firm. His popularity has been boosted by the rise of resource nationalism, which has also been seen in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. It has also helped that he is relatively young, given that the average age for a person living in this country is around 19. Mohamed Kaba is a mechanic from Conakry. He said: "For us, young people, Doumbouya offers the chance to retire the old political class." "There's a lot going on right now in terms of corruption, but I do hope that these things can be resolved." DOUMBOUYA IS EXPECTED ENTRENCH POWER Benedict Manzin is the lead Middle East and Africa Analyst at Sibylline. Manzin said that he was likely to "position his allies and associated to benefit from expected economic boom associated" with the launch at Simandou. After the coup, a transition charter was adopted that prohibited junta leaders from running in elections. In September, Guineans approved a new constitution that removed this clause, extended presidential terms to seven-years, and created a Senate. The official results show that 92% of voters turned out to vote, but opposition figures dispute this. Abdoulaye Barry, an engineer in the civil service, announced on Sunday that he will not vote. He lamented that "the country is allowing a person who swore to not run to do so". ACTIVITIES OF THE OPPOSITION RESTRICTED IN A CAMPAIGN Under Doumbouya, the political debate has been muted. Civil society groups have accused his government of limiting press freedom, preventing protests and limiting opposition activities. Volker Turk, U.N. Rights chief, said that the campaign period "has been severely limited, marked by intimidation against opposition actors, apparent politically motivated enforced disappeared, and restrictions on media freedom". The conditions in place "risk undermining credibility of the electoral process," Turk added. The government has not responded to a comment request. Doumbouya remained low-key during the campaign and left it to his supporters and officials to present his case. He skipped the speech at a Conakry closing rally, but danced with wife to Koffi Omoide's performance. He wore a baseball cap in white and a track jacket with a black and white embroidered name of his group: "Generation for Modernity & Development". Reporting by Guinea Newsroom; Portia Crowe contributed additional reporting; Robbie Corey-Boulet wrote the article; Louise Heavens, Helen Popper and Helen Popper edited it.
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Guinea's presidential vote is expected to cement Doumbouya rule
Guinea will vote on Sunday for a president whose election is widely expected to give Mamady Doumbouya a seven-year mandate. This would complete the transition of West Africa's nation back to civil rule. Former special forces commander, believed to be in early 40s, is up against eight other candidates, in a field fragmented with no clear challenger. Former president Alpha Conde, and longtime opposition leader Cellou Dallein Diallo are still in exile. Guinea has the largest bauxite reserve in the world and the richest iron ore deposit that is still untapped. Simandou was officially opened last month, after many years of delays. Doumbouya claims credit for advancing the project and ensuring Guinea benefits from it. In the wake of a dispute over a refinery, his government revoked Guinea Alumina Corporation’s license and transferred its assets to a firm owned by the state. His youth, in a country with a median age of 19 years, and the turn towards resource nationalism, which is echoed by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have boosted his popularity. Mohamed Kaba, an auto mechanic from Conakry, said: "For us, young people, Doumbouya is a chance to retire the old political class." "There's a lot going on in terms of corruption, but I do hope that these things will be resolved." DOUMBOUYA IS EXPECTED TO ENTRENCH THE POWER Benedict Manzin is the lead Middle East and Africa Analyst at Sibylline. Manzin said that "he will likely position his friends and associates so they can benefit from the economic boom expected to accompany the start of production at Simandou". The transition charter, adopted after the coup, prohibited junta-members from running in?elections. In September, Guineans approved a new constitution that removed this clause, extended presidential terms to seven-years, and created a Senate. The preliminary results show that 86.42% of voters turned out, but opposition figures dispute this. OPPOSITION - ACTIVITY RESTRAINED DURING CAMPAIGN Doumbouya's government has tamed the political debate. Civil society groups claim that his government has banned protests and restricted opposition activity. Volker Turk, chief of the U.N. Rights Department, said on Friday that the campaign period was "severely restricted". The conditions in which the elections are being conducted "risks undermining their credibility," said Turk. The?government didn't respond to a comment request. Doumbouya stayed low-profile during the campaign and left surrogates to present his case. He skipped the speech at a closing rally in Conakry on Thursday, but danced with wife to Koffi Omoide's performance. He wore a baseball cap and track suit in white, emblazoned "Generation for Modernity and Development." Around 6.7 million voters are registered, and provisional results should be available within 48-72 hours after the polls close. Reporting by Guinea Newsroom; Writing and editing by Robbie Corey Boulet
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In Guatemala bus crash, at least 15 people are dead and 19 others injured
Authorities said that at least 15 people were killed and 19 others injured when a passenger van plunged into a ravine along the Inter-American Highway, in western Guatemala. Leandro Amado, a local firefighter spokesperson, told reporters that 15 people had died. This included 11 men, 3 women, and a child. He also said that 19 people had been injured. The accident occurred between km 172 and174 in the Solola Department, an area known for its dense fog which reduces visibility. The images shared on social media by the fire department early Saturday morning showed the bus wreckage?in the ravine while firefighters worked to save victims. Reporting by Sofia Menchu. (Editing by Joe Bavier, Mark Potter and Mark Potter.)
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Suns' Devin Booker aims for a 2-game sweep over Pelicans
Devin Booker, the star of the Phoenix Suns, has been playing some great basketball lately. Booker has averaged 28.2 points per game over the past five games. He also averages six assists and four rebounds. This includes a performance of 30 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the Suns 115-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Booker and his Suns team will be looking to "continue" their momentum on Saturday when they play the Pelicans in the second of two back-to-back games. Booker stated that the contest on Friday was a "must-win" for them. What a great way to begin the road trip. We want to begin on a positive note. Saturday, we'll be back in action against them. We know that they are playing good basketball at the moment. Saturday's game will be a very competitive one. Booker scored 12 points in Friday's fourth quarter and was a key player in the Suns winning the game with an 18-8 run. Mark Williams and Connor Gillespie played important roles for Phoenix. Williams scored 24 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Gillespie added 16 points with nine assists. Williams also added 13 rebounds to his double-double, which was his first in nine games this month. Suns' 16 offensive rebounds led to extra possessions against Pelicans. Jordan Ott, Suns coach, said: "I thought we had some big stops in the stretch." "And then Book made some offensive plays to somehow pull out the win." Zion Williamson, who was a bench player for the Pelicans, led them with 20 points and eight rebounds in just 28 minutes. The Pelicans had won five straight games before losing their second consecutive game. Williamson has been battling multiple injuries for years and has not always played the second game of a back-to-back. However, he played double duty this week, when the Pelicans took on the Dallas Mavericks as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two-time All-Star started every game in his six-year NBA tenure until?this past month. Williamson, who had been out of action for six games due to a right adductor injury, was moved from the starting lineup on Dec. 14, in order to reduce his workload. Williamson has averaged 21 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assist in six games, even though he never played more than 28 min. In the last four games, he led the team in scoring. Williamson was the star of the show, and the Pelicans bench scored 60 on Friday. If New Orleans hopes to split the doubleheader it will need better execution in the late stages of?the game. James Borrego, interim head coach of the Pelicans, said: "We put ourselves into a good situation." "We didn't play enough." We failed to make free throws or shots. "We could have done better in the final stretch." On Friday, neither team was able to make it from long range. Each team made only 20% of their 3-point attempts. Phoenix finished with 8 out of 40 attempts, while New Orleans had 5 out of 25. Field Level Media
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Myanmar holds elections amid civil war, humanitarian crisis and other crises
Myanmar will vote on Sunday, as it fights a civil conflict that has devastated parts of the nation and one of Asia's most severe humanitarian crises. Myanmar, already one of Southeast Asia's poorest nations, has been devastated by conflict that was sparked by the coup in 2021. The military overthrew a civilian government headed by Nobel Peace Prize-winner?Aung San Suu Kyi. WHAT IS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION? Myanmar's humanitarian crises is one of Asia's most serious, and it is largely due to the intensifying civil conflict, as well as the repeated natural disasters including the massive earthquake that occurred in March. Reports have stated that the ruling junta suppressed previous information about the severe food crisis affecting the country, by urging researchers to not collect data on hunger and aid workers to not publish it. Myanmar has one of the most underfunded aid operations in the world, according to United Nations. Only 12% of funds required have been received. The U.S. cuts in humanitarian aid have a devastating impact on the people, according to the U.N. Special Reporter on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar. UN estimates that around 20 million people in Myanmar need help due to soaring inflation, a plummeting currency and about half of the population living below 'the poverty line. UN estimates claim that more than 3.6 millions people have been forced to leave their homes and over 6,800 civilians were killed in the conflict caused by the coup. According to the UN World Food Programme, as violence escalates, more than 12 millions people in Myanmar will be at risk of acute hunger next, including 1,000,000 who will require lifesaving assistance. WFP estimates that more than 16,000,000 people in Myanmar suffer from acute food insecurity, which means their lack of food is a threat to lives and livelihoods. The agency stated that Myanmar is "a hotspot of hunger" and should be taken very seriously. WFP reported that this year more than 540,000 children will suffer from acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition which can have serious and lifelong consequences. This is a 26% rise from last year. According to WFP, one in three children aged under five already suffers from stunted development. How has the economy fared? Myanmar's economy, once considered one of the most promising in the region, has suffered from civil wars, natural disasters, and poor management. The World Bank reported this month that despite these challenges, Myanmar’s economy has shown some signs of improvement. Its GDP growth will?rebound to 3% during the next fiscal period. The projected growth will be driven by the post-earthquake recovery and targeted assistance to?the most affected areas. However, inflation is expected remain at or above 20%. Solar energy is becoming more popular as a reliable source of power for households and businesses. In June, Russia, which is building up ties with the military junta in Myanmar, signed a deal with Myanmar that could provide new opportunities for Russian companies to invest in the country. (Reporting and editing by Raju Gopikrishnan).
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Petrobras' proposal to end the strike is rejected by a large Brazilian union
The Brazilian union Sindipetro-NF (one of the largest in Brazil) has rejected the latest proposal from the state-run oil company to end the 12-day strike. It said this in a Friday statement. Sindipetro NF represents?about 25,000 oil industry workers, including those in Petrobras?offshore oil platform in the Campos Basin, which is the second highest oil production area in Brazil. Petrobras stated in a press release that the strike so far has not had an impact on production as they are using contingency crews to continue operations. Sindipetro-NF is the largest union within FUP, a umbrella organization of oil workers. The FUP board accepted Petrobras' proposal but it was still up to the workers. Sindipetro-NF, a union that is not part of the?FUP, has rejected the call to end the strike. FUP does not include all Petrobras unions. FNP's board voted to continue the protest, and advised unions that were under its umbrella to do the same. Sources said that the dispute may last for a long time, because it involves complex issues, such as deductions from pensioner payments and pension fund funds of state-run firms. Reporting by Fabio Téixeira in Rio de Janeiro and Rodrigo Viga Gaier; editing by Nick Zieminski & Alistair Bell
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Wall St. closes the holiday session with a near-record high in terms of light.
Wall Street closed a low-volume session after Christmas on Friday with little to no change. The three major U.S. indexes ended essentially flat but posted weekly gains. Ryan Detrick is the chief market strategist for Carson Group, based in Omaha. He said, "We're simply catching up today after a five-day rally." This is just day two of Santa Claus rally, so there's still time. We think that the market will be more optimistic going forward. Market participants were looking for signs of a seasonal phenomenon known as the "Santa Claus Rally," where the S&P 500 makes gains in the last five days of the current year, and the first two days in the next. This period began on Wednesday and runs through January 5. This rally could be a good sign for the stock market in 2026. Three trading days are left in an 'unpredictable year,' in which investors have been thrown for a loop by tariff jitters and simmering geopolitical conflicts. The Nasdaq is leading the way with its tech-heavy indexes. Detrick added: "It is a reminder to investors that volatility was the price we paid to achieve the solid gains in the past three years." "It's likely that 2026 will not be the first time in history where there is no volatility or bad headlines. "So you need to prepare yourself." The S&P 500 lost 2.05 points or 0.03% to finish at 6,930.00, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 20.21 points or 0.09% to 23,593.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 19.70 points or 0.04% to 48,7111.46. Communication services, technology, and industrials outperformed the overall market in terms of performance. The only sector to lose ground by 2025 is real estate. Nvidia's stock rose after the AI chipmaker agreed with startup Groq to license its chip technology and hire its CEO. Target shares rose after The Financial Times reported that hedge fund Toms Capital Investment Management has invested a large amount in the retailer. Silver and gold prices reached new record highs, boosting the value of U.S. listed shares.
Brazil's labor court orders Petrobras to keep 80% of its workforce in place
The Brazilian Superior Labor Court has ruled that staffing levels at all Petrobras sites in Brazil will remain at 80% as negotiations between workers at the state-run company continue to drag out amid a long strike.
The ruling of the court on Saturday prohibits worker unions from preventing the transport of workers and equipment into and out of facilities, such as those of Petrobras Logistics subsidiary Transpetro.
Sylvia dos Anjos told the press on Sunday that "we?continue to work and ensure production and supply".
Petrobras workers began a strike on Dec. 15
The Sindipetro-NF union, which represents 25,000 workers within the Brazilian oil industry, has rejected the latest proposal from the state-owned oil company to end the two-week strike.
Sindipetro-NF, in a statement on Saturday, said that the court had also ordered Petrobras, to provide information including headcounts by operating unit, function and job title. They called the decision a "victory."
The FNP, another group on strike, representing 26,000 workers, has said that Petrobras' staffing levels at 80% are "unenforceable".
The dispute is not over yet, as the salary negotiations also include complex issues relating to Petrobras pension funds and deductions for pension payments. (Reporting and writing by Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Ana Mano, Nick Zieminski).
(source: Reuters)