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Ukraine claims it has control over Kyiv, surroundings as Russians plant mines, push deeper east

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Ukraine claims it has control over Kyiv, surroundings as Russians plant mines, push deeper east

Ukrainian officers claimed Saturday that they had clawed again most of Kyiv and its environment whilst they warned of latest risks: land mines planted by withdrawing Russian forces and revived Russian pushes within the east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russian troops have been seeding northern areas of Ukraine with mines as Moscow more and more centered its offensive thrust on the jap Donbas area — house of two self-proclaimed republics loyal to Russia.

His army leaders mentioned Russian forces have been making an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops in elements of the Donbas and pulling away from the capital, Kyiv. In addition they mentioned Ukrainian forces have been now accountable for Kyiv and lots of the suburbs that Russia had tried to occupy, though that would not be verified independently.

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Additionally Saturday, the Interfax Ukraine information company quoted Ukrainian International Minister Dmytro Kuleba as saying Moscow now appeared ready to conform to face-to-face talks between the 2 international locations’ presidents. Such a gathering might signify a turning level within the battle, though Western diplomats and others mentioned they remained skeptical of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions and negotiating ways.

Zelensky warned that the risks in his nation remained actual and potent.

“It’s nonetheless not doable to return to regular life, because it was once, even on the territories that we’re taking again after the preventing,” he mentioned. “They’re mining all this territory. Mining homes, gear, even the our bodies of killed individuals. Too many trip-wire mines, too many different risks ….”

In the meantime, as shelling and assaults continued throughout the nation, new evacuations have been deliberate from war-ravaged areas within the north and east, together with the devastated port metropolis of Mariupol.

Based on Zelensky, greater than 6,000 individuals have been evacuated from battle zones Friday by means of so-called humanitarian corridors, exit routes collectively agreed upon by Ukrainian and Russian officers. Greater than half of these evacuees have been from Mariupol.

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The Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross mentioned it was planning a large-scale evacuation of residents from Mariupol once more Saturday after efforts Friday have been deemed too dangerous. Ukrainian officers mentioned a number of hundred civilians made it out of Mariupol on their very own Saturday however continued to await phrase on the Pink Cross mission.

Mariupol, alongside the Sea of Azov within the Donbas area, has emerged as a potent image of the destruction and lack of life which have characterised the battle. Tens of hundreds of residents are reportedly trapped in Mariupol with restricted entry to meals, water and medical care as Ukrainian defenders battle to carry on in opposition to advancing Russian forces.

Photos of Mariupol, as soon as a metropolis of greater than 400,000, reveal empty condominium blocks and procuring facilities blackened from shelling. A lot of the inhabitants has fled.

In a forceful condemnation clearly directed at Putin, Pope Francis denounced a “potentate” who launched a “savage” battle that included the specter of nuclear assault in an “childish and harmful aggression.”

“We had thought that invasions of different international locations, savage avenue preventing and atomic threats have been grim recollections of a distant previous,” Francis mentioned throughout a visit to Malta. He mentioned he was contemplating visiting the beleaguered metropolis of Kyiv.

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Some Vatican watchers have urged the pope would pull his punches in talking of the battle to keep away from antagonizing Putin and his shut ally, the Russian Orthodox Church. However the brand new feedback left no room for doubt over the place Francis positioned the blame for the brutal onslaught.

The battle, now in its thirty eighth day, has left hundreds lifeless, compelled nearly one-quarter of Ukraine’s inhabitants of 44 million from their properties, and created a broad swath of destruction throughout the nation.

Zelensky in an in a single day video warned individuals to keep away from returning to areas beforehand underneath Russian management till authorities are certain that mines had been cleared and the specter of shelling had abated.

The president described the scenario within the nation’s east as “extraordinarily troublesome,” as Russia bolstered troop power and ready for brand spanking new assaults. Moscow has mentioned its forces are concentrating on the east, the place Russia has backed pro-Moscow separatist forces since 2014. The Pentagon earlier this week confirmed a portion of the Russian forces have been pulling again however with a but unknown remaining vacation spot.

Ukrainian troops backed by a column of tanks and armored autos moved farther north from Kyiv to Bucha, the Related Press reported. The AP mentioned its reporters counted six our bodies of civilians scattered alongside a avenue and within the entrance yard of a home.

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“I emphasize once more: Onerous battles lie forward,” Zelensky mentioned.

The British Protection Ministry reported that Ukrainian troops continued to advance within the Kyiv space as Russian forces pulled out.

Because the Russians have withdrawn, viral video photos present huge destruction and our bodies on the streets of once-occupied cities equivalent to Irpin and Bucha.

On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities reported pre-dawn Russian missile strikes on the central cities of Kremenchuk, house of a serious refinery, and Poltava. There was no speedy phrase on casualties. Firefighters have been struggling to douse flames in Kremenchuk, an industrial hub.

The missile strikes Saturday got here a day after a shocking assault on an oil depot within the Russian metropolis of Belgorod, about 20 miles north of the Ukrainian border. It was the primary such assault on Russian soil because the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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Russian authorities blamed the assault on Ukrainian army helicopters. However Ukrainian authorities didn’t declare duty for the strike.

Because the battle floor on, the grim toll in deaths and displacement continued to mount.

Within the western metropolis of Lviv, largely spared destruction thus far, there was extra proof of the human prices. Navy funerals have been held for 2 extra troopers killed within the preventing. Their coffins have been carried alongside cobblestone streets for providers on the venerable Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Weeping mourners stood outdoors within the chilly earlier than coming into the church. Such funerals have develop into an nearly every day incidence right here.

In the meantime, a mile and a half away on the nineteenth century prepare station, evacuees from the east and north of Ukraine continued to reach. Many deliberate to proceed onward to Poland and elsewhere in Europe, becoming a member of the continued mass exodus sparked by the battle.

“We didn’t need to go away — we waited a month to see the way it went,” mentioned Olga Gremova, 41, a resident of town of Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine. “However then the shelling grew to become an excessive amount of. It was too harmful.”

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She was amongst many ready in line outdoors the station for a bus to Warsaw, the Polish capital. Accompanying her was her daughter, Kateryna, 15, and Veronica Gubarenko, 16, a good friend of the household who is also from Kharkiv. They shared bread and a sizzling meal handed out by volunteers. All bundled up from the intense chilly. The morning noticed snow flurries, belying the onset of spring.

“We have been comfortable in Kharkiv, we had our household, our mates,” mentioned Gremova, who was overcome with emotion as she spoke. “We left every little thing behind. However all of us need to go house once more. Hopefully that shall be quickly. I actually don’t know something about Poland. We hope this battle will finish quickly and we are able to return house.”

Occasions workers author Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

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Politics

Dem leader condemns Thanksgiving bomb threats against liberal lawmakers after Team Trump targeted

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Dem leader condemns Thanksgiving bomb threats against liberal lawmakers after Team Trump targeted

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned several threats, mostly focused on lawmakers from Connecticut, targeting members of his caucus, just days after numerous threats were made against President-elect Trump’s cabinet selections.

Jeffries, D-N.Y., confirmed in a statement Friday that several Democrats were targeted with threats ranging from pipe bombs in their mailboxes to “swatting” — or filing a false police report on another person’s behalf that often results in a SWAT team being dispatched.

All of the threatening messages were signed “MAGA,” Jeffries said, adding law enforcement found no ordnance at any of the targeted lawmakers’ homes.

“America is a democracy. Threats of violence against elected officials are unacceptable, unconscionable and have no place in a civilized society. All perpetrators of political violence directed at any party must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” he said.

TOP DEM: ‘UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION’ IS A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

“House Democrats will not be deterred or intimidated from serving the people by violent threats. We have been in close communication with the Sergeant at Arms office and it is imperative that Congress provide maximum protection for all Members and their families moving forward.”

After Jeffries spoke out, Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Democrat from neighboring Rhode Island, announced on Friday afternoon that his home had been targeted, as well. Magaziner said Providence police responded quickly and no one was harmed.

Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., had his home targeted by a bomb threat. A spokesperson said it appeared to be part of a “coordinated effort.”

Five other Democrats from the Constitution State received similar threats, including Reps. Joe Courtney, John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Jahana Hayes and James Himes.

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CT DEM SAYS IT’S CLEAR HUNTER BIDEN BROKE THE LAW

“There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility,” said Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee who replaced Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Prior to that spate of threats, Trump’s U.N. ambassador-designate Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said she was traveling home to her North Country district for Thanksgiving when she was informed of a threat against her home.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. — Trump’s initial choice for attorney general — also received a threat.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. — Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency — said his home was subjected to a “pro-Palestinian-themed” pipe bomb threat. Zeldin is Jewish.

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Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., whom the president-elect tapped for Labor secretary, said her Oregon home was targeted, as was that of former San Diego Chargers cornerback Scott Turner, whom Trump named to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump nominees including Cantor-Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, America First Policy Institute President Brooke Rollins and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth also received threats.

In a statement, the FBI said it is aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners.”

“We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement,” it said.

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Fox News’ Kevin Ward contributed to this report.

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Capitol rioter's defamation suit against Fox News is dismissed

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Capitol rioter's defamation suit against Fox News is dismissed

A Delaware court judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News filed by a Jan. 6 rioter who said the network falsely identified him as an FBI informant.

U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Hall granted Fox News’ motion to dismiss the suit filed last year by Ray Epps.

Now based in Utah, Epps alleged his life was upended after former Fox host Tucker Carlson repeatedly described him as a federal agent who helped instigate the attack on the Capitol, which was an attempt to stop the certification of the election of Joe Biden.

Carlson described Epps as a principal in a false flag operation in which the government incited the Jan. 6 riot, an unfounded conspiracy theory. He made the false comments about Epps on his program over a period of nearly two years and in a series called “Patriot Purge” that streamed on Fox Nation in 2022.

In her remarks from the bench, Hall said Carlson did not act with malicious intent.

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Fox News welcomed the judge’s decision, which is the third consecutive defamation case to be decided in favor of the network after the record $787-million settlement it paid to Dominion Voting Systems in April 2024.

Dominion said its business was damaged by false claims Fox News presented regarding voting fraud in the 2020 election. Fox News chose to settle the case rather than have its executives and on-air talent take the witness stand in a trial.

A separate defamation suit filed by Nina Jankowicz, the former head of the federal Disinformation Governance Board, was dismissed in July. Another case brought by Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, was thrown out on Tuesday.

“Fox News is pleased with these back-to-back decisions from federal courts preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment,” the network said in a statement.

Epps was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge for his role in the riot.

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Former prime-time host Tucker Carlson is seen in the studio on the set of his show on Fox News in New York in 2018.

(Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

Epps testified under oath to the House committee investigating the attack that he had no involvement with the FBI, which has also stated publicly that he had no association with the bureau.

The lawsuit claimed Epps and his wife received threatening voice mails, emails and text messages because of Carlson‘s comments. Epps told the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes” that the lies ruined his Arizona-based business and led to death threats.

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Carlson’s prime-time program was pulled from the Fox News lineup on April 24, 2023, the day after Epps appeared on “60 Minutes.”

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Political betting markets still have plenty of action despite end of election season

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Political betting markets still have plenty of action despite end of election season

The end of the election season does not mean the end of political betting, with many platforms allowing users to place wagers on everything from the 2028 election to who will be confirmed to President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

“Some people will be amazed by this, but people are already betting on 2026 and 2028,” Maxim Lott, the founder of ElectionBettingOdds.com, told Fox News Digital. “There’s been about a quarter million dollars bet already.”

The comments come after the 2024 election produced plenty of betting action, with users across multiple platforms wagering over $2 billion on the outcome of the latest race. 

WHAT ARE ELECTION BETTING ODDS? EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY TRUMP IS CURRENT FAVORITE

President-elect Donald Trump, right, welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at a Turning Point Action campaign rally at the Gas South Arena on Oct. 23, 2024 in Duluth, Georgia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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While mega sporting events, such as the Super Bowl and the recent Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight, gives gamblers plenty to wager on after the election, those looking for something political to bet on will still have plenty of options.

One of the most popular topics is who will be the nominees for both major parties in 2028, with ElectionBettingOdds.com showing California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Vice President-elect JD Vance being the current leaders for Democrats and Republicans, respectively.

Other names with a significant amount of attention for betters include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for the Democratic nomination, while Vance is trailed by names like entrepreneur and future head of the new Department of Government Efficiency Vivek Ramaswamy and Donald Trump Jr. on the Republican side.

“The big Democratic governors are favored to be the next nominee,” Lott said, noting that Vance currently holds a sizable lead over other options on the GOP side.

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

TRUMP OPENS UP LARGEST BETTING LEAD SINCE DAYS AFTER BIDEN’S DROPOUT

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Vance is also the current betting leader on who will win the 2028 presidential election, ElectionBettingOdds.com shows, followed by Newson and Shapiro as the next two likely options.

However, Lott warned it is still too early to tell what the future holds, noting that the markets will start to provide more clarity as more information becomes known over the next few years.

“As the future becomes clearer… as we get closer to 2026, 2028, these odds will change,” Lott said. “So if the Trump administration is doing really well, the economy is booming, inflation is not out of control, wars are ending, Vance’s odds will certainly go up.”

Bettors also are not limited to wagering on elections, with platforms such as Polymarket allowing users to place bets on Trump’s picks to serve in his Cabinet and whether they will be confirmed. Bettors can also place wagers on questions such as if they believe the war in Ukraine will end in Trump’s first 90 days or if there will be a cease-fire in Gaza in 2024.

Sen. JD Vance

Vice President-elect JD Vance. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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According to Lott, taking a look at the current betting odds for many scenarios can help inform you about what is going on in the world, even if you do not place bets yourself.

“People often ask… is there any value to this… it’s just gambling. It’s silly,” Lott said. “But actually it’s very useful… if you want to know what’s going to happen in 2028 or if the Trump administration is going to be a success, you could read 100 news articles on it. Some will misinform you. Or, you can just go to the prediction markets and see… is Vance a 20% chance of becoming the next Republican nominee or is he a 90% chance? That tells you a lot.”

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