World
Journalists, students and aid workers shortlisted for Sakharov Prize
ADVERTISEMENT
The European Parliament decided on Thursday the three finalists of the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded to individuals and organisations who have defended human rights, freedom of expression and democratic values.
This year, the shortlisted candidates are imprisoned journalists Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia, journalists and humanitarian aid workers in Palestine and across all conflict zones, and Serbian students for their continuous nationwide protests.
Each political group of the Parliament presented a candidate. Journalist, essayist, and blogger from the Polish minority in Belarus, Poczobut, was nominated by the EPP and ECR groups.
His candidacy was paired with that of Amaglobeli, a Georgian journalist detained in 2025 for participating in an anti-government protest and imprisoned for two years on politically motivated charges.
The second entry, represented by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the Red Crescent, and UNRWA, was put forward by the S&D group and backed by The Left, which itself nominated journalists in Palestine, specifically mentioning Hamza and Wael Al-Dahdouh, Plestia Alaqad, Shireen Abu Akleh and Ain Media.
The Serbian students who initiated nationwide protests after a railway station awning collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16, were selected by the liberal group Renew Europe.
Charlie Kirk not among the nominees
The Budapest Pride, nominated by the Greens/EFA group, the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansa, nominated by the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group, and the late US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, nominated by the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group, have not gained enough votes to make it to the shortlist.
Kirk’s figure sparked controversy in the European Parliament, as a minute of silence to commemorate his death led to a political mudslinging during the Strasbourg plenary session in September.
His candidacy was supported by ESN members and some PfE MEPs, sources from the party told Euronews, but it was not enough to make it to the list.
“Charlie Kirk was a strongly divisive figure. He is for sure a victim, but he was sowing words of hate against certain minorities,” S&D MEP Marco Tarquinio told Euronews after the vote.
“On the contrary, the triad resulting from the vote includes entries in the full spirit of the Sakharov Prize: victims who do not give up, who do not use hate speech, nor legitimise it.”
On the other side of the chamber, MEP from the Spanish far-right party Vox, Hermann Tertsch, praised Kirk’s legacy and criticised the inclusion of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate among the finalists.
“Palestinian journalists often mean members of Hamas,” he told Euronews.
The winner of the Sakharov Prize will be announced next Wednesday in Strasbourg. The decision will be taken by the Parliament’s Conference of Presidents, which includes President Roberta Metsola and the leaders of the eight political groups.
The award ceremony, which encompasses an allocation of 50,000 euros, will take place on 16 December in Strasbourg.
Named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, the Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded since 1988 to dissidents, political leaders, journalists, lawyers, and civil society activists, including figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist and first president Nelson Mandela and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Last year, the Sakharov Prize laureate was the recently-awarded Nobel Peace Prize recipient María Corina Machado, along with the other leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo González.
World
The deadly car explosion in New Delhi is being investigated under an anti-terrorism law
NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police were investigating the deadly car explosion in New Delhi under an anti-terrorism law, officials said Tuesday, as forensic experts worked to determine the cause of the blast.
The explosion occurred near the historic Red Fort late Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring several others.
Senior police officials told The Associated Press that a case was registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, India’s main anti-terrorism law, which allows broader powers to investigating agencies to detain suspects. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a scheduled visit to Bhutan on Tuesday, said investigators would “get to the bottom of this conspiracy.
“The conspirators won’t be spared and all those responsible will be brought to justice,” Modi said.
Police said the explosion was believed to have originated from a Hyundai i20 car that had stopped at a traffic signal. Nearby vehicles were badly damaged, and photos showed shattered windows, twisted metal and flames engulfing several cars.
Police were trying to trace the car’s owner. There was no immediate information about the occupants, who were believed to have been killed.
Home Minister Amit Shah said Monday that “all angles” were being investigated and that security agencies would reach a conclusion soon. He said footage from cameras in the area would play a key role in the investigation.
Major train stations, including in Mumbai and in Uttar Pradesh state, which borders New Delhi, were put on security alert. The security force responsible for guarding key installations in the capital, including New Delhi’s international airport, metro system and major government buildings, said its personnel had also been placed on security alert.
A former imperial palace, the Red Fort is a sprawling Mughal-era complex and a major tourist attraction in the Old Delhi section of the city. Located about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from Parliament, the 17th-century monument is a symbolic location where Indian prime ministers deliver their Independence Day speeches on Aug. 15 each year.
The area around Red Fort is typically crowded, serving as a main route to the bustling bazaars of the old city.
World
Government shutdown reaches overseas bases as many feel the strain
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Thousands of miles from the stalemate in Washington D.C., the effects of the government shutdown are being felt around the world. While President Donald Trump found a way to temporarily pay U.S. troops — others on base aren’t so lucky, including teachers and support staff.
Donna Irwin, a substitute teacher at a naval base in Italy, says the impact is deeply felt. “It has been absolutely terrible to watch and the morale at the school, I mean it’s low,” Irwin said.
LAWMAKER WARNS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS POTENTIALLY LEADING TO BIG WASTE IN THE MILITARY, IMPACTING READINESS
Some American educators abroad are not allowed to take second jobs while the government shutdown leaves military school staff unpaid overseas.
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates 161 schools in 11 countries, seven states and two territories across 10 time zones. Nearly 900,000 military-connected children live worldwide, 67,000 of whom are enrolled in DoDEA schools and served by more than 14,000 employees.
In a statement, DoDEA’s communications operations chief Jessica Tackaberry told Fox News that they remain “committed to providing a world-class education” and that they “understand the difficulties this situation may create for our dedicated educators and staff who are working without pay. DoDEA is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide guidance and support to employees as needed.”
Athletics and co-curricular activities are also considered excepted activities at this time.
The Department of Defense Education Activity acknowledges the challenges faced by educators and staff working without pay during the government shutdown.
Irwin considers herself lucky that her husband is still getting a paycheck as a sailor, but with half their income on hold, they’re cutting back. She says that even when the government reopens, repayment can still take a while.
HOUSE CONSERVATIVE LEADER GIVES BLESSING TO SENATE SHUTDOWN DEAL, WITH ‘ONE CAVEAT’
“Especially out here, you feel forgotten because we are here to support that mission — as DoD contractors, as spouses and family members of the service members,. You know, these bases, these installations — they really don’t function without us, without our vital jobs and our support,” she said.
It’s a unique situation for Americans living abroad. For many, taking a second job off base isn’t allowed under their contract agreements. Living an ocean away from family who could help adds to the stress. Some are simply trying to explain to European landlords that their employer isn’t sending a paycheck, and they can’t afford rent or utility bills.
Some teachers at military bases abroad pay out of pocket for snacks and school supplies for their students as they work without compensation during the government shutdown. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“We oftentimes forget about all those little auto-pay things we have — everything from streaming services to healthcare needs — and they’re having to do these deep dives into their bank accounts and cancel all of these, you know, car insurance, your vehicle,” Irwin said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Despite the shutdown, educators say their students still come first and that the mission continues — even if it means footing the bill themselves for snacks and school supplies. Irwin works in a special education classroom, teaching essential life skills such as cooking and cleaning.
“I have no budget for any of that in my current classroom, so I’ve been having to go to the commissary myself and make do, trying to buy things that I can’t afford right now for these students who desperately need those life skills,” Irwin said. “I think the saddest thing for me is watching my students come in, and they don’t fully understand everything that’s happening with the government and with politics and to see them worried, to see them worry about, ‘Am I going to have a meal tomorrow, am I going to have a meal today?’”
World
US Senate passes bill to end longest ever government shutdown
The measure still needs to be approved by the House and signed by US President Donald Trump.
Published On 11 Nov 2025
The United States is moving closer to ending its record-breaking government shutdown after the Senate took a critical step forward to end its five-week impasse.
The Senate on Monday night approved a spending package by a vote of 60 to 40 to fund the US government through January 30, and reinstate pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
list of 4 itemsend of listRecommended Stories
The spending bill next moves to the House of Representatives for approval and then on to President Donald Trump for a sign-off before the shutdown can finally end.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law.
The vote in the Senate follows negotiations this weekend that saw seven Democrats and one Independent agree to vote in favour of the updated spending package to end the shutdown, which enters its 42nd day on Tuesday.
Also included in the deal are three-year funding appropriations for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, military construction projects, veterans affairs and congressional operations.
The bill does not, however, resolve one of the most central issues in the shutdown – extending healthcare subsidies. Senate Republicans have agreed to vote on the issue as a separate measure in December.
US legislators have been under growing pressure to end the government shutdown, which enters its forty-second day on Tuesday, as their constituents feel the impact of funding lapses for programmes like food stamps.
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or required to work without pay since the shutdown began on October 1, while Trump has separately threatened to use the shutdown as a pretext to slash the federal workforce.
Voters have also felt the impact of the shutdown at airports across the US after the Federal Aviation Administration last week announced a 10 percent cut in air traffic due to absences from air traffic controllers.
The cuts have created chaos for US air travel just as the country is heading into its busiest travel season of the year.
-
Austin, TX5 days agoHalf-naked woman was allegedly tortured and chained in Texas backyard for months by five ‘friends’ who didn’t ‘like her anymore’
-
Southwest3 days agoTexas launches effort to install TPUSA in every high school and college
-
Seattle, WA1 week agoESPN scoop adds another intriguing name to Seahawks chatter before NFL trade deadline
-
Hawaii2 days agoMissing Kapolei man found in Waipio, attorney says
-
World6 days agoIsrael’s focus on political drama rather than Palestinian rape victim
-
New Jersey2 days agoPolice investigate car collision, shooting in Orange, New Jersey
-
Southwest7 days agoArmy veteran-turned-MAGA rising star jumps into fiery GOP Senate primary as polls tighten
-
Seattle, WA2 days agoSoundgarden Enlist Jim Carrey and Seattle All-Stars for Rock Hall 2025 Ceremony