World
Russia bars ex-journalist Duntsova from running in presidential election
Former TV journalist and opponent of Ukraine war had filed documents seeking to challenge Vladimir Putin.
Former Russian television journalist Yekaterina Duntsova, who had put her name forward as an independent candidate in Russia’s upcoming presidential election, has been barred from running against President Vladimir Putin.
On Saturday, Russia’s Central Electoral Commission rejected Duntsova’s application – which had been filed on December 20 – citing “mistakes in documents”, according to Russian television reports.
The commission’s chief, Ella Pamfilova, said the members unanimously rejected Duntsova’s bid to stand in the March 17 vote that Putin is expected to win comfortably.
Duntsova had planned to run on a platform of ending the war in Ukraine and freeing political prisoners.
Critics of the president will see the torpedoing of her campaign as evidence that no one with opposition views will be allowed to stand against him in the first presidential election since Russia invaded Ukraine.
The Kremlin says Putin will win because he enjoys genuine support across society, with opinion poll ratings of about 80 percent.
The commission said Duntsova could not go on to the next stage of gathering thousands of supporters’ signatures.
“You are a young woman, you have everything ahead of you,” Pamfilova told Duntsova.
‘Fear must not win’
The 40-year-old sent in her candidacy documents on Wednesday, to challenge Putin, 71, who is almost certain to win a fifth term as president, allowing him to continue leading Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Putin has been in power for 24 years, including an eight-year stint as prime minister.
When a reporter asked Duntsova if the commission would give her permission to stand against Putin, she questioned why it was necessary to talk “about permission” if it was her “right according to the law”.
Putin has so far not faced competition in the presidential campaign, with opposition leaders such as Alexey Navalny serving long prison sentences and other leading Kremlin critics either behind bars or outside of the country because of the risk of arrest.
Pamfilova from the commission said on Saturday that 29 people have filed to run for the presidency.
In an interview with the Reuters news agency last month, Dunstova called for the release of political prisoners, including Navalny.
She also avoided using the word “war” in the interview to describe the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which Putin has called a “special military operation”, acknowledging she was afraid.
“Any sane person taking this step would be afraid, but fear must not win,” she added.
World
Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more
Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25.
The island proudly proclaims itself as having the “longest holiday season in the world,” according to the website Discover Puerto Rico.
On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January.
The Christmas season in Puerto Rico typically lasts around 45 days. (iStock)
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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families.
One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations.
In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner.
Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple.
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Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with.
In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they’ll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence.
Coquito is a popular beverage enjoyed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico. Coconut, vanilla and rum are among the ingredients. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
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A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source.
The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn’t Christmas, but instead, the night before.
In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast.
Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo.
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After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico.
Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico.
On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com.
For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
Gifts are primarily exchanged between loved ones on Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico. (iStock)
Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season.
The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.
This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades.
Twin-engine plane crashed in largely residential neighborhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff, authorities say.
A small plane has crashed into a tourist hotspot in southern Brazil, killing all 10 people on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, officials have said.
The twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 hit the chimney of a home and the second floor of a different house before crashing into a shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff from Canela, Brazil’s Civil Defense agency said on Sunday.
Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told a news conference that the aircraft’s owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, was killed along with nine members of his family.
Leite said that 17 people on the ground were injured, 12 of whom were still receiving treatment in hospital.
Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that its CEO and Galeazzi’s wife and three daughters had died in the crash.
“Luiz Galeazzi will be forever remembered for his dedication to his family and for his remarkable career as a leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the company said in a post on LinkedIn.
“In this moment of immense pain, Galeazzi & Associados is deeply grateful for the expressions of solidarity and affection received from friends, colleagues and the community. We also sympathize with all those affected by the accident in the region.”
Gramado, located in the Serra Gaucha mountains, is a popular destination for vacationers, especially during the Christmas season.
The crash comes a little more than a year after Brazil suffered its worst air disaster in nearly two decades when a twin-engine plane crashed in the southeastern city of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board.
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