Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared that his government was prepared to hold elections within three months if the United States and Kyiv’s other allies can ensure the security of the voting process.
Zelenskyy issued his statement on Tuesday as he faced renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump, who suggested in an interview with a news outlet that the Ukrainian government was using Russia’s war on their country as an excuse to avoid elections.
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Wartime elections are forbidden under Ukrainian law, and Zelenskyy’s term in office as the country’s elected president expired last year.
“I’m ready for elections, and moreover I ask… that the US help me, maybe together with European colleagues, to ensure the security of an election,” Zelenskyy said in comments to reporters.
“And then in the next 60-90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold an election,” he said.
In a Politico news article published earlier on Tuesday, Trump was quoted as saying: “You know, they [Ukraine] talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy any more.”
Zelenskyy dismissed the suggestion that he was clinging to power as “totally inadequate”.
He then said that he would ask parliament to prepare proposals for new legislation that could allow for elections during martial law.
Earlier this year, Ukraine’s parliament overwhelmingly approved a resolution affirming the legitimacy of Zelenskyy’s wartime stay in office, asserting the constitutionality of deferring the presidential election while the country fights Russia’s invasion.
In February, Trump also accused Zelenskyy of being a “dictator”, echoing claims previously made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy and other officials have routinely dismissed the idea of holding elections while frequent Russian air strikes take place across the country, nearly a million troops are at the front and millions more Ukrainians are displaced. Also uncertain is the voting status of those Ukrainians living in the one-fifth of the country occupied by Russia.
Polls also show that Ukrainians are against holding wartime elections, but they also want new faces in a political landscape largely unchanged since the last national elections in 2019.
Ukraine, which is pushing back on a US-backed peace plan seen as Moscow-friendly, is also seeking strong security guarantees from its allies that would prevent any new Russian invasion in the future.
Colombo, Sri Lanka – Sundaram Muttupillai, 46, had been working on a tea estate in Thalawakelle in Sri Lanka’s central district of Nuwara Eliya since he turned 17.
However, a devastating cyclone last week, the worst to hit the Indian Ocean island in a century, has left him without work or a home.
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Cyclone Ditwah left a huge trail of destruction across the island, killing at least 635 people and affecting more than two million people, or a 10th of the country’s population. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency last week and named 22 of the island’s 25 districts as disaster zones.
Central Sri Lanka – the country’s tea and vegetable heartland – was the worst hit, with official data on Monday showing at least 471 deaths in the region, apart from the massive destruction across the hilly plantations.
“It is all gone. We know the rolling hills to be unpredictable, and from time to time, there have been mudslides and homes destroyed by the rainfall. Now the roads are impassable. We do not have the essentials, nor any hope of overcoming the cyclone’s impact,” Muttupillai told Al Jazeera.
‘Homes and livelihoods gone’
Tea is a key Sri Lankan export and the second largest source of its export revenue after apparels. Ranked the world’s fourth-largest tea exporter by value, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Sri Lanka is globally known for its unique tea blends and value-added products such as tea bags and packaged tea, often commanding higher prices.
Despite economic challenges and political upheavals, the country’s tea industry has retained an annual revenue of $1.3bn in recent years, with a projected revenue of $1.5bn by the end of the year.
However, the cyclone-induced floods and landslides uprooted many fully grown tea plantations, destroyed roads and railway lines, and affected the delivery of essentials, such as fertilisers for crops. Thousands of plantation workers have been rendered homeless.
“Nothing we ever faced could have prepared us for what we endured last week. It has killed our hopes of being able to continue living and working in the plantations. Our homes and livelihoods are gone,” said Muttupillai.
Senthilnathan Palansamy, 34, who works at a tea plantation in Badulla in Uva province, says the cyclone buried entire hamlets under the soil, forcing him to consider a shift in his livelihood.
“The plantations are unsafe. There will not be any work for several months. We will have to snap out of plantation lives and work somewhere else,” he told Al Jazeera from a government shelter where he has taken refuge along with his 30-year-old wife Mariappan Sharmila, also a tea plucker, and their two children.
Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Sri Lanka’s commissioner general of essential services, last week estimated the total economic losses caused by the cyclone to be approximately $6bn, which is almost 3.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In the tea industry, preliminary estimates predict an output decline of up to 35 percent, according to a member of a presidential committee on cyclone recovery, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. He said the plantation community would be especially hit.
“The plantation sector has faced many challenges in recent years. The cyclone’s impact will take some time to recover. This would mean the resumption of work for plantation workers will get delayed, making an already vulnerable community more vulnerable. Workers will face severe livelihood problems,” he said.
Opening a humble shop in Colombo after five days of flooding [Dilrukshi Handunnetti/Al Jazeera]
Economic vulnerabilities
In 2023, as Sri Lanka reeled under its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from the British in 1948, its government entered into a $2.9bn bailout loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund. On Friday, the global lender said it was considering a request by the Sri Lankan government for a $200m fund on top of the $347m tranche due later this month for post-cyclone relief works.
Moreover, Sri Lanka’s current public debt stands at nearly $100bn, 99.5 percent of its GDP, leaving barely any room for further financial shocks. But the cyclone has exacerbated the country’s economic vulnerabilities, which threaten its exports and domestic food availability, say the experts.
Dhananath Fernando, chief executive at Advocata Institute, an independent think tank in Sri Lanka, believes the economic devastation caused by Ditwah is at par with what happened during the catastrophic 2004 tsunami, which killed more than 35,000 people.
However, Fernando says, the impact of the cyclone is likely to be harsher as he predicts a sharp increase in consumer prices due to the disruption of supply chains.
“The cyclone has dealt a heavy blow, and this shock will significantly reduce overall growth, not just our export capacity, but also local consumption. The export basket will reflect the shock, reducing foreign earnings, vital to keep the economy afloat,” he told Al Jazeera.
[Al Jazeera]
Fernando warned that tea plantation workers would be forced to shift to other professions – “inevitable, considering the level of shock”, as he put it – adding that the shift would not be good for the economy.
“Sri Lanka’s approach to debt sustainability is founded on economic development. Our focus is to repay debt by growing the economy. For this to happen, we cannot afford people to shift from the plantations in search of other options,” he said.
In October, the Tea Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (TEASL) had set a target of $1.5bn in export earnings for 2025, a slight increase from $1.43bn in 2024. The projection was supported by a global rise in demand for more value-added products such as tea packs and bags.
But a source at TEASL told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity that the target may not be feasible now due to the cyclone’s impact on tea-growing highlands. “Destruction to the sector is so vast, and it has dealt a huge blow to an industry that was picking up. Rebuilding will require both time and resources,” he said.
Omar Rajarathnam, executive director of Factum, another think tank based in Colombo, said the government should consider external shocks, given the island’s high vulnerability to extreme weather and climate crisis, before setting up revenue targets in sectors like tea.
“Even if we did not face a disaster of this magnitude, extreme weather should be factored in as part of industry preparedness, and projections should include multiple scenarios and mitigation methods,” he told Al Jazeera.
As the South Asian country recovers from the deadly cyclone, many tea plantation workers say they are lucky to be alive.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s effusive praise for Donald Trump and the decision by the world football governing body to award a peace prize to the US president have triggered a formal complaint over ethics violations and political neutrality.
Human rights group FairSquare said on Tuesday that it has filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee, claiming the organisation’s behaviour was against the common interests of the global football community.
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The complaint stems from Infantino awarding Trump FIFA’s inaugural peace prize during the December 6 draw for the 2026 World Cup to be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July.
“This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino’s support for President Donald Trump’s political agenda,” FairSquare’s programme director Nicholas McGeehan said.
“More broadly, this is about how FIFA’s absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organisation’s rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world’s most popular sport,” said McGeehan, head of the London-based advocacy group.
According to the eight-page complaint from the rights group filed with FIFA on Monday, Infantino’s awarding of the peace prize “to a sitting political leader is in and of itself a clear breach of FIFA’s duty of neutrality”.
“If Mr. Infantino acted unilaterally and without any statutory authority this should be considered an egregious abuse of power,” the rights group said.
FairSquare also pointed to Infantino lobbying on social media earlier this year for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado ultimately received the prize.
FairSquare said it wants FIFA’s independent committee to review Infantino’s actions.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch also criticised FIFA’s awarding of the prize to Trump, saying his administration’s “appalling human rights record certainly does not display exceptional actions for peace and unity”.
Disciplinary action from the FIFA Ethics Committee can include a warning, a reprimand and even a fine. Compliance training can also be ordered, while a ban can be levied on participation in football-related activity. But it remains unclear if the ethics committee will take up the complaint.
Infantino has not immediately responded, and FIFA said it does not comment on potential cases.
Current FIFA-appointed ethics investigators and judges are seen by some observers to operate with less independence than their predecessors a decade ago, when FIFA’s then-president, Sepp Blatter, was removed from office.
Trump was on hand for the World Cup 2026 draw ceremony on Friday, along with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
But it was Trump who received the most attention during the event at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC.
During the event, Infantino presented Trump with a gold trophy, a gold medal and a certificate.
“This is your prize; this is your peace prize,” Infantino told Trump.
South Korea and Japan separately scrambled fighter jets after Russian and Chinese military aircraft conducted a joint air patrol near both countries.
Seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) at approximately 10am local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul.
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The planes, which included fighter jets and bombers, were spotted before they entered the KADIZ – which is not territorial airspace but where planes are expected to identify themselves – and South Korea deployed “fighter jets to take tactical measures in preparation for any contingencies”, according to reports.
The Russian and Chinese planes flew in and out of the South Korean air defence zone for an hour before leaving, the military said, according to South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency.
On Wednesday the defence ministry said that a diplomatic protest had been lodged with representatives of China and Russia over the entry of their warplanes into South Korea’s air defence zone.
“Our military will continue to respond actively to the activities of neighbouring countries’ aircraft within the KADIZ in compliance with international law,” said Lee Kwang-suk, director general of the International Policy Bureau at Seoul’s defence ministry.
Japan separately deployed military aircraft to “strictly implement” air defence measures “against potential airspace violations”, following the reported joint patrol of Russia and China, Japanese Minister of Defence Shinjiro Koizumi said.
In a statement posted on social media late on Tuesday, Koizumi said two Russian “nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers” flew from the Sea of Japan to the Tsushima Strait, and met with two Chinese jets “capable of carrying long-range missiles”.
At least eight other Chinese J-16 fighter jets and a Russian A-50 aircraft also accompanied the bombers as they conducted a joint flight “around” Japan, travelling between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island, Koizumi said.
“The repeated joint flights of bombers by both countries signify an expansion and intensification of activities around our country, while clearly intending to demonstrate force against our nation, posing a serious concern for our national security,” he added.
Koizumi’s statement comes just days after he accused Chinese fighter jets on Sunday of directing their fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft in two separate incidents over international waters near Okinawa.
On Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Defence said that it had monitored the movements of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and accompanying support vessels near Okinawa since Friday, adding that dozens of takeoffs and landings from Chinese aircraft on the carrier were monitored.
Japan said it was the “first time” that fighter jet operations on a Chinese aircraft carrier had been confirmed in waters between Okinawa’s main island and Minami-Daitojima island to the southeast.
Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sails through the Miyako Strait near Okinawa on its way to the Pacific in this handout photo taken by Japan Self-Defence Forces and released by the Joint Staff Office of the Defence Ministry of Japan on April 4, 2021 [Joint Staff Office of the Defence Ministry of Japan via Reuters]
China’s Ministry of National Defence said on Tuesday that it had organised the joint air drills with Russia’s military according to “annual cooperation plans”.
The air drills took place above the East China Sea and western Pacific Ocean, the ministry said, calling the exercises the “10th joint strategic air patrol” with Russia.
Moscow also confirmed the joint exercise with Beijing, saying that it had lasted eight hours and that some foreign fighter jets followed the Russian and Chinese aircraft.
“At certain stages of the route, the strategic bombers were followed by fighter jets from foreign states,” the Russian Defence Ministry said.
Since 2019, China and Russia have regularly flown military aircraft near South Korean and Japanese airspace without prior notice, citing joint military exercises.
In November 2024, Seoul scrambled jets as five Chinese and six Russian military planes flew through its air defence zone. In 2022, Japan also deployed jets after warplanes from Russia and China neared its airspace.
Ariana Grande’s fans said the singer appeared to have lost a lot of weight when they saw her promote Wicked: For Good recently — but she since reassured her following
Ariana Grande’s fans recently noted a change in her appearance(Image: Getty Images)
Popstar Ariana Grande’s family members fear the singer is “not in a healthy place” amid concerns around her weight loss.
Fans had expressed worry for the singer, 32, noting a change in her appearance during her promotion for the release of the second installment of Wicked. Ariana is in Wicked: For Good, which came out last month, after the huge success of the first film of this series.
Ariana hit back at the scrutiny by resharing a clip of an interview in which she spoke about her body. In the interview, she said: “In today’s society, there is a comfortability that we shouldn’t have at all — commenting on others’ looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes, or health or how they present themselves … that I think is really dangerous.”
But some of her family members have today shared their concern. One said: “Ariana did not handle [the press tour] well at all. It bothered her a lot — from the red carpet incident [in which a man tried to attack her] to what people were saying about her online. She can be very thin-skinned, and people commenting on how skinny she is was really troubling to her.”
READ MORE: Ariana Grande makes rare comments about Mac Miller after his tragic deathREAD MORE: Wicked fans slam ‘ridiculous’ snub as sequel suffers huge Golden Globe loss
Ariana is pictured with Cynthia Erivo last monthat the premiere(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Ariana, pictured in 2018, has won two Grammys(Image: Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
Wicked: For Good, which also stars Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey and Drift actress Cynthia Erivo, has been a box office success. It made approximately $112.5million (£84million) globally during its first weekend in cinemas.
But at the premiere for the Wicked: For Good last month, Ariana was ambushed by a Johnson Wen, a repeated red-carpet rusher who jumped the barrier to grab hold of her. Thankfully, Cynthia swooped into action, wrapping her arm around Ariana as bodyguards grabbed the man. Wen, 26, was sentenced to nine days in prison for being a public nuisance in Singapore.
At the time, a separate source revealed that the attack had triggered Ariana’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which she has been battling since the terrorist bombing at her concert in Manchester in 2017 that left 22 dead.
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“She is struggling right now. She’s not in a healthy place and she knows it. Everyone around her knows it. Her anxiety is through the roof. She over-exerted herself and the cracks started to show pretty quickly,” the family source told the Daily Mail this week.
The insider, thought to be from Florida, added: “Fortunately she’s got a support system. Everyone is encouraging her to take care of her own mental health — because she needs to.”
Dame Judi Dench, 91, lives quietly in a historic farmhouse in Surrey, where the James Bond star enjoys privacy in one of Britain’s most sought-after areas
Away from the stage and screen, Dame Judi lives a quiet life in a charming farmhouse(Image: Getty)
Dame Judi Dench, 91, famed for her portrayal of M in the James Bond series, is widely hailed as one of Britain’s finest actresses. Over her illustrious career, she has taken on a myriad of roles in theatre and film, earning her an array of awards including an Oscar, two Golden Globes and a Tony Award.
Her professional journey began with the Old Vic company, where she graced the stage in numerous Shakespearean plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth.
She then landed the lead role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret, cementing her status as one of Britain’s most prominent theatre performers, with stints at the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. During this period, she also starred in several television shows like A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By, and had supporting roles in major films, including A Room with a View (1985).
Her rise to global fame came when she took on the role of M in GoldenEye in 1995.
She later featured in a number of films, including Shakespeare in Love (1998), Mrs Brown (1997), Chocolat (2000), Notes on a Scandal (2006), and Philomena (2013), reports the Express.
The Oscar-winning retired actress has lived in the leafy village for several decades(Image: Getty)
Away from the limelight, Dame Judi leads a peaceful life in a quaint farmhouse in Surrey. She purchased the property 40 years ago with her late husband, Michael Williams, who passed away from lung cancer in 2001.
The property is situated near the village of Outwood, which boasts a population of around 720 residents.
The historic property, constructed in 1497, is believed to be valued at approximately £8 million and reportedly features a barn, pond, separate cottage, workshops, and swimming pool.
Yet the 91-year-old has previously revealed that the estate houses some unwelcome furry residents and suffers from certain structural issues, the Mirror reported previously.
She remarked: “The mice have moved in since lockdown, and I’m battling the mice. They have moved in and taken over a bit.”
She added: “My house is falling down a bit here and there.”
House and Garden reports that Dame Judi is sometimes seen enjoying meals at her preferred Italian eatery in the neighbouring town of Redhill.
The compact village offers tranquillity while remaining conveniently positioned near London and Gatwick Airport, rendering it a highly sought-after location.
Rightmove data indicates that property values in Outwood averaged £827,000 throughout the past year.
Most homes that sold in Outwood during the previous 12 months were semi-detached dwellings, achieving an average sale price of £657,000, while detached homes commanded an average of £871,250.
In total, historical property prices in Outwood over the last year climbed 2% compared to the preceding year, though remained 9% below the 2021 peak of £905,763.
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Dame Judi certainly isn’t the sole famous face residing in Surrey’s affluent surroundings.
