The ongoing Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has seen tens of thousands of casualties, shifting alliances, and foreign interventions. As the conflict continues to unfold,&nbsp; rebel forces have entered the capital Damascus and reports say that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country.

Here is a timeline of significant events in Syria's struggle for stability after a civil war that has its roots in the Arab Spring.

<h2>Protests erupt, leading to civil war (2011)&nbsp;</h2>

March 2011: Amid the 'Arab Spring' popular uprisings and revolutions that emerged in West Asia, protests against President Assad's regime began in Deraa, southern Syria, before spreading across the nation. Security forces responded with violent crackdowns, arresting and killing protesters, including a group of teenagers detained for anti-Assad graffiti. &nbsp;

August 2011: The UN reported that over 2,200 people had been killed by government forces in the first five months of the conflict. The Syrian National Council, based in Istanbul, emerged as a leading opposition group.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/damascus-falls-syrian-rebels-announce-capital-city-free-pm-says-ready-for-handover-782370">Damascus falls: Syrian rebels announce capital city 'free', PM says ready for handover</a>

<h2>Escalation and foreign intervention (2011-2015)</h2>

November 2011: Syria was suspended from the Arab League after rejecting a peace plan. Opposition groups, including the Free Syrian Army, launched attacks on government forces in Damascus and Aleppo. &nbsp;

March 2012: The Syrian government agreed to a UN-backed peace plan that included the withdrawal of heavy weapons, humanitarian pauses, and the release of detainees. &nbsp;

August 2013: A chemical weapons attack on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta killed hundreds of civilians, but despite a US red line on chemical weapons, no military response was forthcoming. &nbsp;

September 2014: The US formed an anti-Islamic State coalition and began airstrikes to assist Kurdish forces in their battle against the Islamic State, creating friction with Turkey.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
September 2015: Russia intervened on behalf of Assad, deploying warplanes and providing military aid.

<h2>Russia turns the tide: Turning point in the war (2016-2017)</h2>

December 2016: After a lengthy siege and bombing campaign, the Syrian Army, supported by Russian forces, successfully retook Aleppo from rebels. &nbsp;

November 2017: US-backed Kurdish forces defeated Islamic State in Raqqa, marking a significant blow to the jihadist group.

<h2>Continued conflict and humanitarian crisis (2018-2020)</h2>

April 2018: The Russian-backed Syrian Army reclaimed Eastern Ghouta after months of siege and heavy bombardment.&nbsp;

December 2019 - March 2020: A Russian-led offensive in northwest Syria displaced about one million civilians, creating the worst humanitarian crisis of the conflict.&nbsp;

June 2020: The United States imposed tough sanctions on Syria, known as the "Caesar Act," aiming to pressure the Assad regime.

<h2>Recent developments culminating in fall of Damascus&nbsp;</h2>

May 2021: Assad was re-elected for a fourth term as president of Syria, receiving 95.1 per cent of the vote, despite international criticism of the election's fairness.

As the conflict persisted, Syria's path to peace remains uncertain, with foreign powers continuing to shape the course of the war and the country's future.

December 2024: Syrian rebel forces began taking over key cities one by one, including Aleppo, Hama and Homs. On Sunday (Dec 8), they announced that Damascus was “free" and claimed that Assad had left the capital.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)

The ongoing Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has seen tens of thousands of casualties, shifting alliances, and foreign interventions. As the conflict continues to unfold, rebel forces have entered the capital Damascus and reports say that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country.

The ongoing Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has seen tens of thousands of casualties, shifting alliances, and foreign interventions. As the conflict continues to unfold, rebel forces have entered the capital Damascus and reports say that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country. Here is a timeline of significant events in Syria's struggle for stability after a civil war that has its roots in the Arab Spring. Protests erupt, leading to civil war (2011) March 2011: Amid the 'Arab Spring' popular uprisings and revolutions that emerged in West Asia, protests against President Assad's regime began in Deraa, southern Syria, before spreading across the nation. Security forces responded with violent crackdowns, arresting and killing protesters, including a group of teenagers detained for anti-Assad graffiti. August 2011: The UN reported that over 2,200 people had been killed by government forces in the first five months of the conflict. The Syrian National Council, based in Istanbul, emerged as a leading opposition group. Also read | Damascus falls: Syrian rebels announce capital city 'free', PM says ready for handover Escalation and foreign intervention (2011-2015) November 2011: Syria was suspended from the Arab League after rejecting a peace plan. Opposition groups, including the Free Syrian Army, launched attacks on government forces in Damascus and Aleppo. March 2012: The Syrian government agreed to a UN-backed peace plan that included the withdrawal of heavy weapons, humanitarian pauses, and the release of detainees. August 2013: A chemical weapons attack on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta killed hundreds of civilians, but despite a US red line on chemical weapons, no military response was forthcoming. September 2014: The US formed an anti-Islamic State coalition and began airstrikes to assist Kurdish forces in their battle against the Islamic State, creating friction with Turkey. September 2015: Russia intervened on behalf of Assad, deploying warplanes and providing military aid. Russia turns the tide: Turning point in the war (2016-2017) December 2016: After a lengthy siege and bombing campaign, the Syrian Army, supported by Russian forces, successfully retook Aleppo from rebels. November 2017: US-backed Kurdish forces defeated Islamic State in Raqqa, marking a significant blow to the jihadist group. Continued conflict and humanitarian crisis (2018-2020) April 2018: The Russian-backed Syrian Army reclaimed Eastern Ghouta after months of siege and heavy bombardment. December 2019 - March 2020: A Russian-led offensive in northwest Syria displaced about one million civilians, creating the worst humanitarian crisis of the conflict. June 2020: The United States imposed tough sanctions on Syria, known as the "Caesar Act," aiming to pressure the Assad regime. Recent developments culminating in fall of Damascus May 2021: Assad was re-elected for a fourth term as president of Syria, receiving 95.1 per cent of the vote, despite international criticism of the election's fairness. As the conflict persisted, Syria's path to peace remains uncertain, with foreign powers continuing to shape the course of the war and the country's future. December 2024: Syrian rebel forces began taking over key cities one by one, including Aleppo, Hama and Homs. On Sunday (Dec 8), they announced that Damascus was “free" and claimed that Assad had left the capital. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria's 13-year civil war: Timeline of key events since 2011 - What you should know

Russia is recovering from a mass shootout at a rock concert in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall which has been labelled as a "terrorist attack" by the government. The death toll of the attack has reached 133, according to media reports.

Russia is recovering from a mass shootout at a rock concert in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall which has been labelled as a "terrorist attack" by the government. The death toll of the attack has reached 133, according to media reports. Here are the previous attacks which took place in Moscow in the last 25 years. Bomb blast in apartment building, 118 killed (1999) A bomb blast took place at an eight-storey apartment building early morning on September 13, 1999, in southeast Moscow in which 118 people were killed. This was one of the five attacks on apartment buildings. In all the five attacks in southern Russia and Moscow over a two-week period, a total of 293 people lost their lives. The attacks were blamed by Moscow on separatists belonging to the Muslim North Caucasus republic of Chechnya. The attacks were used as a justification by Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching a campaign to destroy separatist insurgency in Chechnya. Theatre hostage incident, 130 killed (2002) Around 19 female and 21 male Chechen rebels stormed inside the Dubrovka theatre of Moscow on October 23, 2002, when a musical was going on and took more than 800 people as hostage. Also Read: Moscow attack: ISIS claims responsibility for mass shooting, at least 60 people dead The standoff between the security forces and hostages continued for two days and three nights. This came to an end when gas was injected into the theatre by the security forces to overpower the attackers and then entered inside it. In all, 130 hostages were killed. Most of them died due to choking. Rock concert attack, 15 killed (2003) Two female suicide bombers on July 5, 2003, blew themselves up amid a rock concert at the Tushino airfield near Moscow. In the attack, 15 people were killed and 50 others were injured. The two female suicide bombers were identified by Russia as Chechen separatists. Nearly, 20,000 fans had gathered to hear some of the top bands in Russia at the annual Krylya (Wings) festival. Metro bomb blast, 41 dead (2004) A bomb was detonated by a little-known Chechen group on February 6, 2004, inside a Moscow subway in morning rush hour in which 41 people were killed. Metro suicide bombing, 40 dead (2010) Two female suicide bombers on March 29, 2010, blew themselves up on the Moscow subway. In the attacks, one of which targeted Lubyanka station, 40 people were killed. The other target was the headquarters of the FSB intelligence services. Watch: Islamic State claims responsibility for Moscow concert hall shooting The two bombers belong to the volatile North Caucasus region of Dagestan. The attack's responsibility was claimed by the Caucasus Emirate group of Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov. Suicide bombing at airport, 37 killed (2011) A suicide bomber on January 24, 2011, attacked Moscow Domodedovo International Airport's arrivals hall in which 37 people were killed. The Caucasus Emirate group has claimed responsibility for the attack. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia terror attack: A timeline of attacks which rocked Moscow since 1999

Less than 40 days after taking office, British Prime Minister Liz Truss sacked her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and dismissed&nbsp;some of her contentious economic reforms in an effort to stay in power.

An embittered Truss admitted on Friday that her government's plans for unfunded tax cuts had progressed "further and faster" than investors had anticipated, despite the turbulence in the financial markets.

Here is everything that has happened since Truss became the United Kingdom’s prime minister:

Truss becomes PM

Former foreign secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/liz-truss-declares-she-will-increase-corporation-tax-just-hours-after-sacking-her-finance-minister-525494">Liz Truss</a> was elected leader of the ruling Conservative Party on September 5 at a time when the UK is experiencing a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest, and a recession.

Truss, who had long been considered the favourite to succeed Boris Johnson, was elected as the fourth prime minister of the Conservative Party since the 2015 election.

Truss, 47, pledged to move swiftly to address the UK's cost-of-living crisis, announcing that she would develop a strategy to deal with growing energy costs and ensure future fuel supply within a week.

Truss made it clear throughout her run for the presidency that she would defy economic convention by repealing tax increases and eliminating other levies that some analysts said would contribute to higher inflation.

Truss appoints cabinet

Truss appointed a new cabinet on September 7 at the formal request of Queen Elizabeth II, just hours after taking office.

15 new people were appointed on key government roles as a result of the substantial reorganisation, while 16 members of the old cabinet continued to serve in the new one.

As chancellor of the exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng was one of the most senior members. He took over from Nadhim Zahawi, who was hired in July.

Prior to becoming the first Black Conservative Party cabinet minister in January 2021, Kwarteng held the position of business secretary.

UK's Queen Elizabeth II dies

The monarch, 96, passed away on 8 September. The queen's funeral was held on19&nbsp;September after a 10-day period of national mourning.

Kwarteng introduces mini-budget

The British government introduced a new mini-budget on September 23 in the parliament with the goal of reducing household taxes and energy costs while promoting economic growth.

Kwarteng's comprehensive new budget would entail reductions to national insurance, stamp duty, and the top tax rate, marking the largest tax decrease budget since 1972.

According to Kwarteng, the budget would address three important issues: the assurance of the energy price, equal assistance for all businesses, and a financing plan for the energy markets.

A proposal was made to lower the highest rate from 45 to 40 per cent and lower the lowest rate from 20 to 19 per cent.

Chaos in UK's financial markets

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-royal-mail-seeks-to-slash-10000-jobs-attributes-losses-to-industrial-action-525400">UK's</a> recession-threatened economy was intended to be helped by Kwarteng's tax cuts and energy price freeze, but merchants warned of soaring debt to pay for the incentives, which appeared to have the opposite effect.

Following the budget, the market was rocked by the massive unfunded tax cuts, which caused UK government bond yields to skyrocket and caused the pound to drop to a record low of $1.0350 on September 26.&nbsp;

Bank of England intervenes

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on September 27 that it was "closely monitoring" developments and encouraged the London administration to reverse course in an extremely unprecedented intervention.

After the IMF criticised the UK budget, claiming it "would likely raise inequality" and worsen inflation, the Bank of England (BoE) intervened the next day to restore market confidence in the UK.

The BoE declared that it was temporarily purchasing long-term UK government bonds worth 65 billion pounds ($73 billion) "to restore orderly market conditions."

Truss supports economic plan

On September 29, Truss defended her economic strategy and dismissed the disapproval of the financial markets, asserting that she is prepared to make "tough decisions" in order to stimulate economic growth.

Truss stated that the UK was experiencing "very, very challenging economic conditions" in her first public remarks following the commotion caused by the mini-budget.

However, she claimed that Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine was the cause of the difficulties, which were widespread.

Truss pulls the plug on the&nbsp; economic plan; sacks Kwarteng

The government made a humiliating U-turn and abandoned its ambitions to lower the highest income tax rate in the nation.

Truss was still under pressure to abandon more of the disastrous mini-budget, so on October&nbsp; 14, she replaced Kwarteng as chancellor with Jeremy Hunt and scrapped the company tax cut proposal, abandoning a crucial element of the economic strategy that had caused market chaos.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chijindu-ujah-will-be-considered-for-selection-after-doping-ban-says-uk-athletics-director-525387">Chijindu Ujah will be considered for selection after doping ban, says UK Athletics director</a>

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

Less than 40 days after taking office, British Prime Minister Liz Truss sacked her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and dismissed some of her contentious economic reforms in an effort to stay in power.

Less than 40 days after taking office, British Prime Minister Liz Truss sacked her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and dismissed some of her contentious economic reforms in an effort to stay in power. An embittered Truss admitted on Friday that her government's plans for unfunded tax cuts had progressed "further and faster" than investors had anticipated, despite the turbulence in the financial markets. Here is everything that has happened since Truss became the United Kingdom’s prime minister: Truss becomes PM Former foreign secretary Liz Truss was elected leader of the ruling Conservative Party on September 5 at a time when the UK is experiencing a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest, and a recession. Truss, who had long been considered the favourite to succeed Boris Johnson, was elected as the fourth prime minister of the Conservative Party since the 2015 election. Truss, 47, pledged to move swiftly to address the UK's cost-of-living crisis, announcing that she would develop a strategy to deal with growing energy costs and ensure future fuel supply within a week. Truss made it clear throughout her run for the presidency that she would defy economic convention by repealing tax increases and eliminating other levies that some analysts said would contribute to higher inflation. Truss appoints cabinet Truss appointed a new cabinet on September 7 at the formal request of Queen Elizabeth II, just hours after taking office. 15 new people were appointed on key government roles as a result of the substantial reorganisation, while 16 members of the old cabinet continued to serve in the new one. As chancellor of the exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng was one of the most senior members. He took over from Nadhim Zahawi, who was hired in July. Prior to becoming the first Black Conservative Party cabinet minister in January 2021, Kwarteng held the position of business secretary. UK's Queen Elizabeth II dies The monarch, 96, passed away on 8 September. The queen's funeral was held on19 September after a 10-day period of national mourning. Kwarteng introduces mini-budget The British government introduced a new mini-budget on September 23 in the parliament with the goal of reducing household taxes and energy costs while promoting economic growth. Kwarteng's comprehensive new budget would entail reductions to national insurance, stamp duty, and the top tax rate, marking the largest tax decrease budget since 1972. According to Kwarteng, the budget would address three important issues: the assurance of the energy price, equal assistance for all businesses, and a financing plan for the energy markets. A proposal was made to lower the highest rate from 45 to 40 per cent and lower the lowest rate from 20 to 19 per cent. Chaos in UK's financial markets The UK's recession-threatened economy was intended to be helped by Kwarteng's tax cuts and energy price freeze, but merchants warned of soaring debt to pay for the incentives, which appeared to have the opposite effect. Following the budget, the market was rocked by the massive unfunded tax cuts, which caused UK government bond yields to skyrocket and caused the pound to drop to a record low of $1.0350 on September 26. Bank of England intervenes The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on September 27 that it was "closely monitoring" developments and encouraged the London administration to reverse course in an extremely unprecedented intervention. After the IMF criticised the UK budget, claiming it "would likely raise inequality" and worsen inflation, the Bank of England (BoE) intervened the next day to restore market confidence in the UK. The BoE declared that it was temporarily purchasing long-term UK government bonds worth 65 billion pounds ($73 billion) "to restore orderly market conditions." Truss supports economic plan On September 29, Truss defended her economic strategy and dismissed the disapproval of the financial markets, asserting that she is prepared to make "tough decisions" in order to stimulate economic growth. Truss stated that the UK was experiencing "very, very challenging economic conditions" in her first public remarks following the commotion caused by the mini-budget. However, she claimed that Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine was the cause of the difficulties, which were widespread. Truss pulls the plug on the economic plan; sacks Kwarteng The government made a humiliating U-turn and abandoned its ambitions to lower the highest income tax rate in the nation. Truss was still under pressure to abandon more of the disastrous mini-budget, so on October 14, she replaced Kwarteng as chancellor with Jeremy Hunt and scrapped the company tax cut proposal, abandoning a crucial element of the economic strategy that had caused market chaos. Also read | Chijindu Ujah will be considered for selection after doping ban, says UK Athletics director (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Timeline: Liz Truss's U-turn to stay in power; sacks finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng

Marilyn Monroe has been all over the news lately, from the controversy after Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn's iconic dress to the Met Gala, to the release of Netflix's Blonde, a biopic about Marilyn's life based on the novel of the same name. More than 60 years after her death at age 36, the “blonde bombshell” is as much of a sensation as she is a mystery. Watch the life and the times of the iconic star in this explained video.

Marilyn Monroe - The life and times of the iconic star | Explained

A period of national mourning has begun and is set to last until the funeral, Britain enters 10 day period of mourning following death of the Queen. Here we bring you key moments that defined the Queen's life, take a look!

Life of Queen Elizabeth II – A timeline

In an effort to remove an obstacle for reviving the nuclear deal, Iran and IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, on Saturday agreed for a three-month plan to resolve the issue of uranium particles, which were found at old but undeclared sites in the country. &nbsp;

The delegates are looking to settle the final issues within days as the indirect talks have been going on between Iran and the United States for over 11 months to salvage the 2015 deal. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-un-watchdog-agree-approach-to-resolve-nuclear-issues-459333" hreflang="en">Iran, UN watchdog agree approach to resolve nuclear issues</a>

According to the diplomats, one unresolved issue has been the Iran’s demand for the closure of the International Atomic Energy Agency's investigation into uranium particles, which were found at three apparently old but undeclared sites. It had suggested that Iran had nuclear material there but it did not declare it to the agency. &nbsp;

The agency has been saying for a long time that Iran has not given satisfactory reply on those issues. But on Saturday, they announced a plan for a series of exchanges. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqs-delayed-presidential-vote-back-on-459326" hreflang="en">Iraq's delayed presidential vote back on</a>

After this, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi "will aim to report his conclusion by the June 2022 (IAEA) Board of Governors" meeting, which begins on June 6. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In a news conference, when asked about what would be the effect on the deal if the issues remain unresolved, Grossi said, "It would be difficult to imagine you can have a cooperative relationship as if nothing had happened if the clarification of very important safeguards issues were to fail." &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In an effort to remove an obstacle for reviving the nuclear deal, Iran and IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, on Saturday agreed for a three-month plan to resolve the issue of uranium particles, which were found at old but undeclared sites in the country.

In an effort to remove an obstacle for reviving the nuclear deal, Iran and IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, on Saturday agreed for a three-month plan to resolve the issue of uranium particles, which were found at old but undeclared sites in the country. The delegates are looking to settle the final issues within days as the indirect talks have been going on between Iran and the United States for over 11 months to salvage the 2015 deal. Also Read: Iran, UN watchdog agree approach to resolve nuclear issues According to the diplomats, one unresolved issue has been the Iran’s demand for the closure of the International Atomic Energy Agency's investigation into uranium particles, which were found at three apparently old but undeclared sites. It had suggested that Iran had nuclear material there but it did not declare it to the agency. The agency has been saying for a long time that Iran has not given satisfactory reply on those issues. But on Saturday, they announced a plan for a series of exchanges. Also Read: Iraq's delayed presidential vote back on After this, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi "will aim to report his conclusion by the June 2022 (IAEA) Board of Governors" meeting, which begins on June 6. In a news conference, when asked about what would be the effect on the deal if the issues remain unresolved, Grossi said, "It would be difficult to imagine you can have a cooperative relationship as if nothing had happened if the clarification of very important safeguards issues were to fail." (With inputs from agencies)

To remove obstacle for reviving nuke deal, Iran, IAEA agree on 3-month timeline

Tata Sons, on Friday, gained control of the debt-laden national carrier Air India. It was somewhat like a homecoming for the iconic Maharaja of Air India as the airline was started in 1932 by JRD Tata and was nationalised around Indian independence.&nbsp;

The new owner, the Tatas, shelled out USD 2.4 billion to acquire Air India. This is the highest amount generated through Privatisation in India.

Ratan Tata, who himself is a qualified pilot, tweeted an emotional note welcoming Air India back into Tata Group's fold.

Here's the timeline of how things shaped up before the disinvestment

July 2009 - Government appoints State Bank of India to prepare a roadmap for recovery of loss-making Air India.

April 2012 - A USD 5.8 billion bailout is cleared for Air India

March 2018 - Government takes a decision to sell controlling stake in Air India.&nbsp;

May 2018 - Not a single buyer shows interest to buy stake in Air India by the prescribed deadline.

June 2018 - Government shelves plan of sale of stake since buyers don't show interest.

December 2019 - Government decides to sell 100 per cent stake. Provides flexible debt assumption terms.

October 2020 - Government gets 2 bids after pushing ahead the deadline twice.

September 2021 - Finance ministry says that Tata Sons and SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh have submitted financial bids.

October 8, 2021 - Tata Sons is declared as the winning bidder

Tata Sons, on Friday, gained control of the debt-laden national carrier Air India. It was somewhat like a homecoming for the iconic Maharaja of Air India as the airline was started in 1932 by JRD Tata and was nationalised around Indian independence.

Tata Sons, on Friday, gained control of the debt-laden national carrier Air India. It was somewhat like a homecoming for the iconic Maharaja of Air India as the airline was started in 1932 by JRD Tata and was nationalised around Indian independence. The new owner, the Tatas, shelled out USD 2.4 billion to acquire Air India. This is the highest amount generated through Privatisation in India. Ratan Tata, who himself is a qualified pilot, tweeted an emotional note welcoming Air India back into Tata Group's fold. Here's the timeline of how things shaped up before the disinvestment July 2009 - Government appoints State Bank of India to prepare a roadmap for recovery of loss-making Air India. April 2012 - A USD 5.8 billion bailout is cleared for Air India March 2018 - Government takes a decision to sell controlling stake in Air India. May 2018 - Not a single buyer shows interest to buy stake in Air India by the prescribed deadline. June 2018 - Government shelves plan of sale of stake since buyers don't show interest. December 2019 - Government decides to sell 100 per cent stake. Provides flexible debt assumption terms. October 2020 - Government gets 2 bids after pushing ahead the deadline twice. September 2021 - Finance ministry says that Tata Sons and SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh have submitted financial bids. October 8, 2021 - Tata Sons is declared as the winning bidder

How Maharaja returned 'home': Timeline of Air India disinvestment

Twitter is now testing new changes to how photos and videos appear on its apps, closer to how images appear on other services such as Instagram.

The new feature will expand its media embedded in tweets to fill the whole width of a mobile phone's screen.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Now testing on iOS: 
 
Edge to edge Tweets that span the width of the timeline so your photos, GIFs, and videos can have more room to shine. <a href="https://t.co/luAHoPjjlY">pic.twitter.com/luAHoPjjlY</a>
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1435287486411022337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Currently, the images are indented next to a user's profile photo. Also, they take up much less screen space.

Twitter said the new layout, which is being tested on iOS but not Android, would give media "more room to shine".

Twitter first tested the bigger photos and improved image previews in March.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ford-to-end-manufacturing-in-india-take-2-billion-hit-411902">Also read |&nbsp;Ford to end manufacturing in India, take $2 billion hit</a>

This was before rolling them out broadly two months later.

Twitter has said that it wants to encourage users to have conversations across photos and videos, rather than focusing solely on the text. While the result looks like a win to us, any change to Twitter’s design is likely to inspire a vocal subset of users to hate-tweet about it for a day or so before forgetting the changes altogether.

Twitter is now testing new changes to how photos and videos appear on its apps, closer to how images appear on other services such as Instagram. The new feature will expand its media embedded in tweets to fill the whole width of a mobile phone's screen.

Twitter is now testing new changes to how photos and videos appear on its apps, closer to how images appear on other services such as Instagram. The new feature will expand its media embedded in tweets to fill the whole width of a mobile phone's screen. Now testing on iOS: Edge to edge Tweets that span the width of the timeline so your photos, GIFs, and videos can have more room to shine. pic.twitter.com/luAHoPjjlY — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) September 7, 2021 × Currently, the images are indented next to a user's profile photo. Also, they take up much less screen space. Twitter said the new layout, which is being tested on iOS but not Android, would give media "more room to shine". Twitter first tested the bigger photos and improved image previews in March. Also read | Ford to end manufacturing in India, take $2 billion hit This was before rolling them out broadly two months later. Twitter has said that it wants to encourage users to have conversations across photos and videos, rather than focusing solely on the text. While the result looks like a win to us, any change to Twitter’s design is likely to inspire a vocal subset of users to hate-tweet about it for a day or so before forgetting the changes altogether.

Twitter tests bigger pictures in timeline for iOS users

R&amp;B singer R. Kelly is on trial in Brooklyn federal court on charges he led a two-decade racketeering scheme in which women and girls were recruited for him to have sex with and subjected to physical abuse and blackmail. Kelly has denied the charges.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/r-kelly-accuser-testifies-that-singer-made-her-dress-like-a-girl-scout-407038" hreflang="en">R Kelly accuser testifies that singer made her dress like a Girl Scout</a>

Below is a timeline of events leading up to the trial. 
 
Jan. 8, 1967: Robert Sylvester Kelly is born in Chicago 
 
January 1992: Kelly's debut album, 'Born into the '90s,' launches him to stardom. 
 
August 1994: Kelly, 27, marries his singing protege Aaliyah Haughton, 15, allegedly bribing a local official to obtain a fake identification that said she was 18 years old. Prosecutors say Kelly met Aaliyah, as she was known, when she was 12, and shortly thereafter began a sexual relationship. 
 
February 1995: Kelly`s and Aaliyah`s marriage is annulled. 
 
November 1995: Kelly releases the album 'R. Kelly,'&nbsp;which reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200. 
 
January 1997: Kelly`s song "I Believe I Can Fly," from the soundtrack to the movie "Space Jam," reaches No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and wins three Grammy awards.

1996: Kelly marries dancer Andrea Lee, 22. They have three children. 
 
February 1997: Tiffany Hawkins sues Kelly for sexual battery, which allegedly began when she was a minor. They settle out of court. 
 
December 2000: The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Kelly habitually had sexual relationships with underage girls.

June 2002: Kelly is indicted in Chicago on child pornography charges following the release of a videotape showing him having sex with a minor. 
 
September 2005: Andrea Kelly seeks an order of protection, claiming Kelly hit her. 
 
June 2008: A jury acquits Kelly in the child pornography case. 
 
January 2009: Kelly and his wife confirm they have divorced.

July 2017: Buzzfeed reports that Kelly is holding women in what their parents describe as a cult, fueling renewed attention to the accusations against the singer. 
 
August 2017: Jerhonda Pace, who claims Kelly sexually abused her and was the first prosecution witness in the Brooklyn trial, breaks a nondisclosure agreement and goes public with accusations against Kelly. 
 
January 2019: The Lifetime documentary "Surviving R. Kelly" details more accusations against Kelly, prompting new calls that he be investigated. 
 
February 2019: Kelly is indicted for sexual abuse by a Cook County, Illinois grand jury. A new indictment follows in May. 
 
July 2019: Kelly is indicted in Chicago federal court for child pornography and obstruction of justice, and in Brooklyn federal court for racketeering. He is jailed in Chicago. 
 
August 2019: Kelly is charged in Minnesota state court with engaging in prostitution with a girl under 18. 
 
June 2021: Kelly fires two of his four lawyers in the Brooklyn case. Both are later replaced. Kelly is moved to a Brooklyn jail for his upcoming trial. 
 
August 9, 2021: Jury selection in Brooklyn federal court begins. 
 
August 18, 2021: Brooklyn sex abuse trial begins.

R&B singer R. Kelly is on trial in Brooklyn federal court on charges he led a two-decade racketeering scheme in which women and girls were recruited for him to have sex with and subjected to physical abuse and blackmail.

R&B singer R. Kelly is on trial in Brooklyn federal court on charges he led a two-decade racketeering scheme in which women and girls were recruited for him to have sex with and subjected to physical abuse and blackmail. Kelly has denied the charges. R Kelly accuser testifies that singer made her dress like a Girl Scout Below is a timeline of events leading up to the trial. Jan. 8, 1967: Robert Sylvester Kelly is born in Chicago January 1992: Kelly's debut album, 'Born into the '90s,' launches him to stardom. August 1994: Kelly, 27, marries his singing protege Aaliyah Haughton, 15, allegedly bribing a local official to obtain a fake identification that said she was 18 years old. Prosecutors say Kelly met Aaliyah, as she was known, when she was 12, and shortly thereafter began a sexual relationship. February 1995: Kelly`s and Aaliyah`s marriage is annulled. November 1995: Kelly releases the album 'R. Kelly,' which reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200. January 1997: Kelly`s song "I Believe I Can Fly," from the soundtrack to the movie "Space Jam," reaches No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and wins three Grammy awards. 1996: Kelly marries dancer Andrea Lee, 22. They have three children. February 1997: Tiffany Hawkins sues Kelly for sexual battery, which allegedly began when she was a minor. They settle out of court. December 2000: The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Kelly habitually had sexual relationships with underage girls. June 2002: Kelly is indicted in Chicago on child pornography charges following the release of a videotape showing him having sex with a minor. September 2005: Andrea Kelly seeks an order of protection, claiming Kelly hit her. June 2008: A jury acquits Kelly in the child pornography case. January 2009: Kelly and his wife confirm they have divorced. July 2017: Buzzfeed reports that Kelly is holding women in what their parents describe as a cult, fueling renewed attention to the accusations against the singer. August 2017: Jerhonda Pace, who claims Kelly sexually abused her and was the first prosecution witness in the Brooklyn trial, breaks a nondisclosure agreement and goes public with accusations against Kelly. January 2019: The Lifetime documentary "Surviving R. Kelly" details more accusations against Kelly, prompting new calls that he be investigated. February 2019: Kelly is indicted for sexual abuse by a Cook County, Illinois grand jury. A new indictment follows in May. July 2019: Kelly is indicted in Chicago federal court for child pornography and obstruction of justice, and in Brooklyn federal court for racketeering. He is jailed in Chicago. August 2019: Kelly is charged in Minnesota state court with engaging in prostitution with a girl under 18. June 2021: Kelly fires two of his four lawyers in the Brooklyn case. Both are later replaced. Kelly is moved to a Brooklyn jail for his upcoming trial. August 9, 2021: Jury selection in Brooklyn federal court begins. August 18, 2021: Brooklyn sex abuse trial begins.

A timeline of R. Kelly's life and the sex abuse case against him

Timeline: 31 years of  China's brutal Tiananmen crackdown

Brexit: 30 days to go

Following is the chronology of events pertaining to the Maratha quota case:

June 2017: Maharashtra government constitutes State Backward Class Commission to study the social, financial and educational status of Maratha community.

July 2018: Sporadic violence across Maharashtra by the Maratha community demanding quota in education and government jobs.

November 15, 2018: Commission submits its report to the Maharashtra government.

November 30, 2018: Maharashtra legislature passes a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for Maratha community, declared as socially and educationally backward class by the government.

November 30, 2018: Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao approves and signs the bill.

December 3, 2018: Bunch of petitions filed in Bombay High Court challenging the quota decision, and terms it as violative of the Supreme Court orders which says that reservation in any state should not exceed over 50 per cent.

December 5, 2018: Bombay High Court refuses to grant interim stay on the quota decision but posts petitions for final hearing.

January 18, 2019: Maharashtra government files affidavit, standing by its decision to grant reservation to the Maratha community, and says it was meant to alleviate the "socially and economically" backward class.

February 6, 2019: A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre commences final hearing into all petitions pertaining to the Maratha reservation issue.

March 26, 2019: HC concludes hearing arguments in the petitions. Reserves its judgment.

June 24, 2019: HC says it would pronounce its verdict on the petitions on&nbsp; 
June 27.

June 27, 2019: HC upholds the constitutional validity of reservation for the Maratha community, but asks the government to reduce it from 16 per cent to 12 to 13 per cent, as recommended by the State Backward Classes Commission.&nbsp;

Following is the chronology of events pertaining to the Maratha quota case: June 2017: Maharashtra government constitutes State Backward Class Commission to study the social, financial and educational status of Maratha community.

Following is the chronology of events pertaining to the Maratha quota case: June 2017: Maharashtra government constitutes State Backward Class Commission to study the social, financial and educational status of Maratha community. July 2018: Sporadic violence across Maharashtra by the Maratha community demanding quota in education and government jobs. November 15, 2018: Commission submits its report to the Maharashtra government. November 30, 2018: Maharashtra legislature passes a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for Maratha community, declared as socially and educationally backward class by the government. November 30, 2018: Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao approves and signs the bill. December 3, 2018: Bunch of petitions filed in Bombay High Court challenging the quota decision, and terms it as violative of the Supreme Court orders which says that reservation in any state should not exceed over 50 per cent. December 5, 2018: Bombay High Court refuses to grant interim stay on the quota decision but posts petitions for final hearing. January 18, 2019: Maharashtra government files affidavit, standing by its decision to grant reservation to the Maratha community, and says it was meant to alleviate the "socially and economically" backward class. February 6, 2019: A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre commences final hearing into all petitions pertaining to the Maratha reservation issue. March 26, 2019: HC concludes hearing arguments in the petitions. Reserves its judgment. June 24, 2019: HC says it would pronounce its verdict on the petitions on June 27. June 27, 2019: HC upholds the constitutional validity of reservation for the Maratha community, but asks the government to reduce it from 16 per cent to 12 to 13 per cent, as recommended by the State Backward Classes Commission.

Maratha Reservations Issue: A Timeline

WikiLeaks founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-julian-assange-has-been-arrested-uk-police-209546">Julian Assange has been arrested</a> and taken into custody in central London, British police said on Thursday.

Assange was taken into custody at a central London police station, before he’s presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Julian Assange has been the subject of a sophisticated spying operation in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuadors-withdrawal-of-asylum-for-assange-illegal-wikileaks-209553">Ecuadorean embassy</a> where he has been holed up since 2012, the group said.

Key developments in the affair:

- 2010: leaks, arrest warrant -

- July, October 2010:

WikiLeaks releases some 470,000 classified military documents concerning American diplomacy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It later releases a further tranche of more than 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables.

- November 18, 2010:

A Swedish prosecutor issues a European arrest warrant for Assange over sexual assault allegations involving two Swedish women. Assange denies the claims, saying the young women consented.

- December, 2010:

Assange turns himself in to police in London and is placed in custody pending a ruling on the Swedish extradition request. He is later released on bail and calls the Swedish allegations a smear campaign.

- 2011: Extradition ruling -

- February 2011:

A British judge rules that Assange can be extradited to Sweden. Assange fears Sweden will hand him over to US authorities who could prosecute him for publishing the documents.

- 2012: refuge at embassy -

- June 2012:

Assange takes refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy in London. He requests, and is later granted, political asylum.

- 2013: Safe-conduct refused -

- October 2013:

Ecuador asks Britain in vain to allow Assange to fly to Quito.

- 2016: UN appeal -

January 2016:

Quito rejects an offer by Swedish prosecutors to question Assange in London.

February 2016:

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention says Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" and should be able to claim compensation from Britain and Sweden. Britain and Sweden rebuff the non-binding ruling.

- 2017: sex case closed -

January 2017:

WikiLeaks says Assange could travel to the US to face investigation after one of the site's main sources Chelsea Manning is given clemency -- but only if his rights were "guaranteed".

May 2017:

Swedish prosecutors say they have closed their seven-year sex assault investigation. British police say they would still arrest Assange if he leaves the embassy as he breached the terms of his bail in 2012.

December 2017:

Quito grants Assange Ecuadoran nationality. Britain refuses Ecuador's request to accord Assange diplomatic status, which would allow him to leave the embassy without being arrested.

- 2018: Ecuador seeks solution -

January 2018:

Ecuador says it is seeking a mediator to resolve Assange's "untenable" situation.

February 2018:

Assange loses a bid to have his British arrest warrant cancelled on health grounds.

March 2018:

Ecuador cuts off Assange's communications alleging he broke an agreement on interfering in other countries' affairs.

October 2018:

Ecuador imposes new conditions on Assange in the embassy, warning that breaching them could lead to the "end of asylum".

November 2018:

US prosecutors inadvertently disclose the existence of a sealed indictment against Assange.

2019: Ecuador complaint

On April 3, 2019 Moreno says Assange has "repeatedly violated" the conditions of his asylum at the embassy.

April 11:

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested and taken into custody in central London.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested and taken into custody in central London, British police said on Thursday. Assange was taken into custody at a central London police station, before he’s presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested and taken into custody in central London, British police said on Thursday. Assange was taken into custody at a central London police station, before he’s presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Julian Assange has been the subject of a sophisticated spying operation in the Ecuadorean embassy where he has been holed up since 2012, the group said. Key developments in the affair: - 2010: leaks, arrest warrant - - July, October 2010: WikiLeaks releases some 470,000 classified military documents concerning American diplomacy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It later releases a further tranche of more than 250,000 classified US diplomatic cables. - November 18, 2010: A Swedish prosecutor issues a European arrest warrant for Assange over sexual assault allegations involving two Swedish women. Assange denies the claims, saying the young women consented. - December, 2010: Assange turns himself in to police in London and is placed in custody pending a ruling on the Swedish extradition request. He is later released on bail and calls the Swedish allegations a smear campaign. - 2011: Extradition ruling - - February 2011: A British judge rules that Assange can be extradited to Sweden. Assange fears Sweden will hand him over to US authorities who could prosecute him for publishing the documents. - 2012: refuge at embassy - - June 2012: Assange takes refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy in London. He requests, and is later granted, political asylum. - 2013: Safe-conduct refused - - October 2013: Ecuador asks Britain in vain to allow Assange to fly to Quito. - 2016: UN appeal - January 2016: Quito rejects an offer by Swedish prosecutors to question Assange in London. February 2016: The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention says Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" and should be able to claim compensation from Britain and Sweden. Britain and Sweden rebuff the non-binding ruling. - 2017: sex case closed - January 2017: WikiLeaks says Assange could travel to the US to face investigation after one of the site's main sources Chelsea Manning is given clemency -- but only if his rights were "guaranteed". May 2017: Swedish prosecutors say they have closed their seven-year sex assault investigation. British police say they would still arrest Assange if he leaves the embassy as he breached the terms of his bail in 2012. December 2017: Quito grants Assange Ecuadoran nationality. Britain refuses Ecuador's request to accord Assange diplomatic status, which would allow him to leave the embassy without being arrested. - 2018: Ecuador seeks solution - January 2018: Ecuador says it is seeking a mediator to resolve Assange's "untenable" situation. February 2018: Assange loses a bid to have his British arrest warrant cancelled on health grounds. March 2018: Ecuador cuts off Assange's communications alleging he broke an agreement on interfering in other countries' affairs. October 2018: Ecuador imposes new conditions on Assange in the embassy, warning that breaching them could lead to the "end of asylum". November 2018: US prosecutors inadvertently disclose the existence of a sealed indictment against Assange. 2019: Ecuador complaint On April 3, 2019 Moreno says Assange has "repeatedly violated" the conditions of his asylum at the embassy. April 11: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested and taken into custody in central London.

Timeline: Key developments leading to Julian Assange's arrest

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as prime minister on Friday (October 26) after President Maithripala Sirisena <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-sacking-pm-sri-lanka-president-sirisena-suspends-parliament-173796">sacked</a>&nbsp;Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a shock move that threatens political turmoil in the country.&nbsp;

Wickremesinghe said the move was "unconstitutional" and vowed to prove his majority in Parliament. On Saturday, he demanded an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ousted-sri-lanka-pm-seeks-emergency-parliament-session-173772">emergency session</a> of parliament, so as to be able to prove his majority on the floor of the house.

Sirisena however responded by suspending parliament till November 16.&nbsp;

Here is a timeline of the events leading up to the constitutional crisis:&nbsp;

- Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule.

- Then incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the United People's Freedom Alliance's candidate, seeking a third term in office.

- The United National Party (UNP)-led opposition coalition chose to field Maithripala Sirisena, the former Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – the main constituent party of the UPFA – as its common candidate.

- Sirisena was declared the winner after receiving 51.28% of all votes cast (6,217,162 votes) compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58% (5,768,090 votes).

- On 9th January, Rajapaksa concedes defeat ahead of the final result and the Sirsena was sworn in as Sri Lanka's sixth executive president, before Supreme Court judge K. Sripavan in Independence Square, Colombo.

- The 2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election was held on 17 August 2015, ten months ahead of schedule, to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 15th Parliament.

- The incumbent United National Party (UNP) led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) won 106 seats, an increase of 46 since the 2010 election, but failed to secure a majority in Parliament.

- The main opposition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won 95 seats, a decline of 49.

- The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest party representing Sri Lankan Tamils, won 16 seats, an increase of two from 2010.

- The remaining eight seats were won by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (6), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (1) and Eelam People's Democratic Party (1).

- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the UNFGG and UNP, was able to form a national government with the support of UPFA MPs loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena.

- The rift between the President and the Prime Minister started with treasury bond scandal in 2015.

- Faced with repayments on the massive loans inherited from the previous government, the Central Bank decided to raise Rs. 1 billion through an auction on February 27, 2015.

- The bank received just over Rs. 20 billion in bids and former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran instructed the Public Debt Department to accept Rs. 10 billion.

- Due to a communication gap, the Perpetual Treasuries Limited, a Primary Dealer owned by the son in law of the Central Bank Governor have had undue advantage to make profits. This was the starting of the rift between the President and the Prime Minister Wickeremesinghe.

- The last tipping point of the relation ship between the two leaders was the alleged conspiracy to assassinate President Srisena and former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which is now under investigation&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as prime minister on Friday (October 26) after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a shock move that threatens political turmoil in the country.

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as prime minister on Friday (October 26) after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a shock move that threatens political turmoil in the country. Wickremesinghe said the move was "unconstitutional" and vowed to prove his majority in Parliament. On Saturday, he demanded an emergency session of parliament, so as to be able to prove his majority on the floor of the house. Sirisena however responded by suspending parliament till November 16. Here is a timeline of the events leading up to the constitutional crisis: - Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule. - Then incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the United People's Freedom Alliance's candidate, seeking a third term in office. - The United National Party (UNP)-led opposition coalition chose to field Maithripala Sirisena, the former Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – the main constituent party of the UPFA – as its common candidate. - Sirisena was declared the winner after receiving 51.28% of all votes cast (6,217,162 votes) compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58% (5,768,090 votes). - On 9th January, Rajapaksa concedes defeat ahead of the final result and the Sirsena was sworn in as Sri Lanka's sixth executive president, before Supreme Court judge K. Sripavan in Independence Square, Colombo. - The 2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election was held on 17 August 2015, ten months ahead of schedule, to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 15th Parliament. - The incumbent United National Party (UNP) led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) won 106 seats, an increase of 46 since the 2010 election, but failed to secure a majority in Parliament. - The main opposition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won 95 seats, a decline of 49. - The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest party representing Sri Lankan Tamils, won 16 seats, an increase of two from 2010. - The remaining eight seats were won by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (6), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (1) and Eelam People's Democratic Party (1). - Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the UNFGG and UNP, was able to form a national government with the support of UPFA MPs loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena. - The rift between the President and the Prime Minister started with treasury bond scandal in 2015. - Faced with repayments on the massive loans inherited from the previous government, the Central Bank decided to raise Rs. 1 billion through an auction on February 27, 2015. - The bank received just over Rs. 20 billion in bids and former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran instructed the Public Debt Department to accept Rs. 10 billion. - Due to a communication gap, the Perpetual Treasuries Limited, a Primary Dealer owned by the son in law of the Central Bank Governor have had undue advantage to make profits. This was the starting of the rift between the President and the Prime Minister Wickeremesinghe. - The last tipping point of the relation ship between the two leaders was the alleged conspiracy to assassinate President Srisena and former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which is now under investigation

Sri Lanka's constitutional crisis: A timeline of events

By:&nbspDavid Rowe*

With the FIFA World Cup just days away, I have been chatting with people on my travels through central and northern Europe to gauge their opinions about Russia being the host.

Several people have simply sighed, resigned to the fact that nefarious FIFA politics won the day. One Prague taxi driver, remembering the Soviet-led invasion of his country in 1968, hated the idea, but another Czech shrugged and said that most people, especially those too young to remember the Communist rule, would just focus on the football.

Indeed, many football fans will be thinking only of stoppage-time goals, dubious penalties and defence-splitting passes when the tournament kicks off on Thursday. But it’s also worth reflecting on Russia and the ethics of selecting hosts for major events in today’s commercially driven and politicised sports world.

The case against Russia

Every time there is a contest to host a World Cup or Olympics, debate ensues about the criteria for selection. These include technical matters like the economic and infrastructural capacity to stage a massive spectacle, and an overarching belief in spreading sports like football to new corners of the world.

But non-sporting matters also come into consideration. Organisers always consider the potential that awarding hosting rights to the wrong country could bring a major sporting event into disrepute.

Cases have been made against a string of host cities and countries over the years. These include the 1978 Argentina World Cup (military coup), the 1968 Mexico City and 1988 Seoul Olympics (popular demonstrations and violence), the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics (bribery), the 2008 Beijing Olympics (human rights and crackdowns in Tibet) and the 2010 South Africa and 2014 Brazil World Cups (financial mismanagement and lack of preparedness).

So, Russia is by no means the first country to be faced with threats of boycotts or being stripped of its hosting rights. But it is something of a standout case, because of the spectrum of its egregious behaviour since being awarded the World Cup (and 2014 Winter Olympics). What’s remarkable is that Russia has stains on its record both in and outside the sporting world.

Inside sport, Russia is most notorious for its wide-ranging state-sponsored doping programme, which included swapping positive-testing urine samples for negative ones through a "mouse hole" in the wall of the anti-doping laboratory at the 2014 Sochi Games. Russian athletes were subsequently banned from flying their national flag and competing under the Team Russia name at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

For foreign football fans visiting Russia, there are additional concerns over hooliganism and the "racism, nationalism, homophobia and sexism" that has been well-documented in Russian football.

FIFA's culture of money and influence

Russia, of course, has furiously denied everything, making much-outraged noise while pointing out the hypocrisy of its most vocal detractors. The latter reaction has some legitimacy – Russia does not have a monopoly on external aggression, calculated corruption and internal repression.

And although the process by which Russia and Qatar won their World Cup bids was undeniably flawed, there is more than a whiff of hypocrisy among the losers who played their part in the whole charade. Few of the bidding countries for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments came out of American prosecutor Michael Garcia's lengthy but imperfect investigation of the decisions unscathed. This includes Australia, which burned a cool $AU45 million of public money on a futile attempt to work its levers of access and persuasion.

But Russia's sheer effrontery in recent years makes it an especially conspicuous target for those wondering what it would take for a country to be barred from hosting the world's largest sports party on ethical grounds.

That it hasn't been stripped of the World Cup says much about global sport's intensely commercial and political imperatives. Nothing exemplifies this state of affairs more than the emergence of FIFA as a machine of money, influence and subterfuge under the presidencies of João Havelange and Sepp Blatter from 1974 to 2015.

FIFA’s moment of truth came with the arrests of a coterie of top officials at its 2015 Zurich congress – a very different image of the organisation than the one propagated in FIFA's absurdly self-aggrandising 2014 docudrama film United Passions.

Blatter and many of his associates have since been swept away. But there's been little appetite for voiding the controversial Russia and Qatar victories and re-opening the bidding process, despite the efforts of politicians like former British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Nor have there been realistic calls for team boycotts of the 2018 World Cup. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop briefly flagged the idea of a World Cup-related action against Russia but said a boycott was not under consideration. So far only a few countries have confirmed boycotts by dignitaries, such as the UK, Poland and Iceland.

New standards for selecting hosts

Has FIFA reformed itself sufficiently under new President Gianni Infantino to ensure that a country like Russia will never again be rewarded after fuelling so much international condemnation with its actions?

We may soon get an idea. On June 13, the day before the opening match, the 68th FIFA Congress meets in Moscow to decide the 2026 World Cup host. There are new rules in place, including a more stringent bid appraisal process and an open ballot of all FIFA member associations.

There are only two bids for 2026 – Morocco and a North American joint bid submitted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The former has its own human rights issues, while the latter has US President Donald Trump's proposed travel bans and implied threats to countries who do not support the bid.

Will the new process result in a fair, transparent outcome? Not according to Bonita Mersiades, the whistle-blowing former head of corporate and public affairs at Football Federation Australia and author of Whatever It Takes: The Inside Story of the FIFA Way, and her fellow campaigners at the reform advocacy group New FIFA Now.

New FIFA Now and the recently formed Foundation for Sports Integrity argue that a new FIFA governance model under the control of fans and players is required. Among New FIFA Now's guiding principles for FIFA reform is this recommendation on selecting future hosts:

Establish a one-off committee of relevant experts from around the world to investigate and recommend the staging of future men's World Cup tournaments. The objective would be to ameliorate the World Cup as a vehicle for geopolitical soft power and brand building of nation states, as well as the construction of 'white elephants' and the demands of government guarantees made by FIFA to host nations that compromise and jeopardise international and domestic law.

Reformist proposals like these are gaining traction as part of widespread push-back against the excessive demands and massive costs of hosting mega sports events. The questions posed by Russia's winning bid should only add to the calls for change.

It's expected that over 3 billion people will catch at least some of this year's World Cup over the next month. Let's hope they look beyond the spectacle to ponder how the beautiful game made its way to Russia at this point in its history and whether it was worth the ethical price.

David Rowe is an Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University.

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/id">The Conversation</a>. Read the original <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-russia-worthy-of-hosting-the-world-cup-96917">article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For foreign football fans visiting Russia, there are additional concerns over hooliganism and the 'racism, nationalism, homophobia and sexism' that has been well-documented in Russian football

By: David Rowe* With the FIFA World Cup just days away, I have been chatting with people on my travels through central and northern Europe to gauge their opinions about Russia being the host. Several people have simply sighed, resigned to the fact that nefarious FIFA politics won the day. One Prague taxi driver, remembering the Soviet-led invasion of his country in 1968, hated the idea, but another Czech shrugged and said that most people, especially those too young to remember the Communist rule, would just focus on the football. Indeed, many football fans will be thinking only of stoppage-time goals, dubious penalties and defence-splitting passes when the tournament kicks off on Thursday. But it’s also worth reflecting on Russia and the ethics of selecting hosts for major events in today’s commercially driven and politicised sports world. The case against Russia Every time there is a contest to host a World Cup or Olympics, debate ensues about the criteria for selection. These include technical matters like the economic and infrastructural capacity to stage a massive spectacle, and an overarching belief in spreading sports like football to new corners of the world. But non-sporting matters also come into consideration. Organisers always consider the potential that awarding hosting rights to the wrong country could bring a major sporting event into disrepute. Cases have been made against a string of host cities and countries over the years. These include the 1978 Argentina World Cup (military coup), the 1968 Mexico City and 1988 Seoul Olympics (popular demonstrations and violence), the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics (bribery), the 2008 Beijing Olympics (human rights and crackdowns in Tibet) and the 2010 South Africa and 2014 Brazil World Cups (financial mismanagement and lack of preparedness). So, Russia is by no means the first country to be faced with threats of boycotts or being stripped of its hosting rights. But it is something of a standout case, because of the spectrum of its egregious behaviour since being awarded the World Cup (and 2014 Winter Olympics). What’s remarkable is that Russia has stains on its record both in and outside the sporting world. Inside sport, Russia is most notorious for its wide-ranging state-sponsored doping programme, which included swapping positive-testing urine samples for negative ones through a "mouse hole" in the wall of the anti-doping laboratory at the 2014 Sochi Games. Russian athletes were subsequently banned from flying their national flag and competing under the Team Russia name at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics. For foreign football fans visiting Russia, there are additional concerns over hooliganism and the "racism, nationalism, homophobia and sexism" that has been well-documented in Russian football. FIFA's culture of money and influence Russia, of course, has furiously denied everything, making much-outraged noise while pointing out the hypocrisy of its most vocal detractors. The latter reaction has some legitimacy – Russia does not have a monopoly on external aggression, calculated corruption and internal repression. And although the process by which Russia and Qatar won their World Cup bids was undeniably flawed, there is more than a whiff of hypocrisy among the losers who played their part in the whole charade. Few of the bidding countries for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments came out of American prosecutor Michael Garcia's lengthy but imperfect investigation of the decisions unscathed. This includes Australia, which burned a cool $AU45 million of public money on a futile attempt to work its levers of access and persuasion. But Russia's sheer effrontery in recent years makes it an especially conspicuous target for those wondering what it would take for a country to be barred from hosting the world's largest sports party on ethical grounds. That it hasn't been stripped of the World Cup says much about global sport's intensely commercial and political imperatives. Nothing exemplifies this state of affairs more than the emergence of FIFA as a machine of money, influence and subterfuge under the presidencies of João Havelange and Sepp Blatter from 1974 to 2015. FIFA’s moment of truth came with the arrests of a coterie of top officials at its 2015 Zurich congress – a very different image of the organisation than the one propagated in FIFA's absurdly self-aggrandising 2014 docudrama film United Passions. Blatter and many of his associates have since been swept away. But there's been little appetite for voiding the controversial Russia and Qatar victories and re-opening the bidding process, despite the efforts of politicians like former British Prime Minister David Cameron. Nor have there been realistic calls for team boycotts of the 2018 World Cup. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop briefly flagged the idea of a World Cup-related action against Russia but said a boycott was not under consideration. So far only a few countries have confirmed boycotts by dignitaries, such as the UK, Poland and Iceland. New standards for selecting hosts Has FIFA reformed itself sufficiently under new President Gianni Infantino to ensure that a country like Russia will never again be rewarded after fuelling so much international condemnation with its actions? We may soon get an idea. On June 13, the day before the opening match, the 68th FIFA Congress meets in Moscow to decide the 2026 World Cup host. There are new rules in place, including a more stringent bid appraisal process and an open ballot of all FIFA member associations. There are only two bids for 2026 – Morocco and a North American joint bid submitted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. The former has its own human rights issues, while the latter has US President Donald Trump's proposed travel bans and implied threats to countries who do not support the bid. Will the new process result in a fair, transparent outcome? Not according to Bonita Mersiades, the whistle-blowing former head of corporate and public affairs at Football Federation Australia and author of Whatever It Takes: The Inside Story of the FIFA Way, and her fellow campaigners at the reform advocacy group New FIFA Now. New FIFA Now and the recently formed Foundation for Sports Integrity argue that a new FIFA governance model under the control of fans and players is required. Among New FIFA Now's guiding principles for FIFA reform is this recommendation on selecting future hosts: Establish a one-off committee of relevant experts from around the world to investigate and recommend the staging of future men's World Cup tournaments. The objective would be to ameliorate the World Cup as a vehicle for geopolitical soft power and brand building of nation states, as well as the construction of 'white elephants' and the demands of government guarantees made by FIFA to host nations that compromise and jeopardise international and domestic law. Reformist proposals like these are gaining traction as part of widespread push-back against the excessive demands and massive costs of hosting mega sports events. The questions posed by Russia's winning bid should only add to the calls for change. It's expected that over 3 billion people will catch at least some of this year's World Cup over the next month. Let's hope they look beyond the spectacle to ponder how the beautiful game made its way to Russia at this point in its history and whether it was worth the ethical price. David Rowe is an Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University. (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Is Russia worthy of hosting the football World Cup?

timeline

Timeline, News on Timeline, stories on Timeline, articles on Timeline, Timeline stories at Wion, Timeline news, Timeline latest news