Our world in photos: December 6
Brooklyn Eagle Staff
December 6, 2024
KYIV — Still one of the best-protected cities in Ukraine: People walk past the memorial to fallen soldiers in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. Ukraine on Tuesday launched a strike using US-supplied longer-range missiles, one day after President Biden honored a long-sought request from the nation, now in its thousandth day of war. Although limits on the use of these missiles had not been publicly articulated, Russian President Putin responded on Tuesday by lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons even in conventional warfare attacks. The new directive from Russia allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power, including the United States, the Associated Press reports.
Putin’s willingness to use his nuclear arsenal indicates a strategy that could force the West to back down as Moscow continues with its slow-moving offensive in Ukraine.
SPAIN — Showing a full finish on a two-handed backhand: Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova competes against Great Britain’s Katie Boulter during a Billie Jean King Cup semi-final match at Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The Associated Press reported Tuesday afternoon that Slovakia’s doubles team of Viktoria Hruncakova and Tereza Mihalikova rallied to beat Britain’s team of Olivia Nicholls and Heather Watson 2-1, thus reaching its first Billie Jean King Cup final for the first time since 2002. Slovakia faces Italy, which was last year’s runner-up, in Wednesday’s final match.
2024 marks the first year that the women’s team tournament is taking place at the same venue as the Davis Cup — with overlapping dates. Formerly known as the Federated Cup, the Billie Jean King Cup was renamed in 2019 for the athlete and activist who, in 1973, beat male tennis star Bobby Riggs in the famous Battle of the Sexes match. The Davis Cup is the counterpart international team event in men’s tennis.
TEXAS — ‘Hey, I need that to keep my hair in place …’: Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele is slow to get up after losing his helmet on a play against the Houston Texans during the second half of an NFL football game on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Arlington, Texas, a suburb of Dallas halfway between that city and Fort Worth. The Houston Texans “steamrolled the Cowboys 34-10 on their home turf,” reports The Sporting News. The Cowboys had a bad night, between weak offense and defense players, injuries and accumulating nine penalties.
Monday Night Football enters Week 12 on Nov. 25, and football fans can enjoy an extra treat on Thanksgiving Day with a tripleheader: Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions at 12:30 p.m., the NY Giants vs. the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30, and the Miami Dolphins vs. the Green Bay Packers at 8:30 p.m. (all times Eastern Standard).
SENEGAL — ‘As God continues to make more people, the amount of land remains the same …’: Senegalese sailors in their zodiac approach a fishermen’s pirogue to check during a mission to search for illegal migrant boats near the coast of Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Nov.16, 2024. A pirogue is a flat-bottomed variation of a canoe and is often used by migrants, including those trying to leave Senegal for the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain even though they are just off the African coast. The Associated Press reports that Senegal’s navy has become adept at distinguishing migrant boats from fishing vessels — the latter has much fewer people aboard.
Senegal’s navy considers the rescue of such boats to be a humanitarian mission, as rapidly changing weather conditions can make the trip perilous.
VANCOUVER — Casting a ‘Harry Potter spell’ over the children: Britain’s Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, center, participates in a sitting volleyball adaptive sports lesson with students from Shaughnessy Elementary School during an event to launch the Invictus Games school program, in Vancouver, Canada, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. After attending the Grey Cup (Canadian football championship match), the Duke of Sussex visited the children and helped Invictus Games organizers launch a lessons program for students from kindergarten to Grade 12, which includes making educational resources on the Games’ history and purpose accessible online, according to an article in the Toronto Star. Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games a decade ago to benefit wounded, injured and sick veterans and other service personnel. The next Invictus Games will be held from Feb. 8 to 16 in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia. For the first time, the events will include winter adaptive sports such as alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling.
Students at Monday’s promotional event received tickets to the Games’ opening ceremony.
TORONTO — In the struggle, a little face time with the ball: Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, right, and Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett, left, collide during second-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. The Raptors, which had the NBA’s worst record, snapped a seven-game losing streak to win 130-119, improving the team’s dismal record, now at 3-12, reports CBS News. The game was all the more remarkable because Toronto won despite 23 turnovers leading to 24 points for Indiana. The Raptors had 10 turnovers in the third quarter.
Toronto and Indiana next face each other on Dec. 3.
BEIRUT — Always heavy escort service in political meetings here: Amos Hochstein, center, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, is escorted by bodyguards as he leaves his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The Associated Press reported at 4:20 p.m. Eastern Time that the U.S. proposal could see Israeli ground forces leave Lebanon and Hezbollah militants withdraw away from the Israeli border. More Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would be sent to a buffer zone in southern Lebanon as part of the deal.
Hochstein arrived in Beirut a day after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah reportedly gave a positive response to the U.S. draft proposal to end the 13-month war, which Hezbollah launched to support Hamas in Gaza.
ISRAEL — Faces of mourning: Relatives of Israel Defense Force captain Yogev Pazi, who was killed in Gaza, mourn during his funeral at the cemetery of Giv’ot Bar, southern Israel, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. Capt. Yogev Pazy and St.-Sgt. Noam Eitan were killed while fighting in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced on Sunday, the Jerusalem Post reported. Capt. Pazy, 22, from Giv’ot Bar, and St.-Sgt. Eitan, from Hadera, served in the Nahshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade. Pazy was the nephew of former War Cabinet member Gadi Eizenkot, who has now lost three close relatives in the Gaza war, now approaching its 14th month.
The IDF awarded Pazy and Eitan their current ranks posthumously.
