by Tage

Biden to announce creation of 2 new national monuments to protect tribal lands in California 

Los Angeles — President Joe Biden is establishing two new national monuments in California that will honor Native American tribes, the White House confirmed Tuesday, as Biden seeks to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 through his “America the Beautiful” initiative. Proclamations set to be signed Tuesday will create the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California near Joshua Tree National Park and the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California. The declarations bar drilling and mining and other development on the 624,000-acre (2,400-square-kilometer) Chuckwalla site and roughly 225,000 acres (800 square kilometers) near the Oregon border in Northern California. The new monuments will protect clean water for communities, honor areas of cultural significance to tribal nations and Indigenous peoples, and enhance access to nature, the White House said. Biden, who has two weeks left in office, is set to visit Los Angeles and the Eastern Coachella Valley on Tuesday after meeting Monday with the families of the victims in the New Year’s attack in New Orleans. Biden announced Monday he will ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, including in California and other West Coast states. The plan is intended to block possible efforts by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling. The flurry of activity has been in line with the Democratic president’s “America the Beautiful” initiative launched in 2021, aimed at honoring tribal heritage, meeting federal goals to conserve 30% of public lands and waters by 2030 and addressing climate change. The Pit River Tribe has worked to get the federal government to designate the Sáttítla National Monument. The area is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes and encompasses mountain woodlands and meadows that are home to rare flowers and wildlife. A number of Native American tribes and environmental groups began pushing Biden to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument, named after the large desert lizard, in early 2023. The monument would protect public lands south of Joshua Tree National Park, spanning the Coachella Valley region in the west to near the Colorado River. Advocates say the monument will protect a tribal cultural landscape, ensure access to nature for local residents and preserve military history sites. “The designation of the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments in California marks an historic step toward protecting lands of profound cultural, ecological and historical significance for all Americans,” said Carrie … “Biden to announce creation of 2 new national monuments to protect tribal lands in California “ →

by Mirits

Jean-Marie Le Pen, French far-right leader, dies at 96 

Paris — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally as the party is now known, confirmed Le Pen’s death in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday. A polarizing figure in French politics, Le Pen’s controversial statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances. Le Pen, who once reached the second round of the 2002 presidential election, was eventually estranged from his daughter, Marine Le Pen, who renamed his National Front party, kicked him out and transformed it into one of France’s most powerful political forces while distancing herself from her father’s extremist image Despite his exclusion from the party in 2015, Le Pen’s divisive legacy endures, marking decades of French political history and shaping the trajectory of the far right. His death came at a crucial time for his daughter. She now faces a potential prison term and a ban on running for political office if convicted in the embezzling trial currently underway. A fixture for decades in French politics, the fiery Jean-Marie Le Pen was a wily political strategist and gifted orator who used his charisma to captivate crowds with his anti-immigration message. The portly, silver-haired son of a Breton fisherman viewed himself as a man with a mission — to keep France French under the banner of the National Front. Picking Joan of Arc as the party’s patron saint, Le Pen made Islam, and Muslim immigrants, his primary target, blaming them for the economic and social woes of France. A former paratrooper and Foreign Legionnaire who fought in Indochina and Algeria, he led sympathizers into political and ideological battles with a panache that became a signature of his career. “If I advance, follow me; if I die, avenge me; if I shirk, kill me,” Le Pen said at a 1990 party congress, reflecting the theatrical style that for decades fed the fervor of followers. Le Pen had recently been exempted from prosecution on health grounds from a high-profile trial over his party’s suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds that opened in September. Le Pen had 11 prior convictions, including for violence against a public official and antisemitic hate speech. French judicial authorities placed Le Pen under legal … “Jean-Marie Le Pen, French far-right leader, dies at 96 “ →

by Mirits

France commemorates victims of Charlie Hebdo attacks 10 years on 

Paris — France on Tuesday commemorated the victims of the deadly assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine 10 years ago that began a spate of Islamist militant attacks on the country and stoked a debate on press freedoms that still rages today. Two masked al Qaeda-linked gunmen with assault rifles stormed what were then the offices of Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people. The attackers sought to avenge the Prophet Mohammad nearly a decade after the atheist and frequently provocative weekly published cartoons mocking the Prophet. The killings spurred an outpouring of national sympathy expressed in the slogan “Je Suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) and prompted an impassioned debate about freedom of expression and religion in secular France. “There were scenes I will never forget,” former French President Francois Hollande told Reuters. “We had to act and we did so responsibly, aware that we weren’t finished and that there would be other tragedies. And there were.” President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will lead the commemorations, which include a wreath-laying ceremony and a minute’s silence at three locations in the capital. Al Qaeda’s Yemen branch had placed Charlie Hebdo’s then editor, Stephane Charbonnier, on its “wanted list” after the magazine first ran the images of the Prophet Mohammad in 2006. Two attackers born and raised in France stormed Charlie Hebdo’s offices on Jan. 7, 2015, spraying gunfire. They killed eight members of the editorial team, including Charbonnier, and four other people before being shot dead by police. Over the next two days, another French-born man killed a policewoman and four Jewish hostages in a kosher supermarket in a Paris suburb. He was also shot dead by police. More than 250 people have been killed in France in Islamist violence since then, laying bare the struggle the country has faced to counter the threat posed by militants. Freedom of speech The anniversary has prompted renewed reflection in France about press freedoms. Hollande expressed concern that there was growing self-censorship stemming from fear. “Should we publish drawings, project certain images, or compile reports when we know they may hurt personalities or communities? There is a form of self-censorship that has taken root,” he said. Charlie Hebdo published a special edition to mark the anniversary, depicting a man sitting on the butt of gun in front of the word “Indestructible!” on its cover. “Today the values of Charlie Hebdo — such … “France commemorates victims of Charlie Hebdo attacks 10 years on “ →

by Tage

Blinken visits Japan as Nippon Steel decision weighs on relations 

WASHINGTON/TOKYO — U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel cast a shadow over Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Japan on Tuesday for farewell meetings with Washington’s most important ally in Asia. The rejection, announced on Friday, has jolted U.S. efforts to boost ties with Asian allies just as South Korea’s political crisis potentially complicates a revived relationship between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. The trilateral alliance is a key plank in the countries’ efforts to counter China’s military buildup. Investment into the U.S. could also be chilled, but analysts say any damage to the wider U.S.-Japan relationship will likely be limited given shared security concerns about China. On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba described Biden’s decision to block the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel as “perplexing.” Accompanied by White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Blinken met Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo and will hold talks later in the day with Ishiba and other senior Japanese officials Numerous trips to Japan over the last four years “is evidence, not just of the importance, but of the centrality the United States attaches to our partnership. President Biden asked me to come on this last trip to underscore that,” Blinken told Iwaya. “We have, between our two countries, a partnership that started out focusing on bilateral issues, that worked on regional issues and that now is genuinely global,” he added. Ahead of his trip, the State Department said that Blinken wanted to build on the momentum of U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral cooperation. In Seoul on Monday, Blinken reaffirmed confidence in South Korea’s handling of its political turmoil as investigators there sought an extension of a warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Allies of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump have also reassured Seoul and Tokyo that he will support continuing to improve ties and advance military, economic and diplomatic cooperation to counter China and North Korea, Reuters reported ahead of Trump’s Nov. 5 re-election. Tension, limited damage from Nippon Steel decision Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel filed a lawsuit on Monday charging that Biden violated the U.S. Constitution by blocking their $14.9 billion merger through what they termed a sham national security review. They called for the U.S. federal court to overturn the decision. Nicholas Szechenyi, a Japan expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Biden’s decision … “Blinken visits Japan as Nippon Steel decision weighs on relations “ →

by Tage

The next round of bitter cold and snow will hit the southern US

Annapolis, Maryland — The next round of bitter cold was set to envelop the southern U.S. on Tuesday, after the first significant winter storm of the year blasted a huge swath of the country with ice, snow and wind. The immense storm system brought disruption even to areas of the country that usually escape winter’s wrath, downing trees in some Southern states, threatening a freeze in Florida and causing people in Dallas to dip deep into their wardrobes for hats and gloves. By early Tuesday, wind chill temperatures could dip as low as minus 10.5 C from Texas across the Gulf Coast, according to the National Weather Service. A low-pressure system is then expected to form as soon as Wednesday near south Texas, bringing the potential of snow to parts of the state that include Dallas, as well as to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The polar vortex that dipped south over the weekend kept much of the country east of the Rockies in its frigid grip Monday, making many roads treacherous, forcing school closures, and causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations. Ice and snow blanketed major roads in Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the National Guard was activated to help stranded motorists. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 72 kph. The warnings extended to New Jersey into early Tuesday. A Kentucky truck stop was jammed with big rigs forced off an icy and snow-covered Interstate 75 on Monday just outside Cincinnati. A long-haul driver from Los Angeles carrying a load of rugs to Georgia, Michael Taylor said he saw numerous cars and trucks stuck in ditches and was dealing with icy windshield wipers before he pulled off the interstate. “It was too dangerous. I didn’t want to kill myself or anyone else,” he said. The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole, but it sometimes plunges south into the U.S., Europe and Asia. Studies show that a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its grip. Temperatures plunge across the country The eastern two-thirds of the U.S. dealt with bone-chilling cold and wind chills Monday, with temperatures in some areas far below normal. A cold weather advisory will take effect early Tuesday across the Gulf Coast. In Texas’ capital of … “The next round of bitter cold and snow will hit the southern US” →

by Tage

How Carter’s covert aid to Afghan rebels redefined his foreign policy record

President Ronald Reagan is often credited with defeating the Soviet Union, in part by helping Afghan rebels, but it was the administration of President Jimmy Carter that laid the groundwork.   Considered a foreign policy novice by many when he entered the White House, Carter made the early decision to provide covert aid to Afghan insurgents months before the Soviet invasion. The move offers a window into one of the defining issues of his presidency, showing a president unafraid to confront the Soviets while pursuing a policy of détente.   “I think people’s image of Carter as a deeply religious man, a deeply moral man, is very much influenced by the activities he’s done after he left office. [But] he definitely had a ruthless side to him, and he had a side that was very willing to use force, including nuclear weapons,” said David Gibbs, a history professor at the University of Arizona.  The covert aid program initiated under Carter became the backbone of the Afghan insurgency, setting the stage for the Soviet Union’s eventual withdrawal in 1989.   In a bold move six months before the Soviets’ December 1979 invasion, Carter signed a secret directive known as a “presidential finding” that authorized the CIA to provide nonlethal aid to rebels fighting Afghanistan’s Soviet-backed communist government. That finding stayed under wraps for nearly two decades, coming to light only when several Carter administration officials, including former CIA Director Robert Gates and national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, disclosed its existence in the 1990s, suggesting the Carter administration aimed to lure the Soviets into a Vietnam-style quagmire. ‘Afghan trap’ Brzezinski’s revelations were the most striking. In a 1998 interview with a French magazine, Carter’s Polish-born, ardently anti-communist adviser denied provoking the Soviets but claimed the administration had “knowingly increased the probability” of a Soviet invasion. Calling the program “an excellent idea,” he said it had the “effect of drawing the Russians into the Afghan trap.” Although Brzezinski later disputed the accuracy of the interview and never repeated the claim, the so-called “Afghan trap” thesis gained traction, with critics excoriating the Carter administration for instigating the Soviet invasion and causing decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Among scholars who see the aid program as a deliberate provocation, Gibbs said he was initially loath to read too much into the Brzezinski interview before becoming convinced of its veracity. As Gibbs described it to VOA, a … “How Carter’s covert aid to Afghan rebels redefined his foreign policy record” →

by Mirits

Russia claims capture of town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region

Russia’s military said Monday its forces captured an important town in eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian officials cited tens of thousands of Russian casualties in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. The Russian Defense Ministry said its control of the town of Kurakhove after several months of fighting for the logistics hub will allow the Russian military to more quickly advance elsewhere in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials did not confirm the loss of Kurakhove on Monday, with the military’s General Staff saying in a late Monday report that Russian forces had launched attacks on Ukrainian positions in the town. Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Monday that the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, which began five months ago, had caused 38,000 Russian military casualties. “The Russians have deployed their strongest units to Kursk, including soldiers from North Korea. Importantly, all this manpower cannot now be redirected to other fronts – neither to the Donetsk region, nor against Sumy, the Kharkiv region or Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier Monday that North Korea and China are the “biggest ongoing drivers” allowing Russia to carry out its war in Ukraine, and that security assurances will need to be a part of potential future negotiations ending the conflict. Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Blinken said North Korean supplies of artillery, ammunition and troops, along with Chinese support for Russia’s military industrial base are giving the Russian military the backing it needs to continue carrying out the fight it started in February 2022. He said North Korea is already seeing a return on its involvement in the conflict in the form of Russian military equipment and training for North Korea troops. “We believe it has the intent to share space and satellite technology with the DPRK,” Blinken said. With only two weeks left in the Biden administration, the United States has been rushing to send remaining authorized aid to Ukraine amid uncertainty about how President-elect Donald Trump may approach the war. Blinken said Monday the U.S. has been trying to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, and to have the “strongest possible hand” at a future negotiating table with Russia. “If there is going to be, at some point, a ceasefire, it’s not going to be, in Putin’s mind, ‘game over’,” Blinken said. “His imperial ambitions remain, and what he will … “Russia claims capture of town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region” →

by Mirits

U.S. accuses Russia of funding both sides of Sudan’s war

UNITED NATIONS — The United States accused Russia at the United Nations on Monday of funding the two warring parties in Sudan, an apparent step up from Washington’s previous assertion that Moscow was playing both sides of the conflict to advance its political objectives. The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis. In November Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution that called on the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. The remaining 14 council members voted in favor of the text. “Russia chose obstruction: standing alone as it voted to imperil civilians, while funding both sides of the conflict – yes, that’s what I said: both sides,” the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council on Monday, without giving further details. When asked to elaborate, a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the U.N. said Washington was aware of Russia’s “ongoing interest in Sudan’s gold trade” and condemns any material support for the warring parties – “whether it be through illicit gold trading or the provision of military equipment.” “We believe Sudanese authorities’ gold mining cooperation with sanctioned Russian entities and individuals could prove inimical to Sudan’s long-term interests and the aspirations of the Sudanese people for an end to the war,” the U.S. mission to the U.N. spokesperson said. In response, Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said: “We regret that the U.S. tries to judge other world powers by its own yardstick.” “It’s obvious that in the Pax Americana which our American colleagues try to preserve at any price, relations with other countries are built only on their exploitation and criminal schemes aimed at U.S. enrichment,” he said. Reuters was unable to immediately contact Sudan’s warring parties for comment. In December, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia rejected what he called “fabrications spread by Western countries and their media” that Moscow was trying to play both sides to gain an advantage from the war. At what she said would likely be her last council meeting, Thomas-Greenfield became visibly emotional while addressing her counterparts on Sudan, a crisis that has been a focus for her during her four years at the world body. “For all the disappointment that I … “U.S. accuses Russia of funding both sides of Sudan’s war” →

by Mirits

British PM slams ‘lies and misinformation’ in escalating row with Musk

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticized those, in his words, “spreading lies and misinformation,” after coming under fire from billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump accused Starmer of failing to prosecute past cases of child sexual exploitation. As Henry Ridgwell reports, it’s the latest in a series of interventions by Musk in European politics …

by Tage

US eases restrictions on Syria while keeping sanctions in place

WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Monday eased some restrictions on Syria’s transitional government to allow the entry of humanitarian aid after Islamist insurgents ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad last month. The U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license lasting six months that authorizes certain transactions with the Syrian government, including some energy sales and incidental transactions. The move does not lift sanctions on the nation that has been battered by more than a decade of war but indicates a limited show of U.S. support for the new transitional government. The general license underscores America’s commitment to ensuring its sanctions “do not impede activities to meet basic human needs, including the provision of public services or humanitarian assistance,” a Treasury Department statement said. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said his agency “will continue to support humanitarian assistance and responsible governance in Syria.” Since Assad’s ouster, representatives from the nation’s new de facto authorities have said the new Syria will be inclusive and open to the world. The U.S. has gradually lifted some penalties since Assad departed Syria for protection in Russia. The Biden administration in December decided to drop a $10 million bounty it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose forces led the ouster of Assad last month. The announcement followed a meeting in Damascus between the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS; Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida; and the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, who led the first U.S. diplomatic delegation into Syria since Assad’s ouster. The U.S. and U.N. have long designated HTS as a terrorist organization. HTS led a lightning insurgency that ousted Assad on Dec. 8 and ended his family’s decades-long rule. From 2011 until Assad’s downfall, Syria’s uprising and civil war killed an estimated 500,000 people. Much of the world ended diplomatic relations with Assad because of his crackdown on protesters and sanctioned him and his Russian and Iranian associates. Most of the Western-led sanctions targeted Assad and his associates for the brutal crackdown on protesters and their manufacturing of the amphetamine-like stimulant Captagon, which reportedly generated billions of dollars as packages of the little white pills were smuggled across Syria’s porous borders. With Assad out of the picture, Syria’s new authorities hope the international community will pour money into the country to rebuild its battered infrastructure and make its economy viable again. Syria’s … “US eases restrictions on Syria while keeping sanctions in place” →

by Tage

US cyber watchdog: No signs Treasury breach hit other federal agencies

WASHINGTON — The U.S. cyber watchdog agency CISA said Monday there was “no indication” the recently reported breach at the U.S. Treasury Department had affected any other federal agency.  Late last month the U.S. Treasury reported that an unspecified number of computers had been compromised by Chinese hackers following a breach at contractor BeyondTrust, which provides cybersecurity services.   BeyondTrust said last month that a limited number of clients were affected but has not elaborated.  “As the forensic investigation is ongoing, BeyondTrust is unable to confirm the other customers who may or may not have been impacted,” the company said Monday in an email.  The Washington Post has reported that the hackers breached the U.S. Treasury office that administers economic sanctions, aiming to steal information about Chinese entities that the U.S. government might be considering designating for financial sanctions.  Republican lawmakers have demanded a briefing about the breach, which is the latest in a series of intrusions blamed on Beijing.  Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, has previously described the Treasury hack reports as “irrational” and represented “smear attacks” against China.  …

by Mirits

VOA Russian: Collapse of Kremlin’s strategy of gas blackmail against Europe 

A major natural gas pipeline supplying Russian energy to Europe ran dry Wednesday after Ukraine stopped Moscow’s six-decade supply in the hopes of hurting Russia financially. The planned move marks the end of an era in which many European countries kept warm using gas pumped by Russia. Ukraine is losing up to $1 billion a year in transit fees it charged Russia to use its pipeline. That’s less than the $5 billion Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy giant, is set to lose annually in gas sales. VOA correspondent Victor Vasilyev talked to regional experts about these topics.  Click here for the full story in Russian.    …

by Mirits

VOA Russian: Persecution of LGBTQ+ people in Russia intensified in 2024 

Repression against the LGBTQ+ community in 2024 intensified after the Russian Supreme Court’s decision in January to recognize the “International LGBT Movement” as an extremist organization came into force. Last year was marked by the first criminal cases under articles on extremism, the first arrests for “extremist symbols” in the form of rainbow paraphernalia, and heavy fines for “LGBT propaganda.” VOA Russian spoke to human rights activists about these repressions and what will happen to LGBTQ+ people in Russia next.  Click here for the full story in Russian.  …

by Tage

US adds Tencent, CATL to list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing’s military

Washington/New York — The U.S. Defense Department said on Monday it has added Chinese tech giants including gaming and social media leader Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of firms it says work with China’s military.   The list also included chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies, Quectel Wireless and drone maker Autel Robotics, according to a document published on Monday. The annually updated list of Chinese military companies, formally mandated under U.S. law as the “Section 1260H list,” designated 134 companies, according to a notice posted to the Federal Register. U.S.-traded shares of Tencent, which is also the parent of Chinese instant messaging app WeChat, fell 8% in over-the-counter trading. Tencent said in a statement that its inclusion on the list was “clearly a mistake.” It added: “We are not a military company or supplier. Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business.” CATL called the designation a mistake, saying it “is not engaged in any military related activities.” A Quectel spokesperson said the company “does not work with the military in any country and will ask the Pentagon to reconsider its designation, which clearly has been made in error.” The other companies and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to requests or did not immediately comment. Amid strained relations between the world’s two biggest economies, the updated list is one of numerous actions taken by Washington in recent years to highlight and restrict Chinese companies it says pose security risks. Craig Singleton, a China expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the additions showed that it was “reckless” for American firms to conduct business with a growing swath of Chinese corporations. “The U.S. isn’t just safeguarding a handful of technologies anymore,” he said. “The garden of sensitive technologies is growing, and the fence protecting them is being fortified. Today’s list lays bare that these aren’t just commercial companies. They’re critical enablers of China’s military modernization, directly fueling Beijing’s strategic ambitions.” Other companies added include MGI Tech, which makes genomic sequencing instruments, and Origincell Technology, which lawmakers have alleged operates a cell bank network and bio-storage technologies. Neither firm immediately responded to requests for comments. U.S. lawmakers had pushed the Pentagon throughout 2024 to add some of the companies, including CATL, to the list. Ford Motor is building a battery plant in Michigan and plans to license CATL technology … “US adds Tencent, CATL to list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing’s military” →

by Mirits

UK’s Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Elon Musk

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.  The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic interest in British politics since the center-left Labour Party was elected in July. Musk has used his social network, X, to call for a new election and demand Starmer be imprisoned. On Monday he posted an online poll for his 210 million followers on the proposition: “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”  Asked about Musk’s comments during a question session at a hospital near London, Starmer criticized “those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible,” particularly opposition Conservative politicians in Britain who have echoed some of Musk’s claims.  Musk often posts on X about the U.K., retweeting criticism of Starmer and the hashtag TwoTierKeir — shorthand for an unsubstantiated claim that Britain has “two-tier policing” with far-right protesters treated more harshly than pro-Palestinian or Black Lives Matter demonstrators.  Recently Musk has focused on child sexual abuse, particularly a series of cases that rocked northern England towns in which groups of men, largely from Pakistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. The cases have been used by far-right activists to link child abuse to immigration, and to accuse politicians of covering up the “grooming gangs” out of a fear of appearing racist.  Musk has posted a demand for a public inquiry into the cases. An inquiry was held under the previous Conservative government, though many of the recommendations it made in 2022 have yet to be implemented.  Musk also has accused Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he was England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.  Answering questions after a speech near London, Starmer defended his record as chief prosecutor, saying he had reopened closed cases and “changed the whole prosecution approach” to child sexual exploitation.  He also condemned language used by Musk about Jess Phillips, a government minister responsible for combating violence against women and girls. Musk called Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she deserved to be in prison.  “When the poison of the far-right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed,” Starmer said. “I … “UK’s Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Elon Musk” →

by Tage

In photos: Winter blast in US Midwest and East Coast

A major winter blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures in the U.S. stirred dangerous travel conditions from central and southern states all the way to the East Coast early Monday, prompting schools and government offices in several states to close, The Associated Press reported. …

by Mirits

Pope Francis names 1st woman to head major Vatican office

Rome — Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders.  The appointment marks a major step in Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church. While women have been named to No. 2 spots in some Vatican offices, never has a woman been named prefect of a dicastery or congregation of the Holy See Curia, the central governing organ of the Catholic Church.  The historic nature of Brambilla’s appointment was confirmed by Vatican Media, which headlined its report “Sister Simona Brambilla is the first woman prefect in the Vatican.”  The office is one of the most important in the Vatican. Known officially as the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, it is responsible for every religious order, from the Jesuits and Franciscans to smaller newer movements.  In an indication of the novelty of the appointment, and the theological implications involved, Francis simultaneously named as a co-leader, or “pro-prefect,” a cardinal: Ángel Fernández Artime, a Salesian.  But the appointment, announced in the Vatican daily bulletin, lists Brambilla first as “prefect” and Fernández second as her co-leader, which theologically is necessary since the prefect must be able to celebrate Mass and perform other sacramental functions that currently can only be done by men.  Brambilla, 59, is a member of the Consolata Missionaries religious order and had served as the No. 2 in the religious orders department since last year. She takes over from the retiring Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 77.  Francis made Brambilla’s appointment possible with his 2022 reform of the Holy See’s founding constitution, which allowed laypeople, including women, to head a dicastery and become prefects.  Brambilla, a nurse, worked as a missionary in Mozambique and led her Consolata order as superior from 2011-2023, when Francis made her secretary of the religious orders department.  Her appointment is the latest move by Francis to show by example how women can take leadership roles within the Catholic hierarchy, albeit without allowing them to be ordained as priests.  Catholic women do much of the church’s work in schools, hospitals and passing down the faith to future generations. But they have long complained of second-class status in an institution that reserves the priesthood for men.  Francis has upheld … “Pope Francis names 1st woman to head major Vatican office” →

by Tage

US to remove barriers to civil nuclear cooperation with India

New Delhi — The United States is finalizing steps to lift barriers on civil nuclear cooperation with Indian firms, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in New Delhi on Monday, calling it a significant step in cementing the bilateral partnership between the two countries. A landmark deal signed in 2007 between India and the United States had ended three decades of sanctions imposed on New Delhi for conducting nuclear tests and opened the door for India to get civil nuclear technology. The agreement was expected to help India meet its burgeoning energy needs. But Indian rules which require the liability in the case of accidents to be met by the firm that sets up a nuclear power plant rather than the operator — which do not align with global norms — had posed a hurdle to U.S. companies establishing power plants in India. Saying that the “formal paperwork” to remove long-standing regulations on civil nuclear cooperation will be done soon, Sullivan said that “this will be an opportunity to turn the page on some of the frictions of the past and create opportunities for entities that have been on restricted list in the United States to come off those lists and enter into deep collaborations with our private sector, with our scientists and technologists.” Sullivan’s visit to India came two weeks before a new administration under incoming President-elect Donald Trump takes charge. Speaking at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, he called India-U.S. collaboration crucial for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Analysts say the visit underlines the strong Indo-U.S. partnership built in recent years and the likely continuity in those ties amid common concerns over China and strong bipartisan support for the relationship. In an editorial, The Indian Express newspaper noted that an important common thread between Trump’s previous term and President Biden’s administration has been the U.S. policy to strengthen the strategic partnership with India. “These bilateral conversations during the final days of the transition between two administrations in Washington underline a growing strategic congruence,” the newspaper said. Sullivan said that an initiative launched by the two countries two years ago to bolster their strategic technology partnership was an important component of the relationship. Under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, both countries are moving to deepen cooperation in areas like quantum computing, defense, artificial intelligence, 5G wireless networks and semiconductors — areas in which … “US to remove barriers to civil nuclear cooperation with India” →

by Tage

Trump’s lawyers ask judge to halt Friday’s hush money case sentencing while they appeal to block it

NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump on Monday moved to halt this week’s sentencing in his hush money case while he appeals a judge’s decision that upheld the historic verdict and put him on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felony crimes.  Trump’s lawyers said they will ask a New York appeals court to reverse Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan’s ruling last week, which set the case for sentencing on Friday — a little more than a week before his inauguration.  Merchan rejected Trump’s bid to throw out the May 30 verdict because of his impending return to the White House. Trump’s lawyers said they will also appeal a prior decision in which the judge refused to dismiss the case on presidential immunity grounds.  In his decision last week, the judge signaled he is not likely to sentence Trump, a Republican, to any punishment for his historic conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.  Trump has said that it “would be the end of the Presidency as we know it” if the ruling is allowed to stand.  Trump’s lawyers argued Monday that their appeal to the Appellate Division of the state’s trial court should trigger what’s known as an automatic stay, or pause, in the proceedings. If that doesn’t happen, they said, Merchan should step in and halt Friday’s sentencing.  They asked Merchan to inform them by Monday afternoon of his decision “to allow sufficient time for President Trump to seek an emergency appellate review.”  “Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said. “The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed.”  A message seeking comment was left for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which prosecuted the case.  Any delay in sentencing Trump could run out the clock on closing the case before his second term begins Jan. 20. As president, he will again be immune from criminal proceedings, making it unlikely he can be sentenced while in office. If sentencing doesn’t happen before Trump is sworn in, waiting until he leaves office in 2029 “may become the only viable option,” Merchan said last week.  While Trump asserted that presidential immunity and his looming second term necessitated nixing the verdict, Merchan wrote in … “Trump’s lawyers ask judge to halt Friday’s hush money case sentencing while they appeal to block it” →

by Mirits

France’s former President Sarkozy standing trial over alleged campaign funding by Libya’s Gadhafi 

Paris — A trial of France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy and 11 co-defendants started Monday over alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by the government of then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, did not speak to the press at arrival. He has denied any wrongdoing. He faces charges of passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, concealment of embezzlement of public funds and criminal association, punished by up to 10 years in prison. The trial is scheduled to run until April 10. The Libyan case, the biggest and possibly most shocking of several scandals involving Sarkozy, is scheduled to run until April 10, with a verdict expected at a later date. The trial involves 11 other defendants, including three former ministers. Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, accused of having played the role of intermediary, has fled in Lebanon and is not expected to appear at the Paris court. Sarkozy is looking forward to the hearings “with determination,” his lawyer Christophe Ingrain said in a statement. “There is no Libyan financing of the campaign,” the statement said. “We want to believe the court will have the courage to examine the facts objectively, without being guided by the nebulous theory that poisoned the investigation.” Gadhafi’s alleged agreement The case emerged in March 2011, when a Libyan news agency reported that the Gadhafi government had financed Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign. In an interview, Gadhafi himself said “it’s thanks to us that he reached the presidency. We provided him with the funds that allowed him to win,” without providing any amount or other details. Sarkozy, who had welcomed Gadhafi to Paris with great honors in 2007, became one of the first Western leaders to push for a military intervention in Libya in March 2011, when Arab Spring pro-democracy protests swept the Arab world. Gadhafi was killed by opposition fighters in October that same year, ending his four-decade rule of the North African country. The next year, French online news site Mediapart published a document said to be a note from the Libyan secret services, mentioning Gadhafi’s agreement to provide Sarkozy’s campaign 50 million euros in financing. Sarkozy strongly rejected the accusations, calling the document a “blatant fake” and filing complaints for forgery, concealment and spreading false news. However, French investigative magistrates eventually said in 2016 the document has all the characteristics of an authentic one, although there is no definitive … “France’s former President Sarkozy standing trial over alleged campaign funding by Libya’s Gadhafi “ →

by Tage

Nippon, US Steel file suit after Biden administration blocks $15 billion deal 

Washington — Japan’s Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel are filing a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s decision to block a proposed nearly $15 billion deal for Nippon to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. The suit, filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, alleges that it was a political decision and violated the companies’ due process. Nippon Steel had promised to invest $2.7 billion in U.S. Steel’s aging blast furnace operations in Gary, Indiana, and Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley. It also vowed not to reduce production capacity in the United States over the next decade without first getting U.S. government approval. Biden on Friday decided to stop the Nippon takeover — after federal regulators deadlocked on whether to approve it — because “a strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority. … Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure,” he said in a statement. While administration officials have said the move is unrelated to Japan’s relationship with the U.S. — this is the first time a U.S. president has blocked a merger between a U.S. and Japanese firm. Biden departs the White House in just a few weeks. The president’s decision to block the deal comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the deal last month, and sent a long-awaited report on the merger to Biden. He had 15 days to reach a final decision. …

by Tage

Biden, in 11th hour action, bans new offshore oil and gas drilling in most federal waters  

Washington — President Joe Biden is moving to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, a last-minute effort to block possible action by the incoming Trump administration to expand offshore drilling. Biden, whose term expires in two weeks, said he is using authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect offshore areas along the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing. “My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden said in a statement. “As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren,” he said. Biden’s orders would not affect large swaths of the Gulf of Mexico, where most U.S. offshore drilling occurs, but it would protect coastlines along California, Florida and other states from future drilling. Biden’s actions, which protect more than 625 million acres of federal waters, could be difficult for President-elect Donald Trump to unwind, since they would likely require an act of Congress to repeal. Trump himself has a complicated history on offshore drilling. He signed a memorandum in 2020 directing the Interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts, and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina until 2032. The action came after Trump initially moved to vastly expand offshore drilling, before retreating amid widespread opposition in Florida and other coastal states. Trump has vowed to establish what he calls American “energy dominance” around the world as he seeks to boost U.S. oil and gas drilling and move away from Biden’s focus on climate change. Environmental advocates hailed Biden’s action, saying new oil and gas drilling must be sharply curtailed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history. “This is an epic ocean victory!” said Joseph Gordon, campaign director for the environmental group Oceana. Gordon thanked Biden “for listening to the voices from coastal communities” that oppose drilling and “contributing to the bipartisan tradition of protecting our coasts.” Biden’s actions build on the … “Biden, in 11th hour action, bans new offshore oil and gas drilling in most federal waters  “ →

by Tage

Winter blast of snow, ice and bitter cold grips US from Midwest to East Coast  

A major winter blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures in the U.S. stirred dangerous travel conditions from central and southern states all the way to the East Coast early Monday, prompting schools and government offices in several states to close. Snow and ice blanketed major roads across Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help stranded motorists. At least 20 centimeters of snow was expected, along with gusting winds up to 72 kph. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from Kansas and Missouri all the way to New Jersey. “For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said. Gary Wright wore a parka as he and his husband chipped away at thick ice coating his SUV in a slippery apartment parking lot in Missouri. Wright said he will work remotely Monday, but wanted to scrape off his vehicle as an excuse to spend a little time in the snow. He also is seeking boots for their two older dogs that “won’t budge at all” when their paws hit the cold ground. The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole. People in the U.S., Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and plunges southward. Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip. Classes canceled School closings are expected to be widespread Monday. Districts in Indiana, Virginia and Kentucky began announcing cancellations and delays on Sunday afternoon. Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics for its nearly 100,000 students. Classes also have been cancelled in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Sunday and announced the state government would be closed Monday. “Keeping Marylanders safe is our top priority. Please stay off the roads during this storm. Prepare your home and family and charge your communications devices in case you lose power,” Moore said in a statement. …

by Tage

Jimmy Carter raised climate change concerns 35 years before the Paris Accords

PLAINS, GEORGIA — When Jimmy Carter chose branding designs for his presidential campaign, he passed on the usual red, white and blue. He wanted green. Emphasizing how much the Georgia Democrat enjoyed nature and prioritized environmental policy, the color became ubiquitous. On buttons, bumper stickers, brochures, the sign rechristening the old Plains train depot as his campaign headquarters. Even the hometown Election Night party. “The minute it was announced, we all had the shirts to put on — and they were green, too,” said LeAnne Smith, Carter’s niece, recalling the 1976 victory celebration. Nearly a half-century later, environmental advocates are remembering Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, as a president who elevated environmental stewardship, energy conservation and discussions about the global threat of rising carbon dioxide levels. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to abandon the renewable energy investments that President Joe Biden included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, echoing how President Ronald Reagan dismantled the solar panels Carter installed on the White House roof. But politics aside, the scientific consensus has settled where Carter stood two generations earlier. “President Carter was four decades ahead of his time,” said Manish Bapna, who leads the Natural Resources Defense Council. Carter called for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions well before “climate change” was part of the American lexicon, he said. Wearing cardigans and setting standards Former Vice President Al Gore, whose climate advocacy earned him the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, called Carter “a lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement.” As president, Carter implemented the first U.S. efficiency standards for passenger vehicles and household appliances. He created the U.S. Department of Energy, which streamlined energy research, and more than doubled the wilderness area under National Park Service protection. Inviting ridicule, Carter asked Americans to conserve energy through personal sacrifice, including driving less and turning down thermostats in winter amid global fuel shortages. He pushed renewable energy to lessen dependence on fossil fuels, calling for 20% of U.S. energy to come from alternative sources by 2000. But laments linger about what 39th president could not get done or did not try before his landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. Addressing climate change Carter left office in 1981 shortly after receiving a West Wing report linking fossil fuels to rising carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere. Carter’s top environmental advisers urged “immediate” cutbacks on the burning of fossil fuels … “Jimmy Carter raised climate change concerns 35 years before the Paris Accords” →

by Tage

Afghans arrive in the Philippines to complete visa processing for resettlement in US

MANILA, Philippines — A group of Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines on Monday to process special immigrant visas for their resettlement in the United States, as part of an agreement between Manila and Washington. The Philippines agreed last July to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza said the Afghan nationals who landed in the Philippines on Monday were provided entry visas. She said they had completed extensive security vetting and undergone full medical screenings prior to their arrival. The U.S. government will cover the costs for the Afghan nationals’ stay in the Philippines, including their food, housing, security, medical and transportation expenses, she said. She didn’t specify how many Afghans arrived or how long the visa processing will take. Under the Philippines’ rules, visa applicants can stay for no longer than 59 days. A senior Philippine official told The Associated Press last year that only 150 to 300 applicants would be accommodated in the Philippines under the “one-time” deal. The official who had knowledge of the negotiations agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak publicly. The Afghan nationals seeking resettlement primarily worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or were deemed eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas but were left behind when Washington withdrew from the country and Taliban militants took back power in a chaotic period in 2021. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken first relayed the request to his Philippines counterpart in 2022, and President Joe Biden discussed the request with Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the U.S. last year, Philippine officials said. Marcos has rekindled relations with the U.S. since winning the presidency by a landslide margin two years ago. In February last year, he allowed an expansion of the American military presence under a 2014 defense agreement in a decision that upset China. …

by Mirits

Blinken: China, North Korea helping drive Russia’s war in Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that North Korea and China are the “biggest ongoing drivers” allowing Russia to carry out its war in Ukraine, and that security assurances will need to be a part of potential future negotiations ending the conflict. Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Blinken said North Korean supplies of artillery, ammunition and troops, along with Chinese support for Russia’s military industrial base are giving the Russian military the backing it needs to continue carrying out the fight it started in February 2022. He said North Korea is already seeing a return on its involvement in the conflict in the form of Russian military equipment and training for North Korea troops. “We believe it has the intent to share space and satellite technology with the DPRK,” Blinken said. With only two weeks left in the Biden administration, the United States has been rushing to send remaining authorized aid to Ukraine amid uncertainty about how President-elect Donald Trump may approach the war. Blinken said Monday the U.S. has been trying to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, and to have the “strongest possible hand” at a future negotiating table with Russia. “If there is going to be, at some point, a ceasefire, it’s not going to be, in Putin’s mind, ‘game over’,” Blinken said. “His imperial ambitions remain, and what he will seek to do is to rest, to refit, and eventually to re-attack.” Blinken said it is necessary to have an “adequate deterrent in place so that he doesn’t do that, so that he thinks twice – three times – before engaging in any re-aggression.” Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 79 of the 128 drones that Russian forces deployed overnight in attack targeting multiple Ukrainian regions. The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr regions, the Ukrainian air force said. Officials in Cherkasy reported damage to residential buildings and a grain warehouse from falling drone debris. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it destroyed 12 Ukrainian aerial drones, all in areas along the Russia-Ukraine border. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said the attacks injured three people and damaged several residential buildings. Some information for this report was provided by from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters …