by Tage

US deports 119 migrants from several nations to Panama

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA — Panama has received the first U.S. flight carrying deportees from other nations as the Trump administration takes Panama up on its offer to act as a stopover for expelled migrants, the Central American nation’s president said Thursday.  “Yesterday a flight from the United States Air Force arrived with 119 people from diverse nationalities of the world,” President Jose Raul Mulino said Thursday in his weekly press briefing. He said there were migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries, aboard.  The president said it was the first of three planned flights that were expected to total about 360 people. “It’s not something massive,” he said.  The migrants were expected to be moved to a shelter in Panama’s Darien region before being returned to their countries, Mulino said.  Asked later Thursday why Panama was acting as a stopover for these deportations, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Ruiz Hernandez said that it was something the U.S. government had requested. He also said the U.S. government was paying for the repatriations through U.N. immigration agencies.  The migrants who arrived Wednesday had been detained after crossing the U.S. border and did not have criminal records, he said.  Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mulino in Panama. While U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands to retake control of the Panama Canal dominated the visit, Mulino also discussed Panama’s efforts to slow migration through the Darien Gap and he offered Panama as a bridge to send U.S. deportees back to their countries.  Rubio secured agreements on the trip with Guatemala and El Salvador as well, to accept migrants from other nations in what was seen as the laying groundwork for expanding U.S. capacity to speedily deport migrants.  Migration through the Darien Gap connecting Panama and Colombia was down about 90% in January compared to the same month a year earlier.  Since Mulino entered office last year, Panama has made dozens of deportation flights, most funded by the U.S. government.  Ruiz said Thursday that Panama “has been completely willing to participate and cooperate in this request they have made of us.”  …

by Tage

Southern California slammed with debris flows, mudslides

After days of heavy rain, the strongest storm of the year brought dangerous debris flows and rock- and mudslides across Southern California on Friday, including in several areas that last month were ablaze with devastating fires. Some areas in the region received as much as 12 centimeters of rain this week, the National Weather Service said. “There are plenty of reports of debris flow,” meteorologist Scott Kleebauer of the weather service said Friday. The scorched earth left behind by the fires is now particularly vulnerable to the water-fueled rock- and mudslides, as the vegetation that once anchored the soil was burned away. While this week’s rain is beginning to ease, that does not mean the slides will stop. The drenched soil can continue to move even after the rain subsides. Parts of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway were shut down Thursday because of flooding and mudslides. In Pacific Palisades, a highway intersection was under a meter of sludge. Photographs posted on social media showed parked cars in Pacific Palisades covered in mud up to their windows. Bulldozers have been assigned to the area to clean up the muck. In one harrowing experience Thursday, a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway when a debris flow swept his vehicle into the ocean. Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the fire department, said the driver was able to get out of his vehicle and reportedly suffered only minor injuries. In Sierra Madre, a city of 10,000 that was the site of last month’s Eaton Fire, a boulder-strewn mudslide damaged several homes. “It happened very quickly but it was very loud, and you could even hear the ground or feel the ground shaking,” Bull Duvall, who has lived in Sierra Madre for 28 years, told The Associated Press. City officials issued an evacuation order warning residents that emergency responders would not enter locations with active mud and debris flows. The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that a weak tornado hit a mobile home community Thursday in Oxnard, California. There were no reports of deaths or injuries at Country Club Mobile Estates, but property damage included ripped roofs and downed power lines. The rain was badly needed in the region, much of which is still suffering from drought. In nearby Nevada, Las Vegas was glad to see rain Thursday, after enduring more than 200 days without precipitation. A … “Southern California slammed with debris flows, mudslides” →

by Mirits

IAEA confirms drone attack damaged outer wall of Chernobyl dome

The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Friday that a drone attack damaged an outer wall of the protective dome containing the remains of the damaged Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine, starting a fire. The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident is considered the worst in history. Ukraine blames Russia for the attack on the site located about 130 kilometers north of Kyiv, which Moscow denies. In a statement on the IAEA website, the agency’s team based at the site reported hearing an explosion at 1:50 a.m. local time. They said smoke and fire were visible from the team’s on-site dormitory. Ukrainian officials informed the team a drone struck the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure built to prevent a radioactive release from Chernobyl’s damaged reactor and protect it from external hazards. The team reported that firefighters and vehicles arrived at the scene within minutes to begin extinguishing the blaze, which, they said, could be seen intermittently for several hours afterward. The team said it observed a breach in the outer layer of the containment structure caused when the drone exploded on impact. Ukraine’s nuclear regulatory officials Friday confirmed the outer covering of the protective dome sustained damage, and investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of the damage to the interior. The IAEA said radiation levels inside and outside the NSC building remain normal and no casualties were reported. But agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said the incident was “deeply concerning,” and said it “underlines the persistent risks to nuclear safety during the military conflict.” An explosion and fire in April 1986, at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant destroyed the reactor building and released large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. A U.N. report said 31 people died immediately from the explosion, and while the exact number of people who died from subsequent radiation exposure is in dispute, the U.N. reports nearly 8.4 million people in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine were exposed to radiation due to the widespread radioactive fallout. Speaking to reporters Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied Russian involvement saying Russia does not conduct strikes on nuclear infrastructure. He called Ukraine’s claim’s “a provocation.” Fighting around nuclear power plants, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, located near the battle zones in southeastern Ukraine, has repeatedly raised fears of a nuclear catastrophe during three years of war. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and … “IAEA confirms drone attack damaged outer wall of Chernobyl dome” →

by Tage

Up to 2,000 workers laid off at US Department of Energy, sources say

WASHINGTON — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has laid off about 1,200 to 2,000 workers at the Department of Energy, including employees at a power grid office, the nuclear security administration and the loans office, three sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. Democratic lawmakers also said the layoffs include workers at national labs, hydroelectric plants and Cold War legacy nuclear sites that pose safety risks. The DOE has about 14,000 federal employees and 95,000 contractors. The layoffs of probationary workers come after three people representing billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency arrived at the agency last week. Some 325 workers have been let go from the department’s National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages the U.S. nuclear weapons fleet and works to secure radiological materials around the world, two of the sources said. But those layoffs at NNSA have been “partly rescinded” to retain essential nuclear security workers, one of the sources said. It was unclear how many of the 325 firings were rescinded. The DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “It’s been chaotic for the staff,” one source at NNSA said. “We just want to focus on national security stuff, and this has distracted us from our work.” The losses at the NNSA occur at a time when nuclear power plants have been at risk in Russia’s war on Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia, the largest in Europe. The NNSA is still working to secure radiological materials in the region, one source said. ‘Not … in the public interest’ A copy of a letter seen by Reuters and sent to some DOE employees says: “DOE finds that your further employment would not be in the public interest. For this reason, you are being removed from your position with DOE and the federal civil service effective today.” The department withdrew laid off workers’ access to government-issued laptops and phones just after midnight Eastern Standard Time on Friday, which left many with no way to receive the notifications and no knowledge they had been fired, one source said. Some 45 workers were let go from the Loan Programs Office, which has hundreds of billions of dollars in loan authority for clean energy, nuclear and clean vehicle projects, one source said. Another seven laid off in the Office of General Counsel had been supporting work in clean energy demonstration projects. In addition, 18 of 148 people were … “Up to 2,000 workers laid off at US Department of Energy, sources say” →

by Tage

Why US regulators are banning Red Dye Number 3 from American food

U.S. health officials have banned Red Dye No. 3 from American foods, decades after the synthetic coloring was banned in Europe. As VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports, studies have linked the bright red color additive to cancer in male laboratory rats. …

by Mirits

13 people arrested in Croatia for illegally disposing of hazardous waste

ZAGREB, CROATIA — Thirteen people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste have been arrested in Croatia, the European Union’s law enforcement agency said Friday.  The main suspects, two Croatian nationals, are considered high-value targets by Europol, said an agency statement. They are believed to have orchestrated the illegal hazardous waste imports from Italy, Slovenia and Germany to Croatia.  Rather than being properly treated, the waste was simply dumped and buried, Europol said. The statement added that at least 35,000 metric tons (38,580 U.S. tons) of waste were illegally disposed of resulting in a profit of at least $4.2 million.  The waste was declared as recyclable plastic waste but was “legally considered dangerous waste,” Europol said. Croatian authorities believe the criminal network also illegally buried and dumped medical waste from Croatian companies, it said.  Croatian anti-corruption authorities said in a statement of their own Friday that they have launched an investigation into 10 people and four legal entities suspected of criminal conspiracy, crimes against the environment, tax evasion and money laundering. They said they will seek to keep seven people detained, the state-run HRT television said.  The Croatian office tasked with fighting organized crime and corruption said illegal waste disposal has inflicted damage on the environment, including changes in the land configuration that affected plant and tree growth, release of toxic particles in the soil and air, and potential negative effect on people’s health.  Croatia has suffered “considerable ecological damage” and still unspecified material damage, the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime said in a statement.  Europol said the suspects abused the infrastructures of legal businesses. They would first offer lower prices for disposal and then falsify documentation to transport their cargo to Croatia, allegedly for recycling.  Waste trafficking enables criminal networks to obtain huge profits while often causing irreparable damage to the environment, the agency said. …

by Mirits

Russian- and Soviet-born coaches still shaping US figure skating’s future

The tragic deaths of Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov in a plane crash late last month in Washington have shone a spotlight on the role of Russian- or Soviet-born coaches in the world of competitive figure skating. Their influence has shaped a generation of American skaters, raising the question: Why have these coaches been so successful in the U.S.? Maxim Adams has the story. Video editor: Serge Sokolov, Anna Rice   …

by Mirits

At Munich Conference, US VP Vance warns European allies of ‘threat from within’

Vice President JD Vance warned European allies attending the security conference in Munich, Germany, against “the threat from within,” arguing that European governments are exercising extreme censorship and have failed to adequately get a handle on “out-of-control migration.”   “The threat that I worry the most about vis a vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor,” he said Friday. “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”  Vance denounced Romania, a NATO ally, for its recent cancellation of presidential election results over evidence of Russian disinformation. “If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with,” he said. “I’d ask my European friends to have some perspective.”  He also appeared to voice support for right-wing parties that have been banned from joining governments in Europe, saying, “Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There’s no room for firewalls.”  Vance said of all the pressing challenges facing Europe and the U.S. “there is nothing more pressing than migration.”   He blamed the “series of conscious decisions made by politicians all over the continent and others across the world,” and he highlighted the Thursday attack in Munich where an Afghan national drove a car into a crowd, injuring at least 30 people.  The remarks came as a surprise to the audience of leaders and top officials who were expecting Vance to focus on Ukraine and Russia. The vice president only made a passing remark on the issue.   The Trump administration is “very concerned with European security and believes that we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine,” Vance said. “And we also believe that it’s important in the coming years for Europe to step up in a big way to provide for its own defense.”   Following Vance’s speech, Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected Vance’s characterization of European policies.   “If I understand him correctly, he is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regions … that is not acceptable.”  Vance’s remarks are “an effort to flip the script,” on Europe’s concerns about American democracy, said Kristine Berzina, managing director of GMF Geostrategy North.  “There was shockingly no mention … “At Munich Conference, US VP Vance warns European allies of ‘threat from within’” →

by Tage

Taiwan pledges chip talks and investment in bid to ease Trump’s concerns 

TAIPEI — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged on Friday to talk with the United States about President Donald Trump’s concerns over the chip industry and to increase U.S. investment and buy more from the country, while also spending more on defense. Trump spoke critically about Taiwan on Thursday, saying he aimed to restore U.S. manufacturing of semiconductor chips and repeating claims about Taiwan having taken away the industry he wanted back in the United States. Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential office, Lai said that the global semiconductor supply chain is an ecosystem in which the division of work among various countries is important. “We of course are aware of President Trump’s concerns,” Lai said. “Taiwan’s government will communicate and discuss with the semiconductor industry and come up with good strategies. Then we will come up with good proposals and engage in further discussions with the United States,” he added. Democratic countries including the United States should come together to build a global alliance for AI chips and a “democratic supply chain” for advanced chips, Lai said. “While admittedly we have the advantage in semiconductors, we also see it as Taiwan’s responsibility to contribute to the prosperity of the international community.” Taiwan is home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, a major supplier to companies including Apple and Nvidia, and a crucial part of the developing AI industry. TSMC is investing $65 billion in new factories in the U.S. state of Arizona, a project begun in 2020 under Trump’s first administration. TSMC’s Taipei-listed shares closed down 2.8% on Friday, underperforming the broader market, which ended off 1.1%. A senior Taiwan security official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity in order to speak more freely, said if TSMC judged it was feasible to increase its U.S. investment, Taiwan’s government would help in talks with the United States. TSMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The official added that communications between Taiwan and U.S. economic, security and defense officials at present was “quite good” and “strong support from the United States can be felt”. US support The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but is the democratically governed island’s most important international backer and arms supplier. Trump cheered Taiwan last week after a joint U.S.-Japan statement following Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s … “Taiwan pledges chip talks and investment in bid to ease Trump’s concerns “ →

by Mirits

Pope Francis taken to hospital for bronchitis treatment

ROME — Pope Francis was taken to hospital on Friday morning for tests and to continue treatment of his ongoing bronchitis, the Vatican said. “This morning, at the end of his audiences, Pope Francis was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still ongoing, in a hospital environment,” it said in a statement. Francis, 88, has been pope since 2013 and has suffered from influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years. Earlier this month, Francis told pilgrims at a weekly audience that he was suffering from a “strong cold,” which the Vatican later described as bronchitis. The pope has been keeping up his daily schedule of appointments despite his illness, taking meetings at the Vatican residence where he lives. Before going to hospital on Friday, the pope had an official meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. Francis suffered two falls recently at his Vatican residence, bruising his chin in December and injuring his arm in January. Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the largest in the city, has a special suite for treating popes. Francis spent nine days there in June 2023, when he had surgery to repair an abdominal hernia.  …

by Mirits

Russian drone attack damages Chernobyl nuclear plant’s shelter, Zelenskyy says

KYIV, UKRAINE — A Russian drone attack caused significant damage to the radiation shelter of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. Chernobyl was the site of the world’s worst civil nuclear catastrophe when one of its four reactors exploded in 1986. That reactor is now enveloped by a protective shelter, known as a sarcophagus, to contain the lingering radiation. The Russian drone struck the shelter of the destroyed power unit at the plant, causing a fire that has since been extinguished, he said. “As of now, radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored,” Zelenskyy said, adding that an initial assessment had found significant damage. “The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia,” he said.  …

by Mirits

As Germany election looms, far-right German party continues to gather support

German voters head to the polls this month for an election that will determine who the country’s new chancellor will be. The Feb. 23 poll is a snap election, following the collapse of center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government last year. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, founded in 2013, appears to be gathering strength and support across the country and has emerged as a factor in the election. The party’s popularity has been fueled by dissatisfaction with the large numbers of immigrants in the country. While AfD has evolved to focus its attention on other issues, including the immediate lifting of sanctions against Russia, immigration remains its central theme. Alice Weidel, AfD’s first candidate for chancellor, is a staunch supporter of so-called “remigration,” a term used to describe the mass deportation of immigrants. Political analysts say Weidel has little chance of becoming chancellor, but as AfD’s popularity has risen, it has forced politicians to rethink their conversations and debates about immigration. AfD won its first parliamentary seats in 2017, with 12.6% of the votes.  In 2021, the party had only 10.3% of the votes.  It has supporters across the country and its politicians have been elected to 14 of Germany’s 16 state legislatures. Its emergence as a political force occurs at the same time that other far-right parties are rising in Europe, including Austria’s Freedom Party and the National Rally in France. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.  …

by Tage

Trump hosts India’s leader, inks US defense, energy sales

US President Donald Trump on Thursday made a range of energy and defense agreements with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his first visit to the White House in Trump’s second term. But the gains were offset by Trump’s threat to impose reciprocal tariffs on trading partners, something India sought to avoid. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House. …

by Tage

Guam a doorway to US for Chinese asylum-seekers

President Donald Trump’s immigration policy has mainly been focused on migrants trying to cross into the US at its border with Mexico, some having made the perilous trek from as far as South America. Out in the western Pacific Ocean, some Chinese are taking an equally dangerous route into the US VOA’s Yu Yao and Jiu Dao have their story, narrated by Elizabeth Lee. …

by Mirits

France’s Macron urges Syria’s interim government to join US-led coalition fighting extremists

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron urged Syria’s interim government to cooperate with a U.S.-led coalition fighting against extremist groups in that region as he hosted a conference Thursday on the Mideast country’s future. Macron’s comments come amid uncertainty over the United States’ commitment to the region. Thursday’s conference in Paris among European and Arab nations was the third on Syria since the repressive government of Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December and was attended by Syria’s interim foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani. “Syria must very clearly continue to fight against all the terrorist organizations that are spreading chaos,” Macron said. “If Syria decides to offer cooperation” with the international coalition, France would support the move, he added. The Paris conference of foreign ministers and other officials from participating countries was meant to coordinate efforts to support a peaceful transition, as the new government in Damascus underlines its desire to improve relations with the West.   Integration of Kurdish-led forces Macron also called on the Syrian interim government to “fully integrate” the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian transition, calling them “precious allies.” “I think your responsibility today is to integrate them and also to allow these forces to join in,” he said. On Thursday, Syrian organizers of a conference in Damascus to chart the country’s political future said those talks will include all segments of Syrian society except for the Kurdish-led administration in the northeast and Assad loyalists. Most of the country’s former insurgent factions have agreed to dissolve and join the new Syrian army and security services, but the Kurdish-led SDF so far has refused to do the same. SDF forces have been clashing with Turkish-backed groups in northern Syria, and the Kurds are concerned about losing political and cultural gains they have made since carving out their own enclave in the northeast during the country’s civil war. Discussions are ongoing between the SDF and the government in Damascus. Billions in aid needed More aid is crucial to achieve a peaceful reconstruction during the post-Assad transition. The country needs to rebuild housing, electricity, water and transportation infrastructure after nearly 14 years of war. The United Nations in 2017 estimated that it would cost at least $250 billion, while some experts now say the number could reach at least $400 billion. With few productive sectors and government employees making wages equivalent to about $20 per month, Syria has … “France’s Macron urges Syria’s interim government to join US-led coalition fighting extremists” →

by Mirits

Russian Vinnik back in Moscow after prisoner swap, news agency says

Alexander Vinnik, a Russian national convicted of cybercrime and released by U.S. authorities as part of a prisoner swap, arrived in Moscow on Thursday and thanked President Vladimir Putin and others for arranging the exchange, state news agency RIA said. Vinnik, who pleaded guilty in May 2024 to charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, told RIA in a dispatch issued after midnight that he was at home with his family. He said he had flown on a U.S. plane that stopped in Poland and not in Turkey as his lawyer had said. Quoted by RIA, Vinnik thanked Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russian diplomats and special services, his lawyers “and especially my family.” He added: “What can I say? And I can also thank [U.S. President Donald] Trump. On the whole, without him, things would probably have been difficult.” Leonid Slutsky, head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, told the Tass news agency that Vinnik’s return home was “yet another victory for Russian diplomacy and all services and agencies associated with his liberation.” Unlike previous instances of Russians returning home after a prisoner swap, there was little fanfare around Vinnik’s arrival. Vinnik operated a cryptocurrency exchange, BTC-e, through which he was suspected of funneling $4 billion in proceeds from ransomware attacks, identity theft, drug rings and other criminal activity. He was freed by the United States from prison in return for Moscow’s release of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who returned home on Tuesday. …

by Mirits

Jailed Georgian journalist: ‘I will not bow to this regime’

WASHINGTON — “I will not bow to this regime,” writes Mzia Amaglobeli from pre-trial detention in the city of Batumi in Georgia. The 49-year-old journalist has been in custody since January 11 and on a hunger strike since January 12 over her detention. Amaglobeli was attending a protest where demonstrations were calling for fresh elections and objecting to the government’s suspension of Georgia’s EU accession plans. At first, police detained Amaglobeli for putting a sticker on a wall. She was released, only to be arrested later that day for slapping a police officer. Georgia’s prime minister and other government officials have said that Amaglobeli should end her hunger strike and apologize for her actions. But media watchdogs believe her arrest is connected to her journalism. Journalist previously threatened Amaglobeli is the founder of the websites Batumelebi and Netgazeti, which focus on political news, investigations and corruption. Both Amaglobeli and her media group have come under pressure and threats previously for their work. Amaglobeli’s health has declined after being on a hunger strike for a month, and she is being held in a private clinic under a doctor’s supervision, but she remains in custody. Nestan Tsetskhladze, a friend and colleague, told VOA that the journalist plans to remain on her hunger strike until March 4, when she is due to appear in court. “She is on hunger strike in protest, to show that she won’t tolerate this regime,” Tsetskhladze told VOA. “She is not going to live by this regime’s agenda. That is her goal.” Amaglobeli has also written of her position in a letter last month to colleagues that was shared with media. “Today it is me, tomorrow it could be anyone who dares to dream of a just, democratic European Georgia, untouched by Russian influence, unshaken by oppression,” wrote Amaglobeli. “I will not bow to this regime. I will not play by its rules.” Hundreds arrested The journalist is one of hundreds of people to be arrested since parliamentary elections in October resulted in nationwide protests. The country’s ruling Georgian Dream party officially won the election with around 54% of the vote, but the results were challenged by then-President Salome Zourabichvili and opposition parties, who claimed the elections were rigged. Observers, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said there were reports of voter irregularities. At the time, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, a member of Georgian Dream, called … “Jailed Georgian journalist: ‘I will not bow to this regime’” →

by Mirits

Pentagon chief calls on NATO partners to increase role in Europe’s defense

PENTAGON — U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has called for NATO’s European members to increase their role in the defense of Europe as the United States focuses on defending the alliance’s Pacific flank. It is a move that he says will likely require European allies to significantly increase defense spending from 2% of GDP to about 5% of GDP. “We can talk all we want about values. Values are important, but you can’t shoot values, you can’t shoot flags, and you can’t shoot strong speeches. There is no replacement for hard power,” Hegseth told reporters on Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Last year, NATO’s European allies collectively spent 2% of their GDP, amounting to about $380 billion, for the first time after setting a 2% defense spending goal in 2014. The U.S. currently spends about 3.5% of its GDP on defense. Canada, the other non-European NATO ally, currently spends about 1.4% of its GDP on defense. “NATO is a great alliance, the most successful defense alliance in history, but to endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe’s defense,” Hegseth said. He emphasized that deterrence of Chinese aggression “in the Pacific is one that really can only be led by the United States.” He said the U.S. does not seek conflict with China, nor does it feel that conflict with China is inevitable, but he contended the administration must work with allies to ensure deterrence in the Indo-Pacific is “hard power deterrence, not just reputational.” Russia-Ukraine war On Wednesday, Hegseth said keeping Ukraine’s pre-invasion boundaries is an “unrealistic objective” in its war against Russian aggression, as was the expectation that Ukraine would join NATO. He advocated for a negotiated end to the war with security guarantees backed by European and non-European troops that would not include U.S. forces. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Ukraine’s potential membership in NATO and whether it should concede any territory should not be decided before peace talks start, referring to Hegseth’s comments as “concessions” made by the United States. “Vladimir Putin responds to strength,” Hegseth said on Thursday when asked whether the U.S. was decreasing Ukraine’s leverage. “No one’s going to get everything that they want, understanding who committed the aggression in the first place,” he added, referring to Putin. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reiterated his support for higher defense spending and appeared to defend Hegseth’s comments on … “Pentagon chief calls on NATO partners to increase role in Europe’s defense” →

by Mirits

Turkey awaits possible breakthrough in long war with Kurdish separatists

Kurds in Turkey are expecting their imprisoned leader to announce a ceasefire soon, ending decades of war between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish government. But Turkey’s president has not made clear what terms he’s willing to accept. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

by Mirits

Global AI race is on, world leaders say at Paris summit

At this week’s Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, world leaders and technologists gathered to discuss the rapidly evolving field of generative artificial intelligence. Many are eager to join the global AI race, while others are proceeding with caution. Tina Trinh reports. …

by Tage

Senate panel advances nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead FBI

WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, pushing past Democratic concerns that he would operate as a loyalist for the president and target perceived adversaries of the White House.  The committee voted 12-10 to send the nomination to the Republican-controlled Senate for full consideration.  It was not immediately clear when the final confirmation vote will occur, but so far even nominees once seen as having uncertain prospects — including new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence — have been able to marshal sufficient support from Republicans eager to fall in line with Trump’s agenda.  Patel has raised alarm for his lack of management experience compared to other FBI directors and because of a vast catalog of incendiary past statements, which include calling investigators who scrutinized Trump “government gangsters” and describing at least some defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S Capitol as “political prisoners.”  At his confirmation hearing last month, Patel said Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding the broader point that he was trying to make, such as when he proposed shutting down the FBI headquarters in Washington and turning it into a museum for the so-called “deep state.” And Patel denied the idea that a list in his book of government officials, who he said were part of a “deep state,” amounted to an “enemies list,” calling that a “total mischaracterization.”  Patel, who was selected by Trump in November to replace Christopher Wray as FBI director, would inherit an agency riven by turmoil amid the recent forced departures of a group of senior executives and by a highly unusual Justice Department demand for the names of all agents who participated in investigations related to Jan. 6.  A letter this week from Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, cited undisclosed sources in saying that Patel was covertly involved in that process despite telling the panel at his confirmation hearing that he was unaware of any plans to fire agents. A Patel spokeswoman called the allegations “gossip” aimed at pushing what she said was a “false narrative.”  Democrats portrayed Patel as a dangerous and inexperienced loyalist who would abuse the FBI’s law enforcement powers at a time when the country is facing an escalated … “Senate panel advances nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead FBI” →

by Tage

Senate confirms Kennedy for top US health post after close vote

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Donald Trump’s health secretary, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country. Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy’s views on vaccines, voting 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America’s most storied political — and Democratic — families to secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, was the only “no” vote among Republicans, mirroring his stands against Trump’s picks for the Pentagon chief and director of national intelligence. All Democrats opposed Kennedy. The GOP has largely embraced Kennedy’s vision to “Make America Healthy Again” by directing the public health agencies to focus on chronic diseases such as obesity. Kennedy, 71, whose name and family tragedies have put him in the national spotlight since he was a child, has earned a formidable following with his populist and sometimes extreme views on food, chemicals and vaccines. His audience only grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kennedy devoted much of his time to a nonprofit that sued vaccine makers and harnessed social media campaigns to erode trust in vaccines as well as the government agencies that promote them. With Trump’s backing, Kennedy insisted he was “uniquely positioned” to revive trust in those public health agencies, which include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes for Health. Last week, Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican, said he hoped Kennedy “goes wild” in reining in health care costs and improving Americans’ health. But before agreeing to support Kennedy, potential holdout Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican a doctor who leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, required assurances that Kennedy would not make changes to existing vaccine recommendations. During Senate hearings, Democrats tried to prod Kennedy to deny a long-discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. Some lawmakers also raised alarms about Kennedy financially benefiting from changing vaccine guidelines or weakening federal lawsuit protections against vaccine makers. Kennedy made more than $850,000 last year from an arrangement referring clients to a law firm that has sued the makers of Gardasil, a human papillomavirus vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. If confirmed as health secretary, he promised to … “Senate confirms Kennedy for top US health post after close vote” →

by Mirits

Vance visits Dachau concentration camp ahead of Zelenskyy meeting

DACHAU, GERMANY — U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited the Dachau concentration camp memorial on Thursday, walking the solemn halls with a group that included a Holocaust survivor once held at the site of so much suffering and mass murder and experiencing firsthand a powerful symbol of World War II. The tour came amid an ongoing war in Europe in which Vance is serving as a key conduit for the Trump administration. The vice president on Friday has critical talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the three-year Russia-Ukraine conflict. A light rain and sleet mix fell as the vice president and his wife, Usha Vance, spoke to a group of dignitaries near one of the concentration camp’s gates. The couple then listened intently to details about the camp from its director and other museum officials. Among those participating was Abba Naor, a Holocaust survivor who was held at Dachau. The second couple, holding hands, eventually moved inside and to a long concrete room in front of a large map plotting concentration camps. The area was Dachau’s administrative room. They next saw the intake room, where those interred arrived at the camp. It included a series of museum cases filled with personal belongings of those who were held there, like watches and government ID cards. “That’s where you started?” Vance said to Naor. Both Joe Biden, during the administration of President Barack Obama, and Mike Pence, in Trump’s first term, also visited the Dachau memorial as vice presidents. Vance laid a wreath with a red, white and blue ribbon stenciled with “We remember” and “United States of America” embossed in gold lettering at a large sculpture known as the International Monument. Inaugurated in 1968, the monument was designed by Nandor Glid, who was persecuted as a Jew by the Nazis in his home country Yugoslavia and joined the resistance to Nazi occupation forces. On Friday, Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are set to sit down with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. They’ll discuss Trump’s intensifying push for Ukraine and Russia to begin negotiations to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Talk of the current conflict followed Vance getting a firsthand look at the memorial demonstrating Nazis’ World War II-era atrocities and the U.S. and Western allies’ slowness to take decisive action to confront Adolf Hitler and the rise of his violent nationalist ideology. … “Vance visits Dachau concentration camp ahead of Zelenskyy meeting” →

by Mirits

Ukraine, US weigh critical minerals agreement

Ukraine and the United States are considering a crucial minerals deal at this week’s Munich Security Conference, according to officials from the two countries. After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the proposed agreement as a potential “long-term security shield” for Ukraine when its war with Russia comes to an end. Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had received the first draft of the agreement and expressed hope that a final deal could be reached in Munich. Ukraine aims to secure continued U.S. support as it tries to stand strong against the ongoing Russian invasion. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has stated his desire to strike a deal for Ukraine’s rare earth mineral resources in return for continued U.S. backing of the Ukrainian war effort. “I told them (Ukraine) that I want the equivalent [of] like $500 billion worth of rare earth,” Trump told Fox News in an interview aired Monday. Strategic resources in shifting global landscape Global competition for critical raw materials essential for industry has intensified in recent years. CRMs in demand include uranium, titanium, lithium, graphite, nickel and aluminum, as well as rare earth minerals used in an array of high-tech devices. Currently, China is the world’s top supplier of rare earth minerals. According to a recent World Economic Forum report, China supplies about 40% of the European Union’s demand for those resources. Other significant suppliers include Australia, South Africa, Canada and Brazil. The United States and the European Union have worked for years to reduce their reliance on China for the minerals. That’s where Ukraine comes in. The United States maintains a list of 50 critical raw materials, and Ukraine possesses at least 22 of the elements, according to Serhii Voitsehovskyi, a board member of Ukrainian mining investment company BGV. That includes significant deposits of rare earth materials, although the minerals are so far mostly untapped due to the war and a lack of sufficient geological data. Proven reserves include some of the world’s largest deposits of graphite, uranium, titanium and lithium — materials essential for many industries, including renewable energy and defense. “We have the largest lithium deposits in Europe and significant uranium reserves, which are becoming increasingly valuable as nuclear energy experiences a global resurgence,” Voitsehovskyi said. Roman Opimakh, former general director of the Ukrainian Geological Survey, said that the U.S. has become increasingly desperate for reliable sources of CRMs. … “Ukraine, US weigh critical minerals agreement” →