by Mirits

New generation must take up fight against nuclear weapons, Nobel laureate group says

OSLO, NORWAY — Young people must take up the fight for a nuclear-free world, with such weapons many times more powerful than in the past, a representative for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, an atomic bomb survivors’ group, said Tuesday. Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of survivors of the 1945 nuclear bombings of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is campaigning for a world free of nuclear weapons using witness testimony. The average age of Japan’s atomic bomb survivors is now 85, Terumi Tanaka, a co-chair of the group, said when accepting the prize at a ceremony held at Oslo City Hall attended by Norway’s King Harald, Queen Sonja and other dignitaries. “Any one of you could become either a victim or a perpetrator, at any time,” Tanaka, 92, told the audience. “Ten years from now, there may only be a handful of us able to give testimony as firsthand survivors. From now on, I hope that the next generation will find ways to build on our efforts and develop the movement even further.” His group had “undoubtedly” played a major role in creating the worldwide standard that it was unacceptable to use atomic weapons, or “nuclear taboo,” he said. But that standard was being weakened, he added. “In addition to the civilian casualties, I am infinitely saddened and angered that the ‘nuclear taboo’ risks being broken,” he said. Threats to use nuclear weapons have been made in the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Tanaka said, warning that 4,000 nuclear warheads were ready to be launched immediately around the world. Nihon Hidankyo was also represented at the ceremony by its two other co-chairs, Shigemitsu Tanaka, 84, and Toshiyuki Mimaki, 82. An estimated 210,000 people died, either immediately or over time, as a result of the bombs dropped in 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, respectively. Today’s nuclear weapons are far more powerful than those used at that time. Tanaka was 13 years old at the time of the Nagasaki bombing, and although he survived the explosion almost unharmed at his home some 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from ground zero, he lost five family members and recalled harrowing encounters. “The deaths I witnessed at that time could hardly be described as human deaths. There were hundreds of people suffering in agony, unable to receive any kind of medical attention,” Tanaka told the audience. “I strongly felt … “New generation must take up fight against nuclear weapons, Nobel laureate group says” →

by Mirits

Zelenskyy says ‘decisiveness’ necessary to bring end to war 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that “only decisiveness” can bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end and bring lasting peace. Days after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Zelenskyy said working together to bring an end to the war is the top priority, and he expressed gratitude to Trump “for his strong resolve to bring this war to a fair end.” The Ukrainian leader further said he told Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin “fears only him and perhaps China.” “We know that America has the capacity to accomplish remarkable things—things that others have not been able to achieve,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “To succeed in ending this war, we need unity—the unity of America, Europe, and everyone in the world who values security—as well as strong positions and guarantees for peace.” Zelenskyy’s comments come amid questions about the level of U.S. support for Ukraine as U.S. leadership transitions from President Joe Biden’s administration to a new Trump term next month. The United States under Biden has led efforts to organize billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine, including ammunition and air defenses to defend against Russian attacks. Trump said after the meeting Sunday that there should be an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the start of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Some information provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. …

by Mirits

Assad’s downfall marks the loss of Moscow’s main ally in the Middle East

Russian state media say Moscow has granted asylum to ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who reports say landed in Moscow after escaping from Damascus Sunday. The Kremlin was a key supporter of Assad in his government’s brutal attempts to defeat rebels, and that memory may make it difficult for Moscow to regain its foothold in Syria, which until a few days ago appeared unshakable. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina …

by Tage

Biden memorializes painful past of Native Americans

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday presided over his final White House Tribal Nations Summit by reaching into the nation’s dark past and establishing a national monument to honor the suffering of thousands of Native children and their families in federal boarding schools in the 19th and 20th centuries. VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell reports from Washington. …

by Mirits

VOA Turkish: Fall of the Syrian currency impacting economy in Derik

The collapse of the Syrian regime and the influx of thousands of families into Kurdish areas, particularly in Derik, has led to an economic crisis in these regions. As a result, the value of the dollar has risen sharply, significantly impacting the livelihoods of both local residents and newly arrived immigrants. View the full story here. …

by Mirits

VOA Turkish: 3 members of the security forces were killed in Turkish airstrikes near Manbij

Turkish warplanes launched three airstrikes near the Qara Quzaq Bridge, a strategic bridge that connects the eastern Euphrates to the western Euphrates. The strikes, targeting Kurdish security forces, resulted in the deaths of one member of the Internal Security Forces and two traffic police officers. These strikes, along with ongoing attacks by Turkish-backed Syrian armed groups on areas governed by the Kurdish Autonomous Administration, have heightened fears and unrest among civilians. Ridwan Bezar, a freelance stringer based in northern Syria, provides a detailed video report of these developments. View the full story here. …

by Mirits

VOA Turkish: How developments in Syria may affect relations between Turkey, Kurds

Following the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, all eyes turned to the actors in the country, especially the Kurds. While Turkey is again seeking a solution to its Kurdish issue, how will the latest situation in Syria affect this process?  Turkey views the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey, the U.S. and EU have designated PKK as a terrorist organization.  VOA Turkish talked to experts closely following the region, who emphasized that Turkey’s approach to the Kurds in Syria depends on the resolution of its own internal Kurdish issue. According to experts, if Turkey wants to play a role in the reconstruction of Syria, it must cooperate with the Kurds. See the full story here. …

by Tage

VOA Spanish: Florida farmers fear mass deportations

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to enforce mass deportations has raised alarm bells for immigrants in Florida. VOA Spanish’s José Pernalete says activists and field workers warn that crops could be affected if personnel shortages arise.  See the full story here.  …

by Mirits

From VOA Russian: Russian may deploy new ballistic missile system ‘Oreshnik’ in Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia could deploy its new “Oreshnik” intermediate-range hypersonic missile on the territory of its ally, Belarus, in the second half of next year. Putin announced this decision in Minsk, where he signed a mutual defense pact with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. VOA’s Russian service spoke to regional experts about Putin’s motives, his nuclear threats to Ukraine and the West, and how the deployment of the “Oreshnik” in Belarus will affect the military balance in the region. See the full story here. …

by Tage

South Korea’s leadership crisis jeopardizes US efforts to counter China

WASHINGTON — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s uncertain political future from his martial law backlash could imperil the next Trump administration’s trilateral coordination with the country and Japan in countering China, analysts say. Yoon faces an investigation for treason after declaring martial law and rescinding it hours later last week. Although he survived an impeachment vote on Saturday, the main opposition Democratic Party said the following day it would seek an impeachment vote again. Uncertainty surrounds Yoon’s leadership and the future leadership of South Korea amid rapidly evolving political disarray and confusion. Key government officials have resigned over the martial law controversy, and the head of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), Han Dong-hun, said Sunday that Yoon would resign soon and would no longer be involved in conducting state affairs. In the meantime, the Defense Ministry said Monday that Yoon still had the control of the South Korean military. The South Korean political crisis poses risks to the security of the region, where countries such as North Korea, China and Russia lie in wait to take advantage of the situation, analysts say. “The resulting political turmoil raises uncertainty over the future direction of the country’s policies and ability to implement them,” said Bruce Klingner, the senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation. “The incoming U.S. administration will be focused on countering the multifaceted Chinese threat to the region and urging allies and partners to assume larger roles,” he said. “Yoon’s actions will trigger doubts as to the viability of Seoul’s roles and contributions.” “Coupled with the Japanese leadership change and loss of legislative majority by the LDP [Liberal Democratic Party], the United States now has two weakened allies in Northeast Asia,” Klingner said. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba assumed office in October. The same month, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost its majority in parliament.  On Monday, Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, met with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts to discuss regional security, underscoring the importance of maintaining close trilateral cooperation. The trilateral ties were consolidated after Yoon extended an olive branch to then- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after years of frayed relations between the two countries over colonial wartime issues. The two countries’ mending of bilateral ties and their subsequent trilateral summit with the U.S. at Camp David in August 2023, viewed as historic in … “South Korea’s leadership crisis jeopardizes US efforts to counter China” →

by Tage

Polygamous sect leader sentenced to 50 years in child sex scheme

PHOENIX — A polygamist religious leader who claimed more than 20 spiritual “wives” including 10 underage girls was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Monday for coercing girls as young as 9 years old to submit to criminal sex acts with him and other adults, and for scheming to kidnap them from protective custody. Samuel Bateman, whose small group was an offshoot of the sect once led by Warren Jeffs, had pleaded guilty to a yearslong scheme to transport girls across state lines for his sex crimes, and later to kidnap some of them from protective custody. Under the agreement, Bateman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit transportation of a minor for sexual activity, which carries a sentence of 10 years to life imprisonment, and one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, which is punishable by up to life imprisonment. He was sentenced to 50 years on each count, to be served concurrently. The rest of the charges were dismissed as part of the agreement. Authorities say that Bateman, 48, tried to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints based in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. The fundamentalist group, also known as FLDS, split from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after Mormons officially abandoned polygamy in 1890. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Brnovich sentenced Bateman after hearing statements in court by three teenage girls about the trauma they still struggle to overcome. Although they gave their names in court, The Associated Press does not name victims of sexual crime, and some appeared to still be minors. “You should not have the opportunity to be free and never have the opportunity to be around young women, ” Brnovich told Bateman, noting that for a man of his age the 50-year sentence was effectively a life sentence. “You took them from their homes, from their families and made them into sex slaves,” the judge said. “You stripped them of their innocence and childhood.” A short competency hearing that was closed to the public was held just before sentencing to discuss a doctor’s assessment of Bateman’s mental health. The defense had argued that Bateman could have benefited from a maximum of 20 years of psychiatric treatment behind bars before being released. The girls told the court, sometimes addressing Bateman himself, how they grappled to develop … “Polygamous sect leader sentenced to 50 years in child sex scheme” →

by Tage

Biden memorializes painful past of Native people

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday presided over his final White House Tribal Nations Summit by reaching into the nation’s dark past and establishing a new national monument to honor the suffering of thousands of Native children and their families in federal boarding schools in the last century. His proclamation starts a three-year clock to design a monument to be placed at the flagship Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. The Carlisle Indian Industrial School opened in 1879, with the stated mission to “kill the Indian” to “save the Man.” Schools like this removed children from their families and forced them to speak English, wear non-native clothing and eschew tribal customs. Earlier this year, Biden described the treatment of thousands of Native children at government boarding schools as “a blot” on the nation’s history. “The federal government mandated — mandated — removal of children from their families and tribes, launching what’s called the federal Indian boarding school era, over a 150-year span, 150 years from the early 1800s to 1970 — one of the most horrific chapters in American history,” he said earlier this year. “We should be ashamed.” The most recent U.S. Census found that the population of those who consider themselves wholly or partly Native is upward of nearly 9 million. The U.S. Department of the Interior says it serves 1.9 million American Indian and Alaska Natives, many in sovereign lands. That’s a shadow of the population that historians say thrived on the continent before European colonization. Native Americans were only granted universal U.S. citizenship in 1924 with the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act. Activists like Elveda Martinez of the Walker River Paiute Tribe say it’s remarkable how recent this history of dispossession and discrimination is. “It’s within our generation that Natives finally all had the right to vote,” she said. “So, that’s still a big thing now. We always tell people, you know, it was our parents and people in that generation that fought for the right to vote.” As a group, Native residents have the highest poverty rate in the country, and their youth lag behind other demographics in education, according to a study by a bipartisan research group. On Monday, Biden detailed his administration’s efforts to improve the livelihoods of descendants of the nation’s pre-colonial populations and to give communities more say, such as designating conservation areas. But he stressed that honoring the past … “Biden memorializes painful past of Native people” →

by Tage

US wary of fissures, fragmentation as Syria looks to rebuild

washington — U.S. diplomats and military officials have intensified their outreach to groups vying to chart a new course for Syria, as well as to Syria’s neighbors, in an effort to ensure the fall of the regime of former President Bashar Assad does not give way to a more unstable and dangerous future. A number of key meetings took place Monday in Jordan, where senior U.S. diplomatic officials held consultations with their Jordanian counterparts following similar meetings a day earlier in Doha, Qatar. And U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said more diplomatic missions are in the works. “Senior officials from this department are fanning out through the region as we speak, working with counterparts on how the United States can help support the Syrian people as they decide their own path for the future” Blinken told an audience at the State Department Monday. “This moment presents a historic opportunity, but it also carries considerable risks,” he said. “History shows how quickly moments of promise can descend into conflict and violence.” As evidence of the U.S. concern, the commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, also engaged with allies in the region. General Michael “Erik” Kurilla met in Amman with Major General Yousef Al-Hunaiti, the chairman of the Jordanian Joint Chiefs of Staff. According to a U.S. readout, Kurilla promised U.S. support for Jordan should the situation in Syria deteriorate. Other U.S. officials on Monday likewise emphasized the need for a calm and orderly transition in Syria. “We want to make sure that our allies are safe and secure,” U.S. Deputy United Nations Ambassador Robert Wood told reporters at the U.N. in New York. “We want to make sure that there isn’t a humanitarian catastrophe,” Wood said. “So, we’re going to be working over the coming days and weeks to try to make sure that we can ensure all of those things happen.” But officials at the State Department and the Pentagon caution there is ample reason to worry that hopes for a better future for the Syrian people could disintegrate, with differences leading to new waves of violence and even migrations out of Syria. They say that while the words and actions of Syrian rebel leaders, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s Abu Mohammed al-Golani, seem promising, pledges for a new, inclusive government will be tested if tensions between rival groups continue to simmer or escalate. … “US wary of fissures, fragmentation as Syria looks to rebuild” →

by Mirits

Zelenskyy says he is open to negotiated end to war with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he is open to the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the country’s war with Russia. “Ukraine wants this war to end more than anyone else. No doubt, a diplomatic resolution would save more lives. We do seek it,” the Ukrainian president said Monday at a joint press conference in Kyiv with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz. Zelenskyy also said he is open to the possibility of foreign troops being deployed to Ukraine to help his country end its war with Russia, a conflict that has been ongoing for nearly three years. “But before that, we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO,” Zelenskyy said. On his Telegram channel, the Ukrainian leader said the deployment of troops to Ukraine would be a step forward for the Eastern European country’s quest to join NATO. Zelenskyy’s openness to a negotiated end to the conflict with Russia and the presence of Western troops in Ukraine coincides with Russia’s recent gains in Ukraine and the upcoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Trump met with Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris over the weekend. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he plans to call U.S. President Joe Biden soon about Ukraine joining NATO. “He is the current president, and a lot rides on his opinion. And there is no point in discussing with President Trump something that is not up to him today — while he is not yet in the White House,” Zelenskyy said. Trump has said he wants the war between Russia and Ukraine to end quickly and has called for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. However, Zelenskyy told the New York Post that while Trump wants a ceasefire, the two leaders have not discussed any details about that arrangement. Merz, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s challenger in the upcoming German election, said at the joint address with Zelenskyy that the “basic consensus” in Germany is that Germany will continue to supply Ukraine with military aid. In his meetings with Zelenskyy, Merz did, however, note that Germany’s position on Ukraine differs from the stance that France, the U.S. and the U.K. have taken on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “Our position is clear, as is that of my parliamentary group: We want to put your army … “Zelenskyy says he is open to negotiated end to war with Russia” →

by Mirits

Germany, other European countries suspend decisions on Syrians’ asylum bids after Assad’s fall

BERLIN — Germany and several other European countries said Monday they are suspending decisions on asylum claims by Syrian nationals because of the unclear situation in their homeland following the fall of Bashar Assad. Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said Monday that more than 47,000 applications are currently pending. It said it would reassess the situation and resume decisions once things in Syria have stabilized. Interior Ministry spokesperson Sonja Kock noted that asylum decisions take account of the circumstances of each case, which involves assessing the situation in the applicant’s country. She said the migration authority has the option of prioritizing cases from other places if a situation is unclear, as it currently is in Syria. More broadly, German officials said it’s too early to tell what the fall of Assad will ultimately mean for the many Syrians who sought refuge in Germany in recent years, particularly in the mid-2010s. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said it’s not yet possible to predict “concrete possibilities to return” and “it would be unserious to speculate about this in such a volatile situation.” Her ministry said that, as of Oct. 31, there were 974,136 Syrian nationals in the country, the majority of whom had some kind of refugee or other protected status. In neighboring Austria, Chancellor Karl Nehammer also tasked his interior minister with suspending decisions on current asylum applications by Syrians, the Austria Press Agency reported. “It is important to first establish facts, to put asylum and family reunion procedures on hold,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said. “We need to wait until the dust settles, so we can see what is happening, what the next points are.” Sweden’s Migration Agency said it will also pause decisions on Syrian asylum cases, arguing that it isn’t possible at present to assess applicants’ reasons for seeking protection. It didn’t specify how long the pause would last, but said a similar decision was made in connection with the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. In Finland, the director of the Department for International Protection at the Finnish Immigration Service, Antti Lehtinen, told public broadcaster YLE that decisions have been suspended there, and he can’t immediately estimate when they will resume. In Norway, the Directorate of Immigration announced a similar decision, saying that it has put asylum applications from Syria on hold “until further notice.” France says it was considering following Germany’s example. “We … “Germany, other European countries suspend decisions on Syrians’ asylum bids after Assad’s fall” →

by Tage

From VOA Mandarin: Trump 2.0 and the future of the CHIPS Act

The Biden administration is shoring up its CHIPS Act funding agreements before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Trump has previously disparaged the CHIPS Act and called for higher tariffs instead of subsidies to incentivize companies to build semiconductor factories. What would be the future of TSMC under the Trump administration? See the full story here. …

by Tage

NY police say man arrested with weapon ‘consistent with’ gun in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO

NEW YORK — Police have arrested a 26-year-old man with a weapon consistent with the gun used to kill the head of the largest U.S. health insurer, New York’s police commissioner said Monday.  The man was taken into custody after police got a tip that he had been spotted at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.  “They also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by our wanted individual,” Tisch said. “Also recovered was a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching the ID our suspect used to check into his New York City hostel before the shooting incident,” Tisch said.  UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday in what police said was a “brazen, targeted” attack as he walked alone to the Hilton from a nearby hotel, where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference, police said.  The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching the executive from behind and opening fire, Tisch said. He used a 9 mm pistol that police said resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise.  In the days since the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of photos and video — including footage of the attack, as well as images of the suspect at a Starbucks beforehand.  Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the suspect grinning after removing his mask, police said.  Investigators have suggested the gunman may have been a disgruntled employee or client of the insurer.  Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics.  The gunman concealed his identity with a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza, and a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that police say he bought at Starbucks minutes before the attack.  Monday’s development came as dogs and divers returned to New York’s Central Park while the dragnet for Thompson’s killer stretched into a sixth day.  Investigators have been combing the park since the Wednesday shooting and have been searching at least one of its ponds for three days.  On Friday, police found the backpack that they say the killer discarded as he … “NY police say man arrested with weapon ‘consistent with’ gun in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO” →

by Tage

Veteran Daniel Penny is acquitted in NYC subway chokehold case over Jordan Neely’s death

New York — A Marine veteran who used a chokehold on an agitated subway rider was acquitted on Monday in a death that became a prism for differing views about public safety, valor and vigilantism.  A Manhattan jury cleared Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide in Jordan Neely’s 2023 death. A more serious manslaughter charge was dismissed last week because the jury deadlocked on that count.  Penny, who had shown little expression during the trial, briefly smiled as the verdict was read. Both applause and anger erupted in the courtroom, and Neely’s father and two supporters were ushered out after audibly reacting. Another person also left, wailing with tears.  “It really, really hurts,” Neely’s father, Andre Zachery, said outside the courthouse. “I had enough of this. The system is rigged.”  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the Democrat whose office brought the case, said prosecutors “followed the facts and the evidence from beginning to end” and respect the verdict.  There was no immediate comment from lawyers for Penny, who rushed to a waiting car after the verdict. The anonymous jury, which had started deliberating Tuesday, was escorted out of court to a van.  Penny’s attorneys had said he was protecting himself and other subway passengers from a volatile, mentally ill man who was making alarming remarks and gestures.  The case amplified many American fault lines, among them race, politics, crime, urban life, mental illness and homelessness. Neely was Black. Penny is white.  There were sometimes dueling demonstrations outside the courthouse, including Monday, when chants could be heard through the courtroom window ahead of the verdict. High-profile Republican politicians portrayed Penny as a hero while prominent Democrats attended Neely’s funeral.  Penny, 26, served four years in the Marines and went on to study architecture.  Neely, 30, was a sometime subway performer with a tragic life story: His mother was killed and stuffed in a suitcase when he was a teenager.  As a younger man, Neely did Michael Jackson tributes — complete with moonwalks — on the city’s streets and subways. But Neely also struggled with mental illness after losing his mother, whose boyfriend was convicted of murdering her.  He subsequently was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, was repeatedly hospitalized, and used the synthetic cannabinoid K2 and realized it negatively affected his thinking and behavior, according to medical records seen at the trial. The drug was in his system when he died.  Neely told … “Veteran Daniel Penny is acquitted in NYC subway chokehold case over Jordan Neely’s death” →

by Mirits

Turkey eyes bigger role in Syria after Assad’s ouster

Turkey is one of the principal backers of some of the Syrian rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad and a likely winner as Ankara seeks to gain influence in the country. However, analysts warn much will depend on whether a stable government emerges after Assad’s departure. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

by Mirits

Belarus’ authoritarian ruler pardons 29 political prisoners amid claims of ongoing repression 

TALLINN, Estonia — Belarus’ authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, pardoned 29 political prisoners Monday amid what human rights groups describe as renewed oppression in the country.  Belarusian officials did not provide the names of those released but said that the group included 11 women and 18 men. More than half of those pardoned had disabilities and chronic illnesses.  “All of those released repented for their actions and appealed to the head of state to be pardoned,” the presidential administration said in a statement.  No prominent opposition figures, many of whom have not heard from for over a year, have been pardoned.  They include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who planned to challenge Lukashenko at the ballot box in 2020 but was jailed before the vote, and Viktar Babaryka, who was also imprisoned after gaining popularity before the election.  Other key figures, such as opposition activist Mikola Statkevich and lawyer Maxim Znak, who have had no contact with the outside world since the end of 2023, have also not been included.  The latest announcement marks the seventh group pardon by Lukashenko in the last six months. In all, 178 political prisoners have been freed, according to Belarusian human rights group Viasna. Most were jailed following mass anti-government protests in 2020, when Lukashenko secured his sixth term in a vote widely condemned as fraudulent.  The mass pardons come amid a new wave of repression as the authorities prepare to hold new presidential elections in January 2025, said Viasna spokesman Pavel Sapelka. “Lukashenko is sending contradictory signals to the West, with twice as many people put in prison has have been pardoned,” Sapelka said. “Repression in Belarus is still growing.”  The Belarusian authorities engineer harsh conditions for political prisoners, denying them meetings with lawyers and relatives, and depriving them of medical care. At least seven political prisoners have died behind bars since 2020, according to Viasna.  Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for more than 30 years, is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, allowing Russia to use his country’s territory to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and to deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.  …

by Tage

TikTok asks federal appeals court to bar enforcement of potential ban until Supreme Court review 

TikTok asked a federal appeals court on Monday to bar the Biden administration from enforcing a law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform until the Supreme Court reviews its challenge to the statue.  The legal filing was made after a panel of three judges on the same court sided with the government last week and ruled that the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban as soon as next month, was constitutional.  If the law is not overturned, both TikTok and its parent ByteDance, which is also a plaintiff in the case, have claimed that the popular app will shut down by Jan. 19, 2025. TikTok has more than 170 million American users.  “Before that happens, the Supreme Court should have an opportunity, as the only court with appellate jurisdiction over this action, to decide whether to review this exceptionally important case,” attorneys for the two companies wrote in the legal filing on Monday.  It’s not clear if the Supreme Court will take up the case.  President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok the last time he was in the White House, has said he is now against such action.  In their legal filing, the two companies pointed to the political realities, saying that an injunction would provide a “modest delay” that would give “the incoming Administration time to determine its position — which could moot both the impending harms and the need for Supreme Court review.”  …

by Tage

‘Emilia Perez,’ ‘The Brutalist’ lead Golden Globe film nominations 

BEVERLY HILLS, California — Musical thriller “Emilia Perez” and historical epic “The Brutalist” led the roster of films nominated on Monday for the 2025 Golden Globes, the Hollywood honors that kick off the movie awards season leading to the Oscars. “Emilia Perez,” released by Netflix NFLX.O, scored 10 nods and “The Brutalist,” from independent distributor A24, earned seven. Taking home a Globe can help movies in the race to the Academy Awards in March. Last year’s Hollywood strikes scrambled this year’s release schedule, and awards pundits say there is no clear frontrunner for best picture at the Oscars. The Globe winners will be chosen by 334 entertainment journalists from 85 countries and will be announced Jan. 5 at a ceremony broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. “Emilia Perez” stars Zoe Saldana as a lawyer who helps a drug cartel leader (Spanish actor Karla Sofía Gascón) fake his death and transition from a man to a woman. Selena Gomez co-stars as the cartel leader’s wife. All three were nominated for by Globes voters for acting honors. “The Brutalist” stars Adrien Brody in an epic tale of a Hungarian immigrant who flees the horrors of World War Two to rebuild his life in the United States. Box office smash “Wicked,” adapted from a long-running Broadway play about the witches in “The Wizard of Oz,” landed four nominations. …

by Mirits

Ukraine reports destroying 18 Russian drones

Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 18 drones that Russian forces deployed in overnight attacks. The Ukrainian air force said the intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytsky, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil and Vinnytsia regions. There were no reports of casualties or major damage. Ukrainian air defenses also shot down two Russian guided missiles, the military said. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday its air defenses destroyed 13 Ukrainian aerial drones. Most of the drones were shot down near the Russia-Ukraine border in the Belgorod and Rostov regions. Two of the drones were destroyed over Astrakhan, located about 200 kilometers from the border. …

by Tage

‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year

The results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election rattled the country and sent shockwaves across the world — or were cause for celebration, depending on who you ask. Is it any surprise then that the Merriam-Webster word of the year is “polarization”? “Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. “Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.” The election was so divisive, many American voters went to the polls with a feeling that the opposing candidate was an existential threat to the nation. According to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, about 8 in 10 Kamala Harris voters were very or somewhat concerned that Donald Trump’s views — but not Harris’ — were too extreme, while about 7 in 10 Trump voters felt the same way about Harris — but not Trump. The Merriam-Webster entry for “polarization” reflects scientific and metaphorical definitions. It’s most commonly used to mean “causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings.” Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month on its site, chooses its word of the year based on data, tracking a rise in search and usage. Last year’s pick was “authentic.” This year’s comes as large swaths of the U.S. struggle to reach consensus on what is real. “It’s always been important to me that the dictionary serve as a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody,” Sokolowski said. “It’s a kind of backstop for meaning in an era of fake news, alternative facts, whatever you want to say about the value of a word’s meaning in the culture.” It’s notable that “polarization” originated in the early 1800s — and not during the Renaissance, as did most words with Latin roots about science, Sokolowski said. He called it a “pretty young word,” in the scheme of the English language. “Polarized is a term that brings intensity to another word,” he continued, most frequently used in the U.S. to describe race relations, politics and ideology. “The basic job of the dictionary is to tell the truth about words,” the Merriam-Webster editor continued. “We’ve had dictionaries of English for 420 years and it’s only been in the last 20 years or so that we’ve actually known which words people look … “‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year” →