Weather Service issues red flag warnings for fire-ravaged California

Posted on by SeeUS

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for most of California’s Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Tuesday for the area’s “extremely low relative humidity and periods of gusty offshore winds.”

The weather service said its “Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag warning has ended, but dangerous fire weather conditions persist through Thursday or Friday.” Northeast winds will remain “gusty” in the hills and mountains, the service said in a statement. Low humidities are set to continue. 

Some areas will experience a lull in the winds Tuesday night into Wednesday, but extremely dry conditions will continue and winds will strengthen again late Wednesday, according to the weather service. The Red Flag Warning covers most of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties through 8 p.m. Thursday.

Earlier Tuesday, the weather service said there was an extreme risk of fire weather over parts of Southern California. The service said winds of 32 to 64 kilometers per hour, combined with “stronger winds in the terrain, low relative humidity, and dry fuels, have contributed to the dangerous conditions.”

Strong winds sparked some scattered fires Tuesday in Los Angeles, but alert firefighters quickly brought the fires under control.

At least 27 people have died in a series of wildfires across the Los Angeles area during the past two weeks as Santa Ana winds mixed with dry conditions on the ground to quickly spread blazes.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has called for an outside investigation into the evacuation notification process for residents of western Altadena, near the Eaton Fire, one of several that erupted across Los Angeles. A report in the Los Angeles Times says evacuation orders for western Altadena were delayed for hours.

“From what I have been told, it was a night of pure chaos for both fire and first responders,” Barger told The Times. The county supervisor said she has “deep concerns” about what happened. Residents told the Times that by the time they received evacuation orders, many of the homes in the area already were on fire. 

Seventeen people are reported to have died in the Eaton fire.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said an executive order she signed Tuesday is designed to curb the flow of toxic debris from the region’s fires and protect the area’s beaches and oceans.   

“This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff,” the mayor said. City workers will remove toxic materials and set up barriers to direct the flow of debris into the sewer system. 

Meteorologists say rain forecast for the region will begin late Friday and last until early Saturday. National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Lewis said “In terms of ending the fire season, it’s probably not going to be enough for that. But it’ll certainly help a little bit.”
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Trump says he would sanction Russia if Putin does not negotiate on Ukraine

Posted on by SeeEU

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, refuses to negotiate about ending the war in Ukraine. 

Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions. The United States has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

Trump said his administration was also looking at the issue of sending weapons to Ukraine, adding his view that the European Union should be doing more to support Ukraine. 

“We’re talking to [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy; we’re going to be talking with President Putin very soon,” Trump said. “We’re going to look at it.” 

Trump said he had pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping in a call to intervene to stop the Ukraine war. 

“He’s not done very much on that. He’s got a lot of … power, like we have a lot of power. I said, ‘You ought to get it settled.’ We did discuss it.”  
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Namibia doctors fight cervical cancer

Posted on by SeeAF

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA — The cervical cancer rate in Namibia is 37.5 for every 100,000 women, about three times higher than the rate worldwide.  Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and doctors in Namibia are advocating greater access to healthcare and the HPV vaccine to reduce the prevalence of the disease. 

November 2009 was a turning point in the life of Barbara Kamba-Nyathi. At the tender age of 29, she was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer.  

Her doctors recommended radiation therapy as opposed to chemotherapy, because at that time she had not yet had children and radiation therapy would help her avoid premature menopause.

But that was not her only struggle. Kamba-Nyathi, who lived in Windhoek at the time, said she faced stigma for cervical cancer’s association with HIV and the human papilloma virus.  

“One of the challenges that come with having a diagnosis like cervical cancer is that our African society its usually taboo to talk about things of our reproductive organs, you know, our reproductive system is taboo,” said Kamba-Nyathi. “We don’t talk about such things and in the end, we tend to normalize pain and even things that don’t feel right in our bodies we tend to normalize them and they become part of our identity.” 

Rolf Hansen, the chief executive officer of the Cancer Association of Namibia, said a lack of education and a lack of access to healthcare prevent many women from getting tested or being treated for cervical cancer or HPV, which is the second-leading cause of cancer among sub-Saharan women. 

“Like I said, HIV and HPV work hand in hand to fuel the cervical cancer pandemic,” said Hansen. “Now, in our country as well we see that in our low-income setting as well as our rural setting, we have high HPV prevalence, high cervical cancer so a lot of work needs to be done at a grassroots level so that we can actually combat this disease.” 

Doctors Simon and David Emvula provide health services to underprivileged communities, together with the Be Free/Break Free program — an initiative of former first lady Monica Geingos — in Namibia’s largest township of Katutura. They are advocating for the rollout of the HPV vaccine for girls between the ages of 9 and 14, before they become sexually active. 

Emvula said that during one screening in Windhoek on Saturday, they treated more than 100 patients, screening girls and women for HPV, cervical cancer, fibroids and other sexually transmitted infections  and sexually transmitted diseases.  

Emvula spoke to VOA at his practice in Windhoek. 

“The turnout was actually beyond what we expected and once again it was an eye-opener … that there is definitely a need for that,” said Emvula. 

Emvula said HPV vaccination is among the most effective ways to prevent cervical cancer but the government of Namibia is lagging. 

HPV vaccines have been introduced in 129 countries worldwide and the Namibian government has endorsed the rollout of the vaccines for girls ages 9 to 14. Despite promises made as reported by VOA last year, the vaccines have not yet been made available. 

Namibia’s executive director of health, Ben Nangombe, could not be reached for comment.
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Lavrov echoes debunked Kremlin narratives to justify war, undermine NATO

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s mid-January press conference “on the performance of Russian diplomacy in 2024” was filled with false and misleading claims, many previously debunked, highlighting the Kremlin’s broader disinformation tactics.

Russia’s disinformation aims to legitimize its war, undermine NATO and erode Western support for Ukraine. By targeting domestic and international audiences — especially skeptics of U.S. policy — it seeks to shape perceptions, distort historical facts and create false equivalencies. The goal is to justify aggression while portraying Ukraine as illegitimate and extremist.

NATO expansion

Lavrov falsely claims that NATO promised not to expand eastward.

“We have long lost hope that Western countries will fulfill their promises and obligations, including NATO’s non-expansion to the east, refraining from luring Ukraine into NATO,” he said.

In reality, NATO has always maintained an “open door policy,” allowing any state to join if it meets membership requirements. No treaty ever restricted NATO expansion. In 2014, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev confirmed the West never promised the Soviet Union otherwise. In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton rejected a “gentlemen’s agreement” with Russian President Boris Yeltsin to bar former Soviet republics from joining NATO.

These facts disprove Lavrov’s claims that NATO broke any commitments to Russia, exposing the Kremlin’s use of disinformation to justify its foreign policy and aggression against Ukraine.

Claim that invasion was defensive

Lavrov on Jan. 14 also falsely claimed that Russia’s war against Ukraine is defensive and aimed at protecting Russian-speaking populations.

“Despite the Minsk agreements, [Ukraine] bombed these people [in Donbas], who should have been granted a special status in accordance with the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions,” he said. “After years of explaining this … we ultimately launched the special military operation to protect our security interests and the interests of the Russian people in Ukraine.”

This false narrative has been challenged consistently. The international community, including the United Nations, has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an act of aggression violating international law. Investigations have found no credible evidence supporting claims of systemic oppression of Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine that would justify such military intervention.

United Nations data shows civilian casualties in Donbas steadily declined before Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion, contradicting claims of a “humanitarian” mission. Experts have repeatedly demonstrated the war is not about protection but constitutes genocide against Ukrainians, exposing the Kremlin’s disinformation to justify aggression.

Zelenskyy’s legitimacy

Lavrov falsely called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidency the product of a coup, though he won a democratic election, which even Russia initially recognized.

“[T]he current Ukrainian regime, which came to power through an illegal anti-constitutional coup,” he said during the Jan. 14 press conference.

Zelenskyy’s democratic election — like that of his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko — was recognized globally, including by Russia. Before Poroshenko, Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine during the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, not due to a coup, but amid mass protests.

Despite Russian claims of U.S. involvement, no credible evidence links the protests to foreign orchestration.

‘Self-determination’ of Crimea, Donbas

Lavrov falsely claimed that Crimea and Donbas left Ukraine legally.

“The right to self-determination underpins the decisions made by residents of Crimea in 2014 and by residents of Novorossiya and Donbass in 2022,” he said.

Russia’s annexations violate international law, as the referendums were conducted under military occupation without legal legitimacy.

Crimea, Donbas and other territories temporarily occupied by Russia are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. The right to self-determination does not grant any group the automatic right to secede, particularly through force or foreign intervention.

Russia’s own constitution denies the right to secession, reinforcing that self-determination is subordinate to state sovereignty. This was affirmed in two decisions by the Russian Constitutional Court, prioritizing territorial integrity over international self-determination principles.

Moreover, in Putin’s Russia, advocating for national self-determination can lead to criminal penalties. The 2022 invasion revealed Moscow’s imperial ambitions, denying Ukraine’s existence and history. Russia forcibly deported Ukrainian children, leading the OSCE to label Russia a colonial empire rejecting rights to indigenous peoples.

Ukraine leadership called ‘Nazi regime’

Lavrov falsely called the current political regime of Ukraine a Nazi organization.

“[T]he issue of [Ukraine’s accession to] NATO must be taken off the table, and the Russian speakers’ language, religious and other rights, which Zelensky’s Nazi regime has outlawed, must be restored.”

The Kremlin falsely claims Ukraine is a Nazi state, ignoring the fact that ultranationalist groups in Ukraine, like Svoboda, have limited popular support and political power. Svoboda’s influence has diminished, receiving only 2.15% of the vote in 2019. In contrast, ultranationalists in Russia have significant influence on state and military policies, affecting domestic and foreign agendas.

Alleged ban on Russian language

Lavrov also repeated the fallacious allegation that the Russian language is barred in Ukraine.

“They [Ukraine] enacted a law banning the Russian language long before the special military operation started. … The Russian language has been totally outlawed.”

No law banned Russian in Ukraine, rather, policies promoted the Ukrainian language while still allowing Russian usage.

In July 2012, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada passed a law granting Russian “regional language” status in areas where Russian speakers exceeded 10%. While opposition members argued it diminished Ukrainian, some regions, including Donbas, recognized Russian as the official language.

After Yanukovych fled in February 2014, the law was repealed, but acting President Oleksandr Turchynov declined to approve the repeal. It stayed in effect until 2018, when Ukraine’s Constitutional Court struck it down. This was part of Ukraine’s effort to strengthen its national identity and limit Russia’s post-Soviet influence.

Accusations of TurkStream sabotage

Lavrov also falsely accused the United States and Ukraine of targeting the TurkStream gas pipeline, claiming Washington is encouraging Ukraine to sabotage the pipeline.

“[T]he U.S. has given the green light to terrorist attacks designed to undermine EU’s wellbeing in terms of energy supplies,” he said. “Now, they are encouraging their Ukrainian clients to put the TurkStream out of operation, just as they did with the Nord Stream pipelines.”

No concrete evidence has been provided to substantiate these allegations, making such claims speculative and misleading.
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Is Venezuelan oil ‘desirable’ for the US or is it not needed, as Trump says?

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Venezuela exported millions of barrels of its heavy oil to the U.S. until the economic sanctions of 2019. Its purchase resumed two years ago. Experts explain the characteristics of this crude oil, while Donald Trump says that he will “probably” stop buying it.

Click here for the full story in Spanish.
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Trump’s executive orders on gender draw mixed reaction across Africa

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ABUJA, NIGERIA — Conservatives across Africa applauded U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders Monday regarding gender and diversity, while gay rights activists and the LGBTQ community on the continent are expressing deep concern.

On his first day as the 47th U.S. president, Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders, including some that reversed policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

These included orders revoking some protections for transgender people and defining the sexes strictly as male and female.

Trump’s actions sparked a mix of reactions throughout Africa.

Some, like Bishop John Praise Daniel, vice president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, welcomed Trump’s moves.

“I’m very excited,” he said “I think Donald Trump has just done what is right, because how can some young persons wake up and say, ‘I don’t feel like being a girl, I want to be a boy,’ and their sexes will be changed. We don’t need that confusion. Bringing back righteousness, order and sanity to society.”

But while many in Africa’s conservative societies are in support, LGBTQ activists strongly opposed the decision, calling it a setback after years of progress and advocacy.

Frank Ejiogu, founder of Creme de la Creme, a Nigerian LGBTQ advocacy group, warned of serious consequences.

“We know this will have ripple effects that might catalyze violence against LGBTQ community members in the Global South, which will boil down to discrimination, assault, and a lot of [restrictive] policies that governments will start enacting,” he said.

Ejiogu said LGBTQ activists already are planning how to resist such measures.

“We’re strategizing on how to stand firm on what we believe in and for the community,” he said. “[Trump] can only be there for four years. The only thing we promise ourselves all over the globe and in the Global South is to making sure that we fight back against the policies against LGBTQ communities all around the world.”

Members of the LGBTQ community already face harsh penalties in many African countries.

In Nigeria, same-sex relationships are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Uganda’s constitutional court upheld a life sentence for homosexuality offenders last year, while Mali’s junta criminalized homosexuality with imprisonment in December.
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US withdrawals from WHO, Paris Agreement met with regret, calls for reversal

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Geneva — United Nations agencies say the imminent U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and Paris climate agreement will have serious consequences for global health and efforts to slow down climate change.

“The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the organization,” the WHO said Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration Monday that he intends to quit the U.N. health agency.

“WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go,” it stated.

In explaining his decision, Trump accused the agency of being subject to “inappropriate political influence” from other member states.  “World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” he said in signing an executive order Monday, hours after his inauguration.

In responding to the allegations, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told journalists at a briefing in Geneva Tuesday that the United States, which was one of the founding members of WHO in 1948, had over seven decades together with the WHO, “saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats.”

“Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication,” he said.

The United States is the WHO’s single largest donor. It contributed $1.284 billion or 18 percent of the agency’s 2022-2023 budget.

Jasaravic said the U.S. decision was not unexpected and the WHO was now analyzing the exact details of Trump’s executive order “to see how this will play out and to see what will be the consequences.”

He noted that the United States can formally leave the WHO and stop financing the organization one year after the United Nations receives official written notice of U.S. withdrawal.

He said the WHO hopes the United States will reconsider its decision and maintain the U.S.-WHO partnership “for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.”

“At the same time, we will continue to work in the world’s most difficult places,” including countries in conflict, “so we can protect the most vulnerable and be where people need us the most,” he said.

“The world lives longer, healthier, perhaps a little bit happier because of WHO, which goes to places where others cannot go, including Gaza, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Sudan,” Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, said in support of the beleaguered agency.

In the meantime, U.N. officials have called the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement “a major disappointment,” noting that the world’s nations had adopted the accord because they recognized “the immense harm that climate change is already causing and the enormous opportunity that climate action presents.”

Antonio Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, said that it was “crucial that the United States remains a leader on environmental issues” in this critical decade for climate action.

The World Meteorological Organization has warned that “climate change is playing out, on an almost daily basis, through more extreme weather.”

A recent WMO report finds the last 10 years have been the hottest in recorded history, and that 2024 was the hottest year on record, with temperatures at about 1.55 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era.

“Every fraction of a degree of global warming has an impact on our economies and our lives,” Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson said, adding that “The U.S. accounts for the lion’s share of global economic losses from weather, climate and water-related hazards.”

According to the non-profit USAFacts, “nearly 40 percent of the billion-dollar climate events that have hit the U.S. since 1980 happened between 2017 and the present day.” The data-gathering organization says that “2023 had the most billion-dollar natural disaster events of any year to date.”

Nullis pointed out Tuesday that the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires are “estimated to be the most costly U.S. disaster on record.”

“Not all of these weather-related disasters, you know, have a connection with climate change.  We are not saying that…but climate change is an aggravating factor.  It is making our weather much more, much more extreme,” she said.  “So, you know, the need for the Paris Agreement is pretty obvious.”
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Trump repeat of need to take control of Greenland raises concerns, stirs debate

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NUUK, GREENLAND — U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his assertion Monday that the United States needs to take control of Greenland from Denmark in the interests of “international security.”

His repeated calls in recent weeks are raising concerns and stirring debate among the Arctic island’s 57,000-strong population as well as alarm among the United States’ European allies.

“Greenland is a wonderful place. We need it for international security. And I’m sure that Denmark will come along,” the president said.

“The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark, as you know. I think they are happy with us. … My son and representatives went up there two weeks ago, and they like us. So, we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, hours after his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.

Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, on Jan. 7, where he handed out “Make America Great Again” baseball caps and had lunch with a group of locals before returning to the U.S. a few hours later.

At a press conference in Florida the same day, President-elect Trump said he refused to rule out using economic or military force to take control of Greenland.

‘Not for sale’

Denmark and its European allies have offered a cautious response, emphasising the need to respect international sovereignty while trying not to offend Trump.

Greenland already has a high degree of independence, although Denmark retains responsibility for the island’s security affairs.

Naaja Nathanielsen, a senior minister in Greenland’s autonomous government, gave a simple response to Trump’s comments.  “We are not a commodity. And we are not for sale,” she told VOA.

Nevertheless, Nathanielsen sees common ground with Washington.

“If you cut through the rhetoric, I hear two messages from the U.S.,” she said. “One is we need to look at the national security aspect, and we quite agree with the U.S. message in that point. We’ve been trying to advocate for that as well for some years. And the other perspective is, and the other message I hear is, we want to engage more in the Greenlandic mineral sector. And that is really, you know, kicking in an open door.”

Political change

Greenland is due to hold a general election by April at the latest. The government wants a simultaneous referendum on full independence from Denmark.

“Greenlanders themselves must decide what our future looks like,” Greenlandic Premier Mute Egede said during a live televised debate on Sunday with political leaders from Denmark and Greenland. “We have said very precisely that Greenland — and us in this country — do not want to be Americans. We don’t want to be Danes either. We are Greenlanders,” he said.

After centuries of Danish control, the political winds of change in Greenland are getting stronger, according to Arnaq Nielsen, opinion editor at Greenland’s weekly Sermitsiaq newspaper.

“Everything is about the visit of Trump Junior, and when you meet people, it’s all we talk about,” Nielsen told VOA in an interview at the Sermitsiaq newsroom in Nuuk.

“This situation is evolving so quickly. Now it’s about a lot more than the complicated relationship between Denmark and Greenland. Suddenly Trump Junior is here, and it all explodes. It’s hard to figure out what is going on.”

“It’s a small number of people here who are really happy that Trump Junior came to Greenland. And a small number of people really resent him coming here. But the large majority are not that loud because only the two extremes are being heard,” Nielsen said.

Social media

Those extremes are being amplified by social media. YouTube influencers have followed Trump Junior’s visit to Greenland, handing out American dollar bills to passers-by, along with baseball caps emblazoned with the slogan “Make Greenland Great Again.” The influencers are not associated with the Trump administration.

Several Greenlanders welcomed the unfamiliar visitors. Others have engaged in angry exchanges. A video posted online last week showed an unidentified local resident tearing up a U.S. currency note and stamping on a red Make Greenland Great Again baseball cap.

“Do you think you can buy us?” the man said.

Residents of Nuuk who spoke to VOA were divided over the global attention.

“I think we are in a terrible situation,” Nuuk resident Per Chemnitz said. “Our politicians are handling this totally wrong. They have been seduced by something so much bigger than they are able to handle. So, I don’t know where this will end. The worst thing that can happen is that we lose our relationship to Denmark.”

Aka Gronvold, who also lives in the Greenlandic capital, welcomed the Trumps’ intervention.

“Right now, Greenland has the attention of the whole world. That is really good, and it’s about time that Greenland gets some more attention.” Gronvold told VOA.

‘Make Greenland Great Again’

That attention looks set to continue. Republican lawmakers last week introduced a bill titled the Make Greenland Great Again Act, allowing President Trump to start talks with Denmark over purchasing Greenland. It’s not yet clear whether the bill will receive enough support from Congress.

Denmark has echoed Greenland’s assertion that the island is not for sale but said it would welcome greater cooperation with Trump in security and mineral extraction.

Controlling Greenland comes with a cost, noted analyst Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen of the Royal Danish Defense College.

“If the U.S. went in and were to acquire Greenland, they would suddenly also have to pay the bill for running Greenlandic society — a bill that’s being covered by the Danish government right now and which runs along the lines of U.S. $750 million to U.S. $1 billion a year,” Rahbek-Clemmensen said.

“[The U.S.] gets all its interests, and it doesn’t have to pay the bill. And so, geopolitically speaking, it doesn’t really make that much sense to change that situation. So, if I were to explain why Trump has an interest in Greenland… I would say that it probably has to do with the whole ideology of Make America Great Again,” he told VOA.

“In this situation. acquiring Greenland would literally make the U.S. greater — or at least bigger,” he said.
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Over 20 killed in clash between security forces, Islamic State fighters in Somalia

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WASHINGTON — Over 20 people were killed and more than 10 others wounded during two days of fighting between Islamic State fighters and security forces from Somalia’s Puntland region, officials said Tuesday.

In an interview with VOA’s Somali Service, a spokesperson for Puntland security operations, Brigadier General Mohamud Mohamed Ahmed, said that 15 Islamic State militants and seven Puntland soldiers were killed in the clashes Sunday and Monday.

Ahmed said IS fighters used improvised explosive devices to protect their hideouts near the Ufeyn area. As soldiers were clearing landmines, one of the devices exploded, killing six soldiers and wounding three, he said.

The spokesperson said that during the operation, soldiers killed eight Islamic State militants.

Ahmed said the latest military operation, which centered around the Cal Miskat mountains in the Bari region, continued through Monday.

“On Monday, our soldiers encountered the terrorist fighters around Laba-Afle area, killing seven of them. One of our soldiers was also killed and four others injured,” he said.

Residents, who requested anonymity fearing for their lives, told VOA they saw the bodies of militants strewn along the roads leading into the Cal Miskat mountains.

Puntland began a military offensive last month against extremist groups in the region following months of preparations.

The region’s leader, Said Abdullahi Deni, appealed to the public to support the operation, which he said is aimed at dislodging the Islamic State militants from their hideouts in mountainous areas.

Puntland has endured terrorist attacks perpetrated by al-Shabab and Islamic State militants, but the ongoing military operation appears to be focused on IS.

The group has a relatively small presence in Somalia compared to the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, but experts have warned of growing activity.

U.S. military officials and Somali security experts reported that IS increased its membership numbers in Somalia last year.

The group was previously estimated to have between 100 and 400 fighters, but Somali security and intelligence experts estimate their current numbers to be 500 to 600 militants.

Most of the newcomers are said to be from the Middle East and eastern and northern Africa.

IS in Somalia was formed in October 2015 by a group of former al-Shabab fighters led by the cleric Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin, who reportedly pledged allegiance to the late IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Mumin appears to have survived a U.S. airstrike on May 31, 2024.

A United Nations counterterrorism official last year warned of increased attacks by Islamic State affiliates in Somalia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Indonesia seeks to counter global rivalries as full BRICS member, pushes for UN reform

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JAKARTA — Indonesia’s admission this month to the BRICS developing-country bloc, started by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, marks an expansion of the group to Southeast Asia.

Jakarta’s admission, which follows last year’s addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, was announced January 6 by Brazil, the group’s presiding member. In October, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam became partner countries – meaning they are interested in becoming BRICS members but have not yet been accepted for full membership.

Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian country that has been accepted as a full member.

Teuku Rezasyah, a professor of diplomacy and foreign policy at Indonesia’s Universitas Padjajaran, said membership will allow Indonesia to work with other influential countries with substantial populations to reform multilateral organizations such as the United Nations.

“Currently, Russia and China are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. However, BRICS has become a strong foundation for Indonesia to generate support from countries like India, Brazil and South Africa in order to push through reforms of the U.N. Security Council,” he told VOA January 15.

Rezasyah said there have not been significant structural changes in the United Nations for 80 years.

The Security Council’s five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – have veto power and they are “mostly Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian civilizations,” he said.

“The world’s first and fourth largest country by population which is India and Indonesia, who represent large Hindu and Muslim populations, are not always represented well in the Security Council,” he said.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Roy Soemirat pointed to areas in which Jakarta would like to see changes at the U.N.

“Indonesia continues to push for revitalizing the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. There need to be changes in the working methods, limited use of veto power, and improve the issue of representation at the Security Council. The Security Council was last expanded from 11 to 15 countries in the 1970s. As more countries join the United Nations, the composition of the Security Council needs to change,” he told VOA January 18.

He added that Indonesia has been active in U.N. working groups on U.N. reforms, particularly as a nonpermanent Security Council member from 2019 to 2020. The United Nations unanimously agreed to push for improving regulations on using veto power in 2015. Along with France and Mexico, Indonesia has urged Security Council countries to be more transparent and voluntarily explain their reasons for a veto, Roy added.

Aspirations to reform the United Nations

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono, in his annual address January 10, cited a lack of respect for international law and the U.N. Charter, saying the global economic architecture does not meet the modern challenges and needs most countries face.

Indonesia was one of the first countries to call for U.N. reforms, in a 1960 speech to the General Assembly by then-President Sukarno.

Mohammad Faisal, executive director of the Center of Reform on Economics, a Jakarta research group, said it will “still be a long way to truly reform the United Nations,” but that “the growing power of the emerging countries, including those under BRICS, will at least, make it more balanced.”

“So, the voices of the emerging and developing countries can be heard more optimally in the global arena,” he said.

Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, a foreign Spokesman of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, was quoted by Antara wire service that he believes that the U.N. Security Council reform is essential because can make decisions that all member states must follow. However, there is no agreement among U.N. member states on a system for change.

Some member states propose changing the veto right, while others propose permanent or semipermanent member status.

Dinna Prapto Raharja, senior policy advisor at Synergy Policies – a public policy consulting firm – and a tenured Associate Professor in international relations noted developing countries’ various positions on U.N. reform.

“Everybody has their own champion of who should be the new permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, for instance. How the U.N. Security Council veto can be ended and who should get veto power. That’s why I think Indonesia has to come up with an idea for U.N. reform that is really feasible to achieve,” she said.

The foreign affairs ministry emphasized the importance of BRICS as a platform for voices of the Global South.

“BRICS is an important platform for Indonesia to strengthen South-South cooperation, ensuring that the voices and aspirations of Global South countries are heard and represented in the global decision-making process. We are fully dedicated to working together with all BRICS members, or with other parties, to create a just, peaceful, and prosperous world.” the ministry said in a January 7 press statement.

There are also concerns among members of the House of Representatives, Indonesia’s unicameral national legislature, and international relations analysts, that by joining BRICS, Indonesia is drawing closer to Russia and China while distancing itself from Western powers such as the United States and the European Union.

Vinsensio Dugis, head of the ASEAN Studies Research Center at Universitas Airlangga in Indonesia, said he is concerned that Western countries consider BRICS to be a forum led by China and Russia to oppose Western political and economic interests, which could cause Western countries to withhold future investment in Indonesia.

Combined, BRICS has a population of 3.5 billion people or 45% of the global population. Not including Indonesia, the economies of BRICS countries account for around 28% of the global economy. It is often perceived as challenging the political and economic dominance of rich and powerful countries in North America and western Europe.

Apart from reforming the United Nations, Indonesia said it is ready to send more peacekeeping forces to Gaza.

Soemirat, speaking before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect Sunday, called the prolonged conflict in Gaza “an example of the U.N. Security Council’s failure to quickly fulfil its mandate to maintain international peace and security based on the U.N. Charter.”

Sugiono, in a January 16 posting on X, expressed hope that the ceasefire agreement that had been reached could be “a momentum to push for peace in Palestine.”
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China seeks more cooperation with US as Trump takes office

Posted on by SeeUS

Taipei, Taiwan — China has urged the United States to focus on managing bilateral relationships through cooperation instead of confrontation as U.S. President Donald Trump kicks off his second term in office. 

“China is willing to work with the new U.S. government to maintain communication, strengthen cooperation, properly manage differences, and push China-U.S. relations to make greater progress from a new starting point,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during the regular press conference on Tuesday in Beijing. 

Analysts say Beijing hopes to reduce misunderstandings between both sides through engagement and exchanges in the early stage of the second Trump presidency. 

“The Chinese government hopes China and the U.S. could understand each other’s needs through communication,” said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations scholar. 

“Beijing believes China and the U.S. can still reach a consensus and avoid many misunderstandings that have arisen during the first Trump presidency” if both sides prioritize efforts to stabilize bilateral relations, he told VOA by phone. 

Ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Monday, China and Trump’s team conducted several top-level exchanges, including a call between the new U.S. president and Chinese President Xi Jinping last Friday. 

Trump said he and Xi would “solve many problems together” while the Chinese president said the key to handling bilateral relations was to “respect each other’s core interests and major concerns and to find a proper solution to the problem.”

On Sunday, China’s Vice President Han Zheng, who was in Washington, D.C., to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony, met with his American counterpart JD Vance, and a group of American business leaders, including Tesla founder Elon Musk.

He said China and the U.S. could “contribute to each other’s progress, bring benefits to the two countries, and make important contributions to world peace and development” as long as they “uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”

Additionally, Han urged U.S. businesses to “play an active role as a bridge and make greater contribution to the development of China-U.S. relations” by continuing to “invest and take root in China.” 

Experts say Beijing wants to seize the opportunity to improve bilateral relations with Washington through these initial engagements with the Trump administration. 

Beijing “would not only prefer to avoid increased sanctions but also the potential for greater limitations on tech exports to China,” said Timothy Rich, a political scientist at Western Kentucky University. 

While the Chinese government has expressed willingness to cooperate with the Trump administration, the U.S. president has also held off the imposition of tariffs on imported goods from China, Mexico, and Canada. 

Instead, he released a broad trade memo that urged the United States Trade Representative to assess China’s compliance with the “Phase 1” trade deal that his administration signed with Beijing in 2020, which required Beijing to increase purchases of U.S. exports by $200 billion over two years.

Additionally, Trump signed an executive order that would delay the ban on the popular social media app TikTok for 75 days but threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese products if Beijing didn’t approve a potential deal with TikTok.

“And if we said, well, ‘You’re not going to approve it’, then that’s a certain hostility, and we’ll put tariffs of 25, 30,40, 50%, even 100%,” Trump said on Monday, after signing the executive order for TikTok.

Rich said Trump’s decision to delay imposing tariffs on Chinese products shows the U.S. president’s desire to “pressure China to make some concessions” that he can declare as a victory. 

“I suspect the talk of sticking it to China will return in the absence of some face-saving concession or if other policies start to falter, as a perceived tough-on-China stance taps into the broader concern among many Americans,” he told VOA in a written response. 

Some Chinese merchants said Trump’s decision to delay the imposition of tariffs on Chinese products allows them to be better prepared for similar scenarios in the future. 

“I am finding other ways to export products to my American customers by shifting operations to Southeast Asia,” a Chinese apparel exporter surnamed Yuan in Shanghai, who asked to be identified only by his last name due to security concerns, told VOA in a written response. 

While Trump’s incoming cabinet includes several politicians known for their hawkish stance on China, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, analysts say it’s unclear how the Trump administration’s China policies will shape up. 

“The ultimate decision-maker is Trump, and if China gives Trump what he thinks he needs, those hawkish people and their beliefs will quickly be sidelined and they may not have influence on U.S.-China policy,” Dexter Roberts, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, told VOA by phone. 

Despite the lack of clarity on the Trump administration’s China policies, Shen in Shanghai said official comments from Beijing and Washington suggest their initial exchanges have been “quite positive.” 

“This might mean there would be less misunderstandings and I think both sides won’t waste this new opportunity to engage with each other,” he told VOA.
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EU, China warn against trade friction at Davos after Trump return 

Posted on by SeeEU

Davos, Switzerland — EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declared Tuesday that Europe was ready to negotiate with the United States and seek to improve ties with China as Beijing warned against damaging trade wars in the face of Donald Trump’s protectionism.

Trump returned to the White House on Monday, and while he may not be physically present in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos, he is the elephant in the room for the executives and leaders hobnobbing at the annual World Economic Forum.

With Beijing and Brussels facing some of the biggest risks from the return of self-professed tariff-loving Trump, China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took to the stage first at the forum.

“Protectionism leads nowhere and there are no winners in a trade war,” Ding said, without mentioning Trump directly.

Trump threatened on Monday to impose tariffs if Beijing rejects his proposal to keep Chinese-owned app TikTok online on condition that half of it is sold off.

China is taking a cautious approach to Trump and after the TikTok threat, Beijing said it hoped the United States would provide a fair business environment for Chinese firms.

After Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to Trump by phone on Friday, he said he hoped for a “good start” to relations with the new US administration.

Meanwhile, von der Leyen took a conciliatory tone. She said the EU’s “first priority will be to engage early, discuss common interests and be ready to negotiate” with Trump.

“We will be pragmatic but we will always stand by our principles, to protect our interests and uphold our values,” she said.

The European Commission president also stressed that Europe “must engage constructively with China – to find solutions in our mutual interest” despite escalating trade tensions between the two.

Brussels has provoked Beijing’s ire with a raft of probes targeting state subsidies in the green tech sector, as well as slapping tariffs on Chinese electric cars.

In an apparent reference to the European Union measures, Ding warned against “erecting green barriers that could disrupt normal economic and trade cooperation.”

More trade deals

On the campaign trail, Trump said he would impose extra customs duties on allies including the EU, as well as on China.

After his inauguration, Trump raised the possibility of imposing 25-percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Von der Leyen reiterated her commitment to free trade during her speech, pointing to recent EU deals with Switzerland, the South American bloc Mercosur and Mexico.

She also said she and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to “upgrade” their partnership.

Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, which von de Leyen defended as the “best hope for all humanity” and vowed: “Europe will stay the course.”

Ukraine is also keeping a very close eye on what Trump’s second mandate will involve.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to call on world leaders and company executives to maintain – and ramp up – their support for his country’s war against Russia.

Zelensky said on Monday he was hopeful Trump would help achieve a “just peace.”

Embattled German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was also to address the Davos forum, likely his last as leader ahead of elections next month.

Also speaking on Tuesday will be conservative leader Friedrich Merz, the favorite to succeed him as chancellor.

‘Better understand’ Trump

Middle East conflicts will likewise be high on the agenda as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani speak in separate sessions during the first full day of the forum.

As a fragile ceasefire holds in the Israel-Hamas war, the WEF will host a discussion on how to improve aid delivery to the Palestinian territory of Gaza and how to kickstart the reconstruction and recovery after heavy bombardment.

Despite suggestions Trump’s return would overshadow the forum that began on the same day as his inauguration in Washington, WEF President Borge Brende said the US leader had brought fresh attention to the gathering.

“It has increased the interest in Davos because people feel they need to come together to better understand what’s on its way,” Brende told AFP in an interview.

 
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Firefighters brace for ‘dangerous’ windy, dry conditions in southern California

Posted on by SeeUS

Fire authorities in southern California positioned crews and equipment ready to respond Tuesday to new wildfires as forecasters warned of dangerous fire conditions featuring dry air and strong winds.

The National Weather Service said the particular window of concern was through late morning Tuesday, with the possibility of wind gusts reaching 160 kilometers per hour in areas to the north and northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

“Everyone needs to be on high alert,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesperson Brice Bennett said in a statement Monday that his agency — with help from federal, local and tribal firefighting agencies — have more than 2,500 people and has prepositioned equipment for quick deployment to combat any new outbreaks.

At least 27 people have died in a series of wildfires across the Los Angeles area during the past two weeks as Santa Ana winds mixed with dry conditions on the ground to quickly spread blazes.

The two largest fires are still burning, including the Palisades Fire near the coast on the western side of Los Angeles and the Eaton Fire in the foothills to the north of the city.

The Palisades Fire was 61% contained and has burned about 96 square kilometers, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire was 87% contained after burning 57 square kilometers.

Together, the fires have destroyed 14,000 structures since Jan. 7.

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday designed to protect Southern California residents from landslides and flooding. The order suspends some rules and regulations and speeds up the removal of debris that, if not removed promptly, could result in landslides, mudslides and flash floods.

“This order helps keep our emergency response focused on protecting communities, not permits and paperwork,” Newsom said.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press

 
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Fire at ski resort in Turkey leaves 10 dead, 32 hurt

Posted on by SeeEU

ANKARA, Turkey — A fire at a ski resort hotel overnight killed at least 10 people and injured 32 others in northwestern Turkey, authorities said on Tuesday, as TV footage showed crews fighting flames and smoke that engulfed the 11-story building.

The blaze began on the restaurant floor of the hotel at Bolu’s Kartalkaya ski resort at around 3:30 a.m. local time, Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told state broadcaster TRT.

He said there were 234 guests at the Grand Kartal Hotel, which has a broad wooden exterior.

The fire comes at the beginning of a nationwide two-week school holiday, a time when skiers from nearby Istanbul and Ankara usually head to the Bolu mountains.

TV footage showed several fire engines surrounding the charred hotel at the base of the ski slopes, with white bed sheets tied together and dangling from one upper-floor window.

The death toll had risen to 10, with 32 injured, from an earlier lower count, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X, adding more than 250 first responders attended to the incident.

Investigators were looking into what caused the blaze, authorities said.
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China, EU, Ukraine leaders take Davos stage under Trump shadow

Posted on by SeeEA

Davos, Switzerland — With Donald Trump back as US president with his confrontational style, Chinese, European and Ukrainian leaders are expected to defend global cooperation on Tuesday at the annual gathering of the world’s elites in Davos.

There will no doubt be a Trump-sized elephant in the rooms at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss Alpine resort. even if some leaders avoid saying his name — although the man will speak himself by video link on Thursday.

Trump returned to the White House on Monday, bringing with him a more protectionist administration and fears he will deliver on promises to slap heavy tariffs on China and U.S. allies including Canada and the European Union.

In his inaugural address, he vowed Washington will “tariff and tax foreign countries.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will kick the day off.

She appeared, in a post on X as she arrived in Davos, to give a taste of what to expect, defending the “need to work together to avoid a global race to the bottom” and wanting to “forge new partnerships.”

China, Ukraine

China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang — also a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s apex of power that rules the country — will speak immediately after von der Leyen.

China is taking a cautious approach to Trump. After Chinese President Xi Jinping’s conversation with Trump by phone on Friday, he said he hoped for a “good start” to relations with the new administration.

Although Trump said he would undertake sweeping trade penalties against China, he has also indicated he wants to improve ties — and even stepped in to reverse a U.S. ban of Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok on national security grounds.

Ukraine meanwhile is keeping a very close eye on what Trump’s second mandate will involve.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to call on world leaders and company executives to maintain — and even ramp up — their support for his country’s fight against Russia.

Zelenskyy on Monday said he is hopeful Trump will help achieve a “just peace.”

European ‘struggle’

Europeans are set to dominate the forum’s key speeches here on Tuesday.

Embattled German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will address the forum, likely his last as leader ahead of elections next month. Also speaking on Tuesday will be conservative leader Friedrich Merz, the favorite to succeed him as German chancellor.

Europeans are fretting the most about Trump’s return while countries from Brazil to China and India to Turkey believe he will be good for their countries and global peace, according to a survey last week from the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

The report accompanying the survey of over 28,500 people across 24 countries serves as a warning for European leaders to act cautiously.

“Europeans will struggle to find internal unity or global power in leading an outright resistance to the new administration,” the ECFR report’s authors said.

‘Better understand’ Trump

Middle East conflicts will also be high on the agenda as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani speak in separate sessions during the first full day of the forum.

As a fragile ceasefire holds in the Israel-Hamas war, the forum will host a discussion on how to improve aid delivery to the Palestinian territory of Gaza and how to kickstart the reconstruction and recovery after heavy bombardment.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will also deliver a special address on Tuesday, as the African continent’s most industrialized country shows it is open for business.

Despite suggestions Trump’s return would overshadow the forum that began on the same day as his inauguration in Washington, WEF President Borge Brende said the president had brought fresh interest to the gathering.

“It has increased the interest in Davos because people feel they need to come together to better understand what’s on its way,” Brende told AFP in an interview.
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In day steeped with tradition, Donald Trump is sworn in

Posted on by SeeUS

WASHINGTON — Amid frigid temperatures in the nation’s capital, the peaceful transfer of power from one presidential administration to the next took place Monday.

The inauguration events, starting with a church service and culminating in an oath and inaugural speech at the Capitol building, were attended by former presidents and their families, foreign dignitaries, and tech billionaires.

Members of the “press pool” — a group of reporters, photographers and video journalists — were on hand to capture the day’s events for the media outlets that make up the White House Correspondents’ Association.

Through the press pool, accredited journalists take turns covering the president’s daily activities to ensure 24-7 coverage of the American leader. VOA White House correspondent Misha Komadovsky was assigned to Monday morning’s inaugural events.

“Today, I’ll be your eyes and ears during the first steps of Donald Trump’s inauguration,” Komadovsky emailed at around 8 a.m. local time as part of his assignments.

 

The pool report had noted that the inaugural events were to follow a traditional course: a morning church service and a meeting between the outgoing and incoming first families before traveling to the inauguration.

The service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Park across from the White House has been a part of inauguration events since 1933, when Franklin D. Roosevelt attended a service before being sworn in as the 32nd president.

Trump, as the 47th U.S. president, followed in his predecessors’ footsteps. He and first lady Melania Trump sat in the front row of the church, alongside his vice president, JD Vance, and second lady Usha Vance.

Melania Trump wore a navy suit by New York-based designer Adam Lippes, paired with a wide-brimmed hat by American designer, Eric Javits.

Dressing the first lady was an honor, Javits said, adding that his background in art has informed his ability to bring “harmony and balance to the face” with his designs.

In Melania Trump’s case, he told the AP, the designing was not difficult because the first lady is “blessed with great bone structure, beauty and a wonderful sense of style.”

Also attending Monday’s service — which took place the same day that the U.S. marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day — were members of the Trump family, including his children Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany and Barron Trump. Individuals whom the president has nominated for key roles in his administration also filled the pews, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel and Marco Rubio.

Foreign dignitaries were also present. Leaders seen by the press pool included President Javier Milei of Argentina, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, and Britain’s former Conservative Party prime minister Boris Johnson.

Some of the world’s richest individuals were also there, including Elon Musk of Tesla, social media platform X, and SpaceX; Apple CEO Tim Cook; and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew attended the service, as did media personality Tucker Carlson.

TikTok had briefly gone offline Saturday evening following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding a law ordering the Chinese social media platform to sell to an American owner. Trump indicated he planned a “joint venture” to allow TikTok to operate.

Service was restored on Sunday, with a message to users that said that “as a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”

Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who earlier this month was held in contempt of court twice over a defamation case stemming from Trump’s failed 2020 election, was also spotted at the service.

Giuliani last Thursday settled the $148 million defamation judgment granted to two election workers in the U.S. state of Georgia.

During Monday’s 25-minute church service, the choir sang “America the Beautiful.” After the service concluded, Trump walked down the aisle, greeting guests along the way. He was seen patting Milei of Argentina on the shoulder.

Next, keeping with tradition, outgoing President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden met with the incoming president and first lady at the White House.

The First Families shared tea in the White House Blue Room before departing together for the U.S. Capitol.

Because of extreme cold weather, the inauguration was held inside the Capitol rotunda, with music from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Combined Choir and the U.S. Marine Band. Opera singer Christopher D. Macchio sang “Oh, America!” and singer Carrie Underwood performed “America the Beautiful” with the Armed Forces Chorus and U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club.

Former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were on hand for the inauguration, along with many members of the church service congregation and the Trump family, as faith leaders offered prayers.

Tech billionaires including Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were spotted at the inauguration, alongside the president’s supporters and U.S. lawmakers.

Chief Justice John Roberts swore in the 47th president, on a Bible held by Melania Trump. The president was flanked by his children.

Following the oath of office, a luncheon took place, followed by a military troop review and parade.

As the ceremonial swearing in took place, new staffers at the White House were seen moving into their new offices and unpacking images of the president and first lady.
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Newly sworn-in President Trump calls for ‘revolution of common sense’

Posted on by SeeUS

Donald Trump called for a “revolution of common sense” in his inaugural speech Monday. The swearing in of the 47th president of the United States marked his remarkable return to power since losing his second term bid to Joe Biden in 2020. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
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World leaders congratulate Trump on inauguration

Posted on by SeeEU

World leaders on Monday are congratulating President Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among those who congratulated Trump.

“President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and just peace, which is a top priority,” Zelenskyy said.

The third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war is approaching at the end of February.

Trump previously promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day after becoming president, or even before his inauguration. More recently, Trump advisers have said resolving the conflict will now take months or even longer.

Trump has voiced skepticism of continued U.S. military support for Kyiv.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also congratulated President Trump.

“I believe that working together again will raise the U.S.-Israeli alliance to even greater heights,” Netanyahu said.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began Sunday, just one day before Trump assumed the presidency.

“I look forward to working with you to return the remaining hostages, to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and end its political rule in Gaza, and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu added.

Congratulations also rolled in from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as U.S. allies like Germany, Italy and Britain.

“The U.S. is our closest ally, and the aim of our policy is always a good transatlantic relationship,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pointed to the longtime relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

“For centuries, the relationship between our two nations has been one of collaboration, cooperation and enduring partnership,” Starmer said. “With President Trump’s longstanding affection and historical ties to the United Kingdom, I know that depth of friendship will continue.”

And Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who attended the inauguration at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, said she is “certain that the friendship between our nations and the values that unite us will continue to strengthen the cooperation between Italy and the USA.”

But not all of the messages were congratulatory.

Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino rejected a portion of Trump’s inaugural address, in which Trump reaffirmed his desire to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal.

The United States fully ceded control of the strategically important canal to Panama in 1999.

“On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I must fully reject the words outlined by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its canal in his inaugural speech,” Mulino said in a statement.

Some information in this report came from Reuters.
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East Congo hospital sees ‘influx’ of wounded as conflict escalates

Posted on by SeeAF

GOMA, CONGO — A hospital in Goma has taken in more than 200 wounded since early January as fighting intensifies in eastern Congo, the Red Cross and local sources told AFP Monday. 

In recent weeks, the Congo’s restive east has seen escalating clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 Movement — an armed group backed by Rwanda. 

With the M23 closing in on Goma, the provincial capital’s hospital has had to tend to more and more people hit by the fighting, according to the Red Cross.  

“We have seen an influx of wounded people since the start of January,” Myriam Favier, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in North Kivu province, told AFP. 

“Between the 1 and 21 of December we saw 100 patients (and) between the 1 and 20 January we had 211 patients,” Favier added. 

On Monday the fighting reached the hills of Sake, a town approximately 20 kilometers west of Goma.  

Explosions could be heard from Goma in the morning, according to AFP journalists. 

Since its resurgence in late 2021, the M23 — which claims to defend ethnic Tutsis — has seized vast swathes of the Congo’s mineral-rich east. 

In early January the M23 seized control of Masisi, the administrative capital of Masisi territory located 80 kilometers from Goma.  

‘Most alarming’ 

The Congolese army has since been attempting to retake the city in a counteroffensive that has provoked a fresh wave of displacements. 

More than 230,000 people have fled violence in eastern Congo since the start of the year, the United Nations said Friday, labeling it one of the world’s “most alarming” humanitarian crises. 

Humanitarian charity Doctors Without Borders on Monday said in a statement it was “reiterating” its call for “respect for health and humanitarian facilities.” 

The statement came after two of its workers were “slightly injured when a rocket hit the MSF garage next to the Masisi General Referral hospital [and] … on the same day, another rocket hit a latrine near the hospital.”  

Several security sources told AFP the intensity of the fighting is currently at a level not seen for months, with a high number of deaths and the use of heavy artillery.  

An expert’s report commissioned by the U.N. Security Council said in July that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers had been fighting alongside the M23 rebels and that Kigali had “de facto control” of the group’s operations.
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In photos: Trump inauguration

Posted on by SeeUS

Donald Trump swears in as the 47th president of the United States in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
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Trump seeks return of US military equipment from Afghan Taliban 

Posted on by SeeUS

Ayaz Gul  — President-elect Donald Trump says that future financial assistance to Afghanistan will be contingent upon the return of U.S. military equipment by the Taliban leaders currently in power. 

 

Trump’s remarks at a Sunday rally in Washington on the eve of his January 20 inauguration have heightened uncertainty regarding his administration’s stance on the crisis-hit South Asian nation. 

 

“They [Biden administration] gave billions of billions of dollars to the Taliban. They gave our military equipment, a big chunk of it, to the enemy,” Trump said. He referred to the tumultuous and hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, ordered by President Joe Biden. 

 

“If we’re going to pay billions of dollars a year, tell them we’re not going to give them the money unless they give back our military equipment. … So, we will give them a couple of bucks; we want the military equipment back,” Trump stated without elaborating. 

 

A report issued by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022 revealed that approximately $7 billion worth of military equipment was left behind in Afghanistan following the completion of the military withdrawal. The equipment in question, which included aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, military vehicles, weapons, communications equipment, and other materials, was subsequently seized by the Taliban.  

 

The de facto Afghan rulers have since repeatedly displayed the U.S. military gear in their so-called victory day celebrations over the past three years. 

 

The foreign troop exit stemmed from the February 2020 Doha Agreement that the first Trump administration negotiated with the then-insurgent Taliban. Biden completed and defended the military withdrawal, saying the choice he had was either to follow through on that agreement or be prepared to go back to fighting the Taliban. 

 

Following the withdrawal, the Biden administration largely isolated the Taliban and imposed new sanctions on the group. Washington, however, has continued to be the largest donor to Afghanistan, a country that the United Nations says is suffering through one of the severest humanitarian crises in the world. U.S. officials have also engaged in diplomatic efforts with the Taliban to negotiate the release of certain U.S. detainees and assisted in relocating Afghan allies who had helped American forces. 

US gives cash for humanitarian aid 

The billions of dollars that Trump repeatedly has referred to are likely the cash shipments being channeled through the U.N. and non-governmental organizations to support humanitarian programs in Afghanistan. Washington remains the primary donor and has spent approximately $3 billion in humanitarian aid since the U.S. withdrawal.  

 

Thomas Ruttig from the independent Afghanistan Analysts Network warned of challenges for the Taliban under the Trump administration. He noted that some members of Congress and incoming administration officials took part in the 20-year U.S. mission in Afghanistan and have been highly critical of the Taliban. 

Despite this, he stated that countering regional terrorism is a significant concern in Washington, and it could potentially encourage the Trump administration to seek cooperation with the Taliban to combat terrorist organizations, including the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist organization known as IS-Khorasan.  

 

Ruttig said that Tim Burchett, Republican vice chair of the U.S. Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee, recently introduced a bill, the “No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act,” to ensure that U.S. tax money does not end up in the hands of the Taliban.  

 

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan denies that cash shipments for humanitarian programs are financing the Taliban. The mission says the current setup – in which cash is physically brought to Afghanistan and placed in designated U.N. accounts in a private bank – is in place because of a ban on international banking transfers and ongoing liquidity issues.

“All these funds are then distributed directly to the United Nations entities, as well as to a small number of approved and vetted humanitarian partners in Afghanistan,” according to the mission. 

 

Taliban leaders have rejected Trump’s assertions that their government received U.S. financial aid, stating that they do not expect or seek any assistance from Washington. “Instead, it (U.S.) has confiscated and frozen billions of dollars that rightfully belong to the people of Afghanistan,” said a Taliban statement in response to Trump’s remarks earlier this month. 

 

Ruttig warns that punitive measures and sanctions to pressure the Taliban into submission might also provoke them to stop cooperation with international stakeholders. 

 

“Today, the US-Taliban Doha Agreement is still considered valid and obliges the Taliban to restrict ISKP and other groups from using their shelter in Afghanistan to commit terrorist acts in the West. This could be jeopardized by new quasi-sanctions on them,” he said in written comments.  

Taliban hopes for better relations 

Masuda Sultan, an Afghan American advocate for women’s rights, is doubtful the new Trump administration will substantially change its stance on the Taliban. Instead, she expects the U.S. will cut aid contributions to U.N.-funded programs like the World Food Program that have supported the country’s most vulnerable. 

 

At the same time, Taliban leaders appear publicly optimistic about a favorable shift in U.S. policy under the Trump presidency, attributing this to their Doha pact with his previous Trump administration. Kabul promptly welcomed Trump’s election victory just one day after he was declared the winner of the United States presidential vote. 

 

The Taliban foreign ministry issued a formal statement expressing its hope that “the incoming U.S. administration will adopt a pragmatic approach to ensure tangible advancement in bilateral relations, allowing both nations to open a new chapter of relations grounded in mutual engagement.” 

 

Earlier this month, Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai commended Trump as a “decisive” and “courageous” leader. Stanikzai suggested that Trump reconsider Biden’s policy and adopt a new approach. 

 

“We want to build good relations with the international community and the Western countries,” Stanikzai said in televised remarks in local language. “An enemy doesn’t remain an enemy forever, and a friend doesn’t remain a friend forever either,” he added.
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VOA Kurdish: Erdogan will renegotiate relationship with Trump administration

Posted on by SeeEU

During Donald Trump’s first presidential term, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan enjoyed a close relationship with the U.S. leader, benefiting from policies such as the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria. With Trump returning to the White House, Erdogan hopes to revive ties to secure the final U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria and lift the ban on F-35 fighter jet sales.

Click here to see the full story in Kurdish.
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Australian government pledges $1.24 billion in green aluminum push

Posted on by SeeEA

SYDNEY — Australia’s Labor government on Monday pledged $1.24 billion in production credits to help support the country’s four aluminum smelters switch to renewable power before 2036.

Aluminum is one of the most polluting nonferrous metals to make, as its current production is mostly powered by coal. Green aluminum usually refers to metal produced using solar, wind or hydropower.

The country’s four aluminum smelters are run by Rio Tinto and Alcoa.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in his latest election pitch, said the smelters would receive government support for each metric ton of low-carbon aluminum they produce. His center-left government has made renewable energy a major theme ahead of a national election, which must be called by May.

The Australian government is targeting 82% of power supply to come from renewables by 2030, but remains well short of the target, at 40% now, even after pledging to underwrite new wind, solar and battery projects with more than $24.5 billion.

“We want Australian workers to make more things here,” Albanese said in a statement.

“We’ve got all the ingredients right here for a world-leading metals industry – from the best solar and wind resources, to the critical minerals and facilities, as well as a highly skilled workforce.”

The Australian Aluminum Council said it had been seeking production credits for the aluminum sector, the sixth-largest producer of the metal in the world, to attract private capital and ensure the industry remains globally competitive amid rising costs and longer regulatory processes.

“These new aluminum production credits should provide some of the transitional support needed as Australia’s energy infrastructure and systems develop, and energy pricing returns to competitive levels,” Council CEO Marghanita Johnson said.
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South African police launch manhunt for gang leader of illegal mine

Posted on by SeeAF

JOHANNESBURG — South African police have launched a manhunt for a Lesotho gang member believed to have controlled operations at an illegal gold mine where 78 bodies were recovered last week during a police siege, from which he escaped.

The alleged kingpin, known as “Tiger,” surfaced from the mine in Stilfontein while it was under police surveillance and escaped from custody with the help of officials, a statement on Monday from the South African Police Service said.

“Extensive investigations and tracing operations are underway to find those officials who aided his escape between shaft 11 and the Stilfontein police holding cells,” the statement said.

Police were widely condemned for the months-long operation in which they cut off food and water supplies to the miners in an attempt to force them out of the mine to face arrest.

The stand-off culminated in a state-sponsored rescue operation last week in which 246 survivors were retrieved from the deep mine, many of whom were emaciated and weak from hunger.

But police claim the gang leaders were to blame for the deaths, citing reports from some miners who said there was food underground but the kingpins kept it for themselves.

Thousands of people are believed to be involved in illegal gold mining in abandoned industrial mines in South Africa in search of leftover gold. Some of the workers spend months at a time underground.

The lucrative industry is known to be run by Lesotho-based gangs, and police say some of the workers are illegal immigrants recruited from neighboring countries without knowledge of what they have come to do.

Tiger was named in statements by miners as a ring leader who ran operations, the police statement said.

“He is also being accused by some illegal miners… (as) being allegedly responsible for some deaths, assault and torture that is alleged to have taken place according to videos in police possession. He is also alleged to have hoarded and kept food away from other illegal miners,” it said.
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