world news: 2018-12-30

Saturday 5 January 2019

Russia says U.S. detained Russian citizen and moved to him to Florida

The United States has detained Russian citizen Dmitry Makarenko on the Northern Mariana Islands and moved him to Florida, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2sc4YOU

Russia charges former U.S. marine with espionage: Interfax

Russia's FSB state security service detained Paul Whelan, 48, in Moscow last Friday on suspicion of spying, in a case which threatens to aggravate diplomatic tensions with the United States. The FSB opened a criminal case against Whelan but gave no details of his alleged espionage activities. Interfax said the Russian authorities had brought formal charges against Whelan on Thursday, citing what it described as an informed source.

Jordan: Democrats are focused on stopping the president, the solution is simple to support funding for the wall

Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan says that Congress needs to do what it promised its constituents to secure the border.

Rollicking start to diverse new Congress as kids crowd in

America's freshly sworn-in lawmakers -- a historically diverse group of Democrats and Republicans -- enjoyed a rollicking first session of the new Congress Thursday, a rowdy opening day that saw children scampering through the chamber. The House of Representatives chamber was clogged with its 434 certified new members -- one seat remains in dispute -- along with several dozen of their children and grandkids, and hundreds of guests packing the upper-level galleries. Democrats cheered as Nancy Pelosi won a hotly contested election for speaker.

National parks forced to close, hazards mount at others amid government shutdown

Heavy snowfall in parts of the southwestern United States over the past week resulted in the closure of two national parks in Utah.

Government Shutdown 2019: Democrats pass funding plan without wall, Trump vows to veto

On their first day in the majority, House Democrats on Thursday night passed a plan to re-open the government without funding President Donald Trump's promised border wall.

Russia says it is not willing to exchange detained ex-U.S. marine: Interfax

Russia is not willing to exchange Paul Whelan, the former U.S. marine detained in Moscow on suspicion of spying, Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Saturday.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2s9wzQy

Nancy's back, back again

Nancy Pelosi is back as House speaker, Amish families are working with doctors to save a young girl’s life and more on today's #ShortList.

As loans and aid dry up, U.S. farmers face fresh challenge from shutdown

U.S. farmers, already battered by the U.S.-China trade war, are facing increasing anxiety as the partial government shutdown nears the two-week mark, leaving crucial aid and loan payments in limbo. The shutdown has blocked assistance for many farmers, who at this time of year apply for federal loans as they pay bills due from the previous year and begin budgeting for next season's planting. It is also affecting aid payments promised to allay the effects of the trade war.

China's population set to peak at 1.44 billion in 2029: government report

China's population is set to reach a peak of 1.442 billion in 2029 and start a long period of "unstoppable" decline in 2030, government scholars said in a research report published on Friday.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2SBg2jT

Nancy Pelosi Holds Press Conference After Day 1 As Speaker, Say "There Will Be No Wall"

House Democrats voted to approve part of its new rules package Thursday evening, sending a message about ethics, sexual harassment and good government on their first day back in the majority, a signal of how they intend to target President Trump.

These Democrats didn't vote for Nancy Pelosi for House speaker

Democrats who didn't vote for Pelosi offered strikingly similar reasons.

Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for Khashoggi murder suspects

Saudi Arabia's attorney general sought the death penalty for five of 11 defendants charged with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as their high-profile trial opened in Riyadh on Thursday. All 11 accused were present with their lawyers at the opening hearing in the capital, according to a statement by the attorney general carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. The attorney general said Saudi Arabia had twice submitted formal requests for evidence from Turkey - where Khashoggi was murdered inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate - but had received no response. The names of the defendants have not been officially released. Five top officials in Saudi Arabia - including royal court insider Saud al-Qahtani - were sacked over the Khashoggi murder, but there is no proof that they are among those charged. Khashoggi, a contributor to the Washington Post, was murdered on October 2 in what Riyadh called a "rogue" operation. The 59-year-old Saudi insider-turned-critic was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a team of 15 Saudis sent to Istanbul for the killing, according to Turkish officials. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been forced to do damage control in the wake of Khashoggi's death Credit: G20 Press Office via AP, File There have been reports that his remains, which have never been found, were dissolved in acid. The defence team on Thursday requested a copy of the indictment sheet and a timeframe within which to review the charges. The prosecutor agreed to both requests, SPA said. No date has been set for the next hearing. The Khashoggi murder shocked the world at a time when Saudi Arabia and its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were pushing an aggressive public relations campaign to rebrand the ultraconservative monarchy as a modern state. Among Prince Mohammed's strongest allies is US President Donald Trump, who now faces increased pressure to approve measures against Saudi Arabia. The US has sanctioned 17 Saudi citizens in connection with the Khashoggi murder. France and Canada have also sanctioned Saudi Arabian nationals. The US Central Intelligence Agency has reportedly concluded that Prince Mohammed very likely ordered Khashoggi's murder. A bipartisan resolution approved by the US Senate last month also holds the crown prince responsible for the killing. But in November the Saudi attorney general ruled out any involvement by the young crown prince, whose reformist credentials abroad have been seriously tarnished by the murder. The Khashoggi affair has also given Turkey - allied with Saudi rivals Qatar and Iran - unusual leverage in regional power plays. Ankara has sought the extradition of the suspects in Saudi custody to stand trial in Turkey but its requests have been repeatedly rebuffed by Riyadh. Rights groups and the United Nations have called for an independent investigation into Khashoggi's death, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last month calling for a "credible" probe. "Given the possible involvement of Saudi authorities in Khashoggi's murder and the lack of independence of Saudi Arabia's criminal justice system, the impartiality of any investigation and trial would be in question," Samah Hadid, a Middle East director at Amnesty International, told AFP on Thursday. "This is why a UN-led and independent investigation is needed into the murder of Khashoggi."

Annual migrant deaths in Mediterranean fall by over a quarter: UNHCR

The number of migrants who died or went missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean fell by more than a quarter in 2018 over the previous year, to 2,262, the UN refugee agency said Thursday. The number of migrants who arrived in Europe after surviving the sea crossing also dropped by roughly the same proportion last year to 113,482 after 172,301 in 2017, according to the UNHCR's full-year figures. "The Mediterranean has been for years the most deadly sea crossing in the world for refugees and migrants," UNHCR spokeswoman Celine Schmitt told AFP in Paris.

Fratricide in Full Bloom as Israeli Election Campaign Heats Up

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER and ISABEL KERSHNER from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2Tw7PO9

‘Escape Room’ Fire in Poland Kills 5 Teenagers

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2CPbZeu

Pelosi Invites Trump to Deliver State of Union Speech on Jan 29

“In the spirit of our Constitution, I invite you to deliver your State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019 in the House Chamber,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to Trump on Thursday evening. The speech would be Trump’s first address to both houses of Congress since his Republican Party lost control of the U.S. House, and Pelosi will sit at the podium behind him.

Senator Warren slams former Senator Lieberman for ZTE lobbying gig

Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is eyeing a presidential run, blasted former Senator Joseph Lieberman for becoming a lobbyist for ZTE Corp, a Chinese telecommunications equipment maker accused of ties to China's government. In a tweet posted on Wednesday night, Warren said Lieberman had "joined" lobbyists for ZTE, which she wrote had "violated serious U.S. sanctions" against Iran and North Korea. Lieberman, who ran unsuccessfully for vice president as a Democrat in 2000 and Kasowitz Benson Torres, the firm where he is a lobbyist, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sen. Lindsey Graham warns President Trump: Loss in wall battle could be 'end of his presidency'

"If he gives in now, that's the end of 2019 in terms of him being an effective president. That's probably the end of his presidency," Graham said.

Will the state-owned company that tried to block Mueller from revealing its ties to Russia be revealed?

Why did Chief Justice Roberts intervene and take up the case? Reaction from Hans Von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

How the U.S. House Will Elect the Speaker: A Viewer’s Guide

The majority party’s candidate is usually a shoo-in and Democrats have a solid hold on the chamber. There still could be some drama and surprises on the House floor throughout the slow roll call vote of all 435 members. Republicans will counter by nominating Representative Kevin McCarthy of California.

Where do the Kurds fit into Syria's war?

The future of Kurdish-led areas of northern and eastern Syria has been thrown into doubt by President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops who have helped to secure the region. Amounting to about one quarter of Syria, the area is the largest chunk of territory still outside the control of President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran. Trump said on Wednesday the United States would withdraw slowly "over a period of time" and would protect the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters as Washington withdraws troops, but without giving a timetable.

Russia charges former U.S. marine with espionage: Interfax

India arrests 750 in flashpoint temple clashes

Two days of violent protests in south India sparked by two women entering one of Hinduism's holiest temples have seen more than 750 people arrested, police said, as they braced for more trouble Friday. The Sabarimala temple in Kerala state has been at the centre of a prolonged showdown between Hindu devotees and women activists over access to the shrine. Anger erupted on Wednesday after two women in their 40s wrong-footed devotees to sneak into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala state via a side entrance before dawn to worship.