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Zelenskyy says Putin is ‘inspired’ by Capitol Hill deadlock on Ukraine

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kicked off his latest visit to Washington Monday by making the case for Ukraine as the West’s only defense against an imperialist Russia, arguing that squabbling in Washington only benefits Vladimir Putin.“Let me be frank with you friends,” Zelenskyy told a room full of military officers from across the globe at the National Defense University, “if there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill it is just Putin and his sick clique.”The Ukrainian leader’s comments kick off two days of meetings with lawmakers and Biden administration officials as U.S. funding for Ukraine dries up, and $60 billion in fresh military and humanitarian aid is snarled in Congress.The funding is part of a $111 billion supplemental that bundles aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and border security. Republican disagreements over border policy have kept the legislation from advancing, which has allowed Putin to see his “dreams come true,” Zelenskyy said.D...

A court sets aside the South African president’s recognition of the Zulu king

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African court has overturned President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to recognize Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the king of the country’s 15 million-strong Zulu nation in what may spark a lengthy battle for the throne.Ramaphosa has now been ordered to launch an investigation into objections by some members of the Zulu royal house that the correct processes were not followed in selecting kaZwelithini as the rightful heir to the throne.KaZwelithini was chosen as the new king last year after the death of his father, King Goodwill Zwelithini.He was recognized by Ramaphosa as the new king and handed a recognition certificate, but some of his siblings have challenged the process and insisted that he is not the rightful heir to the throne and that due processes were not followed in choosing him.In judgment delivered by Judge Norman Davis in the Pretoria High Court on Monday, Ramaphosa was criticised for not launching an investigation after he became aware th...

Japan court convicts 3 ex-servicemen in sexual assault case brought by former junior soldier

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court on Tuesday convicted three former soldiers in a sexual assault case that authorities had dropped until the victim, a former servicemember, came forward demanding a reinvestigation, prompting a military-wide harassment probe.The Fukushima District Court sentenced the former Japanese army soldiers to two years in prison but suspended the sentences for four years — meaning they won’t actually serve time in prison.The case filed by Rina Gonoi in August 2021 was initially dropped. Nine months later, she came forward — a rare step in a country that often lacks sufficient support for sexual assault victims — and demanded the case be reinvestigated, saying the experience caused her to give up her military career.Her revelation prompted a military-wide investigation into sexual harassment and other abuse allegations in September 2022, and prosecutors reopened her case.The Fukushima court said Tuesday her three former supervisors — Shutaro Shibuya, Akito Sekine a...

Poor countries need trillions of dollars to go green. A long-shot effort aims to generate the cash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A large, long-shot effort is being developed to mobilize money to save Planet Earth.Climate finance experts say trillions of dollars are needed for forestry projects and renewable energies like solar and wind in the developing world, all aimed at slashing pollution from the burning of oil, gas and coal, which cause climate change. The price tag is eye-watering: Investment in energy-transition technologies were $1.3 trillion last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, an intergovernmental group, and that needs to at least quadruple to avoid a level of warming that scientists say would be catastrophic. Even rich governments can’t commit that kind of cash, and often struggle to get respective congresses and parliaments to even sign off on modest amounts.Enter a plan to combine the cash-churning power of the private sector with carbon credits, a hot topic of discussion at the annual climate talks taking place in Dubai. “It’...

Stock market today: Asia markets rise ahead of US consumer prices update

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

Asian markets advanced Tuesday following a positive close on Wall Street. Investors are eagerly awaiting a crucial U.S. inflation report later in the day, which will likely set the tone for the Federal Reserve’s final meeting of the year on Wednesday.U.S. futures and oil prices also were higher.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 added 0.1% to 32,843.70. Data released on Tuesday showed wholesale prices in Japan rose by 0.3% from a year earlier in November, the slowest rate of increase in almost three years. That suggested a moderation in inflationary pressures as the central bank weighs whether or not to relax its ultra-lax monetary policy. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.3% to 16,398.00, and the Shanghai Composite was 0.3% higher, to 2,998.81. Chinese leaders are reportedly holding an annual economic conference that is expected to wrap up Tuesday with pledges to spur stable growth. In Seoul, the Kospi was up 0.4% at 2,535.27. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.5% to 7,235.30.India’s Sensex droppe...

Turkey suspends all league games after club president punches referee at a top-flight match

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish Football Federation has suspended all league games in the country after a club president punched the referee in the face at the end of a top-flight match.MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca attacked referee Halil Umut Meler on the pitch late Monday after the final whistle, following a 1-1 draw in a Super Lig game against Caykur Rizespor.The referee, who fell to the ground, was also kicked in a melee that occurred after fans also invaded the pitch after Rizespor scored a last-minute equalizer.The federation announced it suspended all league games indefinitely after an emergency meeting held to discuss the violence.“This attack is unfortunate and shameful in the name of football,” federation chief Mehmet Buyukeksi said after the meeting.“We say enough is enough,” he added, insisting that all involved in the violence would be punished.Buyukeksi also blamed the attack on a culture of contempt toward referees in Turkey.“Everyone who has targeted referees...

Montana county to vote on removing election oversight duties from elected official

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

Commissioners in a Montana county are expected to vote Tuesday on whether to remove election oversight duties from a clerk and recorder who expressed doubts about the integrity of the election process when she ran for office last year.The Cascade County commission meeting was moved to the fairgrounds in Great Falls to accommodate the anticipated public participation. If the resolution passes, it would take effect immediately.Commissioner Joe Briggs proposed the resolution, noting that since Sandra Merchant was sworn in early this year, the county has received complaints about the way several local elections have been run. Lawsuits have been filed. The library board asked for court-appointed oversight for their mill levy election this summer.“It’s been everything from people not getting ballots that should have to people who got ballots that shouldn’t have in these various elections, so there seems to be some systemic problems,” Briggs said Monday.The issue needs to be settled ...

China’s homegrown C919 aircraft arrives in Hong Kong in maiden flight outside the mainland

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — A Chinese C919 jet arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday in the Chinese-made plane’s first foray outside of mainland China as its manufacturer prepares to take on Airbus and Boeing in the market for single-aisle commercial aircraft. The C919 and another Chinese-made aircraft, an ARJ21, will be on display at Hong Kong’s international airport until Sunday. The C919 is due to perform a fly-past over the city’s scenic Victoria Harbor on Saturday. The maker of the C919, the Commercial Aircraft Company of China, or COMAC, designed many of the C919’s parts, but some of its key components are still sourced from the West, including its engine.The narrow-bodied airliner was in development for 16 years and received certification in 2022. It has a maximum range of about 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers) and is designed to carry 158-168 passengers.The Associated Press

Suicide bomber attacks police station in northwest Pakistan, killing 6 officers and wounding 25

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle at a police station’s main gate in northwest Pakistan early Tuesday, killing at least six officers and wounding 25 others, officials said. Part of the building collapsed upon impact, local police officer Kamal Khan said. Some militants also opened fire and a shootout ensued for hours between them and security forces before three attackers were gunned down, he said. Several officers were transferred to hospital in critical condition.The attack happened in Dera Ismail Khan, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, Khan said. The province is a former stronghold of the militant Pakistani Taliban group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.The newly formed militant group Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, or TJP — believed to be an offshoot of the TTP — claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying it targeted officers who were at the police station.A larger number...

One year after Qatargate, Ombudsman highlights remaining concerns about Parliament’s new ethics framework

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:04 GMT

Following a series of exchanges with the European Parliament on its post-Qatargate ethics reforms, European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly (pictured) acknowledges significant progress in strengthening the rules but concerns remain about their implementation and enforcement. A credible ethics framework requires adequate resources, rigorous implementation and strong enforcement but it is not yet clear that these elements are in place. The Ombudsman urges Parliament to put them in place as quickly as possible to reassure the European public ahead of next June's elections. As the self-regulation model remains largely intact, citizens need to be confident that it can work. The reform package includes some welcome improvements such as a more detailed definition of conflict of interest and the obligation on Members to publish all meetings organised with registered lobbyists and with diplomatic representatives from non-EU countries. Three issues remain of particular concern: Firstly, it is not cl...