Alarm as Trump administration pauses all federal spending on grants and loans

Posted on by

Memo says social security and Medicare are excluded but congressional Democrats express ‘extreme alarm’

Donald Trump’s second presidential administration has paused all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, potentially upending programs relied upon by millions of Americans.

In a two-page internal memo, Matthew Vaeth, Trump’s acting head of the office of management and budget (OMB), instructed all federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance”.

The Associated Press contributed reporting

Continue reading...

Trump repeats suggestion Palestinians should leave Gaza for Egypt and Jordan

Posted on by

US president insists leaders of both countries would agree to move that could be ‘temporary or long-term’

Donald Trump has repeated his suggestion that large numbers of Palestinians should leave Gaza for Egypt or Jordan, despite widespread opposition to the proposal from Palestinian leadership, the UN and US allies in the region.

Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One on Monday night, the US president was asked about his comments over the weekend about “cleaning out” the Gaza Strip either “temporarily or long-term”. Trump reiterated he would “like to get [Palestinians from Gaza] living in an area where they can live without disruption and revolution and violence so much”.

Continue reading...

Sigourney Weaver live performance disrupted as confetti-shooting eco-protesters storm the stage – New York Post

Posted on by
  1. Sigourney Weaver live performance disrupted as confetti-shooting eco-protesters storm the stage  New York Post
  2. Over 1.5 Degrees is a Global Tempest!- Just Stop Oil supporters disrupt Sigourney Weaver’s West-End show  Just Stop Oil
  3. Police arrest man and woman after Just Stop Oil protest in London’s West End  The Guardian
  4. Sigourney Weaver’s West End Production of ‘The Tempest’ Disrupted by Climate Change Activist Group Just Stop Oil  Variety
  5. Sigourney Weaver’s West End Show ‘The Tempest’ Halted By Just Stop Oil Climate Crisis Protesters  Deadline
Posted in Uncategorized

Italy sends 49 refugees to Albania in bid to resume disputed scheme

Posted on by

Latest push to process migrants in Balkan country despite court challenge comes amid increase in boat arrivals

Italy has transported 49 people to Albania, in the latest push by Giorgia Meloni’s government to enforce a legally disputed plan to have asylum claims processed in the Balkan country as part of a hardline policy critics have called “disgraceful”.

The Italian navy ship Cassiopeia arrived at Shëngjin port on Tuesday morning carrying passengers intercepted on Saturday in the Mediterranean south of the island of Lampedusa. They will be identified and have a health check before being transferred to a detention centre in Gjadër, about 12 miles away.

Continue reading...

Protesters Attack Embassies in Congo Amid Fury Over Rebel Violence – The New York Times

Posted on by
  1. Protesters Attack Embassies in Congo Amid Fury Over Rebel Violence  The New York Times
  2. 'No safe place to go to from Goma' for millions as humanitarian crisis looms in eastern Congo city  KPRC Click2Houston
  3. Rwanda’s reckless plan to redraw the map of Africa  The Economist
  4. Thousands flee fighting in Congo as rebels claim they’ve captured the key city of Goma  The Associated Press
  5. Gunfire crackles in Congo's Goma, embassies attacked in capital  Reuters
Posted in Uncategorized

India and China Agree to Resume Direct Flights After Nearly Five Years – The New York Times

Posted on by
  1. India and China Agree to Resume Direct Flights After Nearly Five Years  The New York Times
  2. India and China agree to resume air travel, settle economic differences  Reuters
  3. Kailash’s hidden time secret: Can 12 hours really feel like 2 weeks  The Times of India
  4. Analysis: India-China Air Connectivity Poised To Return After Five-Year Hiatus  Aviation Week
  5. Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi calls for greater China-India measures to foster ties  South China Morning Post
Posted in Uncategorized

Russian Envoys Arrive in Syria for First Time Since al-Assad Fell – The New York Times

Posted on by
  1. Russian Envoys Arrive in Syria for First Time Since al-Assad Fell  The New York Times
  2. Syria Pushes Russia for Compensation With Talks on Bases Stalled  Bloomberg
  3. Russian Diplomats Make First Syria Visit Since Assad’s Fall  The Moscow Times
  4. Russian government delegation makes first official visit to Syria since Assad’s fall  The Associated Press
  5. Russian diplomats arrive in Syria to smooth ties  DW (English)
Posted in Uncategorized

Cult London film venue Prince Charles cinema under threat of closure

Posted on by

Much loved for its screenings of hard-to-find films, the venue claims its landlord wants to alter lease, leaving it able to shut down the business

The Prince Charles cinema in central London, long a site of pilgrimage for those interested in cult and hard-to-find films, has launched a petition saying its existence is under threat from its property developer landlords.

In a statement on petitions website 38degrees.org.uk, the cinema says that Zedwell LSQ Ltd (who are owned by developers Criterion Capital) are demanding a “break clause” in the building’s lease, which is currently being negotiated as the current lease ends in September. The cinema says this means they would be on six months’ notice to leave if Zedwell decides to redevelop the site.

Continue reading...

Trump will not be ‘meteor’ blow to Irish economy, says employers’ group

Posted on by

Businesses should avoid panic amid fears US will attempt to repatriate jobs and taxes, says Danny McCoy

Donald Trump will not be a knockout “meteor” to Ireland’s economy despite its heavy reliance on US multinationals, the head of the country’s business trade organisation has said.

While the US president told world leaders gathered at Davos last week that “Europe treats us very, very unfairly” there is a heightened sense of nervousness in Ireland that this could translate to an attempt to repatriate jobs and taxes from the 950 US companies there.

Continue reading...

Fears for ‘security of Jews worldwide’ in wake of Elon Musk AfD speech

Posted on by

Top US Jewish advocate Halie Soifer calls Trump adviser’s address to far-right Germany rally ‘incredibly dangerous’

Elon Musk’s remarks to a German far-right party that Germans should not focus on their country’s Nazi past should prompt “deep concern” about “the security of American Jews” and “of Jews worldwide”, a leading US Jewish advocate has told the Guardian.

“Speaking as a deeply concerned American Jew,” said Halie Soifer, chief executive of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), “I am deeply concerned about the security of American Jews, of Jews worldwide, given our president’s clear alignment with dangerous rightwing extremists.”

Continue reading...

Vatican Warns AI Could Undermine ‘Foundations Of Society’ – Barron’s

Posted on by
  1. Vatican Warns AI Could Undermine 'Foundations Of Society'  Barron's
  2. New Vatican document examines potential and risks of AI  Vatican News - English
  3. Pope Francis says he’s more concerned about human intelligence than AI  Catholic News Agency
  4. Vatican says AI has 'shadow of evil,' calls for close oversight  Reuters
  5. Pope warns Davos summit that AI could worsen ‘crisis of truth’ | Artificial intelligence (AI)  The Guardian
Posted in Uncategorized

ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants over atrocities in Darfur

Posted on by

Karim Khan says civilians being targeted and communities destroyed in western region of Sudan

The prosecutor for the international criminal court has said he is seeking arrest warrants for people accused of atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region, where the US and others have determined that a paramilitary group and its allies have perpetrated genocide.

Karim Khan told the UN security council in New York: “Criminality is accelerating in Darfur. Civilians are being targeted, women and girls are subjected to sexual violence, and entire communities are left in destruction.

Continue reading...

Swimming pool-sized sinkhole swallows truck in Japan, trapping driver inside – NBC News

Posted on by
  1. Swimming pool-sized sinkhole swallows truck in Japan, trapping driver inside  NBC News
  2. Massive sinkhole swallows truck in Japan, trapping driver inside  CBS News
  3. Truck Driver Swallowed by Giant Sinkhole in Japan as Rescuers Work to Retrieve Vehicle  PEOPLE
  4. Sinkhole swallows truck in Japan, trapping driver inside  ABC News
  5. Multiple Vehicle Accidents Cause Injuries Across Japan  Evrim Ağacı
Posted in Uncategorized

Woman at heart of birthright citizenship lawsuit reacts to Trump’s order: ‘This is a right’

Posted on by

A pregnant mother from Venezuela responds to Trump’s executive order that would render her baby stateless

On his first day in office, Donald Trump signed an order ending constitutionally recognized right of birthright citizenship. Thousands of expecting parents across the US suddenly had to consider that their babies would be born into a legal limbo.

Among them is Monica, a woman expecting her first child after escaping political persecution in Venezuela. If Trump’s order stands, Monica’s baby will be born stateless.

Continue reading...

Produce in home gardens near PFAS plant in US contain dangerous levels of chemicals

Posted on by

Research provides more evidence that food is a potentially overlooked exposure route to toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Produce grown in home gardens around a North Carolina PFAS plant contain dangerous levels of the chemicals, new research has found, providing more evidence that food is a potentially overlooked exposure route to the compounds, especially when grown near polluters.

The study’s authors say findings point to much of the contamination resulting from air emissions, which research increasingly suggests is an underestimated source of PFAS pollution.

Continue reading...