Day: June 13, 2024

Seniors usually vote Republican. That could change in the 2024 presidential election.  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Trump win could see mass purge of state department, US diplomats fear  The Guardian US

A business leader, who’s a vocal supporter of Trump, explains what corporations want  NPR

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), the lone Republican to vote against a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, says his colleagues’ move only serves to “further politicize our judicial system.”

“As a former prosecutor, I cannot in good conscience support a resolution that would further politicize our judicial system to score political points. The American people expect Congress to work for them, solve policy problems, and prioritize good governance,” Joyce said in a statement after the vote.

“Enough is enough.” 

While Joyce was the only member to oppose the measure, which was adopted 216-207, several Republicans privately expressed hesitation about backing the measure.

House Republicans filed a contempt resolution after Garland refused to turn over audio of President Biden’s conversation with special counsel Robert Hur.

Although House impeachment investigators claimed it could prove useful for their impeachment investigation, they already have the transcript of the conversation, which shows their lines of inquiry were not discussed.

Biden also claimed executive privilege over the tapes, a move that limits prosecution of those who fail to provide information sought by subpoena.

Garland resisted turning over the tapes, arguing it could harm the Justice Department’s ability to score cooperation from witnesses who may not want their conversations shared with Congress.

Russians will still be able to trade in dollars and euros outside of the centralized Moscow Exchange – something which could limit liquidity and lead to higher volatility.

The 175 million tonnes estimate was the equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 90 million cars, or the whole of the Netherlands in a year, it said.

BORGO EGNAZIA, ITALY — U.S. President Joe Biden is in Apuglia, Italy, meeting with leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies Thursday, aiming to address global economic security amid wars in Europe and the Middle East and U.S. rivalry with China.

The G7 leaders arrived at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia, the summit venue, welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni’s hard-right party took nearly 29% of the vote in last weekend’s European Parliament election, making her the only leader of a major Western European country to emerge from the ballots stronger.

Meanwhile Biden is dealing with a contentious reelection campaign against Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump, and a personal ordeal. On Tuesday, a day before departing for the summit, his son, Hunter, was found guilty on federal charges for possessing a gun while being addicted to drugs.

Still, Biden came to the summit hoping to convince the group to provide a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using interest from Russian frozen assets, and deal with Chinese overcapacity in strategic green technologies, including electric vehicles. 

The European Union signaled their support by announcing duties on Chinese EVs a day ahead of the summit, a move that echoed the Biden administration’s steep tariff hike on Chinese EVs and other key sectors in May.

Biden is also lending his support to key themes in Meloni’s presidency – investing in Africa, international development, and climate change. Those topics were covered in the opening session of the G7 on Thursday, followed by discussions on the Gaza and Ukraine wars. 

Gaza cease-fire

With cease-fire negotiations at a critical juncture, Biden could face tough questions from leaders on whether he is doing enough to pressure Israel to pause its military campaign, reduce civilian casualties and provide more aid for Palestinians.

Leaders are “focused on one thing overall; getting a cease-fire in place and getting the hostages home as part of that,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told VOA as he spoke to reporters on board Air Force One en route to Italy. Biden has “their full backing,” Sullivan added.

Leaders will also discuss increasing tension along the Israeli border with Lebanon, Sullivan told reporters Thursday morning. 

“They’ll compare notes on the continuing threat posed by Iran both with respect to its support for proxy forces and with respect to the Iranian nuclear program,” he added.

While the group has thrown its weight behind the cease-fire, G7 members are split on other Gaza-related issues, including the International Criminal Court’s decision last month to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The United States denounced the court’s decision, and Britain called it “unhelpful.” France said it supports the court’s “fight against impunity,” while Berlin said it would arrest Netanyahu on German soil should a warrant is released.

Sullivan dismissed a United Nations inquiry result released Wednesday that alleges both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes and grave violations of international law.

“We’ve made our position clear,” he told VOA, referring to a review published in April by the State Department concluding that Israel’s campaign did not violate international humanitarian law.

Russian assets

Biden is pushing G7 leaders to provide Kyiv with a loan of up to $50 billion that will be paid back to Western allies using interest income from the $280 billion Russian assets frozen in Western financial institutions, estimated at $3 billion a year, for 10 years or more.

The goal is a leaders declaration at the end of the summit, a “framework that is not generic, that is quite specific in terms of what it would entail,” Sullivan told VOA Wednesday. Core operational details would still need to be worked out, he added. 

In April, Biden signed legislation to seize the roughly $5 billion in Russian assets that had been immobilized in U.S. financial institutions. The bulk of the money, though, $190 billion, is in Belgium, and much of the rest is in France and Germany.

“There’s a tension here between a Biden administration ambition on an issue in which they do not have the final say, hitting against very staunch European fiscal conservatism and simply the mechanics of, how do you get something done in Europe in the week of European [parliamentary] elections,” Kristine Berzina, managing director of Geostrategy North at the German Marshall Fund think tank, told VOA.

Attending the summit for the second consecutive year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is advocating for the deal to pass. He and Biden will sign a separate bilateral security agreement outlining U.S. support for Ukraine and speak in a joint press conference Thursday evening.

From Italy, Zelenskyy heads to Switzerland for a Ukraine peace conference over the weekend.

Africa, climate change and development

Meloni, a far-right politician who once called for a naval blockade to prevent African migrants from crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, now wants to achieve the goal by bolstering international investments to the continent.

Most of the nearly 261,000 migrants who crossed the Mediterranean Sea from northern Africa in 2023 entered Europe through Italy, according to the United Nations.

She has aligned her G7 presidency with this agenda, and the group is set to release a statement on providing debt relief for low- and middle-income countries, dealing with irregular migration and calling for more investments in Africa.

The G7 statement will reflect the Nairobi/Washington vision that Biden signed with Kenyan President William Ruto, Sullivan said.

Meloni invited several African leaders as observers to the G7 meeting, including Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Tunisia’s Kais Saied, Kenyan President William Ruto and Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the president of Mauritania. The invitation follows the first Italy-Africa summit in Rome in January, where Meloni launched her investment initiative called the Mattei Plan for Africa.

The Mattei Plan has been integrated into the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which aims to mobilize $600 billion private infrastructure funding by 2027 as an alternative to Chin’s Belt and Road initiative.

On climate change, the G7 has an uphill climb. None of the group’s members are on track to meet their existing emission reduction targets for 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement goal, according to data compiled by Climate Analytics.

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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

Hamas has proposed changes to the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. Hamas leaders told Arab mediators “they want Israeli forces to withdraw from territory alongside Egypt by the end of the first week after a deal is signed, and to completely withdraw from Gaza and announce a permanent cease-fire before the group releases additional hostages in a second phase.” According to the mediators, Hamas added those changes after an Israeli hostage rescue operation on Saturday killed hundreds of Palestinians. Summer Said, Rory Jones, and Alan Cullison report for the Wall Street Journal.

The World Health Organization chief said yesterday that much of Gaza was facing “catastrophic hunger” and that “famine-like conditions” have spread through the enclave. “Despite reports of increased delivery of food, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.

Israel’s military denied striking a designated “safe zone” in Gaza today after the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported the region was hit by “land, sea and air strikes.” According to WAFA, Al-Mawasi, a coastal region west of Rafah previously designated by Israel as a safe zone, was bombarded early today. Separately, Israeli tanks advanced deeper into the western area of Rafah today, residents reported. Lucas Lilieholm reports for CNN.

Israel’s top general met earlier this week in Bahrain with his counterparts from several Arab militaries to discuss regional security cooperation, according to two sources. The meeting was facilitated by U.S. Central Command and has not been publicly disclosed due to the political sensitivities around the Gaza war. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has signed an order to transfer $35 million of tax funds to “the families of the victims of terrorism.” The funds are what Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. Sam Sokol reports for The Times of Israel.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that some of the changes requested by Hamas to the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal were “unworkable.” Speaking in Qatar, Blinken said Hamas had requested “numerous” changes to the deal, adding, “Some of those are workable changes, some are not … It’s time for the haggling to stop.” Andrea Mitchell and Alexander Smith report for NBC News.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS

G7 leaders are gathering in Italy today for the group’s annual summit. Representatives from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Britain will discuss a range of issues, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. According to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Biden will urge fellow leaders to support ceasefire negotiations and encourage Hamas to accept the U.S.-backed proposal. The summit will also involve leaders from Africa and the Indo-Pacific region, and will discuss economic cooperation with developing countries. BBC News reports; Reuters reports.

The U.N. Security Council is slated to vote today on a U.K.-drafted resolution demanding a halt to the siege of El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur region by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, diplomats said yesterday. Reuters reports.

A group of Russian navy ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, arrived in Cuba yesterday morning in a sign of bolstering ties between the two Cold War allies. Patrick Oppmann, AnneClaire Stapleton, Natasha Bertrand, Haley Britzky, Sergey Gudkov, and Sophie Tanno report for CNN.

France will postpone its controversial electoral reform in New Caledonia, which sparked deadly riots on the island territory last month, French president Emmanuel Macron said yesterday. The Guardian reports. 

The French conservative party Les Républicains voted yesterday to expel their own president, Éric Ciotti. Ciotti had attempted to seal an agreement with the far-right National Rally for the upcoming legislative snap election. Macron yesterday appealed for the French people to come together and vote against extremist parties in the election. Victor Goury-Laffont reports for POLITICO; Roger Cohen reports for the New York Times.

A brawl erupted in Italy’s parliament yesterday. A video of the incident shows the scuffle breaking out during a vote in the lower house on the government’s controversial bill which paves the way for greater autonomy in Italy’s regions. Seb Starcevic reports for POLITICO.

The leader of South Africa’s Inkatha Freedom Party said yesterday his party has agreed to form part of a government of national unity that includes the African National Congress (ANC) and the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). The announcement marks the first official sign that a government of national unity has been agreed. Danai Nesta Kupemba reports for BBC News.

Armenia’s leader yesterday declared his intention to leave a Russia-dominated security alliance of several ex-Soviet nations, as relations with Moscow deteriorate. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government will decide later when to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a grouping that includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Avet Dumourian reports for AP News.

Protests erupted yesterday after Pashinyan said that a peace treaty with Azerbaijan was close to completion, but that his country would not accept Baku’s demands that it change its constitution. It is the latest in a series of protests denouncing Pashinyan’s policies, including the return of ruined villages to Azerbaijan. Felix Light reports for Reuters.

The European Court of Justice today ordered Hungary to pay the equivalent of $216 million for failing to comply with the bloc’s asylum rules despite a previous court ruling. The court also imposed a daily fine of €1 million for each day Hungary fails to comply going forward. Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán slammed the ruling as “outrageous and unacceptable.” Ella Joyner reports for ABC News.

Violence flared yesterday in Buenos Aires after Argentina’s Senate narrowly approved President Javier Milei’s controversial economic reform package. Petrol bombs were seen being thrown in what locals described as a “battlefield,” as demonstrators clashed with riot police. Jaroslav Lukiv and George Wright report for BBC News.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS

President Biden and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy plan to sign a 10-year security agreement today at the G7 summit that will commit Washington to supply Kyiv with a broad range of military assistance, Jake Sullivan said. The deal aims to commit future U.S. support to Ukraine even if former President Trump wins November’s election, officials said. Ellen Nakashima and Michael Birnbaum report for the Washington Post.

NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels today hoping to agree on a new plan to provide long-term security assistance and military training to Ukraine, after Hungary promised to not veto the scheme as long as it’s not forced to play a role. Lorne Cook reports for AP News.

A Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s southern city of Kryvyi Rih killed at least nine people and injured 29, local officials said. Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News.

Zelenskyy yesterday said he held “productive” talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman focusing on this week’s Peace Summit in Switzerland and improving bilateral relations. Reuters reports.

ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH TENSIONS

The Biden administration is scrambling to prevent an all out war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, U.S. officials say. The White House believes that a ceasefire in Gaza is the only solution to significantly de-escalate tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS 

The U.S. military said a Greek-owned ship in the Red Sea has been hit by an unmanned surface vessel launched by Yemen’s Houthis, causing severe flooding and damage to the ship. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack. George Wright reports for BBC News.

DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS

The House voted yesterday 216-207 to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to release audiotapes of President Biden. The vote is largely symbolic, as it refers the matter to the Justice Department which would most likely decline to prosecute its own leader. Katy Stech Ferek and Sadie Gurman report for the Wall Street Journal.

A group of immigrant advocacy groups has sued the Biden administration over Biden’s recent directive that effectively halts asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border. The lawsuit is the first test of legality of Biden’s border policy. Meanwhile, the head of the U.N. refugee agency said today that the new asylum restrictions may violate refugee protections under international law. Sueng Min Kim and Rebecca Santana report for AP News.

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On June 13, the Council of the European Union decided to help the Armed Forces of Moldova in order to modernize its air defense, the press release of the EU Council. Assistance in the amount of 9 million euros will be used to finance short-range air defense systems. Earlier, in…

On June 13, the Khatai District Court of Baku granted the request of the investigative body to extend the period of pre-trial detention of the founder of the site “Meclis.info ” Imran Aliyev for another 2 months and 7 days, his family said.  The defense intends to appeal against this…