Portland protesters gassed after setting fire at courthouse

July 20, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Protesters outside Portland's U.S. courthouse set a fire in the building's entryway early Monday in yet another night of conflict with federal agents who repeatedly tear gassed the demonstrators to drive them away, officials said.

Authorities over the weekend erected large fences around the building in an effort to keep away the protesters who have been on Portland's streets daily since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago.

But video posted online showed protesters taking down the fencing and a statement from Portland's city police department described the protesters' tactics as they repeatedly headed toward the courthouse and were repelled by federal agents who emerged from inside.

Hundreds of protesters were at the scene Sunday night into early Monday morning and at one point "dozens of people with shields, helmets, gas masks, umbrellas, bats, and hockey sticks approached the doors” of the courthouse until federal officers came out and dispersed them, the Portland police statement said.

The protesters later lit a fire at about 1:30 a.m. Monday within the portico of the courthouse, said Portland police, who stressed that their officers were not involved in any crowd control measures, did not fire tear gas and “were not present during any of the activity described.”

Other people added wood and debris to the fire to make it larger and federal agents came out of the courthouse, "dispersed the crowd and extinguished the fire," the statement said. The violence happened as local and state leaders expressed anger with the presence of the federal agents, saying that the city's protests had started to ease just as the federal agents started taking action on the streets of Portland.

Speaking on CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers “are not wanted here. We haven’t asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.” Top leaders in the U.S. House said Sunday they were “alarmed” by the Trump administration’s tactics against protesters in Portland and other cities, including Washington, D.C. They've called on federal inspectors general investigate.

“This is a matter of utmost urgency,” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, in a letter to the inspectors general of Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security.

The Democratic lawmakers are seeking an investigation “into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington, D.C., Portland, and other communities across the United States.”

President Donald Trump has decried the demonstrations, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf labeled the protesters as “lawless anarchists” in a visit to the city last Thursday. “We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!”

Late Saturday, Portland police said protesters broke into the building of the Portland Police Association labor union that represents officers. Dumpster fires were also set and fencing was moved and transformed into barricades, police said.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday, alleging that unidentified federal agents grabbed people from Portland’s streets “without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action.”

Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to “immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians.” It was not immediately unclear whether anyone was arrested or detained during the protest that started Sunday night.

Oregon sues feds over Portland protests as unrest continues

July 19, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's attorney general is seeking an order to stop federal agents from arresting people in Portland as the city continues to be convulsed by nightly protests that have gone on for seven weeks and have now pitted local officials against the Trump administration.

Federal agents, some wearing camouflage and some wearing dark Homeland Security uniforms, used tear gas at least twice to break up crowds late Friday night, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality have happened every day in Oregon's largest city since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd on May 25. At 10 p.m. Saturday, several hundred peaceful demonstrators against police brutality rallied in front of downtown's Multnomah County Justice Center and the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, which has a newly built fence around it.

President Donald Trump has decried the disorder, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as “lawless anarchists” in a visit to the city. Before the aggressive language and action from federal officials, the unrest had frustrated Mayor Ted Wheeler and other local authorities, who had said a small cadre of violent activists were drowning out the message of peaceful protesters in the city. But Wheeler said the federal presence in the city is now exacerbating a tense situation and he has told them to depart.

“Keep your troops in your own buildings, or have them leave our city," Wheeler said Friday. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum late Friday sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court. The complaint says that unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland’s streets “without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action.”

Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to “immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians.” “The current escalation of fear and violence in downtown Portland is being driven by federal law enforcement tactics that are entirely unnecessary,” Rosenblum said in a statement.

The administration has enlisted federal agents, including the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and an elite U.S. Customs and Border Protection team based on the U.S.-Mexico border, to protect federal property.

But Oregon Public Broadcasting reported this week that some agents had been driving around in unmarked vans and snatching protesters from streets not near federal property, without identifying themselves.

Tensions also escalated after an officer with the Marshals Service fired a less-lethal round at a protester’s head on July 11, critically injuring him. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued a joint statement Saturday denouncing the Trump administration's actions.

“We live in a democracy, not a banana republic. We will not tolerate the use of Oregonians, Washingtonians –- or any other Americans -– as props in President Trump’s political games. The House is committed to moving swiftly to curb these egregious abuses of power immediately,” they said.

On Friday night, hundreds of people gathered for a vigil outside the downtown Justice Center, which is sandwiched between two federal buildings, including a courthouse, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Across the street, dozens of other protesters entered two recently closed city parks after dismantling chain-link fencing that blocked access.

Federal agents emerged from an office building next door and used impact munitions, stun grenades and tear gas to clear the area, the news organization reported. It said its journalists did not observe any incident that might have prompted the use of the weapons.

Federal officers deployed tear gas again just before midnight after a few protesters placed dismantled fencing in front of plywood doors covering the entrance of the federal courthouse. Early Saturday, Portland police declared the gathering unlawful, saying protesters had piled fencing in front of the exits to the federal courthouse and the Multnomah County Justice Center and then shot off fireworks at the Justice Center.

Federal officers and local police then advanced simultaneously on the demonstrators to clear the streets, making arrests as protesters threw bottles and pieces of metal fence at police, the Portland Police Bureau said. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell told reporters Friday that his officers are in contact with the federal agents, but that neither controls the others’ actions.

The overnight action by Portland's police was condemned by a prominent member of the City Council. On Saturday Jo Ann Hardesty said local police “joined in the aggressive clampdown of peaceful protest.”

Hardesty, who said she was downtown speaking at the protest Friday night, slammed Wheeler, telling the mayor he needed to better control local law enforcement. Hardesty, who oversees the city's fire department and other first-responder agencies, said in an open letter to Wheeler if "you can’t control the police, give me the Portland Police Bureau.”

In a statement Saturday, Portland Police said as they responded to the overnight protests — which included people throwing projectiles at them — some federal agencies took action “under their own supervision and direction.” Portland Police said city officers arrested seven people, and one officer sustained a minor injury.

The statement said the city's police supports peaceful protests, and beginning Saturday night Department of Homeland Security police won't work in the Portland Police incident command center.

Kelly Preston, actor and wife of John Travolta, dies at 57

July 13, 2020

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kelly Preston, who played dramatic and comic foil to actors ranging from Tom Cruise in “Jerry Maguire” to Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Twins,” died Sunday, husband John Travolta said. She was 57.

Travolta said in an Instagram post that his wife of 28 years died after a two-year battle with breast cancer. “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer,” Travolta said. “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”

The couple had three children together. “Shocked by this sad news,” Maria Shriver said on Twitter. “Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife. My heart breaks for her family who have already known such sadness and grief.”

Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith on Oct. 13, 1962, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Preston had a lengthy acting career in movies and television beginning in the 1980s, including the 1985 teen comedy “Mischief,” 1986's “Space Camp” and her breakthrough, 1988's “Twins.” Preston played Marnie, the woman who marries Schwarzenegger’s character.

Preston was first married to actor Kevin Gage. They divorced in 1987. The year after, Preston met Travolta while shooting the 1989 film “The Experts," a box-office flop about a Soviet KGB agent who hires hip New Yorkers to update the spy program's understanding of American society. They meet on the dance floor after Travolta asks, “Does anyone here know how to dance.” Preston responds: “I know how to dance.”

They were married in 1991 at a midnight ceremony in Paris while expecting their first son, Jett. Preston starred opposite Kevin Costner in the 1999 film “For the Love of the Game.” In 2003, she starred in “What a Girl Wants” and as the mom in the live-action adaptation of “The Cat in the Hat.” The following year she appeared in the music video for Maroon 5′s “She Will Be Loved.”

Preston gave one of her most well-received performances in “Jerry Maguire” as the ex-fiancée of Cruise’s sports agent who dumps him early in the movie. The Daily News called her “icily effective.” On Monday, Russell Crowe recalled knowing Preston in the '90s. He said he hadn’t seen her much since, “but when I did, she was always the same sparkly eyed gem.”

Preston occasionally appeared in films with her husband, though the results were seldom among either's best work. Among them: the box-office bomb “Battlefield Earth” in 2000 and the 2009 Disney comedy “Old Dogs,” also with their daughter, Ella Bleu.

In January 2009, Jett Travolta, 16, died after a seizure at the family's vacation home in the Bahamas. The death touched off a court case after an ambulance driver and his attorney were accused of trying to extort $25 million from the actors in exchange for not releasing sensitive information about their son's death.

Travolta testified during a criminal trial that ended in a mistrial and was prepared to testify a second time, but decided to stop pursuing the case and it was dismissed. He cited the severe strain the proceedings and his son's death had caused the family.

Both Preston and Travolta returned to acting, with Preston's first role back in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation, “The Last Song,” which starred Miley Cyrus and her future husband, Liam Hemsworth. In addition to Jett and Ella Bleu, who was born in 2000, the couple had son Benjamin in 2010. Ella wrote on Instagram Sunday: “I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you. Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy."

The couple last starred together in the 2018 film “Gotti,” with Travolta playing John Gotti and Preston playing the crime boss’s wife, Victoria. “Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered,” Travolta said on Instagram. “I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.”

Coyle reported from New York.

USSF field command structure reduces command layers, focuses on space warfighter needs

by Lynn Kirby for USSF News
Arlington VA (AFNS)
Jul 01, 2020

The Department of the Air Force and the United States Space Force have finalized the new service's organizational structure for echelons below the headquarters, reflecting the newest branch of the armed forces' guiding principles of being a lean, agile and mission-focused organization.

The USSF field organization will consist of three echelons of command, where the Air Force currently is organized into five echelons. USSF's organizational structure will initially consolidate and align all organize, train and equip mission execution from former Air Force space-related units.

"This is the most significant restructuring of space units undertaken by the United States since the establishment of Air Force Space Command in 1982," said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett. "Innovation and efficiency are driving our mission as we position the Space Force to respond with agility to protect our nation's space capabilities and the American way of life."

In order of hierarchy, the USSF field echelons are named field commands, deltas and squadrons. There will be three field commands aligned with specific mission focuses: Space Operations Command, Space Systems Command, and Space Training and Readiness Command. SpOC and SSC will be led by three-star general officers, and STARCOM will be led by a two-star general.

Deltas will be O-6 led and will be organized around a specific function - operations, installation support, training, etc. Within the deltas will be squadrons focused on specific tactics. When the field command structure is fully implemented, it will eliminate one general officer echelon and one O-6 echelon of command. Functions formerly performed at the eliminated echelons will be realigned where appropriate within the USSF.

"This is an historic opportunity to launch the Space Force on the right trajectory to deliver the capabilities needed to ensure freedom of movement and deter aggression in, from and to space," said Gen. Jay Raymond, USSF chief of space operations.

"How we organize the Space Force will have a lasting impact on our ability to respond with speed and agility to emerging threats in support of the National Defense Strategy and Space Strategy."

SpOC will be the primary force provider of space forces and capabilities for combatant commanders, coalition partners, the joint force and the nation. The staff and operations elements of USSF at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, which is also the former AFSPC, will become the headquarters SpOC. There is an existing unit at Vandenberg AFB, California, named Space Operations Command, which will be renamed upon activation of the field command SpOC.

SSC will be responsible for developing, acquiring, and fielding lethal and resilient space capabilities for warfighters. Additionally, SSC will be responsible for launch, developmental testing, on-orbit checkout, and sustainment and maintenance of USSF space systems, as well as oversight of USSF science and technology activities.

Acquisition and development organizations to include the Space and Missile Systems Center, the Commercial Satellite Communications Office, and program offices of space systems transferring to USSF from other DoD organizations will form the building blocks of the new command, which will be built out in the months to come.

STARCOM will train and educate space professionals, and develop combat-ready space forces to address the challenges of the warfighting domain of space. Complete stand up of STARCOM is scheduled for 2021.

In the interim, a provisional Space Training and Readiness Delta, led by an O-6, will be established in July at Peterson AFB. This unit will serve as the parent organization for a number of education, training, and operational test and evaluation units transferring to the Space Force in summer 2020.

The next activities to stand up USSF field organizations include activation of SpOC, SSC and deltas beginning later in summer.

Source: Space War.
Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/USSF_field_command_structure_reduces_command_layers_focuses_on_space_warfighter_needs_999.html.

Supreme Court's abortion ruling raises stakes for election

June 30, 2020

NEW YORK (AP) — Supporters of abortion rights are elated, foes of abortion dismayed and angry, but they agree on one consequence of the Supreme Court’s first major abortion ruling since President Donald Trump took office: The upcoming election is crucial to their cause.

Both sides also say Monday’s ruling is not the last word on state-level abortion restrictions. One abortion rights leader evoked the image of playing whack-a-mole as new cases surface. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, struck down a Louisiana law seeking to require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. For both sides in the abortion debate, it was viewed as a momentous test of the court’s stance following Trump’s appointments of two conservative justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Both justices joined the conservative bloc’s dissent that supported the Louisiana law. But they were outvoted because Chief Justice John Roberts concurred with the court’s four more liberal justices. The ruling was yet another major decision in which the conservative-leaning court failed to deliver an easy victory to the right in culture war issues during an election year; one ruling protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment, and the other rejected Trump's effort to end protections for young immigrants.

Now, anti-abortion leaders say there’s an urgent need to reelect Trump so he can appoint more justices like Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. Abortion rights activists, with equal fervor, say it’s crucial to defeat Trump and end Republican control of the Senate, where the GOP majority has confirmed scores of conservative judges during Trump’s term.

The Louisiana law “was an obvious challenge to our reproductive freedom, and it points to the urgent need to vote for pro-choice candidates from the top of the ballot all the way down,” said Heidi Sieck of #VOTEPROCHOICE, an online advocacy group. “Do this in primaries, do this in runoffs, do this in special elections and do this in the general in November.”

James Bopp Jr., general counsel for National Right to Life, made a similar appeal, from an opposite vantage point. “This decision demonstrates how difficult it is to drain the D.C. swamp and how important it is that President Trump gets reelected so that he may be able to appoint more pro-life justices,” Bopp said.

The Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life and a member of the Trump campaign’s Catholic voter outreach project, noted that two of the liberal justices — Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer — are the oldest members of the court.

“Nobody can predict the future, but who’s going to name their replacements when the time comes? That is a question that motivates a lot of voters,” Pavone said. Anti-abortion activists swiftly made clear that Monday’s ruling would not dissuade them from continuing to push tough abortion restrictions through state legislatures.

In recent years, several states have enacted near-total bans on abortion only to have them blocked by the courts. However, Texas Right to Life urged lawmakers there to press ahead with a proposed three-pronged measure that would start with a ban on late-term abortions and proceed to a total ban.

Monday's ruling "highlights the need for pro-life states to pass laws that directly protect pre-born children in new and dynamic ways rather than get distracted on regulating the corrupt abortion industry,” a Texas Right to Life statement said.

Mike Gonidakis, the president of Ohio Right to Life, questioned the wisdom of pushing now for sweeping bans. He noted that an Ohio bill sharply restricting late-term abortions had taken effect, while the courts blocked a measure passed last year that would ban most abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

“We have to be methodical, strategic, and take an incremental approach,” he said. “A lot of people want to go from 0 to 60 — you usually end up with nothing.” The president of a national anti-abortion group, Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List, said she and her allies would encourage states to continue pressing forward with proposed restrictions that stopped short of near-total bans.

“These measures are extremely popular in some battleground states,” she said. “Prioritizing them is part of our electoral strategy.” Abortion rights advocate Nancy Northup, the CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, acknowledged that Monday’s ruling “will not stop those hell-bent on banning abortion.”

“We will continue to fight state by state, law by law to protect our constitutional right to abortion,” she said. “But we shouldn’t have to keep playing whack-a-mole.” She urged Congress to pass a bill called The Women’s Health Protection Act, which seeks to bolster women’s ability to access abortion even in states that pass laws seeking to restrict that access. The measure was introduced in May 2019 and has strong Democratic support — but no chance of passage for now due to Republican opposition.

From the other side of the debate, there also are dreams of a congressional solution. Michael New, an abortion opponent who teaches social research at Catholic University of America, said some legal experts in the anti-abortion community believe Congress could find ways to restrict or ban abortion while circumventing the courts — for example by establishing constitutional legal protections for unborn children.

But any such measures are nonstarters for now, given that Democrats in Congress would overwhelmingly oppose them. Whatever the strategy, New said, it would be important for the anti-abortion movement to be unified. He recalled that internal debates decades ago over how to draft a human life amendment to the Constitution did a great deal of damage to the anti-abortion cause.

Johnnie Moore, an evangelical adviser to the Trump administration, said Monday's court ruling would intensify interest in the election among religious conservatives who are a key part of Trump’s base.

“Conservatives know they are on the one-yard-line,” Moore tweeted. “Enthusiasm is already unprecedented, evangelical turnout will be too.”

Supreme Court refuses to block upcoming federal executions

June 30, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to block the execution of four federal prison inmates who are scheduled to be put to death in July and August. The executions would mark the first use of the death penalty on the federal level since 2003.

The justices rejected an appeal from four inmates who were convicted of killing children. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor noted that they would have blocked the executions from going forward.

The court's action leaves no obstacles standing in the way of the executions, the first of which is scheduled for July 13. The inmates are separately asking a federal judge in Washington to impose a new delay on their executions over other legal issues that have yet to be resolved.

The activity at the high court came after Attorney General William Barr directed the federal Bureau of Prisons to schedule the executions. Three of the men had been scheduled to be put to death when Barr first announced the federal government would resume executions last year, ending an informal moratorium on federal capital punishment as the issue receded from the public domain.

“The American people, acting through Congress and Presidents of both political parties, have long instructed that defendants convicted of the most heinous crimes should be subject to a sentence of death,” Barr said in a statement last month. “The four murderers whose executions are scheduled today have received full and fair proceedings under our Constitution and laws. We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes, and to the families left behind, to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system.”

The federal government’s initial effort was put on hold by a trial judge after the inmates challenged the new execution procedures, and the federal appeals court in Washington and the Supreme Court both declined to step in late last year. But in April, the appeals court threw out the judge’s order.

The federal prison in Indiana where the executions would take place, USP Terre Haute, has struggled to combat the coronavirus pandemic behind bars. One inmate there has died from COVID-19. The inmates scheduled for execution are: Danny Lee, who was convicted in Arkansas of killing a family of three, including an 8-year-old; Wesley Ira Purkey, of Kansas, who raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl and killed an 80-year-old woman; Dustin Lee Honken, who killed five people in Iowa, including two children; and Keith Dwayne Nelson, who kidnapped a 10-year-old girl who was rollerblading in front of her Kansas home and raped her in a forest behind a church before strangling the young girl with a wire.

Three of the executions — for Lee, Purkley and Honken — are scheduled days apart beginning July 13. Nelson’s execution is scheduled for Aug. 28. The Justice Department said additional executions will be set at a later date.

Ruth Friedman, an attorney for Lee, decried the federal death penalty as “arbitrary, racially-biased, and rife with poor lawyering and junk science.” “Despite these problems, and even as people across the country are demanding that leaders rethink crime, punishment, and justice, the government is barreling ahead with its plans to carry out the first federal executions in 17 years,” Friedman said in a statement. “Given the unfairness built into the federal death penalty system and the many unanswered questions about both the cases of the men scheduled to die and the government’s new execution protocol, there must be appropriate court review before the government can proceed with any execution.”

Purkey’s lawyers separately filed court papers last week asking a federal judge to halt his execution, arguing that he isn’t mentally fit to be executed because he suffers from “advancing Alzheimer’s disease and deteriorating cognitive functioning.” The lawyers argue that Purkey doesn’t understand why the government plans to execute him and that he believes it is retaliation for many complaints about conditions in the federal prison system.

Executions on the federal level have been rare and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 — most recently in 2003, when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping, rape and murder of a young female soldier.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the decision means the families of the victims and those in their communities will “finally receive some long-overdue justice.” “The Supreme Court today rightly rejected yet another attempt by four death row inmates to escape justice,” McEnany said in a statement. “These four men each stand convicted of horrendous acts of violence — including the brutal rape and murder of children.”

Mississippi surrenders Confederate symbol from state flag

June 29, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi will retire the last state flag in the U.S. with the Confederate battle emblem, more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War.

A broad coalition of lawmakers — Black and white, Democrat and Republican — voted Sunday for change as the state faced increasing pressure amid nationwide protests against racial injustice. Mississippi has a 38% Black population, and critics have said for generations that it's wrong to have a flag that prominently features an emblem many condemn as racist.

Democratic Sen. David Jordan told his colleagues just before the vote that Mississippi needs a flag that unifies rather than divides. “Let's do this because it's the right thing to do," Jordan said. The Senate voted 37-14 to retire the flag, hours after the House voted 91-23.

Cheers rang out in the state Capitol after the Senate vote. Some spectators wept. Legislators embraced each other, many hugging colleagues who were on the opposing side of an issue that has long divided the tradition-bound state.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is expected to sign the bill into law in the next few days. Democratic Rep. Robert Johnson of Natchez choked back tears as he told reporters that he has seen white colleagues develop more empathy about how the Confederate symbol is painful to him and other African Americans.

“They began to understand and feel the same thing that I’ve been feeling for 61 years of my life,” Johnson said. A commission will design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “In God We Trust.” Voters will be asked to approve the new design in the Nov. 3 election. If they reject it, the commission will set a different design using the same guidelines, and that would be sent to voters later.

Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, who is white, has pushed for five years to change the flag, saying the Confederate symbol is offensive. “How sweet it is to celebrate this on the Lord’s day,” Gunn said.

Legislators put the Confederate emblem on the upper left corner of Mississippi flag in 1894, as white people were squelching political power that African Americans had gained after the Civil War. In a 2001 statewide election, voters chose to keep the flag. An increasing number of cities and all Mississippi’s public universities have taken down the state flag in recent years. But until now, efforts to redesign the flag sputtered in the Republican-dominated Legislature.

That dynamic shifted as an extraordinary and diverse coalition of political, business, religious groups and sports leaders pushed for change. At a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in early June, thousands cheered as an organizer said the state needs to divorce itself from all Confederate symbols.

Religious groups said erasing the rebel emblem from the state flag is a moral imperative. Notable among them was the state's largest church group, the 500,000-member Mississippi Baptist Convention, which called for change last week after not pushing for it before the 2001 election.

Business groups said the banner hinders economic development in one of the poorest states in the nation. In a sports-crazy culture, the biggest blow might have happened when college sports leagues said Mississippi could lose postseason events if it continued flying the Confederate-themed flag. Nearly four dozen of Mississippi’s university athletic directors and coaches came to the Capitol to lobby for change.

Many people who wanted to keep the emblem on the Mississippi flag said they see it as a symbol of heritage. The battle emblem is a red field topped by a blue X with 13 white stars. The Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups have waved the rebel flag for decades.

The Mississippi Supreme Court found in 2000 that when the state updated its laws in 1906, portions dealing with the flag were not included. That meant the banner lacked official status. The Democratic governor in 2000, Ronnie Musgrove, appointed a commission to decide the flag’s future. It held hearings across the state that grew ugly as people shouted at each other about the flag.

Legislators then opted not to set a flag design themselves, and put the issue on the 2001 statewide ballot. Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, who is now 97, served on then-President Bill Clinton’s national advisory board on race in the 1990s and was chairman of the Mississippi flag commission in 2000. Winter said Sunday that removing the Confederate symbol from the banner is “long overdue.”

“The battle for a better Mississippi does not end with the removal of the flag, and we should work in concert to make other positive changes in the interest of all of our people,” said Winter, a Democrat who was governor from 1980 until 1984.

Democratic state Sen. Derrick Simmons of Greenville, who is African American, said the state deserves a flag to make all people proud. “Today is a history-making day in the state of Mississippi,” Simmons told colleagues. “Let’s vote today for the Mississippi of tomorrow.”

Look away, Dixie: Mississippi to lose rebel emblem from flag

June 29, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi lawmakers voted Sunday to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War.

Spectators cheered and applauded after the historic votes in the House and Senate. Each chamber had broad bipartisan support for the landmark decision. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag will lose its official status as soon as he acts. That could happen “in coming days,” said his spokeswoman, Renae Eze.

Mississippi has a 38% Black population — and the last state flag with the emblem that’s widely seen as racist. The state faced mounting pressure to change its flag as weeks of international protests against racial injustice in the United States have led to the toppling or removal of Confederate statues and monuments.

After an emotional day Sunday, legislators hugged each other — even those on opposing sides. Democratic Rep. Robert Johnson of Natchez choked back tears as he told reporters that he has seen white colleagues develop more empathy about how the Confederate symbol is painful to him and other African Americans.

“They began to understand and feel the same thing that I've been feeling for 61 years of my life,” Johnson said. A commission will design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “In God We Trust.” Voters will be asked to approve the new design in the Nov. 3 election. If they reject it, the commission will set a different design using the same guidelines, and that would be sent to voters later.

Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, who is white, has pushed for five years to change the flag, saying the Confederate symbol is offensive. The House passed the bill 91-23 Sunday afternoon. Within hours, the Senate followed suit, 37-14.

“How sweet it is to celebrate this on the Lord’s day,” Gunn said. "Many prayed to Him to bring us to this day. He has answered.” An increasing number of cities and all Mississippi's public universities have taken down the state flag in recent years. But until now, efforts to redesign the flag sputtered in the Republican-dominated Legislature.

That dynamic shifted as an extraordinary and diverse coalition of political, business, religious groups and sports leaders pushed for change. At a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in early June, thousands cheered as an organizer said the state needs to divorce itself from all Confederate symbols.

Religious groups — including the large and influential Mississippi Baptist Convention — said erasing the rebel emblem from the state flag is a moral imperative. Business groups said the banner hinders economic development in one of the poorest states in the nation.

In a sports-crazy culture, the biggest blow might have happened when college sports leagues said Mississippi could lose postseason events if it continued flying the Confederate-themed flag. Nearly four dozen of Mississippi’s university athletic directors and coaches came to the Capitol to lobby for change.

Many people who wanted to keep the emblem on the Mississippi flag said they see it as a symbol of heritage. Legislators put the Confederate emblem on the upper left corner of Mississippi flag in 1894, as whites were squelching political power that African Americans had gained after the Civil War.

The battle emblem is a red field topped by a blue X with 13 white stars. The Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups have waved the rebel flag for decades. Georgia put the battle emblem prominently on its state flag in 1956, during a backlash to the civil rights movement. That state removed the symbol from its banner in 2001.

The Mississippi Supreme Court found in 2000 that when the state updated its laws in 1906, portions dealing with the flag were not included. That meant the banner lacked official status. The Democratic governor in 2000, Ronnie Musgrove, appointed a commission to decide the flag’s future. It held hearings across the state that grew ugly as people shouted at each other about the flag.

Legislators then opted not to set a flag design themselves. They put the issue on a 2001 statewide ballot, and people voted to keep the flag. Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, who is now 97, served on then-President Bill Clinton's national advisory board on race in the 1990s and was chairman of the Mississippi flag commission in 2000. Winter said Sunday that removing the Confederate symbol from the banner is “long overdue."

“The battle for a better Mississippi does not end with the removal of the flag, and we should work in concert to make other positive changes in the interest of all of our people,” said Winter, a Democrat who was governor from 1980 until 1984.

Democratic state Sen. Derrick Simmons of Greenville, who is African American, said the state deserves a flag to make all people proud. “Today is a history-making day in the state of Mississippi,” Simmons told colleagues. “Let’s vote today for the Mississippi of tomorrow.”

After Floyd, raw talk, racial reckoning among US Muslims

June 28, 2020

As a young student, Hind Makki recalls, she would call out others at the Islamic school she attended when some casually used an Arabic word meaning “slaves” to refer to Black people. “Maybe 85% of the time, the response that I would get from people ... is, ‘Oh, we don’t mean you, we mean the Americans,’” Makki said during a virtual panel discussion on race, one of many organized in the wake of George Floyd's death.

“That’s a whole other situation about anti-Blackness, particularly against African Americans,” said Makki, who identifies as a Black Arab Muslim. In recent weeks, many Muslims in the U.S. have joined racial justice rallies across the country and denounced racism in sermons, statements and webinars. American Muslims, Black and non-Black, are also having raw conversations like Makki's as they grapple with questions of racial equity, tensions and representation in their own faith communities.

“Everyone is talking about this, like from the uncle who’s been here since the early ’70s, was a retired doctor somewhere, a retired board member of a mosque to ... a high school student in the suburbs,” Makki, an anti-racism and interfaith educator, said in an interview. “The question needs to be pushed further than what words, what slurs you’re using, which you shouldn’t be using. How can we reach equity ... in the spaces that we actually can change?”

Muslims in America are diverse. No racial or ethnic group makes up a majority of Muslim American adults, and 20 percent are Black, according to a 2017 survey by Pew Research Center. Margari Hill, executive director of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, says she has seen a surge of interest, questions and demand from Muslim communities for her expertise: Can she look at a statement or provide topics for a program? Are there resources in Arabic or Bengali? Is it more appropriate to say Black or African American? Can she talk about anti-Blackness?

“There’s been a lot of calling out and calling in and deep reflection," she said. “We’re asking people to be committed to, like, unlearning, you know, and building authentic relationships” that last beyond the current moment.

Questions about how much change the flurry of discussions can spark echo those about a larger, national reckoning. “The openness of all different corners of the Muslim community to have this conversation in a really robust way is unprecedented and it is commendable,” said Imam Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “The challenge is when the protests eventually fizzle and the next calamity hits our country, will the conversation continue within the Muslim community?”

For this not to be a fleeting moment, Walid said, the makeup of leadership at national Islamic organizations must be more representative. He and others have called for more Black Muslim speakers and not just to talk about race or only during Black History Month.

At the Islamic Society of North America, where the current elected board of 10 directors has no African Americans, executive director Basharat Saleem said the organization has been working to boost diversity but acknowledged that more must be done.

African American Muslims have been well represented as speakers at ISNA events, he said, but attendance from people in that community at annual conventions has been low. “We have to do more work to basically reach out to the community,” Saleem said. “Also, (the) same thing has to happen from that community.”

Through the likes of art and social media hashtags, many Black Muslims have worked in recent years to amplify their stories and highlight a narrative that many of them say have been overshadowed by that of other Muslims. Some reflect on what it's like to be Black and Muslim.

Some experiences feel “exhausting,” Hill said. She remembers being referred to as a “slave” in Arabic at a Muslim store. One time, she was asked if she could “really read” a copy of the Quran she wanted to buy. “No one wants to, you know, feel like they have to justify their humanity or their faith."

Ubaydullah Evans, resident scholar for the American Learning Institute for Muslims, says he’s experienced “interpersonal racism," from some Muslims. Still, other non-Black Muslims “have always sought to build community,” and work with African Americans, he said.

Walid, like many others, says Islam sends a clear message of egalitarianism. Over the years, there have been efforts to build bridges. More recently, some have taken an oath against using the Arabic word for "slaves.”

Others focused discussions on how to improve relations between Arab and Muslim store owners and the Black communities they serve. Dozens of American Muslim organizations came together to demand police reform and pledged to support Black-led groups.

Evans credits younger Muslims with a lot of work challenging racial inequality. He hopes “we get the maximum mileage out of this moment,” but says some Black American Muslims “have been hurt so badly that it’s hard for them to summon that trust.”

Sylvia Chan-Malik, who teaches about race and about Islam in America at Rutgers University, said some of the tensions stem from divergent views of America. Many African American Muslims have, historically, engaged Islam as a repudiation of anti-Black racism and “have long viewed the police as a threat to Black communities,” she said. Meanwhile, some immigrants “really want to believe in the promise of America” and have faith in the system, she added.

And because Islam's history in the U.S. is “marginalized,” Chan-Malik argued, misconceptions by some about African American Muslims may include thinking that they are all converts or practice an inauthentic form of Islam.

“Islam entered this country as a religious presence through the bodies, the culture, the voices and perspectives of enslaved Africans,” she said. “You cannot divorce Islam in America from the African American experience.”

On a recent virtual panel to bring attention to the history of Black American Muslims and address racism, Imam Jihad Saafir said he was “hopeful and happy” about Muslims' response. Some imams, he said, have been telling him they want to learn more and better understand racism. He shared plans to send African American imams to different California mosques for a day.

“No co-opting our issues on that day,” he told participants. “The pleasure of Allah lies in us building community with one another.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Mississippi set to remove Confederate emblem from its flag

June 28, 2020

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi is on the verge of changing its state flag to erase a Confederate battle emblem that's broadly condemned as racist. The flag's supporters resisted efforts to change it for decades, but rapid developments in recent weeks have changed dynamics on this issue in the tradition-bound state.

As protests against racial injustice recently spread across the U.S., including Mississippi, leaders from business, religion, education and sports have spoken forcefully against the state flag. They have urged legislators to ditch the 126-year-old banner for one that better reflects the diversity of a state with a 38% Black population.

Legislators are expected to start voting Sunday to remove the current flag from state law. A commission would design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “In God We Trust.”

The state House and Senate met Saturday and took a big step: By two-thirds margins, they suspended legislative deadlines so a flag bill could be filed. Spectators cheered as each chamber voted, and legislators seeking the change embraced each other.

“There are economic issues. There are issues involving football or whatever,” Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Saturday. “But this vote came from the heart. That makes it so much more important.”

Democratic Sen. David Jordan, who is African American, has pushed for decades to change the flag. He smiled broadly after Saturday's vote and said, “This is such a metamorphosis." Mississippi has the last state flag with the Confederate battle emblem — a red field topped by a blue X with 13 white stars. The flag has been divisive for generations. All of the state's public universities have stopped flying it, as have a growing number of cities and counties.

White supremacists in the Mississippi Legislature set the state flag design in 1894 during backlash to the political power that African Americans gained after the Civil War. In 2000, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that the flag lacked official status. State laws were updated in 1906, and portions dealing with the flag were not carried forward. Legislators set a flag election in 2001, and voters kept the rebel-themed design.

Former Ole Miss basketball player Blake Hinson told his hometown Daytona Beach (Florida) News-Journal that the Mississippi flag played a part in his decision to transfer to Iowa State. “It was time to go and leave Ole Miss,” Hinson said. “I’m proud not to represent that flag anymore and to not be associated with anything representing the Confederacy.”

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Saturday for the first time that he would sign a bill to change the flag if the Republican-controlled Legislature sends him one. Reeves and many other politicians have said people should get to vote on a flag design in another statewide election. The new design — without the Confederate symbol — will be put on the ballot Nov. 3, but it will be the only choice. If a majority voting that day accept the new design, it will become the state flag. If a majority reject it, the commission will design a new flag using the same guidelines.

US Senate Panel Approves More Funds for Missile Defense in 2021 NDAA Act

Washington DC (Sputnik)
Jun 12, 2020

The US Senate Armed Services Committee approved additional funding for missile defense, including for hypersonic weapons, in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2021, a summary of the draft bill revealed.

The Armed Services Committee on Thursday voted 25-2 to advance the fiscal year 2021 NDAA to the Senate floor.

"The amended measure provides additional funding for missile defense priorities, including the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, components for an eight Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, and additional SM-3IIA interceptors", the summary of the draft bill said.

The bill mandates realigning weapons capabilities in the Indo-Pacific by shifting $75 million for Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) for the Air Force and adds $59.6 million for 36 Ground-Based Anti-Ship Missiles.

In addition, the bill provides $26 million for ten additional Tomahawk missiles, authorizes procuring 165 missiles and adds $35 million for ten additional LRASM to enhance US capabilities "to blunt a Chinese offensive".

The 2021 NDAA establishes the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) "to send China a strong signal" about the United States' commitment to defend its interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

"The bill authorizes $1.4 billion for PDI in FY21, including $188.6 million above the budget request for Indo-Pacific requirements, such as missile defense, enhancing forward posture, and improving interoperability with allies and partners", the summary said. The draft bill also provides $9.1 billion to procure 95 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which is 14 aircraft more than the US administration requested.

Source: Space War.
Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_Senate_Panel_Approves_More_Funds_for_Missile_Defence_in_2021_NDAA_Act_999.html.

Talks 'on track' to boost US presence in Poland: ambassador

Warsaw (AFP)
June 11, 2020

Talks focused on beefing up the US presence in Poland are "on track", Washington's ambassador to Warsaw said Thursday, amid reports American military personnel currently stationed in Germany could be sent east.

"Negotiations are on track! President Trump @POTUS & @Prezydentpl (Andrzej) Duda's vision for increased US presence in Poland will be even greater than originally outlined. Announcement coming soon," US Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher said in a Thursday tweet.

A country of 38 million people on NATO's eastern flank, Poland has long campaigned for a permanent US troop presence on its soil to ward off Russian adventurism.

Conservative Polish President Andrzej Duda has tried to charm the US president, even pitching the idea of Poland building a "Fort Trump" to house thousands of US soldiers.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday that his country hopes to welcome larger US troop rotations after the Wall Street Journal reported that Washington plans to slash its military presence in Germany.

Talks on the possibility "are ongoing", Morawiecki said.

The WSJ quoted unnamed sources saying that US President Donald Trump had ordered the Pentagon to cut the number of military personnel in Germany by 9,500 from the current 34,500 permanently assigned there.

White House and Pentagon officials declined to confirm or deny the WSJ story, which comes amid tensions between the Trump administration and European allies over longstanding cooperation agreements.

Poland has long regarded the United States as the primary guarantor of its security within the NATO Western defense alliance, which Warsaw joined in 1999, a decade after it broke free from the crumbling Soviet bloc.

US President Donald Trump has already upped his country's troop rotations in Poland to 5,500 personnel as part of a wider NATO response to concerns in the region triggered by Russia's 2014 annexation of territory from neighboring Ukraine.

Thousands of US and Polish troops are currently engaged in the June 5-19 Defender-Europe 20 maneuvers, the first large-scale war games in Europe since the coronavirus pandemic struck the continent.

Testing, quarantines and social distancing are part of the drill for the more than 6,000 troops, including Poles and 4,000 Americans, at the Drawsko Pomorskie military training range in northern Poland.

Source: Space War.
Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Talks_on_track_to_boost_US_presence_in_Poland_ambassador_999.html.

Pentagon resumes military aid to Ukraine

Washington (AFP)
June 11, 2020

The US Defense Department announced Thursday it was resuming military assistance to Ukraine after a freeze forced by the scandal at the heart of President Donald Trump's impeachment.

The Pentagon said $250 million will be released to assist with Ukraine's defensive capabilities, air and sea surveillance, communication and cyberdefense, the latter "to counter Russian cyber offensive operations and misinformation. "

The support will complement NATO security assistance to Kiev, and comes after the US certified the Ukraine government had implemented required reforms in the military, the Pentagon said.

Over the past year, Ukraine has taken "considerable steps" to strengthen civilian control of the military; reform management and command structures, and reduce corruption, it said.

The West has expanded its support of the Ukraine military since Russian troops invaded Ukraine's strategic Crimea region and claimed the territory for itself in 2014.

Moscow is also accused of supporting rebels who control parts of the country's east.

Last year Trump froze $400 million in military aid to the country while he sought help from the government to smear former US vice president Joe Biden, his Democratic challenger in the November presidential election.

Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives for abuse of power and placed on trial in the Senate, where overwhelming support from his Republican Party led to his acquittal.

The $400 million has since been reduced to $250 million.

Source: Space War.
Link: https://www.spacewar.com/reports/Pentagon_resumes_military_aid_to_Ukraine_999.html.

Senegal rejects dozens of foreign trawler permits

Dakar (AFP)
June 9, 2020

Senegal has rejected requests to license dozens of foreign fishing trawlers, officials said on Tuesday, following an uproar from environmentalists and struggling fishermen in the West African state.

Two government officials told AFP that the applications -- which were originally submitted in April -- had been rejected.

The government had said in April that it would consider permits for 54 foreign vessels.

But the move triggered a backlash from environmentalists and local fishermen, who mounted a campaign to stop the move.

This followed years of tension between local fishermen and foreign factory ships, which are often accused of contributing to severe overfishing in the region.

Senegal's 50,000 fishermen -- who mostly take to the Atlantic aboard wooden boats known as "pirogues" -- have struggled to adapt to declining stocks.

Recently, their revenues have also been hit by the closure of markets to curb coronavirus.

Government officials on Tuesday were unable to immediately clarify the number of permit requests for foreign trawlers that had been rejected.

But NGO Greenpeace said in a statement on Monday that the government had rejected permits for 52 foreign vessels.

The process for acquiring fishing permits in Senegal is highly opaque.

Abdou Karim Sall, the president of a Senegalese artisanal fishing association, told AFP that he welcomed the rejection of the permits, but added that he wanted more government transparency.

"Nobody knows the number of boats (in Senegalese waters)," he said. "I want to hear the minister speak."

An official at Senegal's fisheries ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Dyhia Belhabib, principal investigator for the charity Ecotrust Canada, said impenetrable bureaucracy has often masked controversial decisions on permits.

"This issue is not new," she said, pointing to earlier uproar over foreign trawlers.

In a move hailed at the time, Senegalese President Macky Sall stripped murkily-obtained permits from 29 foreign vessels in 2012, with many hailing from Eastern Europe.

New tension over foreign trawlers comes at a difficult time for Senegal's fishing sector.

"We're not finding any more fish," said Diaba Diop, the secretary general of a Senegalese women's artisanal fishing association.

According to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation, over a third of fish stocks from Senegal to Nigeria are overfished, and up to half of West Africa's annual catch could be illegal.

Fishing is one of Senegal's top industries, accounting for about 17 percent of export revenues in 2018, according to government figures.

Source: Terra Daily.
Link: https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Senegal_rejects_dozens_of_foreign_trawler_permits_999.html.

French court OKs end to Rwanda genocide investigation

July 03, 2020

PARIS (AP) — The Paris appeals court on Friday upheld a decision to end a years-long investigation into the plane crash that sparked Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, citing lack of sufficient evidence. The probe has damaged France-Rwanda relations for years, because it targeted several people close to current Rwandan President Paul Kagame. His supporters denounce the investigation as an attempt to exonerate France’s suspected role in the genocide.

French investigating judges decided in 2018 to drop the probe, and family members of those killed in the crash appealed the decision. The Paris appeals court on Friday upheld it, according to a court official. Lawyers for the families can further appeal the ruling to France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation.

The 1994 plane crash killed Rwanda’s then-President Juvenal Habyarimana, an ethnic Hutu. Militants from the Hutu majority blamed minority Tutsis for the death, sparking a slaughter that killed 800,000 people.

The plane had a French crew, and Rwanda has long accused France of complicity in the genocide, which France denies. The cause of the crash has long been a contentious issue. Relations between Rwanda and France were under strain for years after the genocide, but have improved somewhat under French President Emmanuel Macron, who created a commission tasked with investigating France’s role in Rwanda before and during the genocide.

Friday’s ruling came as one of the most wanted fugitives in Rwanda’s genocide, who was arrested in May outside Paris, is awaiting a decision on extradition.

Analysis: Turkey forges military pact with Niger, Libya's neighbor

July 25, 2020

The signing of a military agreement with Niger, a neighboring country of Libya, reflects Turkey’s interest to have a foothold in a country adjacent to Libya, The New Khalij reported on Friday.

The agreement was reached during last week’s tour by the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu of Africa, as Niger was among the African countries he visited.

Çavuşoğlu met with President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou, and both sides discussed the effects of the unstable security situation in Libya on their countries.

The New Khalij disclosed that Turkey, which has military agreements with Libya, does not have ground borders with it. Therefore, it expected that it would be difficult for it to deal with the issue when it comes to military confrontation with Egypt, which supports the renegade Libyan Commander Khalifa Haftar.

Consequently, The New Khalij explained that there is a possibility of a ground confrontation in light of the continuous remarks by Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, who continues pledging to stop Turkish support for the UN-backed Libyan government in Tripoli.

During the visit to Niger, Çavuşoğlu expressed: “We would like to make a contribution to Niger’s development in the areas of transportation, construction, energy, mining and agriculture.”

As part of the Turkish cooperation with Africa, Anadolu Agency reported that the Turkish government has donated millions of dollars for infrastructure development on the continent and has sponsored hundreds of African students.

Turkey’s presence is felt across the continent, where there are a number of Turkish organisations, including the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Maarif Foundation and Yunus Emre Institute, among others.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200725-analysis-turkey-forges-military-pact-with-niger-libyas-neighbour/.

Israel blocks Palestinian mothers travelling with newborn babies

July 27, 2020

The Israeli authorities have prevented two Palestinian women from leaving the occupied West Bank for Jordan because their newborn babies are not registered in the Zionist state, Wafa news agency has reported.

Although the babies are registered with the Palestinian Interior Ministry, they were not allowed to cross into Jordan via the Allenby Bridge.

A number of Palestinians have been denied travel recently at the Israeli-controlled border crossing with Jordan. The bridge connects the West Bank with the Hashemite Kingdom and is the sole designated exit and entry point for West Bank Palestinians travelling into and out of the Israeli occupied territories.

The women were attempting to travel to Jordan to be reunited with their husbands who work in the UAE, after giving birth in the occupied territories. Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Ahmad Al-Dik condemned Israel’s actions and asserted the right of the babies to stay with their mothers.

“This stance by the occupation state is a violation of the Geneva Conventions,” he explained, “which guarantee freedom of movement for people under occupation, particularly since the two women carry valid documents for themselves and their babies issued by the State of Palestine, which is under occupation.”

Rights groups have pointed out that preventing Palestinians from travelling through this crossing is part of the political pressure put on them. It bears no relation to any valid security or other issues, they insisted.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200727-israel-blocks-palestinian-mothers-travelling-with-newborn-babies/.

Qatar interested in hosting Olympics, possibly in 2032

July 27, 2020

Qatar, the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, announced on Monday it would also like to stage the Olympics, possibly in 2032.

The Gulf Arab state’s Olympic committee said it submitted a request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to join the phase of “continuous dialogue” about hosting a future Games.

Oil-rich Qatar is increasingly keen to host major sporting events and has already welcomed world athletics championships, though scorching desert temperatures during parts of the year have caused some anxiety in the sports world.

“It is this proven track-record and wealth of experience, along with our desire to use sport to promote peace and cultural exchange, that will form the basis of our discussions with the Commission,” Qatar Olympic Committee President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said in a statement.

The Olympics have never been hosted in the Middle East, and Qatar will be the first nation in the region to host soccer’s biggest showpiece.

It has invested billions of dollars in preparing for the 2022 soccer World Cup. However, human rights groups have criticized the treatment of migrant workers.

The Qatari government has said it does not tolerate unscrupulous treatment of workers.

Qatar’s Doha had also unsuccessfully bid for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

“The IOC… welcomes the interest recently expressed by Qatar, which is the latest country to enter the new dialogue phase,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

The IOC has changed the bidding process in recent years to reduce costs and make it more attractive to interested cities, who now enter into an initial discussion with the IOC to see whether the Olympics would be a fit for them.

“These are ongoing, non-committal discussions that are not necessarily related to a specific edition of the Olympic Games or the Youth Olympic Games, and are an opportunity to explore a project without committing extensive time and resources,” the IOC said.

There is no deadline for a decision to be made, though usually cities are given at least seven years in advance to prepare for hosting the Games.

Several other countries have expressed an interest in the 2032 summer Olympics including Indonesia, Australia, India, and Germany, among others.

Source: Middle East Monitor.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200727-qatar-interested-in-hosting-olympics-possibly-in-2032/.

Belgium unveils plan to avoid lockdown, curfew in Antwerp

July 28, 2020

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium's prime minister put the brakes on the country's coronavirus exit plan Monday with a set of drastic social distancing measures aimed at avoiding a new general lockdown as local authorities in the province of Antwerp imposed a curfew amid a surge of COVID-19 infections.

Speaking after an urgent meeting of the national security council, Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said that from next Wednesday contacts outside every household will be limited to the same five people over the next four weeks, as the so-called “social bubble” now applies to a house and its occupants and not to individuals. Belgian residents are currently allowed to meet with 15 different people per week.

“Our aim is clear — avoid another full lockdown,” Wilmes said. After a sharp decline of infections, Belgium has witnessed a surge in confirmed cases over the past three weeks. According to figures released Monday, the number rose 71% from July 17-23 compared to the previous 7 days, with 47% of the cases detected in Antwerp province.

Authorities in the northern region announced extra restrictions including a curfew from 11.30 p.m. to 6 a.m and the mandatory wear of face masks in public space when a distance of 1.5 meter between individuals can't be observed. Cafes and restaurants will also have to close at 11 p.m while remote working is required.

The number of cases also increased greatly in the rest of the country, with an average of 279 new daily cases and a 30% rise in the number of people admitted to hospital. “I fully realize that everyone has already made heavy sacrifices in recent months. That is why it is also a great pity that we, our strong region, are now facing a very strong increase in the number of infections,” Antwerp provincial governor Cathy Berx was quoted as saying by local newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen. “Which may also lead to an increase in hospital admissions and unfortunately possibly also in the number of deaths.”

The curfew should enter into force once the decision is signed by Berx. Wilmes said that the restrictions at federal level — which also include lowering crowd limits at public events to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors — could be sufficient to avoid further restrictions and to ensure children can return to school en masse in September, after the summer break.

Wilmes exhorted people to get back to working remotely when possible, “one of the keys for a successful deconfinement.” She added that shoppers should run errands alone from now on and limit the time they spend in stores to 30 minutes. In addition, family or friends' gatherings —including wedding receptions — will be limited to a maximum of 10 people.

“However, the most important approach is the individual one,” Wilmes said. “If we cannot contain the coronavirus, it will be a collective failure.” Meanwhile, Brussels mayor Philippe Close announced the cancellation of the 140th edition of the city's annual summer funfair, saying it was impossible for the popular event to take place on account of the latest health guidelines.

Belgium, a country with 11.5 million inhabitants, has been particularly hard hit by the virus, with more than 66,000 cases and 9,821 deaths. The government had already tightened restrictions last week, making the use of face masks mandatory in crowded outdoor spaces while requiring bar and restaurant owners to register contact details of customers.

In shift, Tunisians top migrant groups reaching Italy by sea

July 27, 2020

ROME (AP) — More boats carrying Tunisian asylum-seekers reached a tiny southern Italian island Monday, part of a steady stream from the economically struggling North African country that is sorely testing Italian small town mayors' ability to stop them escaping by the hundreds from quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tunisian migrants are now the biggest single national group reaching Italy by sea, and in a sign of concern Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese met in Tunisia on Monday with her Tunisian counterpart and the country's president.

Hours earlier, two vessels carrying a total 18 Tunisians arrived at Lampedusa, a tourist destination about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Tunisia and 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Sicily. One held 11 people, wearing sunglasses and shorts, carrying knapsacks and water bottles and a poodle on a leash, Italy's ANSA news agency said. It said their boat was intercepted by the Italian coast guard, which transferred them to a rubber dinghy to take them ashore.

The second boat reached a reef near a popular Lampedusa swimming beach, where an Italian border police boat spotted the seven occupants just as they set foot on land, ANSA said. In all of 2019, 11,471 migrants reached Italy by sea, according to U.N. refugee agency figures. That's a fraction of the nearly 120,000 people rescued at sea from Libyan-based traffickers' flimsy boats and brought to Italy in 2017, or the more than 181,000 who arrived in the peak year, 2016.

But by last week, Italy's interior minister noted in her meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied, 11,191 migrants landed on Italy's shores this year, 5,237 having set out from Tunisia, and nearly 4,000 of them Tunisian citizens.

Tunisia's deep economic and social crisis is worsened by the pandemic and ensuing lockdown. In June, hundreds of unemployed Tunisians tried to march on parliament to demand a law guaranteeing jobs, and skirmished with police.

Unemployment was a key driver of protests that overthrew Tunisia’s autocratic president and unleashed the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 Lamorgese’s office said that in her talks in Tunisia on Monday she voiced readiness to help Tunisia find “more effective” ways to operate “surveillance of traffickers’ boats departing from the African coast.”

Italy also pledged its intention to support “interventions and investments to accelerate economic recovery in Tunisia,″ Lamorgese’s office said. She also lamented the “serious problems tied to national health security with inevitable repercussions on the local community” due to uncontrolled arrivals of migrants, her office said.

“Tunisian migrants in particular try to leave in every way before obligatory quarantine” in reception centers is completed, the ministry said in a statement. The Tunisian president expressed the view that the issue of “irregular migration is essentially a humanitarian question” whose causes need to be addressed.

A career ministry official, Lamorgese is feeling political heat at home. Near the Sicilian town of Caltanissetta on Sunday, some 180 migrants fled obligatory quarantine, although by Monday at least 139 of them had been found. Mayor Roberto Gambino said he pleaded with Lamorgese to stop sending any more migrants his way from Lampedusa, which was being overwhelmed with the arrivals.

Elsewhere in Sicily, some 100 of the 520 migrants being held in a giant tent without windows near the dock of Porto Empedocle, where ferries arrive from Lampedusa, fled quarantine, national daily La Repubblica reported.

Lamorgese later said most had been found. All this made for fodder for Italy's increasingly popular far-right Brothers of Italy party. “Now that's enough,'' the party's leader, Giorgia Meloni said in a Facebook post, which called on the center-left government to ”immediately stop the disembarkation" of migrants on Italian shores.

After Sicily's governor, Nello Musumeci complained that the island was being treated “like a colony," Lamorgese called to tell him that soldiers will be deployed to prevent escape from quarantine. She said none of the hundreds of migrants had tested positive for COVID-19, and soon all will be quarantined offshore on a ship of “great dimensions.”

Tunisia is one of the very few countries with which Italy has repatriation accords so migrants denied asylum can be flown home. The Italian interior ministry statement said that Tunisian authorities in their talks with Lamorgese “confirmed the regular carrying out of the weekly repatriation operations from Italy.”

Thomas Adamson contributed from Paris and Buoazza Ben Buoazza contributed from Tunisia.

European tourism faces turbulence only weeks after restart

July 27, 2020

BERLIN (AP) — Europe's tourism revival is running into turbulence only weeks after countries opened their borders, with rising infections in Spain and other countries causing increasing concern as authorities worry about people bringing the coronavirus home from their summer vacations.

European countries started opening up to each other's tourists in mid-June, but recent events have shown that the new freedom to travel is subject to unpredictable setbacks. Over the weekend, Britain imposed a 14-day quarantine on travelers arriving from Spain, Norway ordered a 10-day quarantine for people returning from the entire Iberian peninsula, and France urged its citizens not to visit Spain's Catalonia region.

In Austria, the lakeside resort town of St. Wolfgang shortened bar opening hours after an outbreak was detected on Friday. By Monday, 53 people had tested positive, including many interns working in the tourism industry.

In Germany, officials decided last week to set up testing stations at airports to encourage people arriving from a long list of countries deemed high-risk — including traditionally popular destinations such as Turkey — to get tested. They will also allow people to get tested elsewhere for free within three days of arrival.

“We are still very concerned about holidays,” Bavaria's governor, Markus Soeder, said Monday. “My worry is not that there will be one big Ischgl, but that there will be many mini-Ischgls,” he added, referring to the Austrian ski resort that was an early European hot spot in March.

“We are already seeing this in Spain, but also in other places,” he said, adding that German residents' trips to visit families abroad are also a concern. Soeder called for tests of returning vacationers from risky areas at airports to be made obligatory, something that the federal government is considering.

“Mostly it is the considerate people who have behaved very cautiously on vacation anyway who take up the voluntary offers, while those who are more careless don't take a voluntary test,” Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff, Helge Braun, told RBB Inforadio. New infections in Germany have been creeping higher from a low level.

Tourism employs 2.6 million people in Spain and generates 12% of the country’s economic activity. Juan Molas, the head of a national association of tourism companies, Mesa del Turismo, said Spain’s tourism sector has on average lost 5 billion euros ($5.8 billion) a week since March.

Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said the Spanish government is trying to persuade the U.K. to exempt the Balearic Islands, which have a relatively low infection rate, from the quarantine rule. “We’re living alongside the virus. That doesn’t mean we can’t travel. We can, if we are careful,” Maroto said.

The head of the Valencia regional government, which includes the popular Costa Blanca, also said he wanted an exemption. “The tourist season has already been very difficult,” Ximo Puig told Cadena Ser radio. “We had some hope of salvaging something in August, but this is a very hard blow.”

The northeastern Catalonia and Aragón regions have Spain's most worrying virus clusters, prompting authorities to tighten restrictions in Barcelona, in a rural area around Lleida and in Zaragoza that were relaxed only a month ago.

Catalonia is facing “the 10 most decisive days of this summer,” regional leader Quim Torra said, warning that it is in everyone's hands to prevent a “critical situation” from worsening. But he also insisted that Catalonia is safe overall and said the tourism sector “is prepared with all the safety measures.”

Elsewhere in Europe, authorities in Belgium said that COVID-19 cases are growing at an alarming rate amid a surge of infections in Antwerp. Greek authorities said they are likely to extend the mandatory use of masks at churches and shopping malls, citing worsening public adherence to safety guidelines.

And in north Africa, Morocco banned most travel to and from some major cities — including Tangier, Casablanca and Marrakech, usually a popular tourist destination — to try to stem a small spike in cases.

In the Asia-Pacific region, many countries are still essentially banning foreign travelers or, if they do allow them to enter, requiring them to submit to tests and strict quarantine. That includes Australia, where the premier of Victoria state, Daniel Andrews, said the biggest driver in the region's current outbreak is people continuing to go to work after showing symptoms.

Crossing borders was linked to other outbreaks in Asia. South Korea said 16 of the 25 new cases it confirmed Monday were tied to people arriving from abroad. The country in past days reported dozens of cases among crew members of a Russia-flagged cargo ship and hundreds of South Korean construction workers airlifted from Iraq.

A tally by Johns Hopkins University shows more than 16.2 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide and more than 648,000 deaths. The actual numbers are thought to be much higher due to limits to testing and other issues.

The World Health Organization said the pandemic continues to accelerate, with a doubling of cases over the past six weeks. The U.N. health agency's emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, stressed the need to “keep pressure on the virus.”

"Every single country where pressure has been lifted on the virus, where virus is still at community level, there’s been a jump back in cases,” he said.

Kurtenbach reported from Mito, Japan. Barry Hatton in Lisbon and Associated Press reporters from around the world contributed to this report.