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@ISIDEWITH submitted…4wks4W
If the rebel forces that overthrew Syria’s regime start fighting among themselves, this small but influential country may step in to mediate, a top official here indicated Tuesday.“We never say no,” Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said in an interview in his office in Doha when asked about the possibility.Al-Ansari confirmed that Qatari officials are already in contact with groups in Syria, though he declined to name which ones. “We are in touch with all the relevant parties on the ground,” he said. His comments come after Reuters reported Monday that Qatar is in touch with the leading rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf Arab country, has a long history of acting as a go-between for feuding parties, including Israel and Hamas as they fight in Gaza. Serving as an intermediary in Syria could make Qatar an even more important partner for the United States, which often turns to it for help in dealing with adversaries.During a Tuesday briefing with reporters, Al-Ansari declined to comment directly on President-elect Donald Trump’s stated aversion to U.S. involvement in Syria. He said, however, that Qatar is in touch with the Biden administration and the Trump transition team about the best approach to take to the war-torn country.While Al-Ansari wouldn’t rule out a future mediation role if Syrian rebel groups turn on each other, he stressed that Qatar is urging the insurgent forces to cooperate for the sake of their country.“It’s sovereignty, the unity, the integrity of the national institutions and the rights of all Syrians together, and the inclusivity — these are the messages we are sending to them right now, and we are getting very positive feedback,” Al-Ansari said in the interview.
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…2mos2MO
The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously passed a 'sanctuary city' ordinance, positioning the city as a safe haven for immigrants in response to President-elect Donald Trump's plans for mass deportations. The ordinance prohibits the use of city resources or personnel to assist federal immigration…
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump Wednesday on his "impressive victory" in US elections and said he hoped his presidency would bring a "just peace in Ukraine closer".A second Trump term raises questions over Washington's long-term support for Ukraine, battling a Russian invasion for almost three years, as the Republican candidate has been highly critical of US military aid to Kyiv."I appreciate President Trump's commitment to the 'peace through strength' approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer," Zelensky said in a statement on social media."We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump's decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States," he added.Zelensky said Kyiv was "committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the transatlantic community with the support of our allies".Prime Minister Denys Shmygal later said Ukrainians "look forward to an era of a strong United States under your leadership".Zelensky met Trump for talks while visiting the US in September, a meeting that came after public tensions between the two politicians.Standing next to Zelensky, Trump had touted his working relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, congratulating Trump, described the September meeting as "productive.""It is essential that Ukraine has bipartisan support in the United States," he added.
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Sir Keir Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.When asked about the issue, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the Government respected the independence of the court.He declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK.The spokesman said: “We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institutional institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes in relation to international law.“This Government has been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law. There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terror groups.“We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza.”Under the Conservatives, the British government had told the court it intended to challenge the plans for the arrest warrants.However, weeks after coming to power, Sir Keir’s government reversed that position and said it would not object.Downing Street also declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be welcome to visit Britain in the future.Sir Keir’s spokesman said: “We never comment on future international visits but my position on the Prime Minister’s support for Israel in terms of its right to defend itself in accordance with international law is very clear.”The spokesman repeatedly declined to “go into hypotheticals” about whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK.He added: “It’s not up to the Prime Minister to determine other world leaders’ travel schedules. He engages and will continue to engage with the prime minister of Israel in support of Israel’s right to defend itself.”Pressed on what he meant by his comments about the court, the spokesman said: “It means that we respect the independence of the ICC. We respect the fact that the ICC is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.”The spokesman went on to say the Government’s “focus” remained an end to the violence in the Middle East, which has been ongoing for more than a year after the Oct 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…3 days3D
President Joe Biden announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of the US coastline on Monday in a move designed to bolster his environmental and climate legacy as he prepares to leave office.The order will protect 625mn acres of ocean on the US east coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon and California, as well as portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska, the White House said on Monday.“My decision reflects what the coastal communities, business and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden said.The executive action will not prevent oil and gas companies obtaining leases in the central and western parts of the Gulf of Mexico, areas that produce almost 15 per cent of the nation’s oil supplies. Nevertheless, the move is expected to complicate the policy agenda of incoming president Donald Trump, who has vowed to “drill, baby, drill” and boost US oil production, even though it is already at a record level.The Trump transition team said it was a disgraceful decision designed to exact “political revenge on the American people” and the incoming president said he would immediately “unban” Biden’s prohibition on new offshore drilling.“I have the right to unban it immediately . . . we can’t let that happen to our country. It’s our greatest, it’s really our greatest economic asset,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview on Monday.Biden’s action will probably be challenged by the oil industry in court and face pushback from Republicans in Congress. But overturning the order could prove challenging and may require an act of Congress, according to legal experts.Biden is using his authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, to protect the areas from drilling — the same mechanism which former president Barack Obama used previously to ban offshore drilling in some Arctic and Atlantic waters in 2016.In 2019, a federal judge ruled that an executive order by former president Donald Trump that lifted an Obama-era ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean was unlawful.
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@ISIDEWITH submitted…1 day1D
The Los Angeles Fire Department had its budget cut by a staggering $17.6 million this financial year, records show — as fire crews continue to battle out-of-control blazes ravaging the City of Angels.The drastic decrease in funding for the fire department was the second-largest cut to come out of embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass‘ 2024-25 fiscal year budget, according to city figures.The police budget, meanwhile, increased by $126 million, a graphic shared by LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia shows.Bass had initially wanted to cut the fire department by even more — a staggering $23 million.The details on Bass’ budget slashing resurfaced as the mayor faced widespread backlash Wednesday after it was revealed she was away in Africa for the Ghana president’s inauguration — even as wind-whipped wildfires turned parts of her city into an apocalyptic hellscape.In her absence, Bass found time to praise firefighters and other emergency crews for working “overnight to protect Angelenos affected by fires.”“Angelenos should be advised that the windstorm is expected to worsen through the morning and to heed local warnings, stay vigilant and stay safe,” Bass said in a post on X.
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