WASHINGTON: A bitterly divided Congress hurtled toward a government shutdown this weekend in a partisan stare-down over demands by Democrats for a solution on politically fraught legislation to protect about 700,000 younger immigrants from being deported.
Democrats in the Senate have served notice they will filibuster a four-week, government-wide funding bill that cleared the House Thursday evening, seeking to shape a subsequent measure but exposing themselves to charges they are responsible for a looming shutdown.
Republicans controlling the narrowly split chamber took up the fight, arguing that Democrats were holding the entire government hostage over demands to protect “dreamer” immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.
“Democratic senators’ fixation on illegal immigration has already blocked us from making progress on long-term spending talks,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky “That same fixation has them threatening to filibuster funding for the government.”
President Donald Trump entered the fray early Friday morning, mentioning the House-approved bill on Twitter, adding: “Democrats are needed if it is to pass in the Senate — but they want illegal immigration and weak borders. Shutdown coming? We need more Republican victories in 2018!“
The White House said Friday that Trump will not leave for a planned weekend in Florida unless a funding bill passes. Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his inauguration at Mar-a-Lago.
In the House, Republicans muscled the measure through on a mostly party-line 230-197 vote after making modest concessions to chamber conservatives and defense hawks. House Speaker Paul Ryan immediately summoned reporters to try to pin the blame on top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York.
A test vote on a filibuster by Senate Democrats appeared likely before the shutdown deadline of Friday at midnight. Schumer was rebuffed in an attempt to vote Thursday night.
“We can’t keep kicking the can down the road,” said Schumer, insisting on more urgency in talks on immigration. “In another month, we’ll be right back here, at this moment, with the same web of problems at our feet, in no better position to solve them.”
The measure would be the fourth stopgap spending bill since the current budget year started in October. A pile of unfinished Capitol Hill business has been on hold, first as Republicans ironed out last fall’s tax bill and now as Democrats insist on progress on immigration. Talks on a budget deal to ease tight spending limits on both the Pentagon and domestic agencies are on hold, as is progress on a huge $80 billion-plus disaster aid bill.
House GOP leaders sweetened the pending stopgap measure with legislation to extend for six years a popular health care program for children from low-income families and two-year delays in unpopular “Obamacare” taxes on medical devices and generous employer-provided health plans.
A shutdown would be the first since 2013, when tea party Republicans — in a strategy not unlike the one Schumer is employing now — sought to use a must-pass funding bill to try to force then-President Barack into delaying implementation of his marquee health care law.
Democrats want a deal to protect around 700,000 immigrants from deportation who arrived in the US as children and have stayed here illegally. Trump has ended an Obama-era program providing those protections and given Congress until March to restore them, and he and Republicans want any immigration deal to include money for the president’s promised wall along the Mexican border and other security measures.
Congress must act by midnight Friday or the government will begin immediately locking its doors. Though the impact would initially be spotty — since most agencies would be closed until Monday — the story would be certain to dominate weekend news coverage, and each party would be gambling the public would blame the other.
In the event of a shutdown, food inspections, federal law enforcement, airport security checks, and other vital services would continue, as would Social Security, other federal benefit programs and military operations. But federal workers wouldn’t be paid.
US Congress likely racing toward a government shutdown
US Congress likely racing toward a government shutdown
Russia targets Ukraine’s power grid in ‘massive’ missile strike, officials say
- Ukrainians have been bracing for a major attack on the hobbled power system for weeks
- A crippling damage to the grid that would cause long blackouts and build psychological pressure
Ukrainians have been bracing for a major attack on the hobbled power system for weeks, fearing crippling damage to the grid that would cause long blackouts and build psychological pressure at a critical moment in the war Russia launched in February 2022.
“Another massive attack on the power system is under way. The enemy is attacking electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine,” Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook.
Air defenses could be heard engaging drones over the capital in the night, and a series of powerful blasts rang out across the city center as the missile attack was under way in the morning.
The scale of the damage was not immediately clear. Officials cut power supply to numerous city districts, including in Kyiv, the surrounding region and Dnipropetrovsk region, in what they said was a precaution to prevent a surge in case of damage.
Authorities in the Volyn region in northwestern Ukraine said energy infrastructure had sustained damage but did not elaborate. Officials often withhold information on the state of the power system because of the war.
In Mykolaiv in the south, two people were killed in the overnight drone attack, the regional governor said. Blasts shook the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia and the Black Sea port of Odesa, Reuters witnesses said. More blasts were reported in the regions of Kryvyi Rih in the south and Rivne in the west.
“Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure,” said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
He described the strike as Moscow’s “true response” to leaders who had interacted with President Vladimir Putin, an apparent swipe at German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who placed a phone call to the Russian leader on Friday for the first time since late 2022.
NATO member Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west, said it had scrambled its air force within its airspace as a security precaution due to the Russian attack, which it said used cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones.
Poland “activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, the on-duty fighter pairs were scrambled, and the ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness,” the operational command of its armed forces posted on X.
Ukraine’s air force urged residents to take cover, providing regular updates on the progress of Russian cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles it said were hurtling through Ukrainian air space.
In Kyiv, the roof of a residential building caught fire due to falling debris and at least two people were hurt, city officials said on the Telegram messaging app.
“Emergency services were dispatched to the scene,” Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Russia last conducted a major missile strike on Kyiv on Aug. 26, when officials said it fired a salvo of more than 200 drones and missiles across the country in an attack that attack killed seven people.
Trump and team get warm welcome at UFC fight night
- US President-elect enters arena shortly before the start of the main card accompanied by UFC chief executive Dana White
- Trump frequently attends UFC events and attended three fights during his campaign for the White House
NEW YORK: US President-elect Donald Trump was greeted by chanting fans as he attended the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Trump entered the arena shortly before the start of the main card accompanied by UFC chief executive Dana White, who was a prominent backer during his election campaign.
Several political allies of Trump were also in attendance for the mixed-martial arts fights, including entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been asked by Trump to lead efforts to cut government inefficiency.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump has nominated to be health secretary, was also at the fight and a photo posted on X showed the pair flying to the event together on Trump’s private plane.
The night had the feel of a post-election night out for the Republicans.
Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman tapped for the role of director of national intelligence, was also in the crowd along with Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr and musician Kid Rock — a regular at Trump rallies.
After waving to the chanting crowd, Trump warmly greeted UFC broadcast analyst Joe Rogan, the popular podcast host who also endorsed Trump after he appeared as a guest on his show.
The venue’s “jumbotron” giant screen above the cage where fighters did battle then showed a video featuring highlights of the election campaign with soundbites from Trump.
The film ended with the numbers 45 and 47 on the screen, representing the Republican’s previous and upcoming presidency.
Fans chanted “USA, USA,” a refrain frequently heard at Trump rallies, including one he held at Madison Square Garden last month.
Trump watched the fights alongside Musk from front row seats next to the caged octagon.
After Jon Jones defended his heavyweight title with a third-round technical knockout against fellow American Stipe Miocic in the main event, the fighter celebrated with Trump’s trademark ‘YMCA’ dance.
“I want to say a big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” said Jones, receiving a huge roar of approval from the crowd.
After leading the crowd in another round of “USA, USA” chant, Jones then passed his heavyweight championship belt to Trump and spent some time in conversation with the President-elect.
Trump frequently attends UFC events and attended three fights during his campaign for the White House.
His ties to the fight world run deep. He featured retired WrestleMania star Hulk Hogan at the Republican convention in August and hosted UFC bouts at his casinos in the early days, when the series struggled to gain traction and well before it became today’s multi-billion success.
Indigenous peoples, impacted by climate change, raise alarm about the planet at COP29
- 12 Indigenous people attending this year’s negotiations say one thing about how climate change is impacting their community
BAKU: They share stories of rising seas, burning trees, contaminated water and disease. But they also come ready to discuss solutions, sharing work their communities are doing to help confront a major threat to life on Earth: climate change.
For the many Indigenous peoples who attend the annual UN climate talks, this year being held in Azerbaijan, it’s a chance to make their voices heard. Their communities are often hard hit by weather extremes that are made worse by climate change. At the same time, traditional practices make many such communities vital in efforts to combat global warming. After all, for thousands of years Indigenous peoples around the world have successfully cared for lands, finding a balance with nature.
The Associated Press asked 12 Indigenous people attending this year’s negotiations to say one thing about how climate change is impacting their community, or how their community is helping to combat climate change. Here are their reflections:
Saina Ekaterina Savvinova, 53
Indigenous community: Yakut
Location: Yakutsk, Russia
“When I was a child, we had a lot of snow. We played in it. We made labyrinths with it. Now we don’t have much snow.”
Antumalen Ayelen Antillanca Urrutia, 26
Indigenous community: Mapuche Huilliche
Location: Huapi Island, Chile
“As a young Mapuche, I denounce the contamination of my home of Ranco Lake in southern Chile. I live on the third largest lake, on an island in the middle of it, and we do not have drinking water.”
Sydney Males, 27
Indigenous community: Kichwa Otavalo
Location: Otavalo, Ecuador
“We have a connection, like an energy, with the lakes, with the water in general. We have a connection with fire, we have a connection with the the air and other things that you in the Occident don’t have a connection with. So, we have solutions for climate change.”
Big Wind Carpenter, 31
Indigenous community: Northern Arapaho
Location: Wind River Reservation, United States
“We have been in a drought since I was born. We have been in extreme drought the last 30 years and completely surrounded by wildfires.”
Flora Vano, 39
Indigenous community: Melenasian
Location: Port Vila, Vanuatu
“Sea level rise is eating us up. It threatens our food security, contaminates our water source, infrastructure is destroyed and the increase in gender-based violence goes sky high.”
Puyr dos Santos Tembé, 47
Indigenous community: Tembé
Location: Belem, Brazil
“Think about the Amazon. You have trees and rivers, and then you see the rivers, which are the mode of transport for many people, drying up.”
Mingma Chhiri, 40
Indigenous community: Sherpa
Location: Khumbu Pasanglhamu Municipality District, Nepal
“As ethnic people in the area, we don’t destroy any natural beauty. We don’t cut trees. We plant them.”
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, 41
Indigenous community: Mbororo
Location: N’Djamena, Chad
“Right now we are experiencing the biggest floods we have ever had. Two million people have been displaced and thousands are dead.”
Ninawa Inu Pereira Nunes, 50
Indigenous community: Huni Kui
Location: Feijo, Brazil
“The main work we do is to raise awareness among people to stop deforestation. But we are also restoring degraded areas by planting trees. And we are working very hard to strengthen the spirituality of our people by restoring the sources of the rivers and repopulating the streams and rivers.
Marynne Rimbao, 42
Indigenous community: Tombekin
Location: Unda village, Papua New Guinea
“My place is located in one of the remotest places in Papua New Guinea, where there are mining activities. Especially when mining activities are involved, my area is being impacted by climate change when it comes to the environment — the land, the water, the resources, the food and forests — that sustains our livelihood.
Didja Tchari Djibrillah, 30
Indigenous community: Peul Mbororo
Location: Mayo-Kebbi East, Chad
“The community (of pastoralists) contributes to combatting the effects of climate change. When moving from one place to another, we leave cow dung that allows the soil to be fertilized and the ecosystem to regenerate.”
Jackson Michael, 40
Indigenous community: Iban
Location: Borneo, Malaysia
“Heavy rainfall is affecting wildlife. Now the government is making a lot of effort to protect and preserve wildlife.”
Japanese troops to train with Australia, US militaries in Darwin
- The deployment has special significance given Darwin was a major base for Allied forces in World War Two
SYDNEY: Japanese troops will begin regular deployments in northern Australia as part of military cooperation with Australia and the US, Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday.
Around 2,000 US Marines are already hosted in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, for six months of the year amid growing concern among Washington and its allies about China’s growing military power in the Indo Pacific region.
“Today we are announcing that there will be regular deployments of Japan’s amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade to Australia,” Marles said at a televised press conference in Darwin, alongside US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.
“Having a more forward leaning opportunity for greater training with Japan and the US together is a really fantastic opportunity for our defense,” Marles told Sky News on Sunday, according to a transcript.
The deployment has special significance given Darwin was a major base for Allied forces in World War Two and was heavily bombed by Japanese forces. The wartime air raids on the port city are sometimes described as Australia’s Pearl Harbor.
Austin said on Sunday he was confident the US will provide the capabilities set out in the AUKUS deal, which will see Australia buy US nuclear submarines and develop a new class of nuclear-powered submarines with the US and Britain.
The US Defense Department was focused “on a smooth and effective transition” to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, Austin said.
“I’m really proud of the things that this administration has accomplished over the last four years, in terms of what we’ve done in this region to strengthen alliances and to work with countries that share the vision of a free and open Indo Pacific,” Austin added.
Sunday’s trilateral meeting between Australia, the US and Japan in Darwin is the 14th meeting of its kind between the three allies.
At the last trilateral, held in Singapore in June, the nations expressed serious concern about security in the East China Sea and said they opposed “any destabilizing and coercive unilateral actions” there, a veiled reference to China.
China, building its military capacity in the Indo Pacific, in September carried out the rare launch of intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in the Pacific Ocean. The test launch was described as concerning by several Pacific nations including Australia.
Bangladesh extends armed forces judicial powers
- Order extends for two more months the powers of the armed forces to engage in day-to-day enforcement activities like the police, including making arrests
Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim government has extended the judicial powers of the armed forces granted after the August revolution that toppled ex-leader Sheikh Hasina.
The government order, issued November 15, extends for two more months the powers of the armed forces to engage in day-to-day enforcement activities like the police, including making arrests.
“The armed forces will carry out the orders assigned to us by the government,” army spokesman Sami-Ud-Daula Chowdhury said Sunday.
Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, 77, had ordered police to crush student-led protests — a deadly crackdown that left at least 700 people dead — before she fled by helicopter to India on August 5.
Her 15-year regime was marred by incidents of preventing the opposition from exercising their democratic rights.
Since then, a caretaker government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has been tasked with implementing democratic reforms and holding elections.
The army was brought in to restore security with many people having lost confidence in the police.
Only officers with the rank of captain or above are authorized to make an arrest, high court lawyer Imam Hasan Tareq said Sunday.
The powers have been extended to include the coast guard and border security units.
