London — Germany's plan to hold a snap election in February has raised uncertainties over the country's military aid program for Ukraine, as the government has not yet approved its 2025 budget. Berlin is the second biggest donor of weapons and equipment to Kyiv, after the United States. The political turmoil in Europe's biggest economy comes as allies prepare for a second term for President-elect Donald Trump in the United States. Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. support for Ukraine. February vote Germany's main political parties agreed to hold the election on February 23, following the collapse of the ruling three-party coalition government earlier this month. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to introduce a confidence motion in parliament next month, which he is expected to lose, paving the way for a general election. Scholz has said he will stand again as the Social Democrats' candidate, although some in the party have questioned whether he is the best choice amid low approval ratings. The chairman of the Social Democrats in the German parliament, Rolf Mützenich, insisted Tuesday that Scholz was the right candidate. "I am firmly convinced that Olaf Scholz has done this country good in the last three years under the most difficult conditions. He has done everything to ensure that the coalition stays together. We have not only experienced the attack by Russian troops on Ukraine, but we have also helped Ukraine. We have also created important economic stabilization effects in Germany," Mützenich told reporters in Berlin. Opposition poll lead However, the main opposition Christian Democrats have a big lead in the polls. The party's leader, Friedrich Merz, argued for a quicker election. "We are basically losing around a month for the election to the next German parliament and thus also for the formation of a government after the next election," Merz told reporters Tuesday. "I just want to remind you that we do not have a federal budget for 2025. We are going into 2025 with this serious omission, with this heavy burden. And that is why it is completely unknown what will become of it," he added. Debt dispute The current government — a coalition between the Social Democrats, the Green party and the Free Democrats — collapsed last week following disagreements over raising new debt to finance the 2025 budget, including the provision of military aid to Ukraine. A so-called debt brake in Germany's constitution restricts the government's ability to take on new loans. Berlin has given Kyiv around $11 billion in weapons and equipment since Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion. The outgoing government had planned to cut that aid to just over $4 billion next year. "Broadly speaking, there was a consensus that supporting Ukraine remains a priority for Germany. The question was just where and how to get and raise the finances for that," said Mattia Nelles, founder of the German-Ukraine Bureau, a political consultancy based in Düsseldorf, who said the February election was "bad timing for Ukraine, bad timing for Europe." 'Leadership vacuum' "It means Germany will be preoccupied with itself for a few months before we have a new government with a hopefully strong mandate — a coalition that could take literally until next summer, or in the worst case, even until autumn. So that is a leadership vacuum in Europe, and that's bad news for everyone involved," Nelles said. The election is due to take place just weeks after the January 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president. "The worst case that many fear in Berlin and Kyiv [is] an incoming Trump administration taking power in January then slashing or ending the Ukraine aid, that will force the German government, the lame duck Scholz government with the current parliament, to increase the funding for Ukraine." "It's important to note that there is still a majority in the old parliament, even before the new parliament is elected, to increase the aid, to take new debt and amend the constitution for that, to take new debt to support Ukraine ... but it's going to be difficult politically to implement that," Nelles said. European security Trump's presidency could have wider implications for European security, including the deployment of U.S. forces and equipment, such as long-range missile systems, says analyst Marina Miron, a defense analyst at Kings College, London. "What else might be reversed is the placement of Tomahawk [U.S. missiles] in Germany. So, we have quite a situation where, let's say, Trump might pursue an anti-globalist agenda and push NATO countries to invest more of their GDP into defense," Miron told VOA. Russian assets Europe froze around $200 billion in Russian assets following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The interest is being used to help fund weapons for Kyiv, while the G7 group of rich nations has implemented a loan plan for Ukraine using the Russian assets as collateral. At a time of fiscal pressures in Europe, some argue it's time to seize the assets entirely and give them to Ukraine. "Europe is sitting on a war chest of 200 billion U.S. dollars of frozen Russian assets," said analyst Mattia Nelles. "And I think the incoming Trump administration will push the Europeans to go further. And that's welcome news from the Ukrainian side — to not just give loans and credit based on frozen Russian assets, but to move to confiscate the assets themselves. And that's certainly something many in Germany also support," he added. Economic pressures Chancellor Scholz oversaw German efforts to end reliance on cheap Russian energy. However, analysts say that has driven inflation and undermined confidence in Europe's biggest economy. Scholz also was seen as reluctant to make bolder decisions on arming Ukraine, including the supply of long-range Taurus missiles, something Kyiv has repeatedly requested. Ukraine may be hoping that a change in leadership in Berlin could unblock more military aid, said Nelles. "We are looking at a new, potentially stronger government, which, if it's led by [Christian Democrat leader] Friedrich Merz, might be taking some of the bolder decisions which Scholz had hesitated to take, including the delivery of Taurus. But everyone hoping for that, I would urge caution," he said. Germany's economic constraints won't disappear with new leadership, said analyst Marina Miron. "Let's assume, for a moment, there is somebody who would drive this policy forward and who would have much more resolve than Scholz. The problem is the German budget. The problem is also that defense contractors in Europe are now affected, as other companies, by the disruption in the global supply chain," she told VOA. Germany is also struggling to overcome decades of underinvestment in its armed forces, something the next government will have to address, Miron added. "The dictates of German strategic culture just go against the grain of the current threat landscape, when it comes to bigger investment in defense," she said.

Brussels, Belgium    — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine and its NATO allies on Wednesday that Washington remains committed to putting Ukraine “in the strongest possible position” in the final months of President Joe Biden’s administration, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. At the same time, Blinken expressed alarm about Russia possibly bolstering North Korea’s missile and nuclear capacities, as North Korean troops fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.   “President Biden has committed to making sure that every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door between now and January 20th,” Blinken told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. “We’re making sure that Ukraine has the air defenses it needs, that has the artillery it needs, that it has the armored vehicles it needs,” he added. Blinken told VOA he expects U.S. allies' support for Ukraine to increase and emphasized that it’s critical for Washington’s partners to “continue to more than pick up their share of the burden.”    Speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Blinken reiterated that Washington will “continue to shore up everything” to enable Ukraine to defend itself effectively against Russian aggression. Rutte and other European leaders voiced serious concerns over North Korea’s active support for Russia in its war on Ukraine. “These North Korean soldiers present an extra threat to Ukraine and will increase the potential for Putin to do harm,” Rutte told reporters. The U.S. State Department says that more than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk oblast, part of which Ukraine controls. On Wednesday, Blinken described the military collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow as “a two-way street.” “There is deep concern about what Russia is or may be doing to strengthen North Korea’s capacities — its missile capacity, its nuclear capacity,” as well as the battlefield experience North Korean forces are gaining, he told reporters. In Brussels, Blinken held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, among others. The possibility of Ukraine using Western-supplied long-range missiles on Russian soil was among the topics discussed during Sybiha’s meeting with Blinken. “We need to speed up all critical decisions,” the Ukrainian foreign minister said before the meeting. “Ukraine has always cherished strong bipartisan support.  We maintain contact with both [Democratic and Republican] parties and work both with the [U.S.] president-elect and his team and also with the outgoing administration,” he added. In Washington, officials say Biden was expected to ask Trump during their talks at the White House on Wednesday not to walk away from Ukraine. Trump’s political allies have indicated that the incoming administration will prioritize achieving peace in Ukraine over enabling the country to reclaim Crimea and other territories occupied by Russia. Blinken has concluded talks with European counterparts in Brussels. He will next travel to Lima, Peru, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC meetings, followed by stops in Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a summit of the 20 largest economies, the G20. He will join Biden in Peru and Brazil. 

Russian exiles plan a march Sunday in Berlin demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, and the release of all political prisoners. Ricardo Marquina reports. Narrator: Elizabeth Cherneff.

Maanata oo taariikhdu tahay 13 Nofeembar 2024 waxaa deegaanada Somaliland ka bilowdey Doorashooyinka isku idkan ee…

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Today, Somaliland took a significant step in its democratic journey, holding simultaneous presidential and political party…

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Wasiirka Wasaaradda Deegaanka iyo Isbeddelka Cimilada Amb Khadija Al-Makhzoumi, ayaa heshiis la saxiixatay hay’adda Global Center…

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Tantalizer Plc has notified the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) of the recent changes to its Board of Directors Arising from the Private Placement and the subsequent majority shareholding acquired by both Messrs Food Specialties and Organics Limited and Banklink Africa Private Equities Limited, a Board meeting was convened on 15th October, 2024. During this meeting, decisions […]

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– Lauds Oborevwori’s audacious projects in Delta The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has commended engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, for consistently delivering top quality jobs nationwide. The Institute also commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State for the construction of legacy projects across the state. NIPR Vice President, Professor Emmanuel Dandaura […]

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The Libyan Department for Combating Illegal Migration has deported seven Nigerians, three Bangladeshis, and three Ghanaians detained at the Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Centre for allegedly violating the country’s laws. The deportees were flown out of Libya via Benina International Airport in Benghazi. in a statement on their X handle on Tuesday, confirmed that these individuals […]

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ZHUHAI, China — Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai removed wreaths, candles and even bottles of Chinese alcohol laid at the scene of the deadliest mass killing in the country in a decade, as the government scrambled to respond and censor the outrage online. On Monday, a male driver angry at his divorce settlement rammed his car into a crowd at a sports center in the city of 2.5 million, killing 35 people and injuring 43, but the government took almost a day to announce the death toll. This prompted an outrage on Chinese social media, where posts complaining about the government's slow response and raising questions about the mental health of a nation shaken by a recent spate of similar killings, were being quickly removed. Despite the efforts to clear the site in Zhuhai, which is near Macau, delivery drivers on motorbikes kept dropping off fresh flowers on Wednesday morning, even as authorities erected temporary barriers around the makeshift vigil area and deployed security personnel. “The authorities hadn’t released any information - some colleagues mentioned it and I couldn’t believe it at first, but it was confirmed later,” said a 50-year-old man who identified himself as Zheng who brought flowers to the site. “It’s just a spontaneous feeling I had. Even though I don’t know them personally, I had family members who passed away in the past, so I understand that feeling," said Zheng. Some wreaths carried handwritten notes: "Strangers travel well. May there be no demons in heaven,” read one. On another: “May there be no thugs in heaven. Good will triumph over evil. Rest in peace.” After initially allowing journalists to briefly speak to the people laying the flowers, a handful of security personnel sporting light blue uniforms and caps told reporters not to talk to the people or to film specific messages on the bouquets. The attack happened as Zhuhai captured China's attention with the People's Liberation Army's largest annual airshow, where a new stealth jet fighter is on display for the first time. China’s state broadcaster CCTV did not mention the attack in its 30-minute midday news bulletin. Instead, the program led with President Xi Jinping's departure for the APEC summit in Peru and devoted a portion of the airtime to the airshow. Other state media, such as China Daily's Chinese language website, also prominently displayed the news of Xi's upcoming visit to Peru. The current affairs part of China Daily's website and the local area page did not mention the incident either. Hundreds of rescue personnel were deployed to provide emergency treatment, and more than 300 healthcare workers from five hospitals worked around the clock to save lives, state media's Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday. There was no indication that the attack was related to the airshow. But it was the second such incident to occur during the Zhuhai airshow: in 2008, at least four people were killed and 20 injured when a man drove a truck into a crowded schoolyard during the airshow. Police said that attacker had been seeking revenge over a traffic dispute. Xi, cited by CCTV on Tuesday, ordered all-out efforts to treat the injured and demanded severe punishment for the perpetrator. The central government has dispatched a team to provide guidance on handling of the case, CCTV said. Violent crime is rare in China due to tight security and strict gun laws. However, a rise in reports of knife attacks in large cities has drawn public attention to safety in public spaces. The deadliest attack Reuters was able to identify in recent years in China took place in Urumqi, in China's western Xinjiang region, in 2014, in which suicide bombers killed 39 people and four of the five attackers also died.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet November 16 on the sidelines of the 2024 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC summit in Lima, Peru, the White House announced Wednesday. The meeting follows the leaders' last in-person engagement a year ago on the sidelines of the APEC summit in California, and their 2022 meeting in Bali on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Biden and Xi are expected to revisit areas of cooperation, particularly the resumption of military-to-military contacts, efforts to combat the global fentanyl crisis and nascent work to deal with the risks of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, a senior administration said in a briefing with reporters Wednesday. The U.S. president will also express "deep concern" over Beijing's support for Moscow's war against Ukraine, and the deployment of North Korean troops to aid Russia, said the official, who requested anonymity to speak on the upcoming meeting. The official said Biden will also reiterate his "longstanding concern" over China's "unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices" that hurt American workers. The official added Biden will raise Chinese cyber-attack efforts on U.S. civilian critical infrastructure as well as Beijing's increased military activities around Taiwan and the South China Sea while also underscoring the importance of respect for human rights. The meeting is likely to be the last between Biden and Xi ahead of the incoming administration of Donald Trump in January. The president-elect has appointed ardent China critics in key foreign policy positions that could lead to a more confrontational U.S. posture toward Beijing. They include Republican Congressman Mike Waltz as Trump's pick for national security adviser and Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state. Whatever the next administration decides, they're going to need to find ways to manage the "tough, complicated relationship" between the U.S. and China, the official said in response to a question from VOA. "Russia, cross-strait issues, the South China Sea and cyber are areas the next administration is going to need to think about carefully, because those are areas of deep policy difference with China, and I don't expect that will disappear," the official said. Xi is also likely anticipating what the Trump administration plans to do about global trade, particularly whether he will enact promises to impose steep tariffs on all Chinese goods.

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The light haze detected in Cebu City on Thursday, Nov. 14 may prevail until Friday, the state weather bureau said. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in Mactan (Pagasa-Mactan) said that the city may still experience poor visibility on Friday, Nov.15. According to Romeo Aguirre, weather specialist at Pagasa-Mactan, […]...

Keep on reading: Light haze in Cebu City may prevail until Friday

JAKARTA — Several airlines resumed flights to Bali on Thursday, after cancelling trips to and from the Indonesian resort island due to huge eruptions at a nearby volcano. Eighty-three international routes were cancelled on Wednesday, the general manager of Bali’s international airport said in a statement, after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spewed a nine-kilometre (5.6-mile) tower of ash into the sky. The volcano has erupted more than a dozen times over the last two weeks, killing at least nine people and forcing the evacuation of thousands. READ: Airlines around Asia ground Bali flights after volcano erupts Qantas and Jetstar are resuming […]...

Keep on reading: Flights to Bali resume following volcanic eruption

CEBU CITY, Philippines— Miss Universe coronation night is just a few sleeps away. And with that, many things are starting to slowly unfold for the most beautiful night for 73rd Miss Universe. One of which is the 13th crown that will be  worn by the newly crowned Miss Universe. READ MORE: LIST: Miss Universe Philippines Cebu 2025 candidates Filipina queens share bonding moments at Miss Universe 2024 This will be the first time in the Miss Universe history wherein the crown that will be used for the coronation night is made in the Philippines. This is the “Lumière de l’Infini” […]...

Keep on reading: Miss Universe 13th crown proudly made in the Philippines

Amid the anticipated increase in revenues this coming Christmas season, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued a warning to online marketplaces to pay the right taxes, saying that they are closely monitoring them this Yuletide season. “If retail or physical stores are registered and paying their taxes, online stores should do the same. In the coming months, we are expecting an increase in revenue of online businesses due to the holiday spending spree,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said in a statement. The government’s tax agency said that they can block website access, similar to their “oplan kandado program” […]...

Keep on reading: BIR reminds e-commerce platforms to pay right taxes this holiday season

MANILA, Philippines — Former Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has left an enduring mark on the city’s Muslim community by establishing Manila’s first Muslim Cemetery and Cultural Hall. Located in the Manila South Cemetery, the 2,400-square-meter site pays tribute to the Muslim community’s deep historical roots in the capital. “This is for all Muslims, particularly those in Manila, who have contributed to our nation’s capital,” Moreno said, stressing the cemetery’s importance as a symbol of Manila’s rich cultural heritage. The site is also a reminder for future generations of Manila’s historical identity as the “Land of the Rajahs,” ruled […]...

Keep on reading: Manila's first Muslim cemetery: Isko Moreno’s legacy

Known for its distinct animation style and worldbuilding, Studio Ghibli films offer important lessons that still hold up to this day     Watching “Spirited Away” on Disney Channel was my earliest memory of being introduced to the world of Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio known for its animated feature films. It was an experience I didn’t completely understand until later in my teenage years when I would revisit the film with my family.  There is such nuance in the stories of Studio Ghibli films that you have to rewatch them to fully understand them. Most of the time, […]...

Keep on reading: Beyond fantasy and nostalgia: 5 life lessons from Studio Ghibli films

Darius Garland scored 25 points and Donovan Mitchell took over down the stretch as the Cleveland Cavaliers remained undefeated with a 114-106 road victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA on Wednesday. Mitchell finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for Cleveland (13-0), which is off to the NBA’s best start since the Golden State Warriors’ record-setting 24-game winning streak to begin the 2015-16 season. The Cavaliers scuffled through much of the first half in this one before making a variety of big shots when it mattered most. Philadelphia fought hard without Joel Embiid (knee), Paul […]...

Keep on reading: NBA: Cavaliers remain perfect as 76ers can't keep up

Moira Dela Torre’s third studio album and Denise Julia’s sophomore EP dominate November music releases     Slowly but surely, Mariah Carey and Jose Mari Chan have eased their way into radio waves and mall playlists. But before the holiday classics completely take over this December, check out these upcoming and newly-released November drops. The month’s best and latest will surely be a high point for the year in music—from Moira Dela Torre’s first album in three years to Denise Julia’s sure-hit sophomore EP. READ: What makes Filipinos start celebrating Christmas as early as September? “I’m Okay” – Moira Dela […]...

Keep on reading: Moira Dela Torre, Denise Julia lead new November releases

LeBron James scored 35 points in his third consecutive triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers remained perfect at home with a 128-123 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA on Wednesday. James added 14 assists with 12 rebounds in his fourth triple-double of the season. Los Angeles rookie Dalton Knecht added a career-best 19 points while going 5-for-5 from 3-point range. Make that 3 STRAIGHT triple-doubles for LeBron James ???? ???? 35 PTS I 12 REB I 14 AST ???? Never miss a beat! Enjoy live games, stats, news, and MORE with NBA League Pass ???? https://t.co/DiARukKMPn#NBAPhilippines #NBAHighlights […]...

Keep on reading: NBA: LeBron James' triple-double leads Lakers past Grizzlies

Jalen Williams scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 106-88 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 29 points, including a 3-foot basket off the glass off transition that began with a Gilgeous-Alexander blocking Brandon Boston Jr.’s dunk attempt on the other end. The basket made it 101-79 Thunder with 3:20 to play, putting an exclamation point on a dominating performance two days after Gilgeous-Alexander posted a career-high 45 points. Williams added seven assists, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks. READ: NBA: Shai […]...

Keep on reading: NBA: Thunder score impressive win over Pelicans

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for "real and extended pauses" in the Gaza war to allow aid delivery to residents. During a visit to Brussels, Belgium, Blinken told reporters the United States wants to see "real and extended pauses in large areas of Gaza, pauses in any fighting, any combat, so that the assistance can effectively get to people who need it."  He said Israel has taken steps to address the humanitarian problem, and it has also "accomplished the goals that it set for itself," he said. "This should be a time to end the war." Earlier, six people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in an area south of Beirut Wednesday, and the Israeli army issued another warning for people in parts of the southern suburbs to leave. Lebanon's health ministry said an additional 15 people were wounded in the airstrike, which followed heavy pounding by Israel on Tuesday.  Overnight attacks in Lebanon were "intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and command centers in the Dahieh area, a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold in Beirut," Israel Defense Forces stated in a post on the Telegram messaging app Wednesday. The Israeli military said before the strikes, "numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk to civilians, including issuing advance warnings to the population in the area." IDF also stated Wednesday that several Hezbollah field commanders have been killed in recent strikes in Lebanon. "At the beginning of the month of October, the IAF struck and eliminated Hezbollah's Commander of the Khiam area, Muhammad Musa Salah, in the area of Khiam," IDF posted. "Salah directed many terror attacks against the State of Israel, and was responsible for the launches of more than 2,500 projectiles toward the areas of the Golan Heights, the Upper Galilee, the Galilee Panhandle, and toward IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon." On Sunday, the commander of an anti-tank missile array in Hajir was killed, and field commanders of the Ghajar and Tebnit areas were also killed "during additional precise strikes," IDF stated. Russia's request in Syria Russia asked Israel to avoid launching airstrikes near one of its bases in Syria, Agence France-Presse reported.  In October, Israel reportedly hit the port city of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Russia and backs Hezbollah. Latakia, is close to the town of Hmeimim, which hosts a Russian air base. "Israel actually carried out an airstrike in the immediate vicinity of Hmeimim," Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy in the Near East, told the RIA Novosti press agency. "Our military has of course notified Israeli authorities that such acts that put Russian military lives in danger over there are unacceptable," he added. US response to aid in Gaza The United States said Tuesday that Israel has made limited progress on increasing the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as Washington requested, so the Biden administration will not limit arms transfers to Israel. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters that "we at this time have not made an assessment that the Israelis are in violation of U.S. law." The administration told its ally on October 13 that it had one month to increase aid to Gaza, where the situation after 13 months of war between Israel and Hamas militants has unleashed a catastrophic humanitarian situation, or face a reduction in military aid. The deadline was Tuesday. "We are not giving Israel a pass," Patel said, adding that "we want to see the totality of the humanitarian situation improve, and we think some of these steps will allow the conditions for that to continue to progress." At the United Nations, U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council that Israel has taken some important steps, including restoring aid deliveries to the north, but that it must ensure its actions are "fully implemented and its improvements sustained over time." "And we continue to reiterate, there must be no forcible displacement nor policy of starvation in Gaza, which would have grave implications under U.S. and international law," she said. A senior U.N. human rights official said at the same meeting that the entry and distribution of aid into Gaza has fallen to "some of the lowest levels in a year" and criticized Israel's conduct of military operations in the north. Israel denies it is limiting aid to Gaza, blaming the U.N. and aid agencies for slow distribution and Hamas for stealing it. The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, although about one-third of them are believed to be dead. Israel's counteroffensive has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to local health authorities. The Israeli military says the death toll includes thousands of Hamas militants. The war spread to Lebanon in mid-September, after months of rocket fire from Hezbollah into Israel and drone and airstrikes by Israel's military in south Lebanon escalated. More than 3,200 Lebanese have been killed, most of them in the past six weeks. Both Hamas and Hezbollah have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.

American forces on Tuesday carried out strikes against targets linked to an Iran-backed group in Syria, the U.S. military said, with a war monitor saying the attacks killed five fighters. The raids were in response to a rocket attack on U.S. troops in the country, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The strikes targeted the group's "weapons storage and logistics headquarters facility... in response to a rocket attack on U.S. personnel," CENTCOM said in a post on social media that did not identify the group by name. "There was no damage to U.S. facilities and no injuries to US or partner forces during the attack," CENTCOM added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said "five pro-Iranian fighters were killed and others injured, after American jets targeted" one of their bases in the city of Albukamal, in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province. The previous day, U.S. forces bombed nine targets associated with Iran-backed groups in response to recent drone and rocket attacks, according to the Pentagon. The Observatory said those strikes killed four members of groups loyal to Iran. The U.S. military has around 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of the international coalition that was established in 2014 to help combat the Islamic State jihadist group. Since war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, pro-Iran groups have repeatedly targeted US forces in Iraq and Syria in response to Washington's support for Israel. The United States has on multiple occasions responded to such attacks with strikes on Iran-backed groups.

Jerusalem — Israel suffered one of the deadliest days of its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday when six of its soldiers were killed in combat near the border.  The soldiers "fell during combat in southern Lebanon," the army said in a statement. Their deaths brought to 47 the number of Israeli troops who have been killed in combat with Hezbollah since September 30, when Israel sent ground forces into Lebanon.  The army's announcement came after Israel Katz, Israel's new defense minister, said there would be no easing up in the war against Hezbollah.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X shared an image of the "Golani" Brigade symbol, the unit the soldiers who were killed belonged to, a green olive tree against a yellow background, with a broken heart emoji.  Since September 23, Israel has stepped up its bombing campaign in Lebanon, mainly targeting Hezbollah strongholds in south Beirut and in the east and south of the country. On September 30, it sent in ground troops.  The offensive came after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges of fire, launched by Hezbollah in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas following its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.  Strike at Aramoun Earlier on Wednesday, an Israeli strike hit Aramoun, a densely packed area south of Beirut that is outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds. The health ministry said the strike killed six people.  Lebanese state media on the same day reported a third wave of Israeli raids on Hezbollah's south Beirut bastion in 24 hours.  The Israeli army, meanwhile, said it had intercepted some of the "five projectiles" that had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory.  Katz told senior military commanders on his first visit to the border region since his appointment last week that Israel would "make no cease-fires, we will not take our foot off the pedal, and we will not allow any arrangement that does not include the achievement of our war objectives."  Katz added: "We will continue to strike Hezbollah everywhere."   Israel's objectives include disarming Hezbollah and pushing the militants beyond the Litani River, which flows across southern Lebanon.  After Katz's address, another airstrike hit a Beirut suburb Wednesday evening after a warning by Israel's military for residents to evacuate.  Hezbollah said on Wednesday it had fired ballistic missiles at the Israeli army's headquarters in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, which also houses the defense ministry.  Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army spokesperson's unit said it would "not to react to Hezbollah's allegations."  Lebanese authorities say more than 3,360 people have been killed since October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah and Israel began engaging in cross-border clashes.  Rocket fire from Lebanon on Tuesday killed two residents of the northern Israeli city of Nahariya. The deaths brought to 45 the number of civilians killed in northern Israel as a result of rocket fire from Lebanon.  Israeli hostage The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, an ally of Hamas, released a video earlier on Wednesday of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza, identifying himself as Sasha Trupanov.  Trupanov's mother, Lena, in a statement published by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group, urged the hostages' immediate release.  When Hamas militants staged their October 7, 2023, attack, they killed about 1,200 people and about 250 hostages into the Gaza Strip. Of those, about 100 remain held hostage, while about a third of them are confirmed dead. Their bodies remain in Gaza.  In the more than 13 months of war, Israel’s offensive has killed nearly 44,000 people, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Wednesday. The health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half of those killed were women and children. 

washington — Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson, one of the country's best-known conservative lawyers who served two Republican presidents and successfully argued on behalf of same-sex marriage, died Wednesday. He was 84. The law firm Gibson Dunn, where Olson had practiced since 1965, announced his death on its website. No cause of death was given. Olson was at the center of some of the biggest cases of recent decades, including a win on behalf of George W. Bush in the 2000 Florida presidential election recount dispute that went before the U.S. Supreme Court. "Even in a town full of lawyers, Ted's career as a litigator was particularly prolific," said Mitch McConnell, the longtime Senate Republican leader. "More importantly, I count myself among so many in Washington who knew Ted as a good and decent man." Bush made Olson his solicitor general, a post the lawyer held from 2001 to 2004. Olson had previously served in the Justice Department as an assistant attorney general during President Ronald Reagan's first term in the early 1980s. During his career, Olson argued 65 cases before the Supreme Court, according to Gibson Dunn. "They weren't just little cases," said Theodore Boutrous, a partner at the law firm who worked with Olson for 37 years. "Many of them were big, blockbuster cases that helped shape our society." Those included the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a 2010 case that eliminated many limits on political giving, and a successful challenge to the Trump administration's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. "He's the greatest lawyer I've ever worked with or seen in action," said Boutrous, who worked so closely with Olson that they were known at Gibson Dunn as "the two Teds." "He was an entertaining and forceful advocate who could go toe to toe with the Supreme Court justices in a way few lawyers could. They respected him so much." One of Olson's most prominent cases put him at odds with many fellow conservatives. After California adopted a ban on same-sex marriage in 2008, Olson joined forces with former adversary David Boies, who had represented Democrat Al Gore in the presidential election case, to represent California couples seeking the right to marry. During closing arguments, Olson contended that tradition or fears of harm to heterosexual unions were legally insufficient grounds to discriminate against same-sex couples. "It is the right of individuals, not an indulgence to be dispensed by the state," Olson said. "The right to marry, to choose to marry, has never been tied to procreation." A federal judge in California ruled in 2010 that the state's ban violated the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court let that decision stand in 2013. "This is the most important thing I've ever done, as an attorney or a person," Olson later said in a documentary film about the marriage case. He told The Associated Press in 2014 that the marriage case was important because it "involves tens of thousands of people in California, but really millions of people throughout the United States and beyond that to the world." His decision to join the case added a prominent conservative voice to the rapidly shifting views on same-sex marriage across the country. Boies remembered Olson as a giant in legal circles who "left the law, our country, and each of us better than he found us. Few people are a hero to those that know them well. Ted was a hero to those who knew him best." Olson's personal life also intersected tragically with the nation's history when his third wife, well-known conservative legal analyst Barbara Olson, died on September 11, 2001. She was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. His other high-profile clients have included quarterback Tom Brady during the "Deflategate" scandal of 2016 and technology company Apple in a legal battle with the FBI over unlocking the phone of a shooter who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in 2015. The range of his career and his stature on the national stage were unmatched, said Barbara Becker, managing partner of Gibson Dunn. In a statement, she described Olson as "a titan of the legal profession and one of the most extraordinary and eloquent advocates of our time."

White House — In what will likely be his farewell appearance on the world stage, President Joe Biden faces a daunting question: what to tell world leaders wondering about potential changes in U.S. policies when President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House with his America First agenda. Biden is set to depart for Peru and Brazil Thursday for two major economic summits. Biden is scheduled to spend Friday and Saturday in Lima with leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, made up of 21 member economies that promote free trade in the region.  He will be in Rio de Janeiro on Monday and Tuesday to meet with leaders of the world's 20 largest economies at the Group of 20 summit. On the way to Rio from Lima, Biden will make a brief stop at Manaus for a climate-focused engagement in Brazil's state of Amazonas. In his meetings, Biden must face allies and partners who four years ago may have been skeptical about his "America is back" message and the durability of U.S. global commitments. These leaders saw Trump, during his first term, act to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord and threaten to pull out of NATO. Uncertainties about future U.S. policy will complicate efforts to reach an agenda on issues of global concern such as trade, poverty and debt alleviation, climate change, sustainable development, and green energy. "There will be a lot of combination of lamenting, speculation, guessing about what we'll see coming first in terms of policies out of the campaign and how countries are best able to position themselves," said Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'America's allies are vital' To these leaders, Biden's message is that "America's allies are vital to America's national security," said national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who previewed the trip to reporters on Wednesday. "They make us stronger. They multiply our capability. They take a burden off of our shoulders. They contribute to our common causes," Sullivan said. He underscored that Biden would be attending the APEC summit when U.S. alliances in the region were at an "all-time high," with bolstered ties with Japan, Korea, Australia and the Philippines. Biden will hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of APEC with President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan to "discuss the importance of institutionalizing" the progress made so that it carries forward through the transition to the new administration, Sullivan said. Whatever the questions surrounding the next administration, Biden will emphasize his faith in the "ideals of American engagement around the world," said Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center. "He believes it is in the best interest of both America and the world for it to continue," Lipsky said. "And not one election or one president can undercut that, from his perspective." Biden's agenda In Rio de Janeiro, Biden will "demonstrate the strong value proposition of the United States to developing countries and lead the G20 to work together to address shared global challenges," the White House said. He is expected to hold bilateral meetings with summit hosts Peruvian President Dina Boluarte and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In Lima, he is set to support Peru's initiative to expand APEC's economic inclusion efforts to empower workers in the informal economy, said Matt Murray, U.S. senior official for APEC. In Rio, he will focus on workers' rights and clean economic growth and attend the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, Lula's initiative aimed at accelerating global efforts to reduce hunger and poverty by 2030. In Manaus, Biden will make history as the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Brazilian Amazon. There, he will deliver remarks on climate conservation and engage Indigenous leaders working to preserve the rainforest. Symbolic and short-lived Many of Biden's efforts will be mostly symbolic and short-lived, as the incoming U.S. administration could bring dramatically different priorities on global welfare programs and climate change. Analysts say that while the world has watched U.S. leadership swing from Republican to Democratic and back again in recent years, Chinese President Xi Jinping will seek to project an image of stability as he exerts his vision of China's increased role on the global stage. In Peru, Xi will inaugurate a $1.3 billion megaport, part of China's infrastructure investment program that has bought him influence in various parts of the world. Beijing has increased diplomatic engagement in the region, with Xi visiting 11 Latin American countries since becoming president, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Summit hosts Peru and Brazil are set to honor him with state visits this month. A meeting between Biden and Xi, likely their last during Biden's term, is scheduled in Lima for Saturday. The meeting comes as Trump appoints ardent China critics in key foreign policy positions, moves that could lead to a more confrontational U.S. posture toward Beijing. Whatever the next administration decides, it's going to need to find ways to manage the "tough, complicated relationship" between the U.S. and China, a senior official said when asked what Biden might tell Xi to expect from the incoming administration.

WASHINGTON — Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories that make up the majority. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats. With hard-fought yet thin majorities, Republican leaders are envisioning a mandate to upend the federal government and swiftly implement Trump’s vision for the country. The incoming president has promised to carry out the country’s largest-ever deportation operation, extend tax breaks, punish his political enemies, seize control of the federal government’s most powerful tools and reshape the U.S. economy. The GOP election victories ensure that Congress will be onboard for that agenda, and Democrats will be almost powerless to check it. When Trump was elected president in 2016, Republicans also swept Congress, but he still encountered Republican leaders resistant to his policy ideas, as well as a Supreme Court with a liberal majority. Not this time. When he returns to the White House, Trump will be working with a Republican Party that has been completely transformed by his “Make America Great Again" movement and a Supreme Court dominated by conservative justices, including three that he appointed. Trump rallied House Republicans at a Capitol Hill hotel Wednesday morning, marking his first return to Washington since the election. "I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, 'He’s good, we got to figure something else,'" Trump said to the room full of lawmakers who laughed in response. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who with Trump's endorsement won the Republican Conference's nomination to stay on as speaker next year, has talked of taking a “blowtorch” to the federal government and its programs, eyeing ways to overhaul even popular programs championed by Democrats in recent years. The Louisiana Republican, an ardent conservative, has pulled the House Republican Conference closer to Trump during the campaign season as they prepare an “ambitious” 100-day agenda. "Republicans in the House and Senate have a mandate," Johnson said earlier this week. "The American people want us to implement and deliver that ‘America First’ agenda." Trump's allies in the House are already signaling they will seek retribution for the legal troubles Trump faced while out of office. The incoming president on Wednesday said he would nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz, a fierce loyalist, for attorney general. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan, the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, has said Republican lawmakers are "not taking anything off the table" in their plans to investigate special counsel Jack Smith, even as Smith is winding down two federal investigations into Trump for plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Still, with a few races still uncalled the Republicans may hold the majority by just a few seats as the new Congress begins. Trump's decision to pull from the House for posts in his administration — Reps. Gaetz, Mike Waltz and Elise Stefanik so far — could complicate Johnson's ability to maintain a majority in the early days of the new Congress. Gaetz submitted his resignation Wednesday, effective immediately. Johnson said he hoped the seat could be filled by the time the new Congress convenes January 3. Replacements for members of the House require special elections, and the congressional districts held by the three departing members have been held by Republicans for years. With the thin majority, a highly functioning House is also far from guaranteed. The past two years of Republican House control were defined by infighting as hardline conservative factions sought to gain influence and power by openly defying their party leadership. While Johnson — at times with Trump's help — largely tamed open rebellions against his leadership, the right wing of the party is ascendant and ambitious on the heels of Trump's election victory. The Republican majority also depends on a small group of lawmakers who won tough elections by running as moderates. It remains to be seen whether they will stay onboard for some of the most extreme proposals championed by Trump and his allies. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, meanwhile, is trying to keep Democrats relevant to any legislation that passes Congress, an effort that will depend on Democratic leaders unifying over 200 members, even as the party undergoes a postmortem of its election losses. In the Senate, GOP leaders, fresh off winning a convincing majority, are already working with Trump to confirm his Cabinet picks. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota won an internal election Wednesday to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest serving party leader in Senate history. Thune in the past has been critical of Trump but praised the incoming president during his leadership election bid. "This Republican team is united. We are on one team," Thune said. "We are excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda." The GOP’s Senate majority of 53 seats also ensures that Republicans will have breathing room when it comes to confirming Cabinet posts, or Supreme Court justices if there is a vacancy. Not all those confirmations are guaranteed. Republicans were incredulous Wednesday when the news hit Capitol Hill that Trump would nominate Gaetz as his attorney general. Even close Trump allies in the Senate distanced themselves from supporting Gaetz, who had been facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Still, Trump on Sunday demanded that any Republican leader must allow him to make administration appointments without a vote while the Senate is in recess. Such a move would be a notable shift in power away from the Senate, yet all the leadership contenders quickly agreed to the idea. Democrats could potentially fight such a maneuver. Meanwhile, Trump's social media supporters, including Elon Musk, the world's richest man, clamored against picking a traditional Republican to lead the Senate chamber. Thune worked as a top lieutenant to McConnell, who once called the former president a "despicable human being" in his private notes. However, McConnell made it clear that on Capitol Hill the days of Republican resistance to Trump are over. 

washington — Polls have closed across Somaliland after presidential elections, and it appears Wednesday's voting across the breakaway region has gone smoothly.  The Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC) said polls closed across the region at 6 p.m. local time.  More than 1 million people were registered to vote across some 2,000 polling stations in Somalia's breakaway region.  In the evening, vote counting was underway, according to the electoral agency.  "It will start from polling centers level, then passes to district, and the regional before we announce the result," said NEC Chairman Muse Hassan Yusuf.  "We have successfully solved minor technical issues reported in some polling stations," he said. He said the NEC would announce the result of the election by November 21.  General Mohamed Adan Saqadhi, head of Somaliland Police Force, said throughout Somaliland the election was peaceful.  "Thanks to Allah, the election took place democratically and peacefully. No incident was reported," said Saqadhi.  Candidates promise to grow economy Three candidates, including incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi, were on the ballot in Wednesday's poll. In interviews with VOA Somali, each of the three candidates promised to strengthen democracy, boost economic growth, and gain the international recognition Somaliland has sought for 33 years.  Abdi, of the ruling Peace, Unity and Development Party, also known simply as Kulmiye, was seeking a second term.  He ran against Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as "Irro," of the Waddani party and Faisal Ali Warabe of the Justice and Development Party, or UCID.  This is the fourth presidential election since the region on the northwestern tip of Somalia broke away from the rest of the country, following the collapse of the Siad Barre regime in 1991.  The territory declared independence that year but has never achieved international recognition.  Despite that, Somaliland has a functioning government and institutions, a political system that has allowed democratic transfers of power between rival parties, its own currency, passport and armed forces.  Voters cast ballots amid tension Wednesday's vote comes at a time when tensions remain high between Somalia and Ethiopia over a controversial memorandum of understanding that Ethiopia signed with Somaliland.  The deal would grant Ethiopia a 50-year lease of access to 20 kilometers of the Gulf of Aden coastline in exchange for the potential recognition of Somaliland's independence, which Somalia views as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The deal, signed on January 1 in Addis Ababa by Abdi and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sparked anger in Mogadishu, which considers Somaliland part of its national territory.   In April, Somalia expelled Ethiopian Ambassador Muktar Mohamed Ware, alleging "internal interference" by Ethiopia. Somalia also ordered the closure of Ethiopia's consulates in Somaliland and Puntland, although both consulates remained open.  Last month, Somalia expelled Mogadishu-based Ethiopian diplomat Ali Mohamed Adan, who was a counselor at Ethiopia's embassy in Mogadishu.  In July and August, two rounds of talks between Ethiopia and Somalia, mediated by Turkey, failed to solve the dispute, with Somalia demanding Ethiopia withdraw from the deal and Ethiopia insisting that it does not infringe on Somalia's sovereignty.  On Saturday, Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur repeated the Somali government position against Ethiopian troop involvement in a new African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia due to start in January.  "I can say that Ethiopia is the only government we know of so far that will not participate in the new AU mission because it has violated our sovereignty and national unity," Nur said Saturday in a government-run television interview.