ОГП: військовий РФ отримав заочну підозру у справі про знущання над цивільними на Чернігівщині у березні

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Йдеться про військового РФ, який, за даними слідства, у березні 2022 року жорстоко поводився з цивільними під час окупації села Пакуль Чернігівського району
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СБУ ідентифікувала ватажка «кадирівців», який керував «каральними рейдами» на Луганщині

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Українські силовики постійно фіксують факти і свідчення знущань з боку окупаційних сил над цивільним населенням у захоплених військами РФ регіонах
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16 загиблих і понад 20 поранених, серед жертв – діти і керівництво МВС – поліція про падіння гвинтокрила у Броварах 

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Загинув, зокрема, міністр МВС Денис Монастирський, його перший заступник Євген Єнін та держсекретар МВС Юрій Лубкович
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First Illinois Muslim American Lawmakers Begin Work in Diverse Legislature

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Walking through the center of the city in the shadow of the looming domes of two state Capitol buildings — the old one and the new — it’s hard to miss the signs of history marked throughout Springfield, Illinois, the launching pad of the political careers of U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama.

“It is surreal to know that Abraham Lincoln was in the same position as me at one point,” said Nabeela Syed while standing in front of a statue of the “Great Emancipator” at the entrance to the current Illinois state Capitol.

While Lincoln made a name for himself at the old Capitol building a few blocks away, history is very much on the mind of Syed as she walks amid the rows of well-polished wooden desks and leather chairs lined up on the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives.

“Our tour guide said he actually took a picture of Barack Obama in the same exact place that me and my family were posing,” Syed told Voice of America. “So, to think about the history that exists here in Springfield and the history that we’re contributing, it’s an incredible feeling.”

Making history

Syed and her colleague Abdelnasser Rashid are about to make their own history as the 103rd Legislative session in Illinois gets underway. They are the first Muslim American lawmakers ever elected to the Statehouse.

“I think considering that Illinois has the highest per capita population of Muslims, I do wish it happened sooner, because I know the importance of representation,” Syed said.

In November, Syed defeated an incumbent Republican to win her suburban Chicago district.

“Not only am I Democrat, but I am a hijab-wearing Muslim, Indian American woman,” said Syed. “Our values, the way that we communicate our message, the way we engage our community, went beyond those things that people consider obstacles, and we flipped our district.”

At 23, Syed is also among the youngest women ever elected in Illinois and begins her term among other notable firsts in the Illinois House of Representatives, led by the first Black speaker, with the first female Republican House leader, and the largest Asian American caucus in the General Assembly.

“As the first Palestinian elected to the legislature and as one of two Muslims, I also carry the voices of so many people who have been marginalized and have been yearning for representation. And I take that responsibility very seriously,” said Rashid, who now represents a suburban Chicago district with a large Latino population.

“It is not just about adding the number of colored faces, it is more about perspectives and strategies and position. That’s why I think they got the support from the broader community, not only the Muslim population alone,” said Kikue Hamayotsu, a political science professor at Northern Illinois University.

She credits Rashid and Syed’s successful election campaigns to their focus and messaging on the issues concerning voters and not necessarily their identity.

“The things and policies they talked about are more about imminent important issues such as reproductive health, abortion law. Also gender issues, religious freedom at a time when religious conservatism is rising to influence politics,” Hamayotsu said.

“I think the lesson of my election and Nabeela’s election and so many more — it’s not just Muslims,” said Rashid. “It’s folks like Hoan Huynh, a Vietnamese refugee who was elected. People like Sharon Chung, a Korean-American who was elected. The number of people who are in the Illinois legislature is reflective of the diversity of our state. This is something that we should take pride in, and something that we should embrace so that our government continues to reflect the wishes of its people. I think where we have a strong healthy vibrant democracy, we’ll have better outcomes for all of us.”

‘Our democracy is composed of us’

As he reflects on a long, memorable day that included his swearing-in ceremony, Rashid was hopeful about the signal his and Syed’s elections send to others with similar backgrounds who may be debating their own political careers.

“My election gives confidence to people who may have been hesitant to run but now realize that they can. I’ve had people come to me and say, ‘I didn’t think that you could win, and now my eyes are open,” he said.

Syed hopes others who also wear the hijab might see her as an example of what is possible instead of what is not.

“Our democracy is composed of us,” she told VOA. “And we are contributing to making America amazing.”

While Illinois is a reliably “blue” state, Rashid and Syed’s election wins helped Democrats increase the party’s overall influence in state politics. In the 118-member Illinois House of Representatives, 40 seats are now held by Republicans and 78 by Democrats — one of the largest party majorities in state history.
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No Progress on Netherlands Joining US Chip-Export Ban to China

CensorBiz Бізнес, Новини, Статті, Суспільство 0 Comment

In his meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday at the White House, President Joe Biden appeared to have made no progress to get the Netherlands to support U.S. restrictions on exporting chip-making technology to China, a key part of Washington’s strategy in its rivalry against Beijing. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
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White House Gives Few Details About Additional Classified Documents Found at Biden’s Home

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The White House faced a new barrage of criticism Tuesday about the weekend announcement that lawyers found a third tranche of classified documents at the president’s private home.

Administration officials emphasized they are being cooperative with investigators and transparent with the public and are drawing a contrast between their behavior and that of former President Donald Trump.

However, in a half-hour call with reporters, White House spokesperson Ian Sams declined to offer any details beyond the few the administration already has reported about the unknown number of documents found in private offices and homes used by President Joe Biden.

And while White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded multiple questions on the issue, she stressed repeatedly that the White House would not provide too many details while an investigation was underway. Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate the potential mishandling of classified documents by Biden.

“While we may be constrained from being able to provide a ton of facts as this investigation is ongoing, we’re being very forthright that we’re being cooperative with the Justice Department,” said Sams, special assistant to the president and senior adviser to the White House counsel’s office. “And that’s such a stark contrast. I mean, you listen to these House Republicans … they’re faking outrage about disclosure and transparency.”

On Saturday, White House lawyer Richard Sauber said in a statement that officials found six pages’ worth of classified documents in Biden’s private library at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. He said those documents were immediately turned over to the Justice Department.

The latest discovery adds to a trove found in December in the garage of Biden’s Wilmington home, and another set found in November in an office in Washington that he used.

Biden said after the first discovery was announced last week that he was “surprised to learn that there were any government records that were taken there to that office.”

“But I don’t know what’s in the documents,” he added.

Previously, the Justice Department retrieved about 300 documents at various levels of classification from Trump’s Florida home.

Unanswered questions

In Tuesday’s call with reporters, the White House did not give comprehensive responses to questions about why they delayed by days or weeks in announcing the document discoveries, what the parameters were for the searches, whether they are done searching, what’s in the documents themselves and how many there are, and whether Biden would sit for an interview with the special counsel if he is asked.

Trump, on his social media network, sought to contrast his case with Biden’s, saying that he “did NOTHING wrong [and] have the right as President to “declassify.”

Trump added that he kept the documents securely and that “Mar-a-Lago is a highly secured facility, with Security Cameras all over the place, and watched over by staff & our great Secret Service. I have INFO on everyone!”

Biden’s Republican critics have promised swift action.

“President Biden’s three strikes against transparency will be met with swift congressional oversight,” James Comer, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said in a statement on Saturday. “The White House, the National Archives, and the Justice Department failed to promptly inform Congress and the American people about mishandled classified documents from Joe Biden’s time as vice president.”

When asked if the White House would cooperate with Congress, Sams said, “We’re reviewing those letters. We’ll make a determination about our response in due course. But of course, we’re going to call it out when we see rampant hypocrisy that shows a total lack of credibility when it comes to these requests.”

Walter Shaub, a senior ethics fellow at the Project on Government Oversight, told VOA via email that while the administration was right to promptly inform Justice Department officials after they found the documents, “things might have come out better for the Biden White House if they had done a better job [of]] communicating with the public. At a minimum, they should have been forthcoming with all relevant details when the media first asked about President Biden’s retention of the records.”

“It may be understandable that the administration didn’t alert the public immediately” when they first discovered the documents, he said, but “at some point, they owed the public information. It would have been nice if the administration made an announcement before the media learned that President Biden had discovered classified records in his possession. … That was a breach of trust with the public.”

Jean-Pierre questioned whether the public was preoccupied with what is turning out to be a political headache for the Biden administration, which faces stiff opposition in the new Congress.

“That’s for the American people to decide, right?” she said.

Time and tension

The White House said the Biden administration is aware of its responsibility to inform the public, but it noted there are legal considerations.

“We understand that there’s a tension between the need to be cooperative with an ongoing DoJ investigation and rightful demands for additional public information,” Sams said.

Jordan Strauss, a former Justice Department official and former White House staffer, said that often happens in legal matters.

“It is not common for the public to learn about investigations at the investigation stage,” said Strauss, now a managing director at Kroll, a risk and financial advisory solutions firm.

Strauss said the outcome is not inevitable — some of the found documents, which date from Biden’s time as vice president, might no longer be classified.

The one thing that is sure, he said, is that this will take time.

“Right now, I suspect that the president’s lawyers are conducting a very thorough investigation on their own to try to figure out what’s happened, and they probably don’t want to share information until they’ve definitively established what happened and what did not,” he said. “And that’s not a short process in almost any criminal case, or civil case.”

Until this is resolved, questions will continue to hit the White House.

“You guys can ask me this 100 times, 200 times if you wish,” Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday, after fielding several questions on the issue. ”I’m going to keep saying the same thing. I hear your question. It’s been asked. And answered. It’s been noted. And we’re just going to try to move on here.”
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Economic Woes, War, Climate Change on Tap for Davos Meeting

CensorBiz Бізнес, Новини, Статті, Суспільство 0 Comment

The World Economic Forum is back with its first winter meetup since 2020 in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, where leaders are seeking to bridge political divisions in a polarized world, buttress a hobbling economy and address concerns about a climate change — among many other things.

Sessions will take up issues as diverse as the future of fertilizers, the role of sports in society, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and much more. Nearly 600 CEOs and more than 50 heads of state or government are expected, but it’s never clear how much concrete action emerges from the elite event.

Here’s what to watch as the four-day talkfest and related deal-making get underway in earnest Tuesday:

Who’s Coming?

Back in the snows for the first time since the pandemic and just eight months after a springtime 2022 session, the event will host notables like European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, and the new presidents of South Korea, Colombia and the Philippines.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He addresses the gathering Tuesday, a day before his first meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in Zurich. Yellen will skip Davos.

Who else is missing? U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, of course: Envoys from his country has been shunned because of his war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska was on her way to Davos and will speak Tuesday, while her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will give a remote address Wednesday and other officials from Ukraine are appearing on panels.

Outside the main convention center, a themed venue known as Ukraine House is hosting a concert, photo exhibits, seminars, cocktail events and other meetings this week to drum up support for Ukraine’s efforts to drive out Russian forces.

Economic Focus

The slowdown in the global economy will be a major theme at Davos, with officials ranging from International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde speaking in sessions.

Inflation soared as the world reopened from the pandemic and Russia invaded Ukraine, driving up food and energy prices, and though it has started to slow in major economies like the U.S. and those in Europe, inflation is still painfully high.

Georgieva said in an IMF blog post Monday that divides between nations — the theme at Davos this year is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World” — are putting the global economy at risk by leaving “everyone poorer and less secure.”

Georgieva urged strengthening trade, helping vulnerable countries deal with debt and ramping up climate action.

Prioritizing Climate

A major climate theme emerging from the forum’s panel sessions is the energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will be talking about decarbonization, efforts to build clean energy infrastructure and ensure an equitable transition.

It follows a strong year for the energy transition: Many countries passed incentives for renewable energy in 2022.

One hot topic on the agenda — harnessing nuclear fusion — focuses on science that offers immense potential but is many decades away from a commercial rollout that could feed the world’s skyrocketing thirst for energy.

Sessions on issues like adaptation to climate change and panels on deforestation, biodiversity and the future of environmental protection will give a greener hue to the gathering.

Critical Voices

The elite gathering is regularly skewered by critics who argue that attendees are too out-of-touch or profit- or power-minded to address the needs of common people and the planet.

Throughout the week, critics and activists will be waiting outside the Davos conference center to try to hold decision-makers and business leaders to account.

It started Sunday, when dozens of climate activists — some with clown makeup — braved snowfall to wave banners and chant slogans at the end of the Davos Promenade, a thoroughfare now lined with storefront logos of corporate titans like Accenture, Microsoft, Salesforce, Meta, as well as country “houses” that promote national interests.

Greenpeace International also blasted use of corporate jets that ferry in bigwigs, saying such carbon-spewing transportation smacks of hypocrisy for an event touting its push for a greener world. It said over 1,000 private-jet flights arrived and departed airports serving Davos in May.

Forum President Borge Brende acknowledged Sunday that some government leaders and CEOs fly in that way.

“I think what is more important than that is to make sure we have agreements on how we, overall, move and push the envelope when it comes to the green agenda,” he said.
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Посольство України надіслало ноту протесту в МЗС Білорусі через сюжет про «вербування найманців» на війну

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Ігор Кизим: «Чітко видно черговий сплеск антиукраїнської істерії на провідному держканалі білоруського телебачення»
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Арестович написав заяву про звільнення з посади радника Офісу президента

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Позаштатний радник Офісу президента України Олексій Арестович повідомив, що написав заяву про звільнення.

«Написав заяву про звільнення з посади. Хочу показати приклад цивілізованої поведінки: принципова помилка, отже, – у відставку», – зазначив Арестович на сторінці у фейсбуці.

Реакції з Офісу президента з цього приводу наразі немає.

14 січня, коли війська РФ завдали по Україні чергового масованого удару, в Дніпрі російська ракета влучила у житловий будинок. Військові кажуть, що це була крилата ракета Х-22, випущена з бомбардувальника Ту-22 з Курської області РФ. Влада припускає, що військові РФ цілилися у Наддніпрянську ТЕС, а влучили у будинок, загинули понад 40 людей.

Того ж дня радник ОПУ Олексій Арестович на YouTube-каналі юриста Марка Фейгіна заявив, що ракету, ймовірно, збили українські сили ППО. Це повідомлення розтиражували багато російських ЗМІ.

Арестович пізніше заявив, що був втомлений, коли це казав. У ЗСУ зазначили, що українські ППО не можуть збивати такий тип ракет.

Кремль, який заперечив причетність російської армії до ракетного удару по багатоповерхівці у Дніпрі, також послався на слова Арестовича.

16 січня народні депутати почали збір підписів з вимогою звільнити Арестовича.
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У Міненерго вітають початок роботи місій МАГАТЕ на всіх українських АЕС

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У Міністерстві енергетики України вітають початок роботи місій Міжнародного агентства з атомної енергії (МАГАТЕ) на всіх українських АЕС.

«Ми вітаємо початок роботи місій МАГАТЕ та на інших чотирьох атомних станціях України. Безпосередня присутність представників міжнародного агентства на всіх українських АЕС дозволить оцінити зсередини усю небезпеку і загрози ядерній та радіаційній безпеці, що несуть собою військові дії росії», – заявив міністр енергетики Герман Галущенко.

Він нагадав, що РФ понад три місяці веде прицільні обстріли енергетичних об’єктів України. Під час одного з них сталася системна аварія, в результаті якої всі атомні електростанції України були одночасно знеструмлені.

«Через російські обстріли чотири атомні станції одночасно працювали на резервному живленні від дизель-генераторів. І в цей час продовжували летіти російські ракети, кожна з яких могла в них влучити і призвести до непередбачуваних наслідків. Ми маємо припинити цей ядерний тероризм Росії», – сказав Галущенко.

Напередодні стало відомо, що МАГАТЕ розширює свою місію в Україні, щоб запобігти виникненню ядерної аварії, заявив гендиректор організації Рафаель Ґроссі.

«МАГАТЕ розширює свою присутність в Україні, щоб допомогти запобігти ядерній аварії під час конфлікту, що триває. Я пишаюся тим, що очолюю цю місію в Україні, де ми розгортаємо роботу на всіх АЕС країни, щоб надавати допомогу у гарантуванні ядерної безпеки», – зазначив Ґроссі.

Раніше анонсувалося, що Рафаель Ґроссі цього тижня має відвідати Україну.

У грудні минулого року голова МАГАТЕ приїжджав до Росії, де обговорювалося створення захисної зони для Запорізької АЕС. Після цієї поїздки у МАГАТЕ повідомили, що консультації з обома сторонами будуть продовжені найближчим часом.

За участю МАГАТЕ з осені ведуться переговори щодо безпечної зони навколо Запорізької атомної електростанції. На початку грудня Міжнародне агентство атомної енергії заявило про прогрес у переговорах щодо створення зони безпеки навколо Запорізької атомної електростанції. Пізніше в українському уряді заявили, що в питанні виведення військових РФ і їхньої техніки зі станції «конкретики немає».

Російські війська захопили Запорізьку АЕС у березні 2022 року, невдовзі після вторгнення в Україну. З того часу Росія та Україна неодноразово звинувачували один одного в обстрілі станції.
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